cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple case dosimetric evaluation of VMAT scalp irradiation using 3D milled bolus.

Abstract Adequate dose homogeneity and full prescription dose delivery to the scalp still remains a dosimetric problem during scalp irradiation due to the anatomical shape of the cranium. Confounding variables such as gravity, the irregular and convex shape of the cranium, air gaps between scalp surface and commercial bolus, and potential inconsistencies in a 3D printed bolus can negatively impact the dose delivered to the scalp surface during scalp irradiation. The purpose of this retrospective case study was to implement the use of a 3D milled rigid bolus technique combined with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment planning and evaluate the dosimetric efficacy in delivering dose to the surface of the scalp. The 8-patient retrospective case study consisted of patients with a scalp lesion treated using a 3D milled bolus, VMAT, 6 megavoltage (MV) photon beams, and aligned for treatment using daily conebeam computed tomography (CT) and 6° of freedom couch positioning. Dose volume histograms (DVHs) were used to evaluate maximum dose delivered to the planning target volumes (PTVs) while the dose homogeneity index (DHI) was calculated and compared to that of an ideal value of 1. The researchers evaluated the minimum dose delivered to the individual PTVs after plan normalization. The researchers found that the 3D milled bolus coupled with volumetric modulated arc therapy increased surface dose homogeneity, while also increasing the percentage of planning target volumes receiving full prescription dose. With statistically significant results, patient specific 3D milled rigid bolus offers a viable bolus option for treatment of superficial scalp lesions when combined with volumetric modulated arc therapy treatment planning. However, a larger sample size used in a scientific research study across multiple institutions would be desirable to validate these case study findings.
Understanding Infrastructure Resilience, Social Equity, and Their Interrelationships: Exploratory Study Using Social Media Data in Hurricane Michael

AbstractThe 2030 Global Sustainable Development Agenda of the United Nations highlights the importance of understanding the interlinkages of infrastructure, inequality, and resilience. However, the...
Racial disparities in prostate cancer among black men: epidemiology and outcomes

Prostate cancer has the widest racial disparities of any cancer, and these disparities appear at every stage of the cancer continuum. This review focuses on the disparities in prostate cancer between Black and White men, spanning from prevention and screening to clinical outcomes. We conduct an expansive review of the literature on racial disparities in prostate cancer, interpret the findings, and discuss areas of unmet need in research. We provide an overview of epidemiologic concepts necessary to understanding the current state of prostate cancer disparities, discuss the complexities of studying race, and review potential drivers of disparities in incidence and mortality. We argue that the cause of this disparity is multifactorial and due to a combination of social and environmental factors. The path forward needs to focus on enrolling and retaining Black men in prostate cancer clinical trials and observational studies and identifying potential interventions to improve prevention and clinical outcomes in Black men.
An Unfair Fight: Black Women’s Additional Risk: Facing “Mobbing” in Higher Education

Recent studies have proven that women are more likely to endure workplace bullying in higher education. This study extends the research to determine that Black women are more likely to endure mobbing (group of bullies) from other women than their white women counterparts. These findings are confirmed at a statistically significant level with a Chi-Square analysis.
The Discovery of Argon: A Case for Learning from Data?*

Rayleigh and Ramsay discovered the inert gas argon in the atmospheric air in 1895 using a carefully designed sequence of experiments guided by an informal statistical analysis of the resulting data. The primary objective of this article is to revisit this remarkable historical episode in order to make a case that the error‐statistical perspective can be used to bring out and systematize (not to reconstruct) these scientists' resourceful ways and strategies for detecting and eliminating error, as well as dealing with Duhemian ambiguities and underdetermination problems as they arose in the context of their local research settings.
Temporal Treatment of a Thermal Response for Defect Depth Estimation

Numerous theoretical studies and experiments have demonstrated, that pulsed (flash) thermography is effective for subsurface flaw characterization. To estimate a defect’s depth, the Majority of the known algorithms use temporal characteristics of the thermal response received from the heated surface. Algorithms typically parameterize the flaw depth in terms of a specified point on the thermal contrast curve or a divergence point between two temperature evolution curves above a sound (flawless) and an inspected area. The choice of the algorithm depends on material properties and the thickness of the inspected component. A comparison of different methods for defect depth estimation is made using results from a three-dimensional finite difference model. The advantages and weaknesses of the algorithms are discussed. The algorithm performances are compared using an experimental data set obtained from a composite panel with prefabricated subsurface defects.
The Stellar Seismology of the Hot White Dwarf Star PG1159-035

Asymptotic analysis of the equations of nonradial adiabatic oscillation shows that there is a “characteristic period spacing” for g-modes with the same degree (l) and consecutive values of the radial wavenumber (n). If modes with the same l but different n are present in a pulsating star, then comparison of the characteristic period spacing in appropriate stellar models with period differences between the observed pulsation periods can provide mode identifications, and thereby constrain other physical properties of the star. A simple empirical model of the observed period spectrum of the hot white dwarf star PG1159-035 yields two statistically significant mean period intervals of 21.0±0.3 or 8.8±0.1s. We also evaluate the period interval for models of hot white dwarfs that are representative of PG1159 stars. The observed intervals correspond very closely to those derived from the theoretical models. This analysis indicates that the mass of PG1159-035 is 0.60M⊙ and that it is either a dipole (l=1) or l=3 pulsator (or both!), pulsating in high radial overtone g-modes.
Das Berufsbeamtentum (Civil Service)

Die Aufgaben der Regierung im allgemeinen und der einzelnen ihrer Departments oder Ministerien mussen von einem Beamtenstab aus- und durchgefuhrt werden. Im Gegensatz zu manchen Kontinentalstaaten, wie Frankreich oder Preusen, die schon im Zeitalter des furstlichen Absolutismus uber ein in den Verwaltungsaufgaben geschultes Berufsbeamtentum verfugten — nicht zu reden von Byzanz, dem Beamtenstaat par excellence —, war dieses in Grosbritannien bis ins 19. Jahrhundert hinein vollig unbekannt. Der tiefere Grund dafur war wohl, das in England die Monarchie viel fruher als auf dem Kontinent konstitutionalisiert, das heist politisch gebandigt wurde und das ein dem Konig ergebenes Beamtentum der Burgerfreiheit abtraglich erschien.
Epigenetics and Shared Molecular Processes in the Regeneration of Complex Structures.

The ability to regenerate complex structures is broadly represented in both plant and animal kingdoms. Although regenerative abilities vary significantly amongst metazoans, cumulative studies have identified cellular events that are broadly observed during regenerative events. For example, structural damage is recognized and wound healing initiated upon injury, which is followed by programmed cell death in the vicinity of damaged tissue and a burst in proliferation of progenitor cells. Sustained proliferation and localization of progenitor cells to site of injury give rise to an assembly of differentiating cells known as the regeneration blastema, which fosters the development of new tissue. Finally, preexisting tissue rearranges and integrates with newly differentiated cells to restore proportionality and function. While heterogeneity exists in the basic processes displayed during regenerative events in different species—most notably the cellular source contributing to formation of new tissue—activation of conserved molecular pathways is imperative for proper regulation of cells during regeneration. Perhaps the most fundamental of such molecular processes entails chromatin rearrangements, which prime large changes in gene expression required for differentiation and/or dedifferentiation of progenitor cells. This review provides an overview of known contributions to regenerative processes by noncoding RNAs and chromatin-modifying enzymes involved in epigenetic regulation.
Do You Have an Internet Strategy

Most organizations do not have a clear sense of the implications of the Internet for business strategy. Merely a presence on the Web, coupled with increased Internet-based technology spending, will not produce desired results without a clearly articulated Internet strategy. This article presents managerial guidelines for formulating effective Internet strategies.
The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement

Narcissism -- a very positive and inflated view of the self -- is everywhere. It's what you have if you're a politician and you've strayed from your wife, and it's whyEfive times as many Americans undergo plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures today than did just ten years ago. It's the value that parents teach their children with song lyrics like "I am special. Look at me," the skill teenagers and young adults obsessively hone on Facebook and MySpace, and the reason high school students physically beat classmates and then broadcast their violence on YouTube for all to see. It's the message preached by prosperity gospel and the vacuous ethos spread by celebrity newsmakers. And it's what's making people depressed, lonely, and buried under piles of debt. Jean M. Twenge's influential and controversial first book, "Generation Me," generated a national debate with its trenchant depiction of the challenges twenty- and thirtysomethings face emotionally and professionally in today's world -- and the fallout these issues create for older generations as well as employers. Now, Dr. Twenge is on to a new incendiary topic that has repercussions for every age-group and class: the pernicious spread of narcissism in today's culture and its catastrophic effects. Dr. Twenge joins forces with W. Keith Campbell, Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert on narcissism, for "The Narcissism Epidemic," their eye-opening exposition of the alarming rise of narcissism -- and they show how to stop it. Every day, you encounter the real costs of narcissism: in your relationships and family, in the workplace and the economy at large, in schools that fail to teach necessary skills, in culture, and in politics. Even the world economy has been damaged by risky, unrealistic overconfidence. Filled with arresting anecdotes that illustrate the hold narcissism has on us today -- from people hiring fake paparazzi in order to experience feeling famous to college students who won't leave a professor's office until their B+ becomes an A -- "The Narcissism Epidemic" is at once a riveting window into the consequences of narcissism, a probing analysis of the culture at large, and a prescription to combat the widespread problems caused by narcissism. As a society, we have a chance to slow the epidemic of narcissism once we learn to identify it, minimize the forces that sustain and transmit it, and treat it where we find it. Drawing on their own extensive research as well as decades of other experts' studies, Drs. Twenge and Campbell show us how.
Pseudoprogression of low-grade gliomas after radiotherapy.

Background Increasing mass effect following radiation therapy (RT) in patients with low-grade gliomas (LGGs) can be mistaken for tumor progression and/or malignant degeneration. Distinguishing pseudoprogression (PP) from true progression is crucial, with vastly different treatment approaches and prognoses. Procedure Patients treated with RT for LGGs through the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Neuro–Oncology Program are considered to have PP and managed conservatively if they develop increased mass effect within 3 years of RT. Pre-RT tumor area was compared to the maximum tumor size following RT and the size on the last follow-up scan by a central reviewer. Results Twenty-four children, median age 13 years, received external beam RT for LGG between March 2000 and August 2011. Thirteen patients (54.2%) developed an increase in tumor size compared to baseline beginning at a median of 6 months after RT and lasting for a median of 2.1 years (range 6.5 months to 5.1 years). Maximum tumor enlargement occurred at a median of 8 months after RT, with a range (5 months to 4.2 years). In all 13 cases, the tumor eventually decreased in size without additional anti-tumor therapy. Two patients (8.3%) developed true tumor progression. With a median follow-up of 4.9 years (range 1.0–12.4 years), all patients are alive. Conclusions Pseudoprogression occurred in more than half of the children with LGG following RT, typically beginning within 8 months and often running a very protracted course. Late presentations can also occur. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:35–39. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Exploring parameter sensitivities of the land surface using a locally coupled land-atmosphere model

[1] This paper presents a multicriteria analysis that explores the sensitivity of the land surface to changes in both land and atmospheric parameters, in terms of reproducing surface heat fluxes and ground temperature; for the land parameters, offline sensitivity analyses were also conducted for comparison to infer the influence of land-atmosphere interactions. A simple “one-at-a-time” sensitivity analysis was conducted first to filter out some insensitive parameters, followed by a multicriteria sensitivity analysis using the multiobjective generalized sensitivity analysis algorithm. The models used were the locally coupled National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) single-column community climate model and the offline NCAR land surface model, driven and evaluated by a summer intensive operational periods (IOP) data set from the southern Great Plains. As expected, the results show that land-atmosphere interactions (with or without land-atmosphere parameter interactions) can have significant influences on the sensitivity of the land surface to changes in the land parameters, and the single-criterion sensitivities can be significantly different from the multicriteria sensitivity. These findings are mostly model and data independent and can be generally useful, regardless of the model/data dependence of the sensitivities of individual parameters. The exceptionally high sensitivities of the selected atmospheric parameters in a multicriteria sense (and in particular for latent heat) appeal for adequate attention to the specification of effective values of these parameters in an atmospheric model. Overall, this study proposes an effective framework of multicriteria sensitivity analysis beneficial to future studies in the development and parameter estimation of other complex (offline or coupled) land surface models.
WE-D-330A-05: Voxel-Based MicroCT-MicroPET Image Registration for Molecular Imaging Study

Purpose: Registration of micro‐PET and micro‐CT images is important for the interpretation of multi‐modality images. Here we develop a voxel‐based image registration method to facilitate the co‐registration of multi‐modality imaging of small animals. Method: Rigid image registration (six degrees of freedom: three translational and three rotational parameters) was developed using an open‐source ITK/VTK platform for coregistering micro‐PET and micro‐CT data. Modules importing/exporting DICOM data (binary mask files of contours and image sets) and the scanner specific proprietary microPET/CT/MRI data were also developed. Automated registration procedures based on the normal cross‐correlation (NCC) metric and mutual information were implemented. To better “see” the bony landmarks in microPET, a strategy for enhancing the bone matrix uptake of radiotracer by adding a tracer amount of 18F during the FDG‐microPET imaging was investigated. The convergence behavior of the voxel‐based registration algorithms was analyzed and the global convergence of the calculation was demonstrated. The accuracy of the developed registration algorithm was assessed by measurements using dual‐modality external fiducial line sources incorporated into the mouse cradle. Results: A voxel‐based registration technique has been established for in vivo molecular imaging study. Application of the technique to a number of mice micro‐PET and micro‐CT registrations indicated that an accuracy of better than 0.2 mm is achievable with the help of 18F injection. Without lighting‐up of the bony structures, however, we found that it is difficult to obtain a registration better than 1mm for regular FDG‐microPET. Computationally, the setup based on the NCC metric performs better in comparison with the mutual information approach. Conclusion: A NCC metric coupled with the use of 18F injection allowed us to obtain sub‐millimeter accuracy in microPET‐microCT registration of mice. The robust registration procedure should be valuable for routine molecular imaging application.
Responses of marine unicellular algae to brominated organic compounds in six growth media

Marine unicellular algae, Skeletonema costatum, Thalassiosira pseudonana, and Chlorella sp. were exposed to the industrial brominated compounds tetrabromobisphenol A, decabromobiphenyloxide (DBBO), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), pentabromomethylbenzene (PBMB), pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), and the herbicide bromoxynil (BROM), in six algal growth media. High concentrations of DBBO (1 mg liter-1), PBMB (1 mg liter-1), and PBEB (0.5 mg liter-1) reduced growth by less than 50%. EC50s of the other compounds varied with growth medium, with high EC50/low EC50 ratios between 1.3 and 9.9. Lowest EC50s, 9.3 to 12.0 micrograms liter-1, were obtained with S. costatum and HBCD. It is concluded that responses to toxicants in different media are the results of interactions among algae, growth medium, toxicant, and solvent carrier.
A Bayesian Approach in Estimating Transition Probabilities of a Discrete-time Markov Chain for Ignorable Intermittent Missing Data

This article focuses on data analyses under the scenario of missing at random within discrete-time Markov chain models. The naive method, nonlinear (NL) method, and Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm are discussed. We extend the NL method into a Bayesian framework, using an adjusted rejection algorithm to sample the posterior distribution, and estimating the transition probabilities with a Monte Carlo algorithm. We compare the Bayesian nonlinear (BNL) method with the naive method and the EM algorithm with various missing rates, and comprehensively evaluate estimators in terms of biases, variances, mean square errors, and coverage probabilities (CPs). Our simulation results show that the EM algorithm usually offers smallest variances but with poorest CP, while the BNL method has smaller variances and better/similar CP as compared to the naive method. When the missing rate is low (about 9%, MAR), the three methods are comparable. Whereas when the missing rate is high (about 25%, MAR), overall, the BNL ...
Some principal Africana dealers

Abstract This is a list with addresses for dealers in Africana from Europe, the United States, and throughout Africa. Annotations are provided indicating whether the dealer concentrates on current or antiquarian materials, also if the dealer is a publisher supplying its own publications. Further annotations for some dealers indicate particular concentrations or policies.
Neighborhood Disadvantage and Refusal of Formal Services Among Cases Reported to Adult Protection Services

Research suggests that certain factors influence the way caregivers of older adults experience the role of caretaker. Aspects of the caregiving experience that have been considered include factors influencing decisions to seek services, causes of caregiver burden, and the relationship between caregiver burden and maltreatment. Most of this research has focused on characteristics of caregivers and how these individual characteristics influence the caregiving experience and subsequent maltreatment. Very little research, however, has examined the influence of contextual factors on the caregiving experience. This study considers how neighborhood context influences decisions to reject formal services among cases reported to Adult Protective Services. A specific focus is given to caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's and related diseases.
Nissen fundoplication: three causes of failure (video)

Background Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) has become the most commonly performed antireflux procedure for gastroesophageal reflux disease. The rate of failure following fundoplication varies from 2% to 30%, and revision is required in many of the patients who have recurrent or new foregut symptoms. Common causes of failure include hiatal hernia, wrap disruption, slipped wrap, and misplaced wrap.
Building hardware-in-the-loop communication test channels

The concept of a test channel has long been a way of standardizing radio testing. The typical problem test engineers face is how to translate the final radio operating environment into a test plan. The typical approach would be to interpret the design parameters (assuming they were driven by the end user environment) and somehow derive tests to prove out a particular parameter. This is often accomplished through an assemblage of test equipment, each focusing on a specific operational parameter. This paper will discuss an approach that builds upon modern software-based Radio Frequency (RF) environment simulation tools in combination with a channel simulator in order to build the test channel. The advantages of this approach can be a flexible, reconfigurable test system that has clear traceability to the end user environment. This technique can be particularly advantageous when testing radios such as Software Defined Radios (SDRs) that support multiple modulation formats. Examples will highlight utilizing the same hardware for two different test channels; the first space-based, the second terrestrial.
Increasing Integrated Workplace Social Interactions: The Effects of Job Modification, Natural Supports, Adaptive Communication Instruction, and Job Coach Training.

The effectiveness of job modification, natural supports, instruction on the use of a communication device, job coach social facilitation training, and co-worker support for social integration in a ...
Comparative rheology of cornea

Abstract 1. 1. Rheological properties of strips of corneas from a number of species of mammals, fish and birds were measured and compared. 2. 2. The stress-strain curves for all these species follow the same behavior. 3. 3. The load-strain curves show that the thicker corneas of mammals are more rigid than the thinner ones of fishes and birds. 4. 4. The mechanical anisotropy at large strains for all these species indicate the horizontal corneal strips (along the nose-temporal axis) require less load/unit strain than vertical strips. 5. 5. The concept of a ldslippage-rotationrds mechanism which is used to account for corneal stress-strain behavior at moderate stresses is enhanced by the observation that the corneal strips in the absence of sciera are more extendable than the presence of sclera.
Habilitation of Auditory and Vestibular Dysfunction

Although unilateral hearing loss is often the initial sign of vestibular schwannoma (VS), the pathogenesis of the associated structures within the cerebellopontine angle can result in vestibular, facial, or vascular symptoms. Removal of a VS causes deficits in hearing, balance, and gaze stability. The resulting hearing loss eliminates the benefits of binaural listening that provide localization, loudness summation, and listening-in-noise ability. Reduced balance and gaze stability increase fall risk. This review discusses modern treatment options for auditory and vestibular rehabilitation including contralateral routing of signals (CROS), bilateral CROS, bone-anchored implants, tinnitus management, gaze and gait stability exercises.
Hybrid pulsed power transformer (HPPT): magnet design and results of verification experiments

The hybrid pulsed power transformer (HPPT) is designed to provide pulsed power without the need of a high-power, high-voltage breaker switch. Very low voltages are induced during an HPPT-type operation. The HPPT system has no moving parts. The key feature of the HPPT device is its superconducting primary coil. The sequence of HPPT operation is to charge the primary coil to a level very close to the critical current of the superconductor, then drive it normal uniformly when an energy pulse is required. it is therefore a combination energy storage, power conditioning, and energy transfer device. An experimental program initiated to verify the HPPT concept as well as determine its characteristics is described. Detailed test design, setup, results, and their comparison to theoretically derived engineering models are presented. Potential applications of such a device and the critical issues associated with the design of an HPPT system are also discussed. >
Anabolic effects of oxandrolone after severe burn.

Objective To explore the hypothesis that oxandrolone may reverse muscle catabolism in cachectic, critically ill pediatric burn patients. Background Data Severe burn causes exaggerated muscle protein catabolism, contributing to weakness and delayed healing. Oxandrolone is an anabolic steroid that has been used in cachectic hepatitis and AIDS patients. Methods Fourteen severely burned children were enrolled during a 5-month period in a prospective cohort analytic study. There was a prolonged delay in the arrival of these patients to the burn unit for definitive care. This neglect of skin grafting and nutritional support resulted in critically ill children with significant malnutrition. On arrival, all patients underwent excision and skin grafting and received similar clinical care. Subjects were studied 5 to 7 days after admission, and again after 1 week of oxandrolone treatment at 0.1 mg/kg by mouth twice daily or no pharmacologic treatment. Muscle protein kinetics were derived from femoral arterial and venous blood samples and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies during a stable isotope infusion. Results Control and oxandrolone subjects were similar in age, weight, and percentage of body surface area burned. Muscle protein net balance decreased in controls and improved in the oxandrolone group. The improvement in the oxandrolone group was associated with increased protein synthesis efficiency. Muscle protein breakdown was unchanged. Conclusions In burn victims, oxandrolone improves muscle protein metabolism through enhanced protein synthesis efficiency. These findings suggest the efficacy of oxandrolone in impeding muscle protein catabolism in cachectic, critically injured children.
Separation of anti-proliferation and anti-apoptotic functions of retinoblastoma protein through targeted mutations of its A/B domain.

Background. The human retinoblastoma susceptibility gene encodes a nuclear phosphoprotein RB, which is a negative regulator of cell proliferation. The growth suppression function of RB requires an evolutionarily conserved A/B domain that contains two distinct peptide-binding pockets. At the A/B interface is a binding site for the C-terminal trans-activation domain of E2F. Within the B-domain is a binding site for proteins containing the LxCxE peptide motif. Methodology/Principle Findings. Based on the crystal structure of the A/B domain, we have constructed an RB-K530A/N757F (KN) mutant to disrupt the E2F- and LxCxE-binding pockets. The RB-K530A (K) mutant is sufficient to inactivate the E2F-binding pocket, whereas the RB-N757F (N) mutant is sufficient to inactivate the LxCxE-binding pocket. Each single mutant inhibits cell proliferation, but the RB-KN double mutant is defective in growth suppression. Nevertheless, the RB-KN mutant is capable of reducing etoposideinduced apoptosis. Conclusion/Significance. Previous studies have established that RB-dependent G1-arrest can confer resistance to DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Results from this study demonstrate that RB can also inhibit apoptosis independent of growth suppression.
Predicting Reading and Arithmetic Achievement With Measures of Reading Attitudes and Cognitive Styles.

Summary.-The predictive validity of eight dimensions of reading attitude, field independence, and locus of control was investigated for 324 inner-city Detroit fifth graders. Analysis consisted of determining the regression of reading and arithmetic achievement criteria on students' responses to A Survey of Reading Attitudes, Group Embedded Figures Test, Intellecrual Achievement Responsibility Scale, and demographic variables of age, sex, and race. The results were encouraging since the multiple Rs were not only significant but also accounted for a substantial proportion of achievement criterion variance. The regression equations accounted for the following criterion variance: reading, 36%; arithmetic concepts, 23%; and arithmetic computation, 195. The Expressed Reading Difficulty reading attitude was the most important predictor in two equations and second most important in the third equation. Field independence contributed consistently to all three equations and locus of control (I+) made substantial contributions to the criteria of reading and arithmetic computation.
The Aging Process: Physiological Changes and Implications for Educators and Practitioners

As the U.S. elderly population grows, it becomes increasingly important for health educators and practitioners to understand the challenges that this special population faces. Physiological function and capabilities deteriorate with aging, and all body systems show decline. The amount of this decline attributed to the natural aging process as opposed to disuse and inactivity is not entirely understood. However, research indicates that physical activity throughout the life span can buffer, to a great degree, the detrimental effects of the aging process, and health educators and practitioners should promote the benefits that properly designed physical activity can provide to this special population.
Sheathless electrospray ionization interfaces for capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometric detection: Advantages and limitations

A review of sheathless interfaces for capillary electrophoresis (CE)-mass spectrometry (MS) is presented. The review discusses the on-line CE-MS system requirements, advantages and weaknesses of current sheathless interface designs for CE-electrospray ionization MS, and comparison between sheath flow and sheathless interfaces. The advantages and limitations of three sheathless designs are discussed and commented upon, these include single-capillary, two-capillary and three-piece designs.
Interaction Of Ultraviolet Laser Radiation With Corneal Tissue

A quantitative treatment of the ultraviolet laser ablation of corneal tissue has been attempted by following the time-dependent approach that has been successful in modelling the ablative photodecomposition of organic polymers.
Heat stability of sunflower-hull anthocyanin pigment.

Anthocyanin pigment was extracted from hulls of a sunflower genotype, Neagra de Cluj, using aqueous SO2 solutions of varying concentrations. Thermal stability of the pigment was studied between 65–95°C, and pH 1.0–5.0. Thermal degradation of the pigment followed first order kinetics. Calculated activation energy was 23.1 ± 2.2 kcal/ mole. Extraction of hulls with 1000 ppm SO2 solution gave highest anthocyanin content and best thermal stability. The pigment was most stable at pH 3.0.
Stochastic equations of motion with damping

A nonlocal equation of motion with damping is derived by means of a Mori-Zwanzig renormalization process. The treatment is analogous to that of Mori in deriving the Langevin equation. For the case of electrodynamics, a local approximation yields the Lorentz equation; a relativistic generalization gives the Lorentz-Dirac equation. No self-acceleration or self-mass difficulties occur in the classical treatment, although runaway solutions are not eliminated. The nonrelativistic quantum case does not exhibit runaways, however, provided one remains within a weak damping approximation. The correspondence limit shows that a classical limit may be taken, again within the same approximation.
Analysis of multidimensional confocal images

A confocal image understanding system was developed which uses the blackboard model of problem solving to achieve computerized identification and characterization of confocal fluorescent images (serial optical sections). The system is capable of identifying a large percentage of structures (e.g., cell nucleus) in the presence of background noise and nonspecific staining of cellular structures. The blackboard architecture provides a convenient framework within which a combination of image processing techniques can be applied to successively refine the input image. The system is organized to find the surfaces of highly visible structures first, using simple image processing techniques, and then to adjust and fill in the missing areas of these object surfaces using external knowledge, and a number of more complex image processing techniques when necessary. As a result, the image analysis system is capable of obtaining morphometrical parameters such as surface area, volume and position of structures of interest automatically. In addition, the system is also used in the characterization of inertial fusion targets where the actual target geometry was checked against ideal parameters. The system provides a powerful tool in the fields of material science and biological research such as micro-structural characterization, morphogenesis, cell differentiation, tissue organization and embryo development.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The molecular basis for scent discrimination: response to nitrobenzene-d 5 of honey bees (Apismellifera L.) conditioned with nitrobenzene.

Honigbienen,Apis mellifera L., wurden dressiert, Zuckersirup an Stellen zu sammeln die mit Nitrobenzol markiert waren. Wenn Nitrobenzol oder Nitrobenzol-d5 zur Auswahl standen, konnten die Bienen nicht zwischen diesen Analogen unterscheiden. Dieses Ergebnis stimmt mit der Uberlegung uberein, dass die Chemorezeptormechanismen mit Elektronenmustern odereffekten zusammenhangen und nicht auf Oszillations-und Rotationsfrequenz, Dipolmoment oder anderen Masseneffekten an Molekulen beruhen.
The Plow and the Forest: Narratives of Deforestation in Ethiopia, 1840–1992

One tragic example of the loss of forests and then water is found in Ethiopia. The amount of its forested land has decreased from 4o to 1 percent in the last four decades ... The effects of the prolonged drought that have resulted have combined with the incompetence of its government to produce an epic tragedy: famine, civil war, and economic turmoil have wreaked havoc on an ancient and once-proud nation.
Effect of seed tuber and seed piece size on growth and incidence of hollow heart in Norgold Russet potatoes

Small seed pieces decreased yield and number of tubers. Both seed tuber and seed piece size affected the percentage of tubers with hollow heart. Hollow heart increased from 14 to 22% as the seed tuber size increased from 57 to 228 g and decreased from 27 to 19% as the seed piece size increased from 28 to 57 g. The least hollow heart (11%) occurred in tubers of plants grown from 57 g whole seed pieces and the most (26%) in tubers of plants grown from 228 g seed tubers cut into 28 g seed pieces. Hollow heart was positively correlated with the mean tuber size and negatively correlated with the number of mainstems per hill, total yield, and total number of tubers.
LIPID CLASS DISTRIBUTION OF HIGHLY UNSATURATED LONG CHAIN FATTY ACIDS IN MARINE DINOFLAGELLATES

The very long chain highly unsaturated C28 fatty acids, octacosaheptaenoic [28:7(n-6)] and octacosaoctaenoic acid [28:8(n-3)], were found to be associated with phospholipids, obtained by fractionation of total lipid extracts into distinct lipid classes, in 4 and 6, respectively, of 16 examined dinoflagellates. An interfraction comparison of fatty acids associated with phospholipids and glycolipids has also shown that the phospholipid fractions contained the majority (over 75% in 12 of 16 strains) of docosahexaenoic acid [22:6(n-3)] and traces of tetracosanoic acid (24:0). By contrast, the highly unsaturated C18 fatty acids octadecatetraenoic [18:4(n-3)] and octadecapentaenoic acid [18:5(n-3)] were primarily recovered from a chloroplast-associated glycolipid fraction comprised of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, digalactosyldiacylglycerol, and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol. In 12 of 16 strains, an interfraction comparison showed that over 90% of 18:5(n-3) was found to be associated with glycolipids. These findings indicate that the C28 fatty acids are located and probably synthesized in the cytoplasm or in an organelle other than the chloroplast, possibly with 22:6(n-3) and 24:0 as precursors, whereas the C18 fatty acids 18:4(n-3) and 18:5(n-3) are glycolipid constituents apparently synthesized within the chloroplast. The function(s) of these C28 fatty acids as components of phospholipids in cellular membranes is currently unknown.
Primary radiation therapy for endometrial carcinoma: a case controlled study

Abstract Purpose: Primary radiation therapy is generally considered inferior to a surgical approach for patients with endometrial carcinoma and is reserved for patients with a high operative risk. These patients are usually elderly, have multiple medical problems and frequently die of intercurrent disease. To evaluate the efficacy of primary radiation therapy a case controlled analysis comparing corrected survival of patients treated with primary radiation to patients treated with surgical therapy with or without radiation therapy was performed. Methods and Materials: Sixty-four patients treated with primary radiation therapy were retrospectively studied. A Kaplan-Meier product limit survival analysis was used to estimate survival among patients treated with primary radiation therapy. A case control study matched by clinical stage, tumor grade, and time of diagnosis was performed. The Mantel-Cox statistic was used to evaluated the equality of the survival curves. Results: Primary radiation therapy was used to treat 9.0% of the patients with endometrial carcinoma during the study period. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, age greater than 80 and morbid obesity were the most common indications. Ninety percent of patients had either Stage I or II disease. Forty-eight of the 64 patients (75%) completed treatment which included both teletherapy and brachytherapy. Ten patients received brachytherapy only. Twelve complications, both acute and chronic, occurred in eleven patients (17%). Intercurrent disease accounted for 13 of the 36 (36%) of the deaths. Clinical stage of disease and histologic grade of the tumor were significant predictors of survival, p = 0.0001 and p = 0.013, respectively. The case controlled study of Stage I and 11 patients treated by primary radiation therapy matched to surgically treated controls showed no statistical difference in survival. Dilatation and curettage after the completion of radiation therapy was predictive of local control, p = 0.003. Conclusion: Although surgery followed by tailored radiation therapy has become widely accepted therapy for Stage I and 11 endometrial carcinoma, even in patients who are a poor operative risk, the survival with primary radiation therapy is not statistically different.
Exogenous oestradiol and progesterone administration does not cause oedema in healthy young women.

OBJECTIVE Oedema is an increase in the extravascular component of extracellular fluid volume (ECFV). Fluid movement across the ECF is controlled by hydrostatic and oncotic pressures, which are influenced by oestradiol and progesterone. Thus we hypothesized that oestradiol decreases, while combined oestradiol + progesterone increases, protein and fluid movement out of the vasculature. SUBJECTS Subjects were eight healthy women (22 +/- 2 years). DESIGN Oestrogens and progesterone were suppressed with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist for 16 days; oestradiol (2 x 0.1 mg/day patches) was added for days 5-16 (E(2)) and progesterone (200 mg/day) was added for days 13-16 (E(2)-P(4)). MEASUREMENTS We estimated intravascular (plasma) volume (PV), transcapillary albumin escape rate (TER(alb)), and Starling forces (hydrostatic pressures of plasma and interstitium, plasma colloid pressure, capillary filtration coefficient) in the forearm on days 2 (GnRH antagonist), 9 (E(2)) and 16 (E(2)-P(4)). RESULTS In E(2), P([E2]) increased from 85 +/- 26 to 984 +/- 136 pmol/ml (P < 0.05), with no change in P([P4]). In E(2)-P(4), P([E2]) increased to 775 +/- 195 pmol/ml and P([P4]) increased from 6.4 +/- 3.2 to 43.8 +/- 16.2 nmol/l, P < 0.05). TER(alb) was lower during E(2) (5.1 +/- 0.9) and E(2)-P(4) (5.0 +/- 1.1) compared to GnRH antagonist (5.8 +/- 0.9%/h, P < 0.05). Plasma volume was unchanged by E(2), and showed a trend (P = 0.07) for an increase during E(2)-P(4) (48.2 +/- 2.9, 49.0 +/- 3.0 and 53.9 +/- 3.5 ml/kg for GnRH antagonist, E(2), E(2)-P(4), respectively). Starling forces were unaffected by hormone treatments. Plasma renin activity and serum aldosterone concentration increased during E(2)-P(4). CONCLUSIONS Neither E(2) nor E(2)-P(4) altered TER(alb) sufficiently to impact Starling forces indicating neither E(2) nor P(4) administration at these levels would likely cause oedema.
Laccase‐Mediator Biobleaching Applied to a Direct Yellow Dyed Paper

A laccase-mediator system (LMS) for biobleaching was applied to a bleached chemical pulp dyed with stilbene dye Direct Yellow 11. Of mediators tested, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) was found to be more effective than either violuric acid (VA) or N-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT), which had been shown to be superior to ABTS when bleaching virgin chemical pulp. The laccase-ABTS system removed more than 60% of the color.
Analysis of Pax6 expression using a BAC transgene reveals the presence of a paired-less isoform of Pax6 in the eye and olfactory bulb.

Abstract Pax6, a member of the paired-family of transcription factors, exhibits restricted expression and essential functions in the developing eye, olfactory system, central nervous system, and pancreas. To understand Pax6 function, which critically depends on induction of proper expression levels during development, it is necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing Pax6 transcription. Although previous studies using classic transgenic approaches have provided a wealth of information about the distribution and types of regulatory elements involved in Pax6 regulation, genetic studies in both humans and mice indicate that these enhancers alone are not sufficient for fully regulated Pax6 expression. We report here our analysis of mice transgenic for a 160 kb mouse Pax6 BAC transgene, which was generated as a necessary first step towards testing the long-range control of Pax6 expression in vivo. We show that this BAC transgene replicates Pax6 expression in the eye. This is the first time that a reporter transgene has been expressed in a normal Pax6-like pattern in all of the tissues of the eye and defines an eye regulatory region within the Pax6 downstream regulatory region (DRR). Second, we show that this BAC transgene contains all of the cis regulatory elements required for normal Pax6 expression within the developing embryo, except for within the diencephalon and olfactory bulb. Third, we show that this transgene is subject to Pax6 autoregulation. Lastly, we identify, for the first time in mammals, an isoform of the Pax6 protein lacking the paired domain. This isoform is expressed in the developing olfactory bulb and eye. Over-expression of Pax6ΔPD causes a microphthalmic phenotype in both Pax6+/+ mice and Pax6+/− mice. These results demonstrate a role for Pax6ΔPD in eye development, which appears to be different than that ascribed to either canonical Pax6 or Pax6(5a).
The Acceptability and Representativeness of Standardized Parent-Child Interaction Tasks

Analogue behavioral observation of structured parent-child interactions has often been used to obtain a standardized, unbiased measure of child noncompliance and parenting behavior. However, for assessment information to be clinically relevant, it is essential that the behavior observed be similar to that which the child normally experiences and elicits. Furthermore, assessment procedures should be socially appropriate and acceptable to participants in order to facilitate investment in the assessment, and potentially treatment, process. Although analogue tasks have been shown to have reasonable psychometric properties, the social validity of these methods has not been evaluated. This study examined the acceptability and representativeness of 4 widely utilized, laboratory-based parent-child interaction tasks in a sample of 43 nonreferred, 3- to 6-year old children and their mothers, who were of European-American or African-American ethnicity. Mothers rated the acceptability of each task and the degree to which it was representative of "typical" interactions occurring with the child. Repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed high levels of acceptability and representativeness for all tasks, but consistent differences across tasks. These ratings were predominantly stable over a 2-week period. Additionally, social validity ratings were significantly associated with parenting self-esteem, maternal ethnicity, child gender, and child age, but not child behavior problems. Limitations and implications of these findings for the assessment of parent-child interaction are discussed.
DNA replication,3H-cRNA in situ hybridization and C-band patterns in the polycentric chromosomes ofLuzula purpurea Link

DNA late-replication,3H-cRNA in situ hybridization, and C-band distribution patterns were studied inLuzula purpurea Link chromosomes (2n=6). With each technique it was possible to identify homologous chromosomes. DNA late-replicating regions were present at the ends and in the middle of one chromosome pair (pair 1), on both ends of another chromosome pair with one end having more late-replicating regions than the other end (pair 2), and all along the length of the final pair (pair 3). The distribution of label following in situ hybridization of3H-cRNA complementary to Cot 1-reassociated DNA was similar to the DNA late-replication patterns. One chromosome pair had grains concentrated at the ends and in the middle of the chromosomes; another pair had grains at both ends with a greater grain concentration at one end; the final chromosome pair had grains distributed all along the length. C-band distribution patterns were also similar to the DNA late-replication and3H-cRNA in situ-hybridized ones. The results demonstrate that the constitutive heterochromatin ofL. purpurea polycentric chromosomes is similar to the constitutive heterochromatin of monocentric animal chromosomes in that it consists of highly repeated DNA sequences which are replicated late in the S stage of interphase.