cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physicochemical basis for cosolvent modulation of β-lactoglobulin functionality: Interfacial tension study

Abstract The impact of neutral cosolvents on the thermal stability of globular proteins in aqueous solutions depends on the nature of the cosolvent, e . g ., sorbitol causes a pronounced increase in the thermal denaturation temperature ( T m ) of β-lactoglobulin (β-lg), whereas glycerol does not. When a protein unfolds there is a change in the exposed surface area and in the type of molecular interactions that occur at the protein–solvent–cosolvent interface. These changes contribute to the free energy change associated with protein denaturation and depend on cosolvent type. In this study we measured the equilibrium interfacial tensions of aqueous glycerol (0–70% w/w) and sorbitol (0–55% w/w) solutions as a function of temperature to provide insights into the role of the interfacial energy on the thermal stability of β-lg. There was a slight increase in interfacial tension with increasing sorbitol concentration, indicating its preferential exclusion from the oil–water interface. On the other hand, there was an appreciable decrease in interfacial tension with increasing glycerol concentration, indicating its preferential accumulation at the oil–water interface. These changes were largely independent of the measurement temperature (30–80 °C). Our results suggest that sorbitol increases the T m of β-lg mainly through a steric exclusion effect, whereas glycerol has little effect on T m because the steric exclusion effect is counter-balanced by a differential interaction effect.
Nuclear Lethal Effect and Nucleocytoplasmic Incompatibility Induced by Endosymbionts in Amoeba proteus1

. The role of bacterial endosymbionts in the acquisition of new phenotypic characters was studied by transplanting nuclei from an uninfected strain of Amoeba proteus into the enucleated cytoplasm of a symbiont-carrying strain. After 1–10 cell cycles, the nuclei were tested for two characters: compatibility with uninfected and infected cytoplasm, and their lethal effect against amoebae of the uninfected parent strain. A significant number of transplanted nuclei displayed both of the new phenotypic traits after a few divisions in the infected cytoplasm. Thus the influence of these endosymbionts on the nucleus of A. proteus was virtually instantaneous.
Hierarchical Linear Models With Application to Air Pollution in the South Coast Air Basin

environmental (Smith and Huang). The estimated relationship can be used to infer the marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for the environmental characteristic (Freeman, p. 372). In this article, we use a large georeferenced property-value data set that corresponds, approximately, to the boundaries of the South Coast Air Quality Management District in the Los Angeles area to investigate the empirical consequences of geographic clustering on the MWTP for environmental characteristics. The data reflect a natural hierarchical structure wherein level 1 corre-
Model‐based noise suppression using nonstationary filters

Surface waves can have complicated wave paths when propagating through a complex near surface. Removing this dispersive energy is an important step to focus the subsurface seismic image. Model-based downward continuation techniques offer one solution to this problem but are computationally expensive. They require downward continuing the wavefield through the surface wave propagation zone followed by forward modeling back to the recording surface. These downward continuation techniques also require sorting the data between the shot and receiver domains for each extrapolation.
The effectiveness of preemptive sphenopalatine ganglion block on postoperative pain and functional outcomes after functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

Background: The sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPGB) with local anesthetic is used to treat facial pain and headache of various etiologies; it has been widely used during functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether preemptive SPGB may positively impact postoperative pain and functional outcomes after FESS. Methods: A prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was performed. A total of 60 patients (18–70 years), undergoing general anesthesia for bilateral FESS, were randomly assigned to receive SPGB with either 2 mL 0.25% bupivacaine with epinephrine 1:100,000 (BP, treatment group) or normal saline (NS, control group). SPGB was performed preemptively 10 minutes before the start of surgery. Preoperative and postoperative (day 0, day 7, and day 30) visual analog pain scale, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20), computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic scores were compared between the 2 groups. Results: A total of 29 patients were enrolled in BP, and 27 were enrolled in NS. Three patients withdrew from the study, and 1 was withdrawn by the investigator due to severe hypertension after induction of anesthesia. There were no differences in patient demographic characteristics between the study groups. On day 7, the mean visual analog pain scales were 1.12 ± 0.3 in NS and 0.48 ± 0.23 in BP (p = 0.053). There were no statistical differences in other outcome measures (SNOT-20, CT and endoscopic scores) between the 2 groups. Conclusion: A limited trend toward reduced postoperative pain after FESS was noted with bupivacaine compared to saline, but statistical significance was not achieved. Preemptive SPGB may offer sinonasal symptomatic benefits for patients undergoing FESS, but larger studies are warranted. © 2011 ARS-AAOA, LLC.
A Fluoride-Derived Electrophilic Late-Stage Fluorination Reagent for PET Imaging

The unnatural isotope fluorine-18 ((18)F) is used as a positron emitter in molecular imaging. Currently, many potentially useful (18)F-labeled probe molecules are inaccessible for imaging because no fluorination chemistry is available to make them. The 110-minute half-life of (18)F requires rapid syntheses for which [(18)F]fluoride is the preferred source of fluorine because of its practical access and suitable isotope enrichment. However, conventional [(18)F]fluoride chemistry has been limited to nucleophilic fluorination reactions. We report the development of a palladium-based electrophilic fluorination reagent derived from fluoride and its application to the synthesis of aromatic (18)F-labeled molecules via late-stage fluorination. Late-stage fluorination enables the synthesis of conventionally unavailable positron emission tomography (PET) tracers for anticipated applications in pharmaceutical development as well as preclinical and clinical PET imaging.
Structure of the Three N-Terminal Immunoglobulin Domains of the Highly Immunogenic Outer Capsid Protein from a T4-Like Bacteriophage

The head of bacteriophage T4 is decorated with 155 copies of the highly antigenic outer capsid protein (Hoc). One Hoc molecule binds near the center of each hexameric capsomer. Hoc is dispensable for capsid assembly and has been used to display pathogenic antigens on the surface of T4. Here we report the crystal structure of a protein containing the first three of four domains of Hoc from bacteriophage RB49, a close relative of T4. The structure shows an approximately linear arrangement of the protein domains. Each of these domains has an immunoglobulin-like fold, frequently found in cell attachment molecules. In addition, we report biochemical data suggesting that Hoc can bind to Escherichia coli, supporting the hypothesis that Hoc could attach the phage capsids to bacterial surfaces and perhaps also to other organisms. The capacity for such reversible adhesion probably provides survival advantages to the bacteriophage.
Observations on fixed‐bed dispersion models: The role of the interstitial fluid

Models of the role of the interstitial fluid for dispersion in a fixed bed for very high Reynolds numbers are examined in detail to determine how well they fit the physical requirements of finite speed of signal propagation, no backmixing, conservation and correct asymptotic form. It is concluded that no linear continuous partial differential equation of finite order can satisfy all of these requirements as well as the cell model, although all models for sufficiently large axial space and time variables are very good approximations to the cell model. Some new hyperbolic models are presented and their solutions obtained and compared with the standard solutions. In present day design it appears that no model has an outstanding advantage over any other.
Reactions of Laser-Ablated Osmium and Ruthenium Atoms with Carbon Dioxide: Matrix Infrared Spectra and Density Functional Calculations on OMCO, O2MCO, OMCO- (M = Os, Ru), O2Os(CO)2, and OCRu(O2)CO

Laser-ablated Os and Ru atoms react with CO2 molecules upon cocondensation in excess argon at 7 K and neon at 4 K. Besides the dominant neutral products [OMCO, O2MCO (M = Os, Ru), O2Os(CO)2, and OCRu(O2)CO], anionic species [OMCO- (M = Os, Ru)] are also formed and identified through annealing, ultraviolet irradiation, isotopic substitution, and CCl4-doping experiments. DFT calculations have been performed on possible products, and the overall agreement between the calculated and observed vibrational absorptions supports the product identifications.
Kinetics of the inhibition of axonal defasciculation and arborization mediated by carbohydrate markers in the embryonic leech.

Abstract We studied carbohydrate interactions that mediate the targeting of sensory afferents in the synaptic neoropil of segmental central nervous system (CNS) ganglia in the embryonic leech. First, we determined the rate of sensory afferent development in vivo, and then we devised a culture system that permits the normal patterning of their projections in the CNS and PNS to proceed at 92% the normal rate. Using this in vitro system, we analyzed the mannose-specific recognition that mediates the defasciculation and arborization of sensory afferents in the CNS neuropil after they have tracked through peripheral nerves as a tight axon bundle. Sensory afferent defasciculation and arborization in the neuropil were inhibited by culturing embryos in Fab fragments directed against the mannose-containing surface epitope of sensory afferents. We demonstrate that the rate at which separately extending axons or their branches are lost from the neuropil can be modeled by a first-order decay process. These kinetic studies indicate that the loss of each separately extending axon or branch is an independent event. This suggests that sensory afferent projections extend autonomously across the target region in the search of their appropriate postsynaptic partners.
EXPLOITING CAUSAL STRUCTURE TO CONTROL RETRIEVAL AND REFITTING DURING PLAN REUSE

The ability to reuse existing plans to solve new planning problems can enable a domain-independent planner to improve its average case efficiency by exploiting the problem distribution and avoiding repetition of planning effort. The pay-off from plan reuse, however, crucially depends on finding effective solutions to two important underlying control problems: (i) controlling the retrieval of an appropriate plan and mapping to be reused in a new situation, and (ii) controlling the modification (refitting) of the retrieved plan so as to minimize perturbation to the applicable parts of the plan. This paper is concerned with the development of efficient domain-independent solutions to these two problems. For the retrieval, it provides a domain independent similarity metric that utilizes the plan causal dependency structure to estimate the utility of reusing a given plan in a new problem situation. For the refitting, it presents a minimum-conflict heuristic, again based on the causal dependency structure of the plan, to conservatively control the modification. The paper also discusses the implementation and evaluation of these strategies within the PRIAR plan modification framework.
Positive and negative schizotypal symptoms relate to different aspects of crossover reaction time task performance

Although the expressions of both positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum illnesses can each occur with varying degrees of severity, researchers have often dichotomized patients as generally positive or negative subtypes. Studies of schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) have not typically controlled for the severity of the other symptom types when examining the relationship between positive and negative symptom subtypes and cognitive impairment. The present study investigated the relationship between the severity of both symptom types and reaction time crossover task performance in SPD in groups made equivalent on the severity of the other type of symptom. Fifty-eight out of 458 undergraduates were screened into one of four groups (high negative-high positive, low negative-low positive, high negative-low positive or low negative-high positive) by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire and assessed with the reaction time crossover task. The results indicated that negative schizotypal symptoms were associated with the early crossover pattern, while positive schizotypal symptoms related to longer overall reaction time. Therefore, different cognitive mechanisms involved in crossover task performance appeared to be associated with different symptom subtypes.
Some Effects of Chlordiazepoxide and Chlorpromazine on Response Force in Extinction

Abstract A total of 52 male Wistar rats were continuously reinforced with food pellets for paw-pressing a silent, isometric, force-sensing manipulandum. Subsequently, extinction was introduced and the effects of chlordiazepoxide (CDP, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 mg/kg) and chlorpromazine (CPZ, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 mg/kg) upon response force, response rate, and resistance to extinction were observed. CPZ reduced these three extinction measures in a dose-related manner. In accord with predictions from frustration theory, CDP (5.0 mg/kg) increased resistance to extinction. However, contrary to the theory, CDP did not attenuate the extinction-related force increase. This latter result prompted an analysis of the pattern of force emission during a session of reinforced responding. Force for the first response was found to be very near extinction levels. This result, combined with the observation that the first response of a session is virtually uncued by reinforcement, suggested that high extinction force may result from a generalization decrement and not from unconditioned frustration effects.
Discussion of “Which approach to accounting for employee stock options best reflects market pricing?”

The objective of the Landsman, Peasnel, Pope and Yeah paper (in this issue) is to compare, for current shareholders, the value relevance of four methods of accounting for employee stock options (ESOs). My discussion provides a unifying framework for the theoretical analyses and the link between the theoretical analyses and the empirical investigation.
Hydrogen bond-free flavin redox properties: managing flavins in extreme aprotic solvents

We report a simple, single step reaction that transforms riboflavin, which is insoluble in benzene, to tetraphenylacetyl riboflavin (TPARF), which is soluble in this solvent to over 250 mM. Electrochemical analysis of TPARF both alone and in complexes with two benzene-soluble flavin receptors: dibenzylamidopyridine (DBAP) and monobenzylamidopyridine (MBAP), prove that this model system behaves similarly to other previously studied flavin model systems which were soluble only in more polar solvents such as dichloromethane. Binding titrations in both benzene and dichloromethane show that the association constants of TPARF with its ligands are over an order of magnitude higher in benzene than dichloromethane, a consequence of the fact that benzene does not compete for H-bonds, but dichloromethane does. The alteration induced in the visible spectrum of TPARF in benzene upon the addition of DBAP is very similar to the difference produced by transfer to dichloromethane, further indicating that the flavin head group engages in a similar degree of hydrogen bonding with dichloromethane as with its ligands. This work underlines the importance of using a truly nonpolar solvent for the analysis of the effects of hydrogen bonding on the energetics of any biomimetic host–guest model system.
An updated and expanded set of thermal property data for green roof growing media

Abstract Vegetated (green) roofs alter the roof surface energy balance and hence affect both building energy consumption and the transport of heat into the environment. Quantitative evaluation of the energetics of green roof systems requires accurate knowledge of the moisture-dependent thermal properties of the growing media. To support this need for data and to supplement previously published data we conducted a laboratory study to measure thermal conductivity, volumetric heat capacity, and thermal diffusivity of 12 green roof soil samples of varying composition. The results indicate that thermal properties vary significantly as a function of growing media design. Growing media incorporating expanded slate as their aggregate had thermal conductivities that were two to three times those of media that used a porous silica-based aggregate. Media incorporating expanded clay as the aggregate had thermal conductivities roughly in the middle of these extremes. In general the thermal conductivity nearly tripled as the growing media moisture levels were increased from relatively dry to saturated. Also, it was found that compaction typical of green roof systems that have been installed for multiple seasons can increase thermal conductivity of moist soils by 30–40% over their uncompressed values.
Extrinsic innervation modulates canine jejunal transport of glutamine, alanine, leucine, and glucose

Background: We previously showed a decrease in ileal glutamine transport in vitro and net absorption in vivo after extrinsic denervation of the canine jejunoileum. The aim was to determine whether extrinsic innervation modulates in vivo net absorption and in vitro transport of glutamine and other nutrients in canine jejunum. Methods: In vivo net jejunal uptakes of glutamine, alanine, leucine, and glucose were measured in five dogs before and 2 and 8 weeks after a model neurally isolating in situ the jejunoileum (extrinsic denervation, intestinal transection). To assess mechanisms, carrier-mediated uptakes were quantitated in jejunal brush border membrane vesicles from six dogs before and at 2 and 8 weeks after neural isolation of the jejunoileum and compared with six control dogs with fully intact extrinsic innervation. Results: In vivo net absorption of glutamine decreased at 2 weeks (p < 0.05) and returned to normal values at 8 weeks; net absorptions of leucine, alanine, and glucose were decreased at both 2 and 8 weeks. In vitro brush border membrane vesicles transport of glutamine, leucine, and alanine followed the patterns of in vivo absorption, but glucose transport did not differ at any time point. Decreased glutamine uptake at 2 weeks resulted from a decrease in Vmax rather than a change in Km in sodium-dependent carrier-mediated transport. Conclusions: Extrinsic denervation down-regulated carrier-mediated transport of amino acids but not glucose. Decreased in vitro glutamine transport was mediated in part by a decrease in number rather than affinity of sodium-dependent transporters. (Surgery 1998;123:321-9.)
Re-Gendering Social Work Practice and Education: The Case for African-American Girls

Abstract While professional social work enjoys a solid history of working within African-American communities, there is evidence which suggests that one segment of the African-American community, African-American girls in urban settings, continues to be ignored by social work and other helping professions. This paper describes the changing expectations of African-American female adolescents in one urban high school. By critically interpreting the girls' demeanor and icons, the authors suggest that social workers are uniquely qualified to tender needed services to a vulnerable, often ignored, population.
Lensfree Microscopy On a Chip

We review the recent progress on lensfree on-chip microscopy techniques that are aimed at telemedicine as well as high-throughput biomedical imaging and screening applications.
The Delaware School Health Advisory Committee

For nearly 40 years, the Delaware School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) has been improving school health education and school health services in the state. The SHAC has recommended policies to the Delaware Board of Education and the state legislature, conducted conferences and workshops, and published brochures, studies, resource guides, curricula, and pamphlets. The key to SHAC success has been its diverse membership and the cooperation it engendered in the state.
Pharmacologic Levels of Dietary Arginine in CB6F1 Mice Increase Serum Ammonia in the Healthy State and Serum Nitrite in Endotoxemia

Background: Therapeutic or pharmacologic doses of arginine are used to enhance blood flow and immune function despite the lack of dose-response studies and the potential for adverse effects. This study determined the optimal level of oral arginine supplementation required to elevate serum arginine concentrations yet limit adverse effects in healthy and endotoxemic mice. Methods: Male CB6F1 mice were fed one of the following diets: The standard AIN93G (3 g arginine/100 g of protein) or this diet modified to provide 10 g, 20 g, or 30 g arginine/100 g of protein. On day 14, mice were injected with lipopolysaccharide (endotoxemic) or saline (healthy) and 4 hours later were exsanguinated. Results: Weight gain was reduced 50% in the group fed the 30 g arginine vs standard diet. Serum arginine, ornithine, citrulline, histidine, lysine, serine, threonine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine were greater and glutamate levels were lower in healthy supplemented mice; lipopolysaccharide treatment negated these changes. Serum...
Perceptual differences of SS classified as reward seekers and punishment avoiders.

College Ss classified as reward-seeking or punishment-avoiding were tested for field-dependency on Witkin's rod-and-frame test. Female Ss were significantly more field-dependent than male Ss (p < .01). Whereas the punishment-avoiding females were more field-dependent than the reward-seeking females, the opposite relation between orientation and field dependency was found for the males, resulting in a significant interaction (p < .05). These results were replicated when the effect of intelligence was factored out, indicating that orientation rather than intelligence produced the perceptual differences. These findings indicated greater perceptual rigidity in the punishment-avoiding females but not in the males.
Lung histopathology, radiography, high-resolution computed tomography, and bronchio-alveolar lavage cytology are altered by Toxocara cati infection in cats and is independent of development of adult intestinal parasites

This study presents clinical findings after oral ingestion of Toxocara cati eggs which resulted in rapid pulmonary lung migration and parenchymal disease, noted on clinically relevant diagnostic methods. Further, the study investigated the efficacy of pre-infection applications of preventative medication on larval migration through the lungs. A third aim of the study was to determine if adult cats infected with T. cati developed lung disease. Cats in infected groups were administered five oral doses of L3 T. cati larvae. Four-month-old specific pathogen free (SPF) kittens were divided into three groups (six per group): an infected untreated group, an uninfected untreated control group, and an infected treated group (topical moxidectin and imidacloprid, Advantage Multi for Cats, Bayer Healthcare LLC). Six 2- to 3-year-old adult multiparous female SPF cats were an infected untreated adult group. The cats were evaluated by serial CBCs, bronchial-alveolar lavage (BAL), fecal examinations, thoracic radiographs, and thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans and were euthanized 65 days after the initial infection. Adult T. cati were recovered in infected untreated kittens (5/6) and infected untreated adults (5/6) in numbers consistent with natural infections. Eggs were identified in the feces of most but not all cats with adult worm infections. No adult worms were identified in the uninfected controls or the infected treated group. All cats in the infected groups, including treated cats and untreated cats without adult worms, had lung pathology based on evaluation of radiography, CT scans, and histopathology. The infected cats demonstrated a transient peripheral eosinophilia and marked eosinophilic BAL cytology, but normal bronchial reactivity based on in vivo CT and in vitro ring studies. Lung lesions initially identified by CT on day 11 were progressive. Thoracic radiographs in infected cats had a diffuse bronchial-interstitial pattern and enlarged pulmonary arteries. Pulmonary arterial, bronchial, and interstitial disease were prominent histological findings. Infected treated cats had a subtle attenuation but not prevention of lung disease compared to infected cats. Significant lung disease in kittens and adult cats is associated with the early arrival of T. cati larvae in the lungs and is independent of the development of adult worms in the intestine. These data suggest that while the medical prevention of the development of adult parasites after oral exposure to T. cati is obviously beneficial, this practice even with good client compliance will not prevent the development of lung disease which can alter clinical diagnostic methods.
Remembering Patients who Die: Exploring the Meaning Conveyed in Notes to the Researcher:

Nurses are confronted with the reality of death and dying as part of their profession and, often times, their daily work. The qualitative data in this article were compiled from unsolicited comment...
Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol (SRE): Predictive utility and reliability across interview and self-report administrations

Abstract The Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol (SRE) is a widely used and well-established measure of the level of response to alcohol. Although the SRE has been successfully used in studies of alcoholism etiology, including genetics, studies to date have not compared the self-report and interview formats. The objectives of this study are to: (a) test the predictive utility of the subscales of the SRE in relation to alcohol problems; and (b) test the reliability of the SRE in interview versus self-report formats. A sample of college drinkers ( n = 446) completed the SRE in a self-report format along with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). A subset of participants ( n = 34) returned to the laboratory and completed the SRE in a face-to-face interview format. All subscales of the SRE were robust predictors of alcohol problems accounting for as much as 25% of the variance in AUDIT scores. In addition, scores obtained via self-report and interview-based SRE were highly correlated ( r = .70 to .80). Results support the predictive utility of the SRE and provide initial evidence that the self-report and interview formats produce reliable results and may be combined and/or used interchangeably.
Comparison of human pain sensation and flexion withdrawal evoked by noxious radiant heat.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of flexion withdrawal magnitude as an indicator of pain sensation. In 10 healthy human volunteers, we compared the magnitude and latency of integrated biceps EMG with the subjects' rating of pain, using a visual analog scale, elicited by noxious radiant heat stimuli applied to the dorsal forearm. The magnitude and inverse latency of withdrawal, although variable, increased exponentially as a functions of stimulus temperature. The stimulus response functions for mean withdrawal magnitude and mean pain intensity were similar for lower stimulus temperatures, but at higher temperatures the withdrawal continued to increase exponentially whereas pain intensity reached a plateau. The pain intensity and withdrawal magnitude for each stimulus were poorly correlated. Under the conditions of this experiment, mean pain intensity and mean withdrawal magnitude were both well correlated with stimulus temperature, but the magnitude of withdrawal did not reliably reflect the intensity of pain sensation.
Meridional Circulation and the Maintenance of the Venus Atmospheric Rotation

Abstract A meridional cell, with rising motion near the equator and sinking near the poles, transports angular momentum upward in an atmosphere whenever equatorial regions of the atmosphere have an angular momentum surplus relative to polar regions. This process way contribute to the maintenance of the Venus atmospheric super-rotation. Super-rotation by this process is exhibited in a simple analytical model. The super-rotation ratio in the model is derived to be exp (HD2/vvm), where H is depth in scale heights, D the mean scale height, vv the vertical eddy diffusivity, and tm the meridional overturning time. For the mechanism to work, some eddy process must maintain an angular momentum surplus in equatorial regions. Vorticity mixing is suggested. It is also demonstrated that if the Richardson number is large in a cyclostrophic atmosphere, the mean thermal structure is given by global radiative equilibrium, and local deviations from equilibrium are balanced by adiabatic cooling or warming associated with v...
SU-E-T-378: Dosimetry Comparison of VMAT and Tomotherapy Plans with Dose Painting in Brain Metastases

Purpose: To compare dosimetric results of VMAT and Tomotherapy dose painting techniques with hippocampus sparing in brain metastases. Methods: A patient with multiple brain metastases was entered into this dosimetry study. Pinnacle VMAT SmartArc™ plan was executed in version 9.2 while setting the same dose constraints in Tomotherapy planning version 4.04. The clinical goal is to perform simultaneous in‐field boost (SIB) with whole brain for 32.5 Gy while delivery extra dose per fraction to the brain metastatic sites to 63 Gy. The mean dose to each of the hippocampus was prescribed to less than 6 Gy. Dosimetric analysis was performed on the 3DVH modules by Sun Nuclear Corp™. The ArcCheck™ platform was also utilized to measure the 3%/3mm gamma passing rate. Results: Clinical planning criteria for GTV coverage were all satisfied, while Tomotherapy presents better hippocampus sparing compared both to the VMAT technique (mean: 5.29/10.05 Gy on left and 5.18/9.90 Gy on right, max:7.19/17.82 Gy on left and 7.58/20.79 Gy on right). Tomotherapy has inferior chiasm sparing with mean 32.26 Gy compared to VMAT planning 29.16 Gy. However, the dose uniformity of Tomotherapy has proven to be superior in all lesions with average mean dose 63.63 Gy with respect to 64.33 Gy; max dose of 102.2% on Tomotherapy and 105.3% on VMAT planning. ArcCheck passing rate for Tomotherapy is 98.9% with 3%/3mm gamma settings. Conclusions: Tomotherapy planning is considered a gold standard for arc‐based treatment. From the planning comparison, with VMAT delivery, achieving 6Gy dose sparing to the hippocampus presents great challenge compared to the Tomotherapy planning and delivery. One major reason is that the VMAT MLC speed cannot generate enough fluence patterns to produce the extremely high dose gradient. ArcCheck measurements for VMAT and Tomotherapy represented errors induced from the combination of TPS dose calculation algorithm and beam‐delivery inaccuracy.
Interpreting the Function of Primitive Implements

Reconstruction of the subsistence relationship existing between prehistoric man and his environment has been handicapped by the difficulty of ascribing reasonably precise function to many of his tools. This study began as an attempt to interpret the function of the enigmatic celt; it developed into a field experiment which included the testing of a series of stone hoes in an effort to prove or disprove the existence of prehistoric implements with the hoe function. Inherent difficulties and limitations in the functional approach to implement testing and interpretation are indicated.
Suprasegmental Measures of Accentedness and Judgments of Language Learner Proficiency in Oral English

In high-stakes oral proficiency testing as well as in everyday encounters, accent is the most salient aspect of nonnative speech. Prior studies of English language learners' (ELLs') pronunciation have focused on single parameters of English, such as vowel duration, fundamental frequency as related to intonation, or temporal measures of speech production. The present study addresses a constellation of suprasegmental characteristics of nonnative speakers of accented English, combining indices of speech rate, pause, and intonation. It examines relations between those acoustic measures of accentedness and listeners' impressions of second-language oral proficiency. Twenty-six speech samples elicited from iBT TOEFL® examinees were analyzed using a KayPENTAX Computerized Speech Laboratory. Monolingual U.S. undergraduates (w = 188) judged the speakers' oral proficiency and comprehensibility. A multiple regression analysis revealed the individual and joint predictiveness of each of the suprasegmental measures. The innovative aspect of this study lies in the fact that the multiple features of accentedness were measured via instrumentation rather than being rated by judges who may, themselves, be subject to rating biases. The suprasegmental measures collectively accounted for 50% of the variance in oral proficiency and comprehensibility ratings, even without taking into consideration other aspects of oral performance or of rater predilections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
A scalable delivery solution and a pricing model for commercial video-on-demand systems with video advertisements

This paper presents a scalable delivery solution for commercial near on-demand video streaming systems with an associated pricing model. The proposed delivery solution combines the benefits of periodic broadcasting and stream merging, thereby enabling scalable video delivery. Video advertisements are delivered to the clients prior to viewing the requested videos. The revenues generated from the ads are used to subsidize the price of the requested videos. The pricing is determined based on the total ad viewing time. The proposed solution includes an efficient ad allocation scheme and a new constraint-based scheduling approach. In addition, the paper investigates how targeted advertisements can be efficiently supported. Furthermore, we investigate the effectiveness of the overall solutions and analyze and compare the effectiveness of various scheduling policies and ad allocation alternatives in terms of several metrics, including client defection probability, average number of viewed ads per client, price, channel utilization, revenue, and profit.
Modular network control for robot manipulator

Plant dynamics of highly nonlinear dynamical systems often vary over its parameter space. This generates a natural partitioning of the parameter space based upon the operating points of the plant. As a result, it may be wise to generate local control strategies at, the operating points rather than a single global strategy. This article describes a modular neural network architecture that generates a piece-wise continuous control strategy designed to fuse local strategies together to form a single strategy. The modularity is achieved through a gating network that controls the competition and cooperation of local experts. The gating network is a high order dynamical system network, while the local expert is a multi-layer feedforward network. The capability of this technique is demonstrated by building a neurocontroller for the two-link robot manipulator with two revolute joints.
A hybrid element method for diffraction of water waves by three‐dimensional bodies

SUMMARY A hybrid elcment method developed recently for two-dimensional problems of water waves in an infinite fluid is extended to three dimensions. In this method only a limited fluid domain close to irregular bodies is discretized into conventional finite elements, while the remaining infinite domain is treated as one element with analytical representations of high accuracy. Continuity at the junction surface is treated as natural boundary conditions in a variational principle. Computation experience and numerical results for several ocean structures are presented.
Using intimacy, chronology and zooming to visualize rhythms in email experience

Experiences of intimacy and connectedness through social networks are vital to human sense of well-being. We live in an electronic habitat. Electronic mail functions as a medium of interpersonal exchange. As it accumulates, email data becomes more than a collection of reminders. It is a diary we didn't know we were keeping, and a potential source of valuable insight into the structure and dynamics of one's social network. Current interfaces do little to help users see patterns of social interaction within email data.We introduce a multiscale email interface that utilizes computed intimacy measures and chronology as parameters for information visualization. Rhythms of intimacy in email experience are made visible as patterns of color and shapes in a zoomable chronological grid. Qualitative user experience data indicates that such an email visualization can provide striking insights into the experience of social connectedness over time. These insights potentially enable users to better manage how they invest time and energy into personal and work relationships, and thus to improve overall sense of well-being.
Effect of treatment with L‐dopa/carbidopa or L‐selegiline on striatal dopamine transporter SPECT imaging with [123I]β‐CIT

The effect of subchronic treatment with L-dopa/carbidopa or L-selegiline on striatal dopamine transporters (DAT) was examined in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease with SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) using [123I]beta-CIT (2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-[4-iodophenyl]tropane) as the radiotracer. Patients who were not currently being treated with these medications were given either 750 mg L-dopa/carbidopa per day (n = 8) or 10 mg L-selegiline per day (n = 8). [123I]beta-CIT imaging was performed three times in each patient: at baseline before treatment, while on medication and after 4-6 weeks of drug treatment, and following withdrawal from medication (approximately 1 week for L-dopa/carbidopa and 9 weeks for L-selegiline). Comparison of scans 2 and 3 provided a measure of drug occupancy of the [123I]beta-CIT binding site; comparison of scans 1 and 2 provided a measure of both up- or downregulation of DAT levels and drug occupancy following subchronic drug treatment. DAT levels were assessed from an image acquired approximately 22 hours after radiotracer injection as a ratio of regional brain activities: (striatum - occipital)/occipital. Striatal DAT levels were not significantly different when any two of the three scans were compared for both drug treatments. These results suggest that typical clinical doses of L-dopa/carbidopa and L-selegiline do not induce significant occupancy of the [123I]beta-CIT binding site and that 4-6 weeks of treatment causes no significant modulation of DAT levels. These results support the validity of measuring DAT levels with [123I]beta-CIT without the need to withdraw patients from medication treatment.
Curriculum evaluation and revision in a nascent field: the utility of the retrospective pretest--posttest model in a homeland security program of study.

Although most academic disciplines evolve at a measured pace, the emerging field of homeland security must, for reasons of safety and security, evolve rapidly. The Department of Homeland Security sponsored the establishment of a graduate educational program for key officials holding homeland security roles. Because homeland security is a nascent field, the establishment of a program curriculum was forced to draw from a variety of disciplines. Curriculum evaluation was complicated by the rapid changes occurring in the emerging discipline, producing response shift bias, and interfering with the pre—post assessments. To compensate for the validity threat associated with response shift bias, a retrospective pretest—posttest evaluative methodology was used. Data indicate the program has evolved in a significant and orderly fashion and these data support the use of this innovative evaluation approach in the development of any discipline.
Development of Excitatory Backward Associations during the Establishment of Forward Associations in a Delayed Conditional Discrimination by Pigeons

The development of excitatory backward associations in pigeons was demonstrated in three experiments involving conditional discriminations with differential outcomes. In Phase 1 of all three experiments, correct comparison choices following one sample were followed by food, whereas correct comparison choices following the other sample were followed by presentation of an empty feeder. In Phase 2, the food and no-food events that served as outcomes in Phase 1 replaced the samples. When the associations tested in Phase 2 were consistent with the comparison-outcome associations developed in Phase 1, transfer performance was significantly better than when the Phase 2 associations were inconsistent with the Phase 1 associations. In Experiment 1, an identity matching-to-sample task was used with red and green samples and red and green comparisons. In Experiment 2, a symbolic matching task was used with shape samples and hue comparisons, and it was shown that the backward associations formed were between the trial outcome (food or no food) and the correct comparison. In Experiment 3, it was determined that the transfer effects observed in these experiments did not depend on either the similarity of behavior directed toward the samples in the training and test phases, or the similarity of food and no-foodexpectancies generated by the samples in Phase 1 to food and no-foodevents presented as samples in Phase 2.
Distributed verification of global multiple disjoint paths in mobile wireless networks

We present a distributed verification algorithm to check the existence of multiple disjoint paths between all nodes in a wireless network. In contrast to the expensive algorithms computing full disjoint paths between nodes, our proposed algorithm distributes the computation across the network and makes statements regarding the interconnectedness of the entire network. Specifically, it allows each node to determine whether segmentation exists between its neighbors and thereby determine if it bottlenecks the network. Verification of disjoint paths would be useful for efficient use of resources and for the applications having intelligent nodes to self-configure the network for better survivability.
Fragmented Legislatures and the Budget: Analyzing Presidential Democracies

What impact does party fragmentation have on the likelihood of democracies to run a fiscal deficit? Past research is almost unanimous in finding that as the number of parties in a country's legislature or government grows, so does its probability of overspending. However, this finding is based largely on parliamentary systems, and there is no reason to believe that it should hold when executives are independent. In this article, I develop a theory for the impact of legislative fragmentation on budgetary politics in presidential democracies. I argue that unified presidential systems should tend most toward fiscal solvency but that increasing fragmentation should actually facilitate budget balancing when government is divided. The logic is that presidents, who are likely to prefer balanced budgets due to their broad constituencies, will be better able to craft acceptable governing coalitions from divided legislatures than from ones controlled by a single opposing party. They will also be better able to circumvent such fragmented legislatures should a coalition prove impossible. I test these propositions quantitatively in all presidential democracies from 1976 to 2007. The results provide support for the theory and highlight the contrasting impact of legislative fragmentation on public policy in presidential vs. parliamentary systems.
Link fragility and longevity in directional networks

Mobile Free Space Optical (FSO) and directional RF communications links suffer from frequent link blockages due to opaque obstructions that can result in degraded or failed networks. In this paper, a methodology is presented for assuring connectivity in networks with fragile links. The frequency and duration of link blockages are characterized using modeling and emulation tools developed for realistic terrain. Link fragility results for various types of terrain suggest that the network connectivity can be greatly improved by using a dynamic topology control methodology and optimization of physical network parameters such as antenna elevation.
Supersonic Inlet-Torsional Cascade Flutter

Currently there is a dearth of fundamental dynamic aeroelastic cascade data with which to validate and/or indicate necessary refinements in mathematical models of such phenomena. This paper describes a unique supersonic inlet with a subsonic axial component, torsional flutter cascade experiment, wherein a computer controlled electromagnetic airfoil excitation system is used to simulate the fundamental time-dependent airfoil interaction, assure physical periodicity, and control the interblade phasing angle. Experimental data are presented which indicate the variation and significance of the cascade inlet Mach number, the stagger angle, and, in particular, the interblade phasing angle on the cascade dynamic torsional aeroelastic characteristics.
Radio-Optical Dual-Mode Communication Modules Integrated With Planar Antennas

This paper presents new results on integrated devices for radio and free-space optical dual-mode communication. Two novel hybrid packaging schemes using two different microwave printed antenna designs are presented for the integration of radio-optical front-end circuits on a planar compact printed circuit board with shared electrical and structural components. Full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulations are presented for antenna optimization to minimize EM interference between the radio and optical circuits. A hybrid radio-optical package design is developed, prototyped, and experimentally studied using a modified quasi-Yagi antenna with split directors to form pads for opto-electronic device integration. Dual-mode link connectivity is investigated in simulations and experiments. A data rate of 2.5 Gb/s is demonstrated for the optical channel despite 15-20-dB signal coupling between the optical and microwave circuits.
The origins of stability of spontaneous vesicles

Equilibrium unilamellar vesicles are stabilized by one of two distinct mechanisms depending on the value of the bending constant. Helfrich undulations ensure that the interbilayer potential is always repulsive when the bending constant, K, is of order k(B)T. When K k(B)T, unilamellar vesicles are stabilized by the spontaneous curvature that picks out a particular vesicle radius; other radii are disfavored energetically. We present measurements of the bilayer elastic constant and the spontaneous curvature, R(o), for three different systems of equilibrium vesicles by an analysis of the vesicle size distribution determined by cryo-transmission electron microscopy and small-angle neutron scattering. For cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/sodium octyl sulfonate catanionic vesicles, K =.7 k(B)T, suggesting that the unilamellar vesicles are stabilized by Helfrich-undulation repulsions. However, for CTAB and sodium perfluorooctanoate (FC(7)) vesicles, K = 6 k(B)T, suggesting stabilization by the energetic costs of deviations from the spontaneous curvature. Adding electrolyte to the sodium perfluorooctanoate/CTAB vesicles leads to vesicles with two bilayers; the attractive interactions between the bilayers can overcome the cost of small deviations from the spontaneous curvature to form two-layer vesicles, but larger deviations to form three and more layer vesicles are prohibited. Vesicles with a discrete numbers of bilayers at equilibrium are possible only for bilayers with a large bending modulus coupled with a spontaneous curvature.