cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-E-J-264: Comparison of Two Commercially Available Software Platforms for Deformable Image Registration

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the deformable image registration algorithms available in the Velocity (Velocity Medical Solutions, Atlanta, GA) and RayStation (RaySearch Americas, Inc., Garden city NY). Methods: Ten consecutive patient cone beam CTs (CBCT) for each fraction were collected. The CBCTs along with the simulation CT were exported to the Velocity and the RayStation software. Each CBCT was registered using deformable image registration to the simulation CT and the resulting deformable vector matrix was generated. Each registration was visually inspected by a physicist and the prescribing physician. The volumes of the critical organs were calculated for each deformable CT and used for comparison. Results: The resulting deformable registrations revealed differences between the two algorithms. These differences were realized when the organs at risk were contoured on each deformed CBCT. Differences in the order of 10% ±30% in volume were observed for bladder, 17 ±21% for rectum and 16±10% for sigmoid. The prostate and PTV volume differences were in the order of 3±5%. The volumetric differences observed had a respective impact on the DVHs of all organs at risk. Differences of 8–10% in the mean dose were observed for all organs above. Conclusion: Deformable registration is a powerful tool that aids in the definition of critical structures and is often used for the evaluation of daily dose delivered to the patient. It should be noted that extended QA should be performed before clinical implementation of the software and the users should be aware of advantages and limitations of the methods.
Isolation of chloroform-resistant mutants of filamentous phage: localization in models of phage structure

Interaction of fd or M13 filamentous phage with a chloroform/water interface induces morphological change, contracting the filaments sequentially into shortened rods (I-forms), and then into spheroidal particles (S-forms). To further investigate this phage contraction, 34 and 26 chloroform-resistant isolates of fd and M13, respectively, were selected after chloroform treatment of wild-type phages at pH 8. 2 and 4 degrees C. DNA sequencing of gene VIII of the 34 fd isolates revealed five different mutants: these were D5H, M28L, V31L, I37T, and S50T. All 26 M13 isolates were I37T. These mutants exhibited variable sensitivity to chloroform, but all contracted much more slowly than wild-type phage during treatment at 4 degrees C. They all contracted like wild-type phage at 37 degrees C. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the indicated single mutations carried the chloroform resistance. In structural models of the phage, the D5H locus is on the outside and the S50T locus is on the inside. The M28L and I37T loci are buried in a mostly hydrophobic region in the middle. Although these four mutants are spread out radially, they are localized in the axial direction into a thin disk in the model. The last mutant locus, V31L, is out of this disk, but this locus is proximal to the M28L and I37T loci and also in contact with the surface via a deep hydrophobic hole or depression. These five mutants, their locations, and their variable affects on contraction suggest that chloroform-induced contraction involves a specific mechanism rather than a generalized solvent-induced denaturation and that the critical structural changes occur in a localized level in the phage. These results add weight to suggestions that the sequential contraction of filaments-->I-forms-->S-forms mimic corresponding steps in phage penetration, and, in the reverse order, for phage assembly.
Anodic stripping voltammetric analysis of selenium: Comparison of electrode geometries

Gold macrodisk, microdisk, and microband electrodes are compared for the anodic stripping voltammetry of Se(IV). All of these electrodes show a stripping peak at 0.79 V with a width at half height of 80–90 mV. The linear dynamic range, limit of detection, sensitivity, and precision are compared when using the three electrodes. Although flux at the microelectrodes is greater than at the macroelectrode, the limit of detection is similar for all three geometries. The linear dynamic range is smallest when using the microdisk electrode. The precision of the peak current is best with the macrodisk electrode. Although microelectrodes enjoy many advantages in analyses based on reversible systems, these advantages are not always realized with irreversible systems.
Relation of Parental Caring to Conspicuous Consumption Attitudes in Adolescents

Adolescent conspicuous consumption attitudes are perversely rooted in human relationships and interfere with personal growth and engagement in adult roles. Negative associations between parental caring and conspicuous consumption could be evidence of a compensatory motive to seek for the passing admiration of others when parent–child relationships fail to fulfill basic needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Very little support, however, was found for Veblen’s original hypothesis that conspicuous consumption attitudes are driven by perceived social class distinctions. Yet, immersion in the consumer culture promoted by the media predicted higher levels of conspicuous consumption attitudes which were also more prominent among older adolescents. This small-scale study of 257, predominantly middle-class adolescents, calls attention to the need for more family socialization studies of adolescent money attitudes.
Intersubunit Interactions Control Kir Channel Inactivation

Inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channels are expressed in numerous mammalian tissues including the pancreas, brain, heart, and skeletal muscle and play a critical role in controlling cellular excitability. Pancreatic ATP-sensitive Kir (KATP) channels are key regulators of insulin secretion as they link cellular metabolism with membrane excitability. Loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in KATP can cause human hyperinsulinism as a result of diminished activity. Several of these LOF mutations disrupt salt-bridge interactions that are located within the intracellular subunit-subunit interfaces, and result in channel activity showing a fast inactivation following ATP removal as measured with the inside-out patch clamp technique. Inactivation can be subsequently abolished by application of PIP2 to the cytoplasmic face of the membrane, an action that can be explained by a simple model in which PIP2 competes with the closed inactivated state. We find that homologous mutations in the strong inward rectifying Kir2.1 channel cause lower basal activity as a result of reduced apparent PIP2 sensitivity, indicating increased inactivation. Kir2.1 channels contain additional intersubunit salt-bridge interactions that are not present in KATP channels. Introduction of these salt-bridges into the inactivating KATP channel mutants partially rescues the channel from this inactivating phenotype. These results lead us to propose that the stability of the intersubunit interface regulates channel inactivation, sensitivity to PIP2, and is conserved across the Kir channel family and stabilizing the intersubunit interface provides a potential strategy to exploit in development of activating modulators of KATP and other Kir channels
Pigeons (Columba livia) approach Nash equilibrium in experimental Matching Pennies competitions.

The game of Matching Pennies (MP), a simplified version of the more popular Rock, Papers, Scissors, schematically represents competitions between organisms with incentives to predict each other's behavior. Optimal performance in iterated MP competitions involves the production of random choice patterns and the detection of nonrandomness in the opponent's choices. The purpose of this study was to replicate systematic deviations from optimal choice observed in humans when playing MP, and to establish whether suboptimal performance was better described by a modified linear learning model or by a more cognitively sophisticated reinforcement-tracking model. Two pairs of pigeons played iterated MP competitions; payoffs for successful choices (e.g., “Rock” vs. “Scissors”) varied within experimental sessions and across experimental conditions, and were signaled by visual stimuli. Pigeons' behavior adjusted to payoff matrices; divergences from optimal play were analogous to those usually demonstrated by humans, except for the tendency of pigeons to persist on prior choices. Suboptimal play was well characterized by a linear learning model of the kind widely used to describe human performance. This linear learning model may thus serve as default account of competitive performance against which the imputation of cognitively sophisticated processes can be evaluated.
The relationship of terpene composition, morphology, and distribution of populations of Bursera microphylla (Burseraceae)

On the basis of terpene composition, populations ofB. microphylla show north to south affinities on both the Baja California peninsula and the northwest coast of Mexico. The lack of east to west population affinities corresponds with the presumed absence of land connections between the peninsula and mainland throughout the history of this taxon. Morphological similarities between populations in an east-west direction are explained on the basis of contemporary parallel selective influences and not by the closeness of relationship.
Development of a distance education program by a Land-Grant University augments the 2-year to 4-year STEM pipeline and increases diversity in STEM.

Although initial interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is high, recruitment and retention remains a challenge, and some populations are disproportionately underrepresented in STEM fields. To address these challenges, the Microbiology and Cell Science Department in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Florida has developed an innovative 2+2 degree program. Typical 2+2 programs begin with a student earning an associate’s degree at a local community college and then transferring to a 4-year institution to complete a bachelor’s degree. However, many universities in the United States, particularly land-grant universities, are located in rural regions that are distantly located from their respective states’ highly populated urban centers. This geographical and cultural distance could be an impediment to recruiting otherwise highly qualified and diverse students. Here, a new model of a 2+2 program is described that uses distance education as the vehicle to bring a research-intensive university’s life sciences curriculum to students rather than the oft-tried model of a university attempting to recruit underrepresented minority students to its location. In this paradigm, community college graduates transfer into the Microbiology and Cell Science program as distance education students to complete their Bachelor of Science degree. The distance education students’ experiences are similar to the on-campus students’ experiences in that both groups of students take the same department courses taught by the same instructors, take required laboratory courses in a face-to-face format, take only proctored exams, and have the same availability to instructors. Data suggests that a hybrid online transfer program may be a viable approach to increasing STEM participation (as defined by enrollment) and diversity. This approach is particularly compelling as the distance education cohort has comparable grade point averages and retention rates compared to the corresponding on-campus transfer cohort.
Crystal fields for Tb3+ in hydroxides

Abstract Absorption and fluorescence of Tb(OH) 3 and Tb:Y(OH) 3 have been measured. Crystal field parameters for the 7 F manifolds were determined.
FARMSYS—A whole-farm machinery management decision support system

