cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WE‐C‐M100F‐09: Dosimetric Comparison of Linac‐IMRT and Helical Tomotherapy (HT) for Head and Neck Cancer

Purpose: To perform a dosimetric comparison between Linac and Helical Tomotherapy‐based IMRT on head and neck (HN Rc = the ratio of the PTV coverage to PTV volume, where the former was defined as the volume enclosed by the 66 Gy isodose surface; Biologically equivalent doses (BED) to organs at risk (OAR) and PTV dose homogeneity were also studied. The tolerance range or TR (standard deviation/PTV average dose) was used as a surrogate for PTV dose homogeneity evaluation. Results: R95 results indicated that both IMRT techniques produced comparable conformal plans. Rc values showed that HT plans generally provided better tumor coverage. TR results suggest that PTV dose homogeneity was better for HT plans. Finally, the average OAR BEDs showed a trend of better normal tissue sparing with the HT plans. The exception was for the spinal cord, in which the maximum BED using HT was slightly lower than the maximum BED using linac‐IMRT. Conclusion: This study suggests that HT plans had in general better dosimetric characteristics, especially regarding tumor coverage, PTV dose homogeneity and normal tissue sparing in physician approved plans. Dose reductions to OAR may not yield any clinical differences in outcome in virtue of the delivered OAR doses which are well below normal tissue tolerance.
Characterization of MBE grown Si/GexSi1−x strained layer superlattices

Abstract The physical properties of both single GexSi1−x epilayers and GexSi1−x/Si strained layer superlattices (SLS's) grown by MBE on Si(100) substrates have been investigated. Raman scattering studies of Si/GexSi1−x superlattices of period d = dSi + d GexSi1−x, with 17 ⩽ d ⩽ 65 nm, 10 ⩽ dSi ⩽ 45 nm, 4 ⩽ dGexSi1−x ⩽ 20 nm and 0.2 ⩽ × ⩽ 0.5, revealed a series of low-frequency Raman lines associated with zone-folded acoustic phonons. The frequency shifts of optic phonons in SLS's compared with bulk alloys were used to reveal the strain distribution and composition of GexSi1−x epilayers. Specific phonon features are observed in the alloy spectra that are attributed to Si-Ge ordering. Crystalline perfection and interface abruptness were assessed using cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). In addition, the compositional uniformity, the strain tensor and superlattice periodicity were evaluated using X-ray diffraction.
Feeding, oviposition and development of the pepper weevil, (Anthonomus eugenii Cano), on selected species of Solanaceae†

Abstract The pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii Cano was found to feed, oviposit, and complete its larval development in the fruit and/or flowers of a number of Capsicum and Solanum species. Several of these plants, including S. americanum (American black nightshade), S. pseudogracile, S. eleagnifolium (silverleaf nightshade) and S. carolinense (horse‐nettle) are found in Florida and other pepper‐growing regions of the US and possibly can serve as alternative hosts for the pepper weevil. The pepper weevil was found to complete its development in pepper flowers in addition to the fruits, although more eggs were deposited in pepper fruit than in flowers. Oviposition in American black nightshade flowers was not observed. The development time of the pepper weevil from egg to adult in bell pepper and American black nightshade fruit kept at 25.7–27.7°C was about 14 days.
Pricing the School Lunch—A Consumer Problem

To what extent do rising prices for school lunches cause students to cease their purchases of the hot Type A lunch? How many who cease buying become eligible for free lunches? Will a high drop out rate for students who buy, accompanied by a moderate increase in the number receiving free lunches, lower Federal lunch costs? These and related questions, and implications are treated relying upon data from a study in Pittsburgh as a basis for discussion.
INTERDIFFUSION OF HYDROGEN AND ALKALI IONS IN A GLASS SURFACE

Experimental data on the interdiffusion of hydrogen and alkali ions in glass are examined using a concentration-dependent interdiffusion coefficient, taking into account surface dissolution. The comparisons between calculated and experimental concentration profiles and diffusion coefficients are more satisfactory than for a concentration-independent diffusion coefficient, and support the use of the interdiffusion coefficient.
Smoking Cessation Counseling: A Practice Management Perspective

Individuals continue to smoke despite its numerous proven adverse health effects. Now viewed as a chronic medical condition, health-care professionals are more involved in cessation efforts. Physicians are often the first line of defense, providing intervention through prescription management and counseling. Some insurers recognize these efforts as health promoting and cost saving, revising policies to include reimbursement. This article addresses the most recent smoking cessation policy revision implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Preschool Children's Sleep and Wake Behavior: Effects of Massage Therapy

Preschool children received 20‐minute massages twice a week for five weeks. The massaged children as compared to children in the wait‐list control group had better behavior ratings on state, vocalization, activity and cooperation after the massage sessions on the first and last days of the study. Their behavior was also rated more optimally by their teachers by the end of the study. Also, at the end of the 5 week period parents of the massaged children rated their children as having less touch aversion and being more extraverted. Finally, the massaged children had a shorter latency to naptime sleep by the end of the study.
Use of genomic panels to determine risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the general population: a targeted evidence-based review.

Use of genomic panels to determine risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the general population: a targeted evidence-based review
Second-order cascaded optical error diffusion modulators for oversampled analog-to-digital converters

Abstract In an oversampled A/D converter, oversampling, negative feedback, and linear filtering techniques are used to trade sampling speed for improved amplitude resolution. In order to achieve higher resolution with this type of converter, a higher-order noise shaping filter is required. However, as a result of the negative feedback architecture, higher-order filters can cause limit cycle oscillations and therefore instabilities in the converter. Cascaded oversampling modulators offer a means of achieving higher resolution without the stability problems associated with single-loop modulators. The feasibility of a two-stage cascaded optical oversampled modulator is investigated and found to provide second-order performance with relatively modest constraints on stage-to-stage matching tolerances.
Fat Level and Freezing Temperature Affect Sensory, Shear, Cooking and Compositional Properties of Ground Beef Patties

Experiments were conducted to determine effects of two targeted fat levels (6, 20%) and two freezing temperatures (−43, −20°C) on sensory, shear, cooking and compositional properties of beef patties. Select grade beef rounds (IMPS 161) were used as the lean source for patties with U.S. Choice plates as the fat source. The 20% fat formulation had increased beef flavor and initial tenderness (−20°C frozen patties only) scores, but had higher instrumental shear values compared to the 6% fat patties. Freezing patties (especially those of 6% fat) at −43°C greatly improved sensory and instrumental tenderness. Faster freezing reduced fat retention of 20% fat patties during cooking. Use of Select grade beef rounds coupled with rapid freezing is suggested for producing acceptable low-fat ground beef patties.
To modulate and be modulated: estrogenic influences on auditory processing of communication signals within a socio-neuro-endocrine framework.

Gonadal hormones modulate behavioral responses to sexual stimuli, and communication signals can also modulate circulating hormone levels. In several species, these combined effects appear to underlie a two-way interaction between circulating gonadal hormones and behavioral responses to socially salient stimuli. Recent work in songbirds has shown that manipulating local estradiol levels in the auditory forebrain produces physiological changes that affect discrimination of conspecific vocalizations and can affect behavior. These studies provide new evidence that estrogens can directly alter auditory processing and indirectly alter the behavioral response to a stimulus. These studies show that: 1. Local estradiol action within an auditory area is necessary for socially-relevant sounds to induce normal physiological responses in the brains of both sexes; 2. These physiological effects occur much more quickly than predicted by the classical time-frame for genomic effects; 3. Estradiol action within the auditory forebrain enables behavioral discrimination among socially-relevant sounds in males; and 4. Estradiol is produced locally in the male brain during exposure to particular social interactions. The accumulating evidence suggests a socio-neuro-endocrinology framework in which estradiol is essential to auditory processing, is increased by a socially relevant stimulus, acts rapidly to shape perception of subsequent stimuli experienced during social interactions, and modulates behavioral responses to these stimuli. Brain estrogens are likely to function similarly in both songbird sexes because aromatase and estrogen receptors are present in both male and female forebrain. Estrogenic modulation of perception in songbirds and perhaps other animals could fine-tune male advertising signals and female ability to discriminate them, facilitating mate selection by modulating behaviors. Keywords: Estrogens, Songbird, Social Context, Auditory Perception
Emotion recognition abilities across stimulus modalities in schizophrenia and the role of visual attention

Emotion can be expressed by both the voice and face, and previous work suggests that presentation modality may impact emotion recognition performance in individuals with schizophrenia. We investigated the effect of stimulus modality on emotion recognition accuracy and the potential role of visual attention to faces in emotion recognition abilities. Thirty-one patients who met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia (n=8) or schizoaffective disorder (n=23) and 30 non-clinical control individuals participated. Both groups identified emotional expressions in three different conditions: audio only, visual only, combined audiovisual. In the visual only and combined conditions, time spent visually fixating salient features of the face were recorded. Patients were significantly less accurate than controls in emotion recognition during both the audio and visual only conditions but did not differ from controls on the combined condition. Analysis of visual scanning behaviors demonstrated that patients attended less than healthy individuals to the mouth in the visual condition but did not differ in visual attention to salient facial features in the combined condition, which may in part explain the absence of a deficit for patients in this condition. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that patients benefit from multimodal stimulus presentations of emotion and support hypotheses that visual attention to salient facial features may serve as a mechanism for accurate emotion identification.
Pulsed photothermal radiometry in turbid media: internal reflection of backscattered radiation strongly influences optical dosimetry

The integrated irradiance (energy fluence rate) within tissue can exceed the incident irradiance due to backscattered and multiply reflected light near the sample surface. This was studied quantitatively using pulsed photothermal radiometry, which measures blackbody radiation emitted by a sample during and after absorption of an optical pulse. Aqueous gels containing absorbing dye with or without various scattering materials were studied using a fast sensitive IR detector system and 1-μs tunable pulsed dye laser. For nonscattering samples, the temperature transient (T-jump) due to absorption of a laser pulse was consistent with Beer’s law for homogeneous absorbing media. When scattering was present, increases of up to almost an order of magnitude in the T-jump were observed. For a given absorption coefficient, there was a proportional relationship between the increase in the T-jump and the sample’s diffuse reflectance. A model describing the reflectance of diffuse radiation at the sample boundary was derived to explain this result. To test the model, the refractive index was varied with air as the external medium and was also matched to that of BaF2 as the externalmedium. The subsurface fluence is, to a reasonable approximation, given by E ≅ E0(1 + 2bR), where E0 is the incident fluence of an infinitely wide collimated beam, b is a coefficient strongly dependent on only the refractive index, and R is the measured diffuse reflectance of the sample. This study shows that irradiance within tissues can greatly exceed the irradiance of incident collimated light, an effect that should be accounted for in photomedical dosimetry or research.
Singularities ofJ-holomorphic curves in almost complex 4-manifolds

This note concerns the structure of singularities of mapsf from a neighborhood of {0} in the complex plane ℂ to an almost complex manifold (V, J), which areJ-holomorphic in the sense thatdf oi =J odf and are singular (i.e.,df = 0) at {0}. The main result is that whenV has dimension 4, the topology of these singularities is the same as in the case whenJ is integrable. Thus, if the image Imf =C is not multiply-covered, there is a neighborhoodU of the pointx = f(0), such that the pair (U, U ∩C) is homeomorphic to the cone overS3,Kx whereKx is an algebraic knot in S3 that depends only on the germC atx.
Association of physical activity and visual attention in older adults.

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine possible associations between physical activity and visual attention in community-dwelling older adults. Methods:Older adults (age 65-95) completed t...
Psychosomatic knowledge and the role of the physician: a sociological view.

One of the important tasks for psychosomatic medicine is that of educating clinical specialties outside of Psychiatry to the way in which psychosocial factors are implicated in illness. There is reason to believe that this educative task is more complicated than it appears at first glance. One of the difficulties may lie in a resistance on the part of physicians to integrating psychosocial knowledge into their ongoing activities because of a threat which that information poses to the historical foundation of their role. Following Foucault's study of the origin of modern medicine, this foundation can be said to be grounded in the belief that the truth of the suffering patient is that which reveals itself in the space of the body to the informed gaze of the physician. Psychosocial knowledge confronts the physician with the need to accept coexistent realities of the suffering of illness. As disruptive as educating physicians to this idea of “coexistent realities of illness” may be, it is essentially a task, ...
Priests as Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Effects of Disclosure on Empathy

This study explores the effects of disclosing a history of childhood sexual abuse on empathy for Roman Catholic priests. The research design randomly selected priests in good standing in the Roman Catholic Church from 10 locations in the United States. Three groups of priests were identified based on self-report: (a) priests who report sexual abuse and no disclosure, (b) priests who report sexual abuse and disclosure, and (c) priests who report no sexual abuse. The three groups were compared using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index dimensions of perspective-taking, empathic concern, and personal distress as the dependent variable. The data was analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression to examine the incremental contributions for the different sets of independent variables. Results indicate that empathy was not exclusively associated with disclosing sexual abuse. The need for earlier intervention, education, and assistance for priests in disclosing childhood sexual abuse is discussed.
Effects of halothane on evoked field potentials recorded from cortical and subcortical nuclei.

Abstract The effects of four incremental doses of halothane on photic and acoustic evoked responses from four brain locations in freely behaving rats were assessed. Chronically implanted stainless-steel semi-microelectrodes (60 μ diameter) were implanted stereotaxically under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia in the inferior colliculus (IC), the lateral geniculate body (LGB), auditory (ACx) and visual cortex (VCx) in each rat. Three to five days after surgery, averaged photic and acoustic evoked responses were taken, four sets for each modality, before exposure to halothane and during exposure to increasing concentrations of halothane (0.25, 0.5 1.0 and 2.0%) in each rat. Measurement of changes in response amplitudes compared to pre-drug controls were used to assess the effect of the halothane. A difference in the effect of halothane effect based on sensory modality was observed. The average auditory evoked response (AAER) was affected by halothane in a dose-related fashion and was more sensitive to halothane than was the average visual evoked response (AVER), especially in the auditory cortex which demonstrated a biphasic (initial increase, then decrease with increasing doses of halothane) pattern of response to halothane. The recordings obtained from the sensory relay nuclei (IC and LGB) each produced early components (P1-N1) of the averaged evoked response which were resistant to halothane effects.
Sequential detection for sparse channels via a multiple tree algorithm

In this paper, we propose a tree-search based approach to detecting symbols transmitted over a sparse intersymbol interference channel. The proposed method uses a novel multiple-tree structure that exploits the channel sparsity to reduce computational complexity. By using parallel tree searches to perform data detection, the algorithm avoids the redundant likelihood computations introduced by inactive taps in the sparse channel impulse response. Simulation results show that, for moderate to high SNR, the multiple tree-search algorithm can reduce complexity by a factor of approximately 30 relative to the conventional Viterbi algorithm and by a factor of nearly 4 relative to multi-trellis methods.
1228 LACTATE IS A GLYCOGENIC PRECURSOR IN THE OVINE FETUS

Glucose (Glu) levels are exceedingly low in the ovine fetus and the ungulate liver has little measurable glucokinase. Nonetheless, at term, the fetal (Fet) sheep liver contains significant glycogen stores. Recent suggestions that glycogenesis in the adult may proceed through the gluconeogenic pathway led us to examine the capacity of lactate (Lac) to serve as a glycogenic precursor in the chronically catheterized Fet sheep. Six ovine fetuses were prepared with aortic (Ao) and inferior vena cava (IVC) catheters. On day 5 post surgery, after a maternal (Mat) 48 hour fast, a steady state Mat venous infusion of Glu was begun sufficient to raise Mat blood Glu from 19.41.6 mg/dl to 48.6±6.2 mg/dl. A simultaneous infusion of 300 uC (U-14C) Lac was administered to the Fet IVC over a 5 hour period to steady state. Six Fet Ao and Mat art. samples were obtained q 10 min during the last 60 min of the infusion. The fetus and ewe were then sacrificed and liver removed for determination of glycogen and 14C glycogen enrichment. Minimal radiolabel was found in Mat blood or liver glycogen. Fet blood levels were Lac 13.6±1.3 mg/dl (SA 42±9 uc/mg×103), fructose 70.2±10.4 mg/dl (SA 1.0±.2 uc/mg×103), Glu 23.2±4.3 mg/dl. No Lac-derived labelled Fet Glu could be reliably detected. Fet hepatic glycogen was 40.0±6.5 mg/g liver (SA 1.4±.5 uc/mg×103). The SA of glycogen and absent Glu labelling suggests that Lac is a precursor of Fet glycogen through the gluconeogenic path. This is teleologically important, since placental conversion of Mat Glu to Lac maintains higher levels of Lac in the Fet circulation and seems to be a means for Fet conservation of energy stores.
Distribution of kanamycin in ocular tissues of calves

The ocular distribution of kanamycin following intramuscular, bulbar subconjunctival injection, or after constant rate intravenous infusion to calves was studied. Steady-state plasma concentrations of kanamycin were achieved in either normal calves, or in those experimentally infected with Moraxella bovis, and the concentrations of kanamycin in the serum, aqueous humor, vitreous body, tears, and the ocular tissues were measured. Kanamycin was not detected in the retina, lens, vitreous body, or the aqueous humor of any eyes, but the concentration of drug in the tears, conjunctiva, cornea and the orbital lacrimal gland of these calves ranged between 18 and 21% of that in serum. At steady-state plasma levels, the kanamycin concentrations in tears from eyes with keratoconjunctivitis and from normal eyes were similar. A study using lyophilized, powdered, ocular tissues in vitro showed that kanamycin was highly bound to the bovine retina and iris, and could be eluted using 0.2 N NaOH. The binding of kanamycin to other ocular tissues, including cornea, conjunctiva and lens, was significantly less. The concentration of kanamycin in the serum and the tears of calves was also measured after intramuscular or bulbar subconjunctival injection. After intramuscular administration of kanamycin (10 mg/kg of body-weight), the mean serum concentration was maximal at 1 h (32 micrograms/ml) and remained greater than or equal to 1.0 microgram/ml for 8 h. The mean tear concentration was maximal (3.1 micrograms/ml) at 30 min, and remained greater than or equal to 1.5 micrograms/ml for only 2.5 h. Following bulbar subjunctival administration of kanamycin (100 mg, single subconjunctival dose), the mean tear concentration was 1127 micrograms/ml at 30 min, less than or equal to 4.1 micrograms/ml at 4 h, and thereafter was less than or equal to 1.0 microgram/ml. It was concluded that kanamycin has limited distribution to the ocular tissues following parenteral administration. Binding of the drug to the ocular pigments may be responsible for its limited intraocular penetration.
Sleep duration and chronic diseases among U.S. adults age 45 years and older: evidence from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Study objective To examine the effects of obesity and frequent mental distress (FMD) on the relationship of sleep duration with coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and diabetes. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Population-based surveillance. Participants There were 54,269 adults age 45 y or older who completed the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey in 14 states. Results Nearly one third (31.1% or an estimated 11.1 million) of respondents age 45 y and older reported being short sleepers (≤ 6 h), 64.8% being optimal sleepers (7-9 h), and 4.1% being long sleepers (≥ 10 h) in a 24-h period. Compared with the optimal sleep duration, both short and long sleep durations were significantly associated with obesity, FMD (mental health was not good ≥ 14 days during the past 30 days), CHD, stroke, and diabetes after controlling for sex, age, race/ethnicity, and education. The U-shaped relationships of sleep duration with CHD, stroke, and diabetes were moderately attenuated by FMD. The relationship between sleep duration and diabetes was slightly attenuated by obesity. Conclusions Sleep duration had U-shaped relationships with leading chronic diseases. Further prospective studies are needed to determine how mental health and maintenance of a normal weight may interact with sleep duration to prevent chronic diseases.
Development of the ability to perceive ambiguities: Evidence for the task specificity of a linguistic skill

This study asked whether children's ability to perceive linguistic ambiguities was correlated with that of perceiving pictorial ambiguities. A total of 48 ambiguous sentences and 24 ambiguous pictures were selected for comprehensibility. Half the sentences and pictures were symbolic ambiguities (i.e., they contained symbols that stood for two different objects) and half were structural ambiguities (i.e., the structures of the sentences or pictures could be broken up two different ways). No significant correlations were found between the linguistic and pictorial modes. In both modes, correct performance on the symbolic ambiguities was better and was observed earlier than that for structural ambiguities. After taking into account certain methodological problems with nonsignificant correlations and ambiguous sentences, it was concluded that at least some nontrivial component of the linguistic ambiguity detector was task specific to language.
Characterization and generation of Escherichia coli adenylate cyclase deletion mutants.

Abstract Escherichia coli delta cya-283 is a 75-bp in-frame deletion overlapping the 5' end of delta cya-854; delta cya-201 is a 41-bp frameshift deletion overlapping the 3' end of delta cya-854. Sequence repeats were found at the boundaries of delta cya-283 and delta cya-201, suggesting a mechanism for deletion formation. Recombinant DNA procedures were used to construct a strain in which the total cya structural gene in the chromosome was replaced by the kanamycin resistance gene.
Establishing a Software Measurement Process

Abstract : This report presents guidelines for establishing a measurement process as part of an organization's overall software process. Methods are suggested that can be used to design a repeatable measurement process that is focused on goal setting, data analysis, and decision making rather than on just data collection and numbers. Examples are included to illustrate these methods in the context of some common software process management issues involving basic measures of size, effort, and schedule. This report also suggests some steps for starting a measurement program. These steps focus on identifying an organizational strategy for improvement and designing a process for measurement to support this strategy....Measurement architecture, Software engineering process group, Measurement process, Software process, Project management
White matter neuroanatomical differences in young children who stutter

The ability to express thoughts through fluent speech production is a most human faculty, one that is often taken for granted. Stuttering, which disrupts the smooth flow of speech, affects 5% of preschool-age children and 1% of the general population, and can lead to significant communication difficulties and negative psychosocial consequences throughout one's lifetime. Despite the fact that symptom onset typically occurs during early childhood, few studies have yet examined the possible neural bases of developmental stuttering during childhood. Here we present a diffusion tensor imaging study that examined white matter measures reflecting neuroanatomical connectivity (fractional anisotropy) in 77 children [40 controls (20 females), 37 who stutter (16 females)] between 3 and 10 years of age. We asked whether previously reported anomalous white matter measures in adults and older children who stutter that were found primarily in major left hemisphere tracts (e.g. superior longitudinal fasciculus) are also present in younger children who stutter. All children exhibited normal speech, language, and cognitive development as assessed through a battery of assessments. The two groups were matched in chronological age and socioeconomic status. Voxel-wise whole brain comparisons using tract-based spatial statistics and region of interest analyses of fractional anisotropy were conducted to examine white matter changes associated with stuttering status, age, sex, and stuttering severity. Children who stutter exhibited significantly reduced fractional anisotropy relative to controls in white matter tracts that interconnect auditory and motor structures, corpus callosum, and in tracts interconnecting cortical and subcortical areas. In contrast to control subjects, fractional anisotropy changes with age were either stagnant or showed dissociated development among major perisylvian brain areas in children who stutter. These results provide first glimpses into the neuroanatomical bases of early childhood stuttering, and possible white matter developmental changes that may lead to recovery versus persistent stuttering. The white matter changes point to possible structural connectivity deficits in children who stutter, in interrelated neural circuits that enable skilled movement control through efficient sensorimotor integration and timing of movements.
Males Exhibit Novel Relationships of Dominance with Nest Departure in the Social Paper Wasp Mischocyttarus mastigophorus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

In many animal societies, an individual’s opportunities to reproduce correspond to their position in a dominance hierarchy. In primitively eusocial paper wasps, female social dominance and direct reproduction are positively associated with taking food from nest mates, but both negatively correlate with foraging flights. Female paper wasps reproduce by laying eggs in their nest, while males reproduce by leaving the nest to copulate. Males of Mischocyttarus mastigophorus are unusual because they reside on their natal nests for prolonged periods, and males direct aggression towards female nestmates. Mischocyttarus mastigophorus males provide an opportunity to further analyse the relationships between dominance, nutrition and nest departure. We found males’ rates of social aggression, food taking behaviour, and rates of nest departure were positively correlated. Furthermore, males that initiated aggression at younger ages also began flying earlier, and males engaged in all three behaviours at younger ages than females. Male social aggression may lead to nutrient acquisition, which enable males to depart from the nest. We hypothesise that male nest departure could be adaptive if it increases male mating opportunities. This could account for the positive relationship between dominance and nest departure for males.
Logit Models for Forecasting Nationwide Intercity Travel Demand in the United States

Nested and mixed logit models were developed to study national-level intercity transportation in the United States. The models were used to estimate the market share of automobile and commercial air transportation of 3,091 counties and 443 commercial service airports in the United States. Models were calibrated with the use of the 1995 American Travel Survey. Separate models were developed for business and nonbusiness trip purposes. The explanatory variables used in the utility functions of the models were travel time, travel cost, and traveler's household income. Given an input county-to-county trip demand table, the models were used to estimate county-to-county travel demand by automobile and commercial airline between all counties and commercial-service airports in the United States. The model has been integrated into a computer software framework called the transportation systems analysis model that estimates nationwide intercity travel demand in the United States.
Capillary and slit flow behavior of concentrated solutions of a rod‐like polymer

This paper is concerned with the flow behavior of isotropic solutions of the rod-like polymer, poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide) (PPT), in 100 percent sulfuric acid. Studies include entry flow visualization in a slit die and solution fracture, and die swell in capillaries and a slit die. It was observed that solutions of PPT exhibit nearly negligible die swell, a slip-stick type of fracture that disappears at high shear rates, and radial entry flow patterns similar to Newtonian fluids. Fracture was associated with the plateau in the shear stress vs shear rate curve. Because values of the wall shear stress (τw.) obtained from capillary measurements were in good agreement with those obtained from a cone-and-plate rheometer and values of the loss modulus (G″) obtained from small-strain dynamic oscillatory measurements, it is believed that the rheological properties lead to the flow instability. These results are in agreement with the predictions of a recent theory by Doi and Edwards for concentrated solutions of rod-like molecules. Data are also presented for a flexible chain polyamide, nylon 6,6, in 100 percent H2SO4 for the purpose of comparing the flow characteristics of rigid and flexible chain polymers.
Queueing study of a 3-priority policy with distinct service strategies

A discrete-time, single server, 3-queue system is presented and analyzed. A distinct service strategy, namely the consistent-gated (c-G), 1-limited (L) and head-of-line (HoL), is applied to each of the queues (c-G/L/HoL policy). It is shown that this queueing system provides for an accurate analytical model for a DQDB station, as well as a means for an approximate evaluation of the correlation associated with key traffic processes in that network. In addition, the developed queueing system could be useful for the modeling of the queueing behavior of an ATM link shared by high-priority, low priority and control traffic. Through an asymptotic analysis under heavy low-priority traffic, the worst case performance for the high priority traffic is determined. Furthermore, it is illustrated that the asymptotic analysis provides for a potentially tight delay bounding technique. Finally, the delay performance of the developed queueing system is compared to that of a similar system in which one of the queues receives 1-limited service and the other two exhaustive (HoL/sup -//L/HoL/sup +/ policy). >
Low-power skewed static logic (S/sup 2/L) with topology-dependent dual Vt

In this paper, we describe Skewed Static Logic (S/sup 2/L) with topology-dependent dual Vt which exhibits low-power, high-performance operation. S/sup 2/L consumes less dynamic and static power compared to Monotonic Static (MS) CMOS. The noise tolerance of proposed technique is presented with simulation results. We have designed NAND-NOR gate chains using 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS technology and verified that S/sup 2/L reduces energy/spl times/delay over MS CMOS by 27-50%. We have also designed 32-bit carry-lookahead adders and verified that S/sup 2/L with dual Vt reduces delay by 43% and energy/spl times/delay by 31% over the conventional CMOS circuit for 1 V power supply.
Outage analysis in wireless channels with multiple interferers subject to shadowing and fading using a compound pdf model

Abstract Wireless communication systems are subject to short- and long-term fading of the channel. Instead of the commonly used Nakagami–lognormal model to account for the conditions existing in these shadowed fading channels, a compound probability density function (pdf) model is used to evaluate the performance of wireless systems. While the Nakagami–lognormal lacks a closed-form solution to the pdf of the received power in shadowed fading channels, the compound pdf has an analytical expression for the pdf of the received signal power. The synergy between these two models for the analysis of wireless systems is explored by calculating the bit error rate in a DPSK modem as well as the outage probability in a wireless system in a shadowed fading channel. This is followed by the computation of the outage probability in the general case where both the desired and cochannels are subject to shadowing and fading. The analyses were carried out for both fixed number of cochannels and random number of cochannels. Results demonstrate the usefulness of the compound pdf model for the performance analyses of wireless systems in shadowed fading channels.
Unzipping Ion Channels

The functions of ion channels can be regulated by their phosphorylation state. Protein kinases and protein phosphatases tightly control the activity of channels, thereby regulating the flow of ions across cell membranes. Channel proteins and kinases or phosphatases can associate directly or through intermediate adaptor proteins. An interaction domain termed the leucine zipper (LZ), once thought to be unique to some families of transcription factors, has been identified in channel proteins and their cognate binding proteins. MacFarlane and Levitan discuss what roles LZ-containing proteins might have in controlling channel function.
Blood mRNA Expression Profiling Predicts Survival in Patients Treated with Tremelimumab

Purpose: Tremelimumab (ticilimumab, Pfizer), is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4). Ipilimumab (Yervoy, BMS), another anti-CTLA-4 antibody, is approved by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Biomarkers are needed to identify the subset of patients who will achieve tumor control with CTLA-4 blockade. Experimental Design: Pretreatment peripheral blood samples from 218 patients with melanoma who were refractory to prior therapy and receiving tremelimumab in a multicenter phase II study were measured for 169 mRNA transcripts using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A two-class latent model yielded a risk score based on four genes that were highly predictive of survival ( P Results: Median follow-up was 297 days for the training population and 386 days for the test population. Expression levels of the 169 genes were closely correlated across the two populations ( r = 0.9939). A four-gene model, including cathepsin D ( CTSD ), phopholipase A2 group VII ( PLA2G7 ), thioredoxin reductase 1 ( TXNRD1 ), and interleukin 1 receptor–associated kinase 3 ( IRAK3 ), predicted survival in the test population ( P = 0.001 by log-rank test). This four-gene model added to the predictive value of clinical predictors ( P Conclusions: Expression levels of CTSD, PLA2G7, TXNRD1 , and IRAK3 in peripheral blood are predictive of survival in patients with melanoma treated with tremelimumab. Blood mRNA signatures should be further explored to define patient subsets likely to benefit from immunotherapy. Clin Cancer Res; 20(12); 3310–8. ©2014 AACR .
Solid-phase synthesis of functionalized bis-peptides.

We demonstrate the first solid-phase synthesis of highly functionalized bis-peptides. Bis-peptides are ladder oligomers composed of stereochemically pure, cyclic bis-amino acids joined by substituted diketopiperazine linkages. They have a shape-programmable backbone that is controlled by controlling the stereochemistry and sequence of the monomers within each oligomer. Functionalized bis-peptides are assembled using a new amide bond forming reaction (acyl-transfer coupling) that we have previously developed and a novel activation strategy that allows the sequential formation of penta- and hexa-substituted diketopiperazines from extremely hindered N-alkyl-α,α-disubstituted amino acids. We present mechanistic evidence that acyl-transfer coupling is competitive with direct acylation in the formation of hindered amide bonds. We also detail the synthesis of four functionalized bis-peptides, and that by combining bis-peptides with amino acids through diketopiperazine linkages, bis-peptides can mimic the display of residues i, i+4, i+7 of an α-helical peptide. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 96: 578–585, 2011.
Randomised controlled pilot trial of mindfulness training for stress reduction during pregnancy

This randomised controlled pilot trial tested a six-week mindfulness-based intervention in a sample of pregnant women experiencing high levels of perceived stress and pregnancy anxiety. Forty-seven women enrolled between 10 and 25 weeks gestation were randomly assigned to either a series of weekly Mindful Awareness Practices classes (n = 24) with home practice or to a reading control condition (n = 23). Hierarchical linear models of between-group differences in change over time demonstrated that participants in the mindfulness intervention experienced larger decreases from pre-to post-intervention in pregnancy-specific anxiety and pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) than participants in the reading control condition. However, these effects were not sustained through follow-up at six weeks post-intervention. Participants in both groups experienced increased mindfulness, as well as decreased perceived stress and state anxiety over the course of the intervention and follow-up periods. This study is one of the first randomised controlled pilot trials of a mindfulness meditation intervention during pregnancy and provides some evidence that mindfulness training during pregnancy may effectively reduce PRA and worry. We discuss some of the dilemmas in pursuing this translational strategy and offer suggestions for researchers interested in conducting mind-body interventions during pregnancy.
The basic structure of the disputes settlement part of the law of the sea convention

Abstract The Draft Convention on the Law of the Sea contains an elaborate and unique system for the settlement of disputes concerning the world ocean that is both flexible and firm. The evolution and development of this disputes settlement system began later than the work done in Committees I, II, and HI, of the Conference and was largely due to the initiative and leadership of Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe, President of UNCLOS III. The major features of the emerging disputes settlement system are: a general and comprehensive system including adjudicatory procedures; a multiplicity of forums for disputes settlement with concurrent attempts at maintaining some uniformity in the jurisprudence of the law of the sea; adoption of a flexible system which permits states the choice of mode or venue for settlement; abandonment of the original idea of a separate and special “Sea‐Bed Tribunal”; the decision of the Conference to make disputes settlement an integral part of the Convention; the emergence of the compulso...
The future of multiprocessor systems-on-chips

This paper surveys the state-of-the-art and pending challenges in MPSoC design. Standards in communications, multimedia, networking, and other areas encourage the development of high-performance platforms that can support a range of implementations of the standard. A multiprocessor system-on-chip includes embedded processors, digital logic, and mixed-signal circuits combined into a heterogeneous multiprocessor. This mix of technologies creates a major challenge for MPSoC design teams. We will look at some existing MPSoC designs and then describe some hardware and software challenges for MPSoC designers.
Diurnal Time Budget of Burrowing Owls in a Resident Population During the Non-Breeding Season

Abstract We present the first non-breeding-season time budget of adult burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia). We evaluated the hypothesis that during the non-breeding season the gender-specific allocation of time and effort observed diurnally in the breeding season changes, with males and females exhibiting more similar time budgets. Owls spent most of their time alert (58.4 ± 7.2% and 42.6 ± 8.3%) and in the burrow (19.3 ± 5.3% and 46.2 ± 7.2% for males and females, respectively). Females tended to spend more time in the burrow, and males spent more time alert. Although we found little evidence for temporal variation of these patterns for males, females were found more often in the burrow during early afternoon. Our results support a hypothesis that time-allocation differences between males and females during the breeding season are at least partially retained into the non-breeding season. The major finding of the study was the high percentage of time owls spent within the nest burrow during the non-breedi...
Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Erectile Dysfunction, Testosterone Replacement Therapy, and Female Sexual Dysfunction

Sexual health state-of-the-art guidelines provide a thorough overview of conventional prescription options. Yet over the past 10–15 years numerous clinical trials have shown that complementary and alternative (CAM) interventions or dietary supplements may be an option to prevent and treat some forms of erectile dysfunction (ED) and possibly female sexual dysfunction (FSD). One of the barriers to adequately educating health care professionals and patients on effective dietary supplements for ED and FSD may be the unctuous history of this category in terms of over-the-counter products laced with contaminants, adulterants, or drug mimics (e.g., PDE-5 inhibitors). The FDA has removed more products for sexual health from the dietary supplement marketplace compared to any other health condition. Still, despite the questionable efficacy of so many products that will also be reviewed in this chapter, several agents are promising and have ample data to be utilized with patients. These dietary supplements have the potential to be used with and without conventional treatments. And it should be kept in mind that prescription medications for ED and TRT, for example, are not without their controversial issues, including consistently high past and current costs with expectations that create a serious barrier to adequate long-term compliance. Research shows that 50–66 % of the patients starting on PDE-5 inhibitors are no longer continuing to use these agents within 6–12 months of the initial prescription. Dietary supplements such as l-arginine in combination with other agents (e.g., pycnogenol), l-citrulline, Panax ginseng with concentrated ginsenosides, and several others should receive more attention. Perhaps the three biggest issues with many effective dietary supplements for ED are the higher dosages needed (number of pills), cost, in some cases, a complete safety or quality-control profile, and average time needed for efficacy. In the area of TRT, there are also some promising agents, but the vast majority of products have serious issues that make them substandard to prescription TRT at this time. However, this could potentially change in the near future if an ingredient is found to directly or indirectly enhance Leydig cell function, for example. Indeed, contrary to popular belief, there are some CAM options for patients concerned about ED and FSD, but there are very limited to no options currently in the area of TRT.
A License for Protection

While other labor market institutions have been in decline for decades, occupational licensing has grown dramatically. This is the product of the great benefits that licensing brings to both license-holders and the government. Members of a licensed occupation benefit because they increase the perception of quality and thus the demand for their services, while at the same time they restrict supply. Government officials benefit from the electoral and monetary support of the regulated, as well as the public image that they are protecting consumers. However, for the public, occupational licensure has many costs and few benefits.
Family scapegoating in the life and works of Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen).

This article presents Karen Blixen's concept of the family scapegoat as it was elaborated in a number of her tales. This recurrent theme in her fictional writing is linked to events in her own family life, in particular her own assumption of a scapegoat-prodigal child role during the "African period" of her life. Furthermore, her assumption of this role and her particular view of her destiny, pitting her against the rest of her family, was related to her strong identification with her father, intensified following his suicide when she was a child. Language: en
David Oliver: Acutely ill patients on trolleys and beds--why not chairs?

Activity on the emergency floor of UK hospitals has risen inexorably, even as bed numbers have contracted.1 Simply being on a trolley in an overcrowded emergency department risks worse outcomes.2 Even a bed in a busy acute medical unit can be an unsettling, disorienting experience, especially for older people with frailty or dementia, who already feel snatched from their homes with no notice, minus glasses or a hearing or walking aid.3 The most caring staff can struggle to maintain patients’ dignity, privