cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization of CBCT to improve the delivery accuracy of Gamma Knife radiosurgery with G-frame.

PURPOSE To quantify the G-frame based stereotactic coordinate definition accuracy of Leksell coordinate G-frame-based Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) by the on-board cone-beam CT (CBCT) and establish remedial action rules to minimize the delivery errors. METHODS We analyzed the data of 108 patients (a total of 201 tumors) treated by GKRS with G-frame for head fixation. After co-registering the CBCT images and plan reference images, the Leksell GammaPlan (LGP) treatment planning system provided the amount of geometric translation and rotation required to minimize the position difference between the plan and treatment. The software also calculated maximum displacement, which characterizes the position shift more clearly. We studied how much these predicted dosimetric quantities changed if the treatment was delivered without correcting the patient's position. RESULTS The maximum displacement of the patient position obtained from the co-registration of CBCT and plan reference images was 0.81 ± 0.38 mm (0.24-2.03 mm). The target coverage decreased by 3.3 ± 7.0% on average (-48.5% to +35.7%). The decrease of the target coverage, however, became smaller as the target volume increased. In particular, if the volume was greater than 2 cm3 , the %change in target coverage was always less than -5%. CONCLUSIONS The position differences reported by the registration module of LGP were within the accuracy limit of image registration for most clinical cases, but the errors could be larger in some cases. Therefore, we propose the following decision process. We do not advise position adjustment for G-frame based GKRS if the maximum displacement is less than 1 mm. When this limit is exceeded, however, another criterion should be applied to the decision making by considering the tumor size (or the treatment volume) together with the acceptable change of the tumor coverage.
Comparison of Zn-Al and Mg-Al layered double hydroxides for adsorption of perfluorooctanoic acid.

Abstract Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a large class of synthesized chemicals, are persistent in nature and generally recalcitrant to conventional chemical and biological treatment. Adsorption is considered an economical and practical method for PFAS treatment. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) represent a promising class of mineral-based adsorbents for PFAS removal because of the highly positive charge of their structural layers. In this research, the performance of two representative LDHs with varied cation compositions, namely Zn–Al and Mg–Al LDHs, were investigated and compared for the removal of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) with an emphasis on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Zn–Al LDH showed high efficiency for the removal of medium- and long-chain PFCAs (i.e., C ≥ 7), and performed consistently better than Mg–Al LDH. Based on detailed adsorption kinetics and isotherm studies toward PFOA, Zn–Al LDH showed higher adsorption capacity, stronger adsorption affinity, and faster kinetics than Mg–Al LDH. Presence of natural organic matter had minimal impact on PFOA removal by Zn–Al LDH, but sulfate severely inhibited PFOA adsorption. Combined results of aqueous adsorption experiments and sorbent characterization suggested that electrostatic interactions may be the primary mechanism for PFOA adsorption onto LDHs. Our results suggested that cation composition of LDHs can have significant effect on the performance for PFCA removal.
Effects of age and lesions of the nucleus basalis on contextual fear conditioning

We examined the effects of excitatory amino acid (EAA) lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) in young (3-month-old), adult (9-month-old), and aged (24-month-old) rats on the expression of conditioned freezing to an environmental context and to a discrete conditioned stimulus (CS; tone) in a Pavlovian fear-conditioning task. Lesions caused by injections of NMDA resulted in reductions in the levels of conditioned freezing to the context (Skinner box) in each age group, while freezing levels displayed during the presentation of the tone were unaffected. In addition, a significant decline in the levels of freezing to context, but not to the tone, was found in the 24-month-old age group. These results suggest that the nucleus basalis plays a role in the expression of conditioned fear to environmental context and in the behavioral changes associated with the normal aging process, and that the vulnerability of these cells to excitotoxic damage, and the resulting behavioral deficit, increases with age.
Cell Adhesion and Motility

One of the defining characteristics of living organisms and cells is movement. At the cellu-lar level motility can be defined as directed shape changes. As described in chapter 1, cell shape depends on two factors, adhesion and the cytoskeleton. Thus, cells move by a cycle which is initiated with a cytoskeleton-dependent protrusive activity (1). This protrusion defines the direction of movement, sometimes in response to some extracellular force such as an attractant. Directionality is set through formation of adhesions by the protrusive element (Fig. 4.1) (2). Translo cation of the cell then occurs through contractile and detachment phases, and the cycle is set to repeat. One of the important lessons in studying cell motility, illustrated in Figure 4.2, is that there are wide variations in motility among different types of cells. However, the fundamental molecular mechanisms appear similar in most cases, so the differences may reside in the organization and control of those mechanisms.
The United States and Human Rights: Paradoxes and Challenges

The United States of America is a constitutional democracy with a strong rights tradition. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence of 1776, the 1787 Constitution itself and the federal Bill of Rights are foundational documents of both national and international human rights theory and practice. Paradoxically, however, the United States often puzzles its allies by being slow to ratify many international human rights instruments, refusing to ratify others, or attaching reservations to those it does enter into, and the constitutional architecture of the United States has, especially in recent times with the help of a conservative Supreme Court, made incorporation of international norms by domestic U.S. courts increasingly difficult.
On breakable cyclic definitions

In the course of hardware system design or real-time process control, high-level specifications may contain simultaneous definitions of concurrent modules whose information flow forms cyclic dependencies without the separation of state-holding elements. The temporal behavior of these cyclic definitions may be meant to be combinational rather than sequential. Most prior approaches to analyzing cyclic combinational circuits were built upon the formulation of ternary-valued simulation at the circuit level. This work shows the limitation of this formulation and investigates, at the functional level, the most general condition where cyclic definitions are semantically combinational. It turns out that the prior formulation is a special case of our treatment. Our result admits strictly more flexible high-level specifications. Furthermore, it allows a higher-level analysis of combinationality, and, thus, no costly synthesis of a high-level description into a circuit netlist before combinationality analysis can be performed. With our formulation, when the target is software implementations, combinational cycles need not be broken as long as the execution of the underlying system obeys a sequencing execution rule. For hardware implementations, combinational cycles are broken and replaced with acyclic equivalents at the functional level to avoid malfunctioning in the final physical realization.
The Viscometric Behavior of Solubilized Calf Skin Collagen at Low Rates of Shear

Abstract Special Ostwald viscometers with unusually long capillaries were used to study the viscometric behavior of calf skin collagen solubilized in citrate buffer at pH 3.44. Graphs of shearing stress with respect to rate of shear show that at very low rates of shear this system displays Newtonian behavior in capillary flow. Under this condition extrapolation of reduced viscosity to zero concentration gives a value of intrinsic viscosity of 27 dl per g, which is higher than previously accepted values determined under non-Newtonian conditions. The energy of activation of flow of this system is positive and increases with concentration to a maximum value of 5.8 kcal. Entropy of flow is negative and decreases with concentration.
Diesel Fuel Ignition Quality as Determined in a Constant Volume Combustion Bomb

The ignition delay times of forty-two different fuels were measured in a constant volume combustion bomb. The measurements were performed at three different initial air temperatures using fuels ranging from the primary reference fuels for cetane rating to complex mixtures of coal-derived liquids. The ignition delay times were examined in terms of the classical definitions of the physical and chemical delay times. The previously used definitions were found to be inadequate, and new definitions have been proposed. The total ignition delay times were studied in the context of providing a means for rating the ignition quality of the fuels. Fuel ignition quality rating schemes are discussed, including one based on the current cetane number scale as well as one based on a new scale which includes a measure of the sensitivity of the various fuels to the air temperature.
Synthesis of mesoporous molecular sieves

This chapter discusses the synthesis of mesoporous molecular sieves. They are synthesized in the presence of surfactants and were recognized first in the silica-cationic surfactant systems. The study of the synthesis of mesoporous molecular sieves has become an interdisciplinary field with potential practical applications in catalysis and sorption. The chapter outlines the major advances in the synthesis of these mesoporous molecular sieves from discovery to the present, with a focus on the general trends and interplay between surfactant and oxide chemistries. Representative materials are discussed in detail for the convenient synthesis of a high quality useful product. The synthesis progressed in many directions affording both novel materials and methods for a large-scale manufacture. The M41S based catalyst is used in a commercial application and in one commercial process MCM-41 offers advantage over the state-of-the-art catalyst. The inherent flexibility and potential for modifications are the main drivers for continuing interest, innovation, and search for improvements in this field for future studies.
Use of Copper and Insulin-Resistance to Accelerate Cognitive Deficits and Synaptic Protein Loss in a Rat Aβ-Infusion Alzheimer's Disease Model

The rat amyloid-beta (Abeta) intracerebroventricular infusion can model aspects of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and has predicted efficacy of therapies such as ibuprofen and curcumin in transgenic mouse models. High density lipoprotein (HDL), a normal plasma carrier of Abeta, is used to attenuate Abeta aggregation within the pump, causing Abeta-dependent toxicity and cognitive deficits within 3 months. Our goal was to identify factors that might accelerate onset of Abeta-dependent deficits to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness of model. We focused on: 1) optimizing HDL-Abeta preparation for maximal toxicity; 2) evaluating the role of copper, a factor typically in water that can impact oligomer stability; and 3) determining impact of insulin resistance (type II diabetes), a risk factor for AD. In vitro studies were performed to determine doses of copper and methods of Abeta-HDL preparation that maximized toxicity. These preparations when infused resulted in earlier onset of cognitive deficits within 6 weeks post-infusion. Induction of insulin resistance did not exacerbate Abeta-dependent cognitive deficits, but did exacerbate synaptic protein loss. In summary, the newly described in vivo infusion model may be useful cost-effective method for screening for new therapeutic drugs for AD.
Malaria chemotherapy: paradigms from pyrimidine metabolism.

Malaria remains one of the most important infectious diseases of the world. It afflicts over three hundred million people and kills about 2 million young children in Africa every year (Trigg and Kondrachine, 1998). Our ability to control the disease in tropical countries has been unimpressive. Public sanitation measures combined with antimalarial drugs have offered the only arsenal against this devastating disease. The problem has become even more acute with the widespread emergence of malarial parasites resistant to traditional drugs. Identification of efficacious new antimalarials continues to be relevant. The challenge is to do so economically.
Interactions Between Macrophages of Guinea Pigs and Salmonellae I. Fate of Salmonella typhimurium Within Macrophages of Normal Guinea Pigs

A suspended cell culture procedure was described for the cultivation of guinea pig macrophages infected with Salmonella typhimurium. The fate of the intracellular bacteria was assessed by quantitative recovery of viable bacteria with 0.5% solution of sodium desoxycholate. Two strains of S. typhimurium with different degrees of virulence for mice were compared. There was an initial destruction of intracellular bacteria of both strains; however, the extent of this destruction differed. Approximately 1% of the avirulent bacteria initially phagocytized survived at the end of 4 hr, whereas approximately 8% of the virulent bacteria survived at the end of 3 hr. After this initial killing, the intracellular bacteria began to multiply at a logarithmic rate between 3 and 21 hr after phagocytosis, and then a stationary phase was attained. The rate of this multiplication was comparable for both strains.
Subspace Discovery for Promotion: A Cell Clustering Approach

The promotion analysis problem has been proposed in , where ranking-based promotion query processing techniques are studied to effectively and efficiently promote a given object, such as a product, by exploring ranked answers. To be more specific, in a multidimensional data set, our goal is to discover interesting subspaces in which the object is ranked high. In this paper, we extend the previously proposed promotion cube techniques and develop a cell clustering approach that is able to further achieve better tradeoff between offline materialization and online query processing. We formally formulate our problem and present a solution to it. Our empirical evaluation on both synthetic and real data sets show that the proposed technique can greatly speedup query processing with respect to baseline implementations.
Circulating progenitor cells and scleroderma

Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) is a disease of unknown origins that involves tissue ischemia and fibrosis in the skin and internal organs such as the lungs. The tissue ischemia is due to a lack of functional blood vessels and an inability to form new blood vessels. Bone marrow-derived circulating endothelial progenitor cells play a key role in blood vessel repair and neovascularization. Scleroderma patients appear to have defects in the number and function of circulating endothelial progenitor cells. Scleroderma patients also develop fibrotic lesions, possibly as the result of tissue ischemia. Fibroblast-like cells called fibrocytes that differentiate from a different pool of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells seem to be involved in this process. Manipulating the production, function, and differentiation of circulating progenitor cells represents an exciting new possibility for treating scleroderma.
A sequential design for maximizing the probability of a favourable response

Consider the situation in which subjects arrive sequentially for a treatment and in which there are two distinct ways in which the treatment may fail. Treatments are given at different dosages, and the probabilities of the two failure types vary with dose. Assuming that decreasing the chances of one failure type increases the chances of the other, we say the failures oppose each other. Also assume that one failure type is primary in that, if it occurs, it censors the trial, so that observation of the secondary failure type is contingent on no failure of the primary type. We are interested in designs that provide information about the dose that maximizes the probability of success, i.e., the optimal dose, while treating very few subjects at dosages that have high risks of failure. Assuming that dosages belong to a discrete set, we show that a randomized version of the Polya urn scheme causes dose selection to be progressively biased so as to favour those doses that produce success with higher probability. Considerons la situation dans laquelle des sujets arrivent sequentiellement pour un traitement et dans laquelle il y a deux facons distinctes selon lesquelles le traitement peut echouer. Les traitements sont donnes e des dosages difterents, et les probabilite de deux types d'echecs varient avec la dose. Prenant pour acquis qu'en decroissant les chances d'un type d'echec on accroǐt les chances de l'autre, nous disons que les echecs s'opposent. Nous supposons aussi qu'un type d'echec est primaire, en ceci que s'il se produit, il censure l'essai, de telle maniere que l'observation du type secondaire est contigente au non-echec du type primaire. Nous sommes interesses par les plans qui donnent de l'information e propos de la dose qui maximize la probabilite de succes, c'est a dire la dose optimale, alors que l'on traite tres peu de sujets, a des dosages qui ont de hauts risques d'echec. Supposant que les dosages appartiennent a un ensemble discret, nous demontrons qu'une version rendue aleatoire du schema en urne de Polya a pour effet de rendre la selection des doses progressivement biaisee arm de favoriser les doses produisant le succes avec la plus haute probabilite.
Measurement of immunologically reactive follicle stimulating hormone in serum of normal male children and adults.

Abstract Using a radio immunoassay serum, FSH concentrations have been determined in 97 normal male children between the ages of 5 and 18 years, in 30 normal adult males between 25 and 45 years, and in 9 adult patients who were sexually infantile, presumably because of deficient gonadotrop in secretion by the pituitary. FSH reactive material was found in all serums. In normal children serum FSH concentrations begin increasing shortly after 9.0 years of age from the low levels found in early childhood. By the age of 13 years the mean FSH determination was comparable to that of normal adults. When correlated with various stages of sexual development (1 through 5), the mean FSH concentrations found in the serums of individuals in stages 1, 2, and 3 differed significantly from each other. However, mean levels for the individuals in groups 3, 4, and 5 did not differ significantly. There was a low degree of correlation between serum FSH concentration and the excretion of urinary 17-ketosteroids. The values of immunologic FSH reported may have no specific correlation with biologically active FSH in serum, and all results are interpretable only in comparison of one group of values against another. The determination of absolute values of FSH in serum will be possible only when there is an adequately defined standard for serum and commonly available antigen and antiserum. Only then will it be possible to compare biologic and immunologically reactive FSH in sera.
A new, simple, compact GD-MIP tandem ion source for elemental time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The research objective of this work is to develop a new type of ion source for elemental mass spectrometry. In this work, a simple glow discharge (GD) device has been set up and coupled with a microwave induced plasma (MIP) source to form a so-called 'tandem source'. In the tandem source, the first source (GD) serves to provide free sample atoms produced by cathode sputtering and partial ionization, and the second source (MIP) serves to enhance the ionization of the free atoms. Since MIP is ordinarily even farther from local thermal dynamic equilibrium than other plasmas, it would seem to be best used in conjunction with another source that is capable of more efficient sample atomization, such as glow discharge. The design and construction of such a tandem source has been performed in our laboratory, and the source has been coupled to a self-assembled time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS). Primary examinations of operational parameters are pursued. Significant signal enhancement is observed with a microwave power of 15 W, discharge voltage around 420 V, and working pressure of 2.0 Torr. The analytical performance of the new tandem source with and without microwave discharge boosting is compared. Some synergistic benefits derived from the tandem source are discussed. For the isotopes studied, enhancement factors of 3–4 are achieved.
Electrical transport in inhomogeneous composites

Abstract Resistivity as a function of temperature from 300 K down to 80 K was measured for inhomogeneous composites consisting of Ag-a-Si, Ag-poly-Si, AgCuInSe 2 and AuCuInSe 2 . The volume fraction of metal was varied to produce composites in the dielectric, transition and metal regimes corresponding to resistivities varying over 9 orders of magnitudes (10 −3 to 10 6 Ω cm). Linear regression analysis of the experimental data revealed a T − 1 4 temperature dependence for the resistivity. Based on these results we interpret the transport in these systems to be due to a hopping mechanism.
Ligational effects on reduction of myoglobin and horseradish peroxidase by inorganic reagents

Previous studies of the reduction of metmyoglobin and adducts by dithionite have been extended to horseradish peroxidase and its complexes. In addition, the reduction of metmyoglobin, horseradish peroxidase and adducts by a much bulkier reactant, cobalt(II) sepulchrate has been studied. Similar patterns of kinetic behavior were observed, namely, direct reduction of cyanide and imidazole adducts of the iron(III) proteins and indirect (via dissociation) reduction of the fluoride adduct. In the reduction of horseradish ferriperoxidase by cobalt(II) sepulchrate, three steps are observed and the spectral properties of the intermediate(s) and their kinetic behavior delineated. The final product is ferroperoxidase confirmed by spectral properties and its behavior on oxygenation. Reduction of cytochrome c(III) and Hipip by cobalt(II) sepulchrate appears to be a uniphasic reaction and second-order rate constants have been determined.
Characteristics of health professions schools, public school systems, and community-based organizations in successful partnerships to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students entering health professions education.

ABSTRACTPurposeTo identify characteristics of health professions schools, public schools, and community-based organizations in successful partnerships to increase the number of underrepresented minority students entering health professions. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the W. K. Kellogg Fo
Excision of 3′ Termini by the Trex1 and TREX2 3′→5′ Exonucleases CHARACTERIZATION OF THE RECOMBINANT PROTEINS

Abstract The excision of nucleotides from DNA 3′ termini is an important step in DNA replication, repair, and recombination pathways to generate correctly base paired termini for subsequent processing. The mammalian TREX1 and TREX2 proteins contain potent 3′→5′ exonucleases capable of functioning in this capacity. To study the activities of these exonucleases we have developed strategies to express and purify the recombinant mouse Trex1 and human TREX2 proteins in Escherichia coli in quantities sufficient for biochemical characterization. The Trex1 and TREX2 proteins are homodimers that exhibit robust 3′ excision activities with very similar preferred reaction conditions and preferences for specific DNA substrates. In a steady-state kinetic analysis, oligonucleotide substrates were used to measure 3′ nucleotide excision by Trex1 and TREX2. The Michaelis constants derived from these data indicate similar apparent k cat values of 22 s−1 for Trex1 and 16 s−1 for TREX2 using single-stranded oligonucleotides. The apparent K M values of 19 nm for Trex1 and 190 nm for TREX2 suggest relatively high affinities for DNA for both Trex1 and TREX2. An exonuclease competition assay was designed using heparin as a nonsubstrate inhibitor with a series of partial duplex DNAs to delineate the substrate structure preferences for 3′ nucleotide excision by Trex1 and TREX2. The catalytic properties of the TREX proteins suggest roles for these enzymes in the 3′ end-trimming processes necessary for producing correctly base paired 3′ termini.
Interface instability and cell formation in ion‐implanted and laser‐annealed silicon

The phenomenon of solid‐liquid interface instability during directional solidification has been studied in In+, Ga+, Fe+, and Sb+ implanted silicon after pulsed laser annealing. Interface instability results in lateral segregation which leads to the formation of cellular structures. The cellular structures have been studied using transmission electron microscopy. The critical bulk solute concentration above which instability develops, and the wavelength of instability (cell size) as a function of velocity of solidification have been calculated following the perturbation theory originally developed by Mullins and Sekerka. A good agreement between the experimental results and the calculations is obtained when the dependence of the interfacial distribution coefficient on the velocity of solidification is taken into account in the calculations.
Visual perception: rivalry and consciousness

As a paper elsewhere in this issue attests, the problem of the neural basis of consciousness looks ever more tractable as neurobiologists delve into the process of visual perception.
Natural Disasters and Man-Made Catastrophes

This article categorizes and discusses the kinds of cataclysmic events that threaten the human race and the natural world. A useful set of definitions is provided, and an annotated bibliography of a representative assortment of reference books and monographs.
The hydro­chloride salt of l-ecgonine, a congener of cocaine

The title compound, (1R,2R,3S,5S,8S)-3-hydr­oxy-8-methyl-8-azoniabicyclo­[3.2.1]octane-2-carboxylic acid chloride, C9H16NO3+·Cl−, is both a metabolite and a precursor of the tropane alkaloid l-cocaine. The carboxyl group is not involved in dimerization, but instead donates a hydrogen bond to the chloride counter-ion, which participates in two additional hydrogen bonds. The chloride ion is thus trigonally hydrogen bonded to three l-ecgonine cations. The quarternary N proton is intra­molecularly hydrogen bonded to the carboxyl C=O group, an arrangement identical to that reported for both (−)-nor­cocaine and the tetrachloroaurate(III) salt of l-cocaine. One close inter­molecular C—H⋯O contact exists.
Radiation sensitivity of T-lymphocytes from immunodeficient “wasted” mice

Mice with the autosomal recessive gene "wasted" (wst/wst) exhibit neurologic disorders, reduced mucosal immune responses, and abnormal DNA repair mechanisms. The wst/wst mouse has been proposed as a murine model for the human disorder ataxia telangiectasia. Experiments were designed to examine the sensitivity of T-cells from wasted mice to ionizing radiation. Results demonstrated that T-cell clones derived from wasted mice are more sensitive to the killing effects of gamma-rays than similar T-cell clones from control mice. Bulk thymocyte and splenic cell cultures demonstrated similar radiation sensitivity. Both thymic and splenic lymphocytes from wasted mice also expressed low proliferative responses to mitogenic stimulation with concanavalin A (Con A) that could not be attributed to an absence or reduction in T-cell number. However, following activation with Con A, cell cultures exhibited a marked decrease in the percentage of Thyl + cells in wasted mice, in contrast to cultures from control mice in which significant increases in Thyl + cells were observed. Furthermore, when cells were treated with gamma-rays in combination with Con A, Thyl + cells were decreased in control spleen and thymus, but were elevated in similarly treated wasted cultures. These changes were accompanied by an increase in cell volume in T-cells from wasted but not from control mice. These results describe the sensitivity of T-cells from wasted mice to ionizing radiation; in addition, they suggest that the wst/wst abnormality may be associated with cell cycle aberrancies.
A synergistic problem‐solving approach to meeting challenges in retail organizations

To turn today’s challenges and threats into fruitful opportunities, marketing organizations must move away from their traditional modus operandi of closed system approach to an open system where employees, customers, procedures, processes, vendors, and strategies are viewed interdependently. This article presents a systematic and synergistic practical framework grounded in an open system. A case study is employed to illustrate the application of the framework and to demonstrate how it can benefit organizations in attaining desirable outcomes.
Cenderitide (CD-NP), a novel peptide designed to activate both guanylyl cyclase B and A, activates the second messenger cGMP, suppresses aldosterone, and preserves GFR without reducing blood pressure in a proof-of-concept study in patients with chronic heart failure

Cenderitide (CD-NP), a novel peptide designed to activate both guanylyl cyclase B and A, activates the second messenger cGMP, suppresses aldosterone, and preserves GFR without reducing blood pressure in a proof-of-concept study in patients with chronic heart failure Lisa C Costello-Boerrigter, John A Schirger, Wayne L Miller, Guido Boerrigter, Horng H Chen, Ruth Kempf, Candace Y Lee, John C Burnett Jr
Lanthanum Tricyanide-Catalyzed Acyl Silane−Ketone Benzoin Additions and Kinetic Resolution of Resultant α-Silyloxyketones

We report the full account of our efforts on the lanthanum tricyanide-catalyzed acyl silane−ketone benzoin reaction. The reaction exhibits a wide scope in both acyl silane (aryl, alkyl) and ketone (aryl-alkyl, alkyl-alkyl, aryl-aryl, alkenyl-alkyl, alkynyl-alkyl) coupling partners. The diastereoselectivity of the reaction has been examined in both cyclic and acyclic systems. Cyclohexanones give products arising from equatorial attack by the acyl silane. The diastereoselectivity of acyl silane addition to acyclic α-hydroxy ketones can be controlled by varying the protecting group to obtain either Felkin−Ahn or chelation control. The resultant α-silyloxyketone products can be resolved with selectivity factors from 10 to 15 by subjecting racemic ketone benzoin products to CBS reduction.
Tandem queue weighted fair smooth scheduling

Network devices supporting 100G links are in demand to meet the communication requirements of computing nodes in datacenters and warehouse computers. In this paper, we propose TQ and TQ-Smooth, two light-weight, fair schedulers that accommodate an arbitrarily large number of requestors and are suitable for ultra high-speed links. We show that our first algorithm, TQ, as well its predecessor, DRR, may result in bursty service even in the common case where flow weights are approximately equal, and we find that this can damage the performance of buffer-credit allocation schemes. Our second algorithm, TQ-Smooth, improves short-term fairness to deliver very smooth service when flow weights are approximately equal, while allocating bandwidth in a weighted fair manner. In many practical situations, a scheduler is asked to allocate resources in fixed-size chunks (e.g. buffer units), whose size may exceed that of (small) network packets. In such cases, byte-level fairness will typically be compromised when small-packet flows compete with large-packet ones. We describe and evaluate a scheme that dynamically adjusts the service rates of request/grant buffer reservation to achieve byte-level fairness based on received packet sizes.
Brain imaging in neurobehavioral disorders

Neuroimaging studies of neurobehavioral disorders are using new imaging modalities. In dyslexia, anatomic imaging studies demonstrate an abnormal symmetry of the planum temporale. Functional imaging supports the hypothesis that developmental dyslexia is frequently the result of deficits in phonologic processing and that normal reading requires a patent network organization of a number of anterior and posterior brain areas. In autism, anatomic imaging studies are conflicting. Functional imaging demonstrates temporal lobe abnormalities and abnormal interaction between frontal and parietal brain areas. In attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder, imaging studies suggest an abnormality in the prefrontal and striatal regions. Neuroimaging studies are often contradictory, but trends, especially with functional imaging analysis, are evolving. Because neurobehavioral disorders seem to be a result of a dysfunction in brain circuits, no one region will be abnormal in all patients studied. Further studies with well-defined patient populations and appropriate activation paradigms will better elucidate the pathophysiology of these conditions.
Crystalline WO3 nanoparticles for highly improved electrochromic applications

Electrochromic (EC) materials change their optical properties (darken/lighten) in the presence of a small electric potential difference, and are suitable for application in energy-efficient windows, antiglare automobile rear-view mirrors, sunroofs, displays, and hydrogen sensors. [1–4] The operation of conventional EC devices depends on the reversible electrochemical double injection of positive ions (H + ,L i + ,N a + ) and electrons into the host lattice of multivalent transition metal oxide materials, [5–10] with positive-ion insertion required to satisfy charge neutrality. However, diffusion of positive ions into the oxide layer is often slow, taking minutes to complete. Since the chemical diffusion coefficient of protons (DH+ )i s an order of magnitude larger than that of lithium ions (DLi+), EC systems based on proton electrolytes (e.g., aqueous H2SO4) are mandatory for display applications and preferred for other applications. Unfortunately, proton insertion currently results in rapid degradation of EC films. There are two important criteria for selecting an EC material. The first is the time constant of the ion-intercalation reaction, which is limited both by the diffusion coefficient and by the length of the diffusion path. While the former depends on the chemical structure and crystal structure of the metal oxide, the latter is determined by the material’s microstructure. [11] In the case of a nanoparticle, the smallest dimension is represented by the diffusion path length. Thus, designing a nanostructure with a small radius, while maintaining the proper crystal structure, is key to obtaining a material with fast insertion kinetics, enhanced durability, and superior performance. The second important criterion is coloration efficiency (CE), the change in optical density (OD) per unit inserted charge (Q), that is, CE= D(OD)/DQ. [12] A high CE provides
Cytology of Conjuǵation in Paramecium multimicronucleatum, Syngen 2, Stock 11*

SYNOPSIS. Studies at successive stages were made to provide a basis for genetic work and to reexamine some unique features in Landis' account. All micronuclei undergo two prezygotic divisions (meiotic), but only the nucleus in the paroral cone in each animal undergoes the third division (mitotic) yielding the male and female pronuclei. Double fertilization results from each mal pronucleus migrating to fuse with a stationary female pronucleus. During the three postzygotic nuclear divisions the conjugants separate. The eight nuclear products in each exconjugant differentiate into four macronuclear anlagen and four micronuclei. The micronuclei divide at each cell division; the macronuclear anlagen are segregated normally two to each fission product of the first cell division and one to each of the second fission products. Thereafter these new macronuclei divide (amitotically) at each cell division. The original macronucleus spins out and fragments. These pieces of the old macronucleus are passively segregated at each cell division. The unique features reported by Landis are not found in stock 11. Genetic implications are that following cross-fertilization, the two exconjugant clones should be identical in phenotype for traits under direct genic control. Any trait, however, under the control of differently determined macronuclei should follow the segregation of the macronuclear anlagen at the second cell division.
Allergic contact dermatitis from a lawn care fungicide containing dyrene

Lawn care chemicals are frequently blamed when skin rashes occur in lawn care workers, although proof of a cause-and-effect relationship is often lacking. A lawn care worker developed severe dermatitis of the hands, arms, face, and neck shortly after his company started using a new fungicide. Patch-testing proved that the dermatitis was caused by a contact allergy to Dyrene, the active fungicidal chemical.
NEIL1 Responds and Binds to Psoralen-induced DNA Interstrand Crosslinks

Recent evidence suggests a role for base excision repair (BER) proteins in the response to DNA interstrand crosslinks, which block replication and transcription, and lead to cell death and genetic instability. Employing fluorescently tagged fusion proteins and laser microirradiation coupled with confocal microscopy, we observed that the endonuclease VIII-like DNA glycosylase, NEIL1, accumulates at sites of oxidative DNA damage, as well as trioxsalen (psoralen)-induced DNA interstrand crosslinks, but not to angelicin monoadducts. While recruitment to the oxidative DNA lesions was abrogated by the anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine, this treatment did not alter the accumulation of NEIL1 at sites of interstrand crosslinks, suggesting distinct recognition mechanisms. Consistent with this conclusion, recruitment of the NEIL1 population variants, G83D, C136R, and E181K, to oxidative DNA damage and psoralen-induced interstrand crosslinks was differentially affected by the mutation. NEIL1 recruitment to psoralen crosslinks was independent of the nucleotide excision repair recognition factor, XPC. Knockdown of NEIL1 in LN428 glioblastoma cells resulted in enhanced recruitment of XPC, a more rapid removal of digoxigenin-tagged psoralen adducts, and decreased cellular sensitivity to trioxsalen plus UVA, implying that NEIL1 and BER may interfere with normal cellular processing of interstrand crosslinks. While exhibiting no enzymatic activity, purified NEIL1 protein bound stably to psoralen interstrand crosslink-containing synthetic oligonucleotide substrates in vitro. Our results indicate that NEIL1 recognizes specifically and distinctly interstrand crosslinks in DNA, and can obstruct the efficient removal of lethal crosslink adducts.
CHANDRA OBSERVATIONS OF MBM 12 AND MODELS OF THE LOCAL BUBBLE

Chandra observations toward the nearby molecular cloud MBM 12 show unexpectedly strong and nearly equal foreground O VIII and O VII emission. As the observed portion of MBM 12 is optically thick at these energies, the emission lines must be formed nearby, coming from either the Local Bubble (LB) or charge exchange with ions from the Sun. Equilibrium models for the LB predict stronger O VII than O VIII, so these results suggest that the LB is far from equilibrium or that a substantial portion of O VIII is from another source, such as charge exchange within the solar system. Despite the likely contamination, we can combine our results with other EUV and X-ray observations to reject LB models that posit a cool recombining plasma as the source of LB X-rays.
Brightness perception, illusory contours, and corticogeniculate feedback

A neural network model is developed to explain how visual thalamocortical interactions give rise to boundary percepts such as illusory contours and surface percepts such as filled-in brightnesses. Top-down feedback interactions are needed in addition to bottom-up feed-forward interactions to simulate these data. One feedback loop is modeled between lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and cortical area V1, and another within cortical areas V1 and V2. The first feedback loop realizes a matching process which enhances LGN cell activities that are consistent with those of active cortical cells, and suppresses LGN activities that are not. This corticogeniculate feedback, being endstopped and oriented, also enhances LGN ON cell activations at the ends of thin dark lines, thereby leading to enhanced cortical brightness percepts when the lines group into closed illusory contours. The second feedback loop generates boundary representations, including illusory contours, that coherently bind distributed cortical features together. Brightness percepts form within the surface representations through a diffusive filling-in process that is contained by resistive gating signals from the boundary representations. The model is used to simulate illusory contours and surface brightnesses induced by Ehrenstein disks, Kanizsa squares, Glass patterns, and cafe wall patterns in single contrast, reverse contrast, and mixed contrast configurations. These examples illustrate how boundary and surface mechanisms can generate percepts that are highly context-sensitive, including how illusory contours can be amodally recognized without being seen, how model simple cells in V1 respond preferentially to luminance discontinuities using inputs from both LGN ON and OFF cells, how model bipole cells in V2 with two colinear receptive fields can help to complete curved illusory contours, how short-range simple cell groupings and long-range bipole cell groupings can sometimes generate different outcomes, and how model double-opponent, filling-in and boundary segmentation mechanisms in V4 interact to generate surface brightness percepts in which filling-in of enhanced brightness and darkness can occur before the net brightness distribution is computed by double-opponent interactions.
Semiactive and active-passive hybrid structural damping treatments via piezoelectric materials

A considerable amount of work has been performed in recent years to utilize piezoelectric materials for semiactive and active-passive hybrid structural damping. Many interesting phenomena have been studied, and promising results have been shown. For semiactive damping, most of the investigations have focused on designing control actions to switch or vary the electrical components in piezoelectric networks. For active-passive hybrid damping, two schools of thought have been examined. One is to use the active and passive features of the piezoelectric materials simultaneously and exercise hybrid damping. The other is to integrate the active piezoelectric materials with traditional passive damping materials into a self-contained hybrid design. The purpose of this paper is to review these efforts, assess the state of the art, and suggest future research directions for semiactive and active-passive hybrid piezoelectric-based damping treatments.
Time-domain finite-element simulation of cavity-backed microstrip patch antennas

A time-domain finite-element method (TDFEM) is presented for simulating the radiation and scattering from cavity-backed microstrip patch antennas. The perfectly matched layer (PML) is utilized to efficiently truncate the TDFEM solution domain. The higher order vector basis functions are adopted to accurately represent unknown fields. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate its efficacy. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 32: 251–254, 2002.
Response to Open Peer Commentaries on “The Concept of Voluntary Consent”

We appreciate the critical engagement that our discussion of the concept of voluntary choice has stimulated (Nelson et al. 2011). It would be impossible to discuss in detail the alternate proposals...
NASA scientific integrity policy

On 16 December, NASA became the latest U.S. federal agency to issue a scientific integrity policy. It was issued less than 10 days after the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued its policy on the same topic (see “NOAA issues scientific integrity policy,” Eos Trans. AGU, 92(50), 467, doi:10.1029/2011EO500004, 2011). The agency policies respond to earlier White House memos on the topic issued in 2009 and 2010. NASA is the fifth federal department or agency that has finalized a scientific integrity policy; the Department of the Interior and the National Science Foundation also have finalized their policies. As Eos went to press, 13 other policies were in near–final draft form, including those from the departments of Agriculture and Energy; the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Labor had indicated that they expected to submit their policies to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) soon, OSTP director John Holdren wrote in a 21 December note on the office's Web site.
Ranking foreign suppliers based on supply risk

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to identify and apply an appropriate methodology for evaluating and ranking potential suppliers.Design/methodology/approach – Essential characteristics of suppliers that must be considered in the supplier selection process are identified. Risk to the disruption of company operations as it relates to the reliability of suppliers is described as a reliability chain.Findings – The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is shown to be the appropriate methodology for evaluating and ranking potential suppliers.Practical implications – The case study demonstrates how the AHP can serve as a valuable methodology for ranking and selecting suppliers.Originality/value – The case study shows that the AHP can be used to evaluate and rank current and potential suppliers based on multiple criteria of supply reliability.
Can We Predict Outcomes in Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered by generalists and cardiologists alike. Much of the attendant morbidity from AF arises from systemic embolic complications which are effectively reduced with utilization of anti-platelet and/or anticoagulant therapy. The systemic embolic complications of AF and the medical therapy to attenuate these risks are very well established. Through the course of this review, we aim to highlight the complex relationship between AF and other, "non-embolic" outcomes. The presence of AF has been demonstrated to be associated with a 1.5 to 2-fold increase in mortality across numerous observational cohorts. Still further, AF frequently coexists with heart failure, whether as a causative factor or a consequence of underlying structural heart disease or neurohumoral derangement, where its presence is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Whether AF is an independent risk factor for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remains controversial, though its occurrence in patients with ACS has been shown to be associated with adverse outcomes both in observational cohorts as well as clinical trial populations. Individuals with AF have a 1.5 to 3-fold increase in the rate of hospitalization and are at elevated risk for other arrhythmic disorders including both bradyarrhythmias as well as tachyarrhythmias. AF leads to considerable morbidity and mortality for patients and exacts a tremendous financial toll on the healthcare system-estimated to range from $6.0 to $26.0 billion. Given the current demographic transition in developed countries, the prevalence of AF will continue to increase and the need for refined approaches to risk stratification and pharmacotherapeutic interventions to attenuate the burden on patients will only become more important.