Abstract FARMSYS—a whole-farm machinery management decision support system—was developed in PROLOG (PROgramming in LOGic) using object-oriented data structures. It utilizes weather data, machinery capacities, labor availability, and information on permissible and prioritized operators, tractors, and implements for evaluating the operational behavior of a farm system. It also estimates crop production, gross revenue, and net profit for individual fields and for the whole farm. FARMSYS was evaluated and critiqued by a team of agricultural systems experts. They considered FARMSYS qualified as a decision-aid tool. They found its structure flexible to incorporate location-specific knowledge. When verified for its operational capabilities using real farm data, FARMSYS identified a tractor, an operator and seven implements that were under-utilized and could be withdrawn from the test farm without significantly affecting the timeliness of a majority of the field operations. The basic structure of FARMSYS is easily adaptable for other types of agricultural and industrial applications.
Helical filaments of human Dmc1 protein on single-stranded DNA: a cautionary tale

Proteins in the RecA/Rad51/RadA family form nucleoprotein filaments on DNA that catalyze a strand exchange reaction as part of homologous genetic recombination. Because of the centrality of this system to many aspects of DNA repair, the generation of genetic diversity, and cancer when this system fails or is not properly regulated, these filaments have been the object of many biochemical and biophysical studies. A recent paper has argued that the human Dmc1 protein, a meiotic homolog of bacterial RecA and human Rad51, forms filaments on single-stranded DNA with approximately 9 subunits per turn in contrast to the filaments formed on double-stranded DNA with approximately 6.4 subunits per turn and that the stoichiometry of DNA binding is different between these two filaments. We show using scanning transmission electron microscopy that the Dmc1 filament formed on single-stranded DNA has a mass per unit length expected from approximately 6.5 subunits per turn. More generally, we show how ambiguities in helical symmetry determination can generate incorrect solutions and why one sometimes must use other techniques, such as biochemistry, metal shadowing, or scanning transmission electron microscopy, to resolve these ambiguities. While three-dimensional reconstruction of helical filaments from EM images is a powerful tool, the intrinsic ambiguities that may be present with limited resolution are not sufficiently appreciated.
Integrins and modulation of transmitter release from motor nerve terminals by stretch

The stretch of a frog muscle within the physiological range can more than double the spontaneous and evoked release of neurotransmitter from its motor nerve terminals. Here, stretch enhancement of release was suppressed by peptides containing the sequence arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD), which blocks integrin binding. Integrin antibodies also inhibited the enhancement obtained by stretching. Stretch enhancement depended on intraterminal calcium derived both from external calcium and from internal stores. Muscle stretch thus might enhance the release of neurotransmitters either by elevating internal calcium concentrations or by increasing the sensitivity of transmitter release to calcium in the nerve terminal.
Analytical explanation to double-hump substrate current in funnel-shape transistors

Measurements of double-hump substrate current and enhanced gate current in funnel-shape (FS) MOSFET's have been recently reported [1]. In this letter an analytical explanation of these observations is given. It is shown that contrary to conventional transistors, the maximum lateral field along the channel of FS transistors operated in the wide-drain mode, and therefore the hot-carrier generation region, is shifted towards the source side as the gate voltage is increased. In addition, the maximum lateral field is increased at high gate voltages, giving rise to the abnormal increase of the substrate current. These results are derived from a simple one-dimensional solution of FS transistor characteristics.
Accelerated erosion: Process, problems, and prognosis

Soil erosion may well be the world's most serious environmental problem. A variety of human activities accelerates the rate of this geomorphie process by altering the natural characteristics of a site. The problems arising from accelerated erosion and subsequent deposition provide numerous research opportunities to both physical and social scientists whose cooperation will be necessary in our search for solutions. Factors of demography, economics, geography, and historical inertia to change suggest that man-induced erosion is likely to continue into the future unless this trend is abated by timely and forceful action.
A Specification Issue in Job Satisfaction Research What Happens to Job Satisfaction Models When Workers Place High Value on Increasing Their Satisfaction

Prevailing theories of job satisfaction assume that the pursuit of job satisfaction is an important employment goal to workers. The central questions asked here are as follows: (1) Is this assumption tenable? (2) What effects do the violation of this assumption have on the testing of popular models in job satisfaction research? Using data representative of registered nurses in a large metropolitan area, it was found that only about half of the workers rank the pursuit of job satisfaction highly among the employment goals relevant to their work places. Furthermore, it was found that much more variance can be explained in job satisfaction among workers who value increased job satisfaction highly than can be explained among workers who do not value it as highly. When workers' value for increased job satisfaction is used as a moderator variable, it is found to have methodological and substantive significance for the sort of evidence that can be obtained using standard models of job satisfaction.
An analysis of preharvest soybean marketing strategies in louisiana using forward and futures contracts

The purpose of this article is to analyze forward and futures contracts as preharvest soybean marketing alternatives. The effects of location, fraction of the crop contracted, and date of contract are examined. Results indicate that both forward and futures prices perform better than cash sales at harvest. In general, forward and futures price distributions had higher means, lower variances, and higher minimum values relative to cash sale at harvest. Only minor differences were observed across locations.
Cell-Autonomous Requirement of the USP/EcR-B Ecdysone Receptor for Mushroom Body Neuronal Remodeling in Drosophila

Abstract Neuronal process remodeling occurs widely in the construction of both invertebrate and vertebrate nervous systems. During Drosophila metamorphosis, γ neurons of the mushroom bodies (MBs), the center for olfactory learning in insects, undergo pruning of larval-specific dendrites and axons followed by outgrowth of adult-specific processes. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we conducted a genetic mosaic screen and identified one ultraspiracle ( usp ) allele defective in larval process pruning. Consistent with the notion that USP forms a heterodimer with the ecdysone receptor (EcR), we found that the EcR-B1 isoform is specifically expressed in the MB γ neurons, and is required for the pruning of larval processes. Surprisingly, most identified primary EcR/USP targets are dispensable for MB neuronal remodeling. Our study demonstrates cell-autonomous roles for EcR/USP in controlling neuronal remodeling, potentially through novel downstream targets.
MODELING OF STRONGLY EXOTHERMIC REACTION ON A SUPERCOMPUTER

In this work, we review the status of numerical methods used for solution of partial differential equations, describing heat and mass transfer and a strong exothermic reaction, using vector computers. A discussion of relevant aspects of simulation such as generating adaptive meshes and integrating stiff differential equations is included. The goal of the paper is to illustrate attractive ways of modeling combustion problems on a supercomputer. Four examples, “solid-solid” combustion, “gas-gas” combustion, exothermic reaction with gas filtration and free convection with exothermic reaction, are presented.
The anorexigenic and hypertensive effects of nesfatin-1 are reversed by pretreatment with an oxytocin receptor antagonist

Nesfatin-1 is an 82-amino acid protein encoded by the nucleobindin2 gene. When injected intracerebroventricularly, nesfatin-1, via a melanocortin ¾ receptor-dependent mechanism, potently decreased both food and water intakes and elevated mean arterial pressure in a dose-related manner. Because nesfatin-1 colocalized with oxytocin in hypothalamus and because nesfatin-1 had direct depolarizing effects on oxytocin-producing neurons in hypothalamic slice preparations, we hypothesized that the actions of nesfatin-1 required the presence of functional oxytocin receptors. We, therefore, pretreated conscious, unrestrained male rats with the oxytocin receptor antagonist, ornithine vasotocin (OVT), before treatment with nesfatin-1. We found that pretreatment with OVT reversed the effects of nesfatin-1 on both food and water intake and on mean arterial pressure, indicating that the central oxytocin system is a downstream mediator of these actions of nesfatin-1. Additionally, we found that OVT reversed the anorexigenic effect of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), suggesting that the central oxytocin system is downstream of the central melanocortin system. Taken together, these data suggest that nesfatin-1 acts through a serial neuronal circuit, in which nesfatin-1 activates the central melanocortin system, which, in turn, acts through the central oxytocin system, leading to an inhibition of food and water intake and an increase in mean arterial pressure.
Viewing folding of nascent polypeptide chains from ribosomes

Regulation of gene expression occurs at multiple stages and ultimately determines the protein levels in cells. The last decade has witnessed impressive progress in the development of approaches to measuring changes in cellular transcription and protein complement. However, techniques monitoring protein synthesis have lagged far behind. Current proteomic studies gauge the steady state levels of intracellular protein and rely on mass spectrometry, which has a low dynamic range and rarely samples more than 10% of the proteome [1]. RNA-seq is a sensitive approach for assessing transcriptional changes but the transcriptome correlates poorly with changes in protein levels [2,3]. Recent data suggest that the regulation of gene expression within cells occurs predominantly at the level of translation and that protein abundance correlates closely with translation rates [3]. Therefore, monitoring protein synthesis is crucial to understanding cellular homeostasis. Additionally, regulation of protein synthesis at the level of translation permits the cell to respond swiftly to adverse conditions [4]. Therefore, translational control is an integral part of cellular stress response. An intricate process associated with protein synthesis is folding. Proteins must achieve proper tertiary structure to acquire their designated properties and functions. Our current understanding of protein folding is predominantly based on in vitro refolding of denatured full-length proteins [5]. However, under native intracellular conditions, protein folding could occur concurrently with the synthesis of primary polypeptide chains on the ribosomes [6,7]. Cotranslational folding of partially synthesized nascent chains differs from refolding of full length polypeptides owing to the vectorial nature and the relatively slow elongation speed of the translation process. However, it is challenging to capture cotranslational folding events of nascent chains attached to the translating ribosome. Several approaches have been developed to dissect this process but most of them rely on in vitro systems with limited resolution [7,8]. There is thus an urgent need to establish new approaches to monitor cotranslational folding processes in vivo with high resolution. One solution is to look at the folding status of nascent polypeptide chains from the perspective of translating ribosomes.
DITPA stimulates bFGF, VEGF, angiopoietin, and Tie-2 and facilitates coronary arteriolar growth

Previous studies from our laboratory and those of others have shown thyroxine to be a stimulator of coronary microvascular growth. The present study tested the hypothesis that 3,5-diiodothyropropio...
Prediction-based power control for distributed cellular communication networks with time-varying channel uncertainties

Fast changing radio channels in a CDMA based cellular network have detrimental effects on the control efforts required to regulate the Signal to Interference plus Noise ratio (SINR) to the desired level, especially for highly mobile terminals (MTs). The motivation behind introducing a prediction-based power control algorithm is to meet the problems associated with rapid changes in the channel gain (by orders of magnitude between power update intervals) influenced by fading and exacerbated by the MTs coming out of the ‘deep faded’ zone. For a fast fading channel, a reliable prediction of the channel coefficient is required for accurate control design. For this purpose, we propose to use a linear prediction filter to estimate the channel fading parameter, and this information is fed to the controller. The controller uses local SINR measurements from the current and neighboring cells to maintain the SINRs of all the MTs present in the acceptable communication range. A Lyapunov based analysis is provided to explain the bound that the SINR error reaches, the size of which can be reduced by choosing appropriate control gains. The power control algorithm is simulated on a cellular network with distributed cells and the results indicate that the controller regulates the SINRs of all the MTs with low outage probability.
Quantitative analysis of Neanderthal temporal bone morphology using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics.

The temporal bone is the location of sev- eral traits thought to differentiate Neanderthals from modern humans, including some proposed Neanderthal- derived traits. Most of these, however, are difficult to measure and are usually described qualitatively. This study applied the techniques of geometric morphometrics to the complex morphology of the temporal bone, in order to quantify the differences observed between Neanderthal and modern human anatomy. Two hundred and seventy modern human crania were measured, representing 9 populations of 30 individuals each, and spanning the ex- tremes of the modern human geographical range. Twelve Neanderthal specimens, as well as Reilingen, Kabwe, Skhul 5, Qafzeh 9, and 4 Late Paleolithic European spec- imens, were included in the fossil sample. The data were collected in the form of three-dimensional (3-D) landmark coordinates, and specimen configurations were superim- posed using generalized Procrustes analysis. The fitted coordinates were then analyzed by an array of multivari- ate statistical methods, including principal components analysis, canonical variates analysis, and Mahalanobis D 2 . The temporal bone landmark analysis was very suc- cessful in separating Neanderthals from modern humans. Neanderthals were separated from modern humans in both the principal components and canonical variates analyses. They were much further in Mahalanobis dis- tances from all modern human populations than any two modern human groups were from each other. Most of the previously described temporal bone traits contributed to this separation. Am J Phys Anthropol 120:323-338, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Impact of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Allocation Policy on the Use of High-Risk Organs for Liver Transplantation

Background & Aims Although priority for liver transplantation is determined by the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, the quality of organs used is subject to physician discretion. We aimed to determine whether implementation of MELD affected the quality of organs transplanted, the type of patients who receive the higher-risk organs, and the impact of these changes on their posttransplant survival. Methods Data were analyzed from the United Network for Organ Sharing of adults who underwent deceased-donor liver transplantation between January 1, 2007, and August 1, 2007 (n = 47,985). Dependent variables included the donor risk index (a continuous variable that measures the risk of graft failure associated with a particular organ) and patient survival after transplantation. Results The overall organ quality of transplanted livers has worsened since MELD implementation, with an increase in the donor risk index equivalent to a 4% increased risk of graft failure after adjusting for temporal trends ( P P = .005) among the less urgent patients (MELD scores, Conclusions As an unintended consequence of the MELD allocation policy, patients that are least in need of a liver transplant now receive the highest-risk organs. This has reduced posttransplant survival in recent years among patients with low MELD scores.
Acute effects of ingesting Java Fit™ energy extreme functional coffee on resting energy expenditure and hemodynamic responses in male and female coffee drinkers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a functional coffee beverage containing additional caffeine, green tea extracts, niacin and garcinia cambogia to regular coffee to determine the effects on resting energy expenditure (REE) and hemodynamic variables. Subjects included five male (26 ± 2.1 y, 97.16 ± 10.05 kg, 183.89 ± 6.60 cm) and five female (28.8 ± 5.3 y, 142.2 ± 12.6 lbs) regular coffee drinkers. Subjects fasted for 10 hours and were assessed for 1 hour prior (PRE) and 3 hours following 1.5 cups of coffee ingestion [JavaFit™ Energy Extreme (JF) ~400 mg total caffeine; Folgers (F) ~200 mg total caffeine] in a double-blind, crossover design. REE, resting heart rate (RHR), and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure was assessed at PRE and 1, 2, and 3-hours post coffee ingestion. Data were analyzed by three-factor repeated measures ANOVA (p < 0.05). JF trial resulted in a significant main effect for REE (p < 0.01), SBP (p < 0.01), RER (p < 0.01), and VO2 (p < 0.01) compared to F, with no difference between trials on the RHR and DBP variables. A significant interaction for trial and time point (p < 0.05) was observed for the variable REE. The JF trial resulted in a significant overall mean increase in REE of 14.4% (males = 12.1%, females = 17.9%) over the observation period (p < 0.05), while the F trial produced an overall decrease in REE of 5.7%. SBP was significantly higher in the JF trial; however, there was no significant increase from PRE to 3-hours post. Results from this study suggest that JavaFit™ Energy Extreme coffee is more effective than Folgers regular caffeinated coffee at increasing REE in regular coffee drinkers for up to 3 hours following ingestion without any adverse hemodynamic effects.
Scaling the V&V mountain: Proving Juno will succeed at Jupiter

Juno is a NASA New Frontiers mission managed and operated by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), commissioned to explore the origin, interior, atmosphere, and polar magnetosphere of Jupiter. The spacecraft was developed and built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, and its nine science instruments were developed by JPL and six national and international partner institutions. Juno launched on August 5th, 2011 starting its 5 year cruise to Jupiter and will enter an ∼11 day polar orbit that will allow for science measurements while minimizing radiation. Juno is a spin-stabilized, solar-powered spacecraft with a challenging and complex mission, which included over 7,500 requirements and 900 verification activities to be completed during the integration and test campaign.
Safety and efficacy of doxazosin in benign prostatic hyperplasia: a pooled analysis of three double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.

Abstract Objectives To present the results of a pooled analysis of three double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of doxazosin in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Heterogeneous symptom and bother score data collected using different symptom indices were transformed to enable a comparison of the data and to conduct a pooled, in-depth analysis. Methods Urinary flow rates, and symptom and bother score data were shown by analysis of covariance methods to give consistent estimates of the efficacy of doxazosin across different studies, thus confirming the validity of pooling the results. Prior to analysis, symptom and bother score data were transformed so that all scales started from zero (least symptoms or bother) and were expressed as a percentage of the maximum score. Results Doxazosin produced a significantly greater improvement than placebo in peak urinary flow rate ( P = 0.0017), symptom severity ( P s P P = 0.0001). Stratification by age showed that age did not affect the capacity to benefit from treatment. Analysis of the pooled peak flow-rate data showed that doxazosin produced a consistently greater increase in flow compared with placebo. Doxazosin was well tolerated, with 10% of patients having withdrawn due to adverse events versus 4% with placebo ( P Conclusions Doxazosin is well tolerated and effective in the treatment of BPH. Pooling of data has enabled more extensive and robust conclusions to be drawn than was possible for each one of the individual three studies.
Experimental Investigation of the Forced Response of a Pair of Co-Rotating Vortex Filaments

The interactions of pairs of co-rotating vortex filaments have been investigated in a water tunnel. The time history of the motion of each filament has been recorded at several downstream locations to analyze its spatial and temporal behavior. The vortices have been excited over a range of frequencies using a shaker. The filaments have been shown to move along preferred directions, suggesting their tendency to form planar waves. The amplitudes of these waves have been shown to grow, implying unstable interaction between the vortices. The angles of the planes containing the motion have been presented and compared with analytical prediction. The flow is shown to contain all of the essential features predicted by two analytical models.
The Salieri syndrome consequences of envy in groups

A model of the impact of envy in groups is proposed and tested in a longitudinal study of 143 groups. Envy was directly and negatively related to group performance. Moreover, envy indirectly influenced group performance, absenteeism, and group satisfaction by increasing social loafing and reducing both group potency and cohesion. This study provides an initial step in identifying the processes through which envy impacts group effectiveness. Implications are discussed and future research directions are identified.
Design Model for Confinement Reinforcement in Pretensioned Concrete I-Girders

The 2007 edition of AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications contains prescriptive requirements for the quantity and placement of confinement reinforcement located in the bottom bulb of pretensioned concrete I-girders. The proposed model can be used to design confinement reinforcement as an alternative to AASHTO's prescriptive requirements. The model considers a range of I-girder conditions and variations, yet is intended to be practical enough for use by bridge design engineers. Variables in the design model include flange and bearing geometry, strand size and placement, effective prestress force, concrete and steel material properties, and the effects of steel bearing plates. The model is based on strut-and-tie and shear-friction concepts and considers the lateral-splitting failure mode. Derivation of the model is presented, and the model is compared with experimental results from the published literature.
031 IGF‐I stimulates VEGF production in endothelial cells by inhibiting poly(ADP‐Ribose)‐polymerase

Introduction: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) mediated angiogenesis plays a key role in wound healing. Insulin-like Growth Factor I (IGF-I) has been reported to be angiogenic. However, the mechanism is not known. Recently, a link between transcriptional activity and inhibition of poly(ADP-Ribose)polymerase (PARP) has been reported. We investigated whether IGF-I increases VEGF expression and whether this effect is regulated by the inhibition of PARP. Material and methods: Subconfluent monolayers of human umbilical vein cells were cultured and serum starved. Cultures were treated with Long-R3-IGF-I for 20 h. VEGF in the supernatant was measured by ELISA and lactate by a lactate analyser. PARP activity was assessed by measuring the incorporation of 14C-radiolabeled NAD+. All experiments were performed in triplicate. Results are given as percent change compared to control ± SD; p < 0.05 calculated by Student‘s t-test was considered significant. Results: IGF-I increased both VEGF (20 ± 10%, 50 ± 16%(p = 0.01) and 79 ± 13%(p = 0.0003)) and lactate production (12 ± 11%, 20 ± 12% and 48 ± 16%(p = 0.01)) in a dose dependent manner (25, 50 and 100 ng/ml). Blocking glucose utilization by 2-desoxyglucose, decreased lactate by 70 ± 11%(p = 0.0001), but not VEGF expression. Inhibitors of MAP-kinase (PD 98059) and Proteinkinase C (Staurosporine) reduced the IGF-I effect on VEGF expression by 40 ± 6%(p = 0.0003) and 30 ± 7%(p = 0.01). 3-Aminobenzamide and nicotinamide alone, inhibitors of PARP, stimulated VEGF production by 66 ± 5%(p = 0.0003) and 32 ± 8%(p = 0.002), respectively. IGF-I inhibited PARP by 44 ± 3%(p = 0.01). Conclusion: IGF-I enhances VEGF protein expression in endothelial cells. This is mediated through signal transduction and by inhibition of PARP.
Analysis of grating surface emitting lasers

An approach to the analysis of grating-coupled semiconductor lasers is presented. It is shown that there are only two resonant solutions when the grating has infinite extent. The solutions are either symmetric or antisymmetric about the center of the longitudinal coordinate system where the antisymmetric solution is nonradiating. The field in the grating layer is expressed in terms of grating eigenfunctions and rigorously matched to the boundary conditions at the waveguide interface. Solutions to the finite-length grating problem are expressed as linear combinations of the infinite-length solutions. It is shown that the two diffraction parameters in the coupled-wave equations are composed of sums and differences of the eigenvalues from the infinite-length problem. >
Design and evaluation tools for automated highway systems

In this paper, the authors present a brief description of the California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) hierarchical control architecture for Automated Highway Systems (AHS). They describe the framework for AHS design and evaluation and give a summary of simulation and analysis tool needs. Some of the tools being developed which are based on the hybrid systems approach are also described.
Faulting and groundwater in a desert environment: constraining hydrogeology using time‐domain electromagnetic data

Within the south-western Mojave Desert, the Joshua Basin Water District is considering applying imported water into infiltration ponds in the Joshua Tree groundwater sub-basin in an attempt to artificially recharge the underlying aquifer. Scarce subsurface hydrogeological data are available near the proposed recharge site; therefore, time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) data were collected and analysed to characterize the subsurface. TDEM soundings were acquired to estimate the depth to water on either side of the Pinto Mountain Fault, a major east-west trending strike-slip fault that transects the proposed recharge site. While TDEM is a standard technique for groundwater investigations, special care must be taken when acquiring and interpreting TDEM data in a twodimensional (2D) faulted environment. A subset of the TDEM data consistent with a layered-earth interpretation was identified through a combination of three-dimensional (3D) forward modelling and diffusion time-distance estimates. Inverse modelling indicates an offset in water table elevation of nearly 40 m across the fault. These findings imply that the fault acts as a low-permeability barrier to groundwater flow in the vicinity of the proposed recharge site. Existing production wells on the south side of the fault, together with a thick unsaturated zone and permeable near-surface deposits, suggest the southern half of the study area is suitable for artificial recharge. These results illustrate the effectiveness of targeted TDEM in support of hydrological studies in a heavily faulted desert environment where data are scarce and the cost of obtaining these data by conventional drilling techniques is prohibitive.
The ventilated pool: a model of subtropical mode water

An analytical model of subtropical mode water is presented, based on ventilated thermocline theory and on numerical solutions of a planetary geostrophic basin model. In ventilated thermocline theory, the western pool is a region bounded on the east by subsurface streamlines that outcrop at the western edge of the interior, and in which additional dynamical assumptions are necessary to complete the solution. Solutions for the western pool were originally obtained under the assumption that the potential vorticity of the subsurface layer was homogenized. In the present theory, it is instead assumed that all of the water in the pool region is ventilated and, therefore, that all the Sverdrup transport is carried in the uppermost, outcropping layer. The result is the formation of a deep, vertically homogeneous, fluid layer in the northwest corner of the subtropical gyre that extends from the surface to the base of the ventilated thermocline. This ventilated pool is an analog of the observed subtropical mode waters. The pool also has the interesting properties that it determines its own boundaries and affects the global potential vorticity–pressure relationship. When there are multiple outcropping layers, ventilated pool fluid is subducted to form a set of nested annuli in ventilated, subsurface layers, which are the deepest subducted layers in the ventilated thermocline.
Social Ties and Depression: An Intersectional Examination of Black and White Community-Dwelling Older Adults:

Aging literature often links social ties to lower depression for older adults; however, research shows inconsistent findings by race and gender. Drawing from an “intersectionality” framework, this article explores whether the relationship between social ties and depression is moderated by race and gender for a nationally representative sample of diverse, community-dwelling older adults (aged 60 and older). Analysis of the most recent wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) indicates that White men, Black men, White women, and Black women differ in terms of the relationship between social ties and depression. Main findings include (a) the overwhelming benefit of marriage and partnership, (b) pronounced differences between Black women’s and White women’s friend and kin ties, and (c) the potential vulnerability of older Black men. Findings highlight the importance of catering community-based elder support toward diverse aging populations. Potential community-based care solutions are discussed.
A flexible PC-based physiological monitor for animal experiments.

Abstract We have developed a flexible physiological monitoring and analysis system for physiological studies in which data are obtained over extended periods. Our system uses low-cost personal computer hardware to concentrate data from existing multiple monitoring devices. All monitored parameters are displayed on a single screen and recorded in a single file. The system automates the process of physiological record keeping by providing continuous displays of vital signs. In addition, audible and visual alarms are produced when vital signs are outside of acceptable ranges, prompting the experimenter to take corrective actions. The central element of the system is a program running in a dedicated manner on an IBM PC-compatible computer. The program is written in the C language and makes use of a graphics library to display traces and analysis results in real time on any standard display for the PC. This program assigns the analog channels of an A D board to particular physiological parameters by initially reading a configuration file, which also describes the alarm conditions and analysis routine for each parameter. All hardware specific code is isolated into well-defined modules. The program is both highly flexible with regard to different sets of parameters and highly portable for different experimental and computer environments.
A Comparison of Selected Quality and Compositional Characteristics of Brown and White Shell Eggs II. Interior Quality

Abstract This paper compares interior quality measurements from three brown and three white shell commercial layer strains. Eggs were obtained during twelve 28-day production periods. Forty-eight eggs were randomly selected from each of the six strains during the last week of each period. Individual interior quality measurements were then taken. Significant differences were found in Haugh units, albumen indexes, and albumen pH measurements for the two color groups. The overall means for Haugh units were 85.11 and 81.92, for albumen indexes .1027 and .0938, and albumen pH 7.98 and 8.04 for the brown and white shell eggs, respectively. Yolk indexes for the shell color groups were .504 for brown shell eggs and .509 for white shell eggs and did not differ significantly.
A coordination architecture for Internet groupwork

This paper discusses a group coordination architecture to support Internet-wide distributed collaboration in the context of legacy Internet protocols. Group coordination in distributed systems and multimedia systems has many faces manifested in a variety of user interfaces and network protocols. To date, no standardized methodology for engineering group coordination protocols exists. We perceive coordination as the third complementary component in the trinity of group-communication services, next to membership and dissemination. With the current surge in e-commerce and Web-leveraged information exchange among users, the need for systems offering better telepresence and interaction capabilities becomes tangible. Services to support distributed group interaction at (near) real-time, with user-specified quality-of-service, and at Internet scope are of particular interest in this mosaic of telepresence and remote collaboration. We propose a general group coordination architecture for heterogeneous networks, as a framework to leverage the rapid development of group-oriented distributed collaborative applications in the Internet, for example for distance education, distributed scientific simulation or visualization, and similar applications.
Acetogenesis from H2 Plus CO2 by Spirochetes from Termite Guts

Pure cultures of termite gut spirochetes were obtained and were shown to catalyze the synthesis of acetate from H2 plus CO2. The 16S ribosomal DNA sequences of two strains were 98 percent similar and were affiliated with those of the genus Treponema. However, neither was closely related to any known treponeme. These findings imply an important role for spirochetes in termite nutrition, help to reconcile the dominance of acetogenesis over methanogenesis as an H2 sink in termite hindguts, suggest that the motility of termite gut protozoa by means of attached spirochetes may be based on interspecies H2 transfer, and underscore the importance of termites as a rich reservoir of novel microbial diversity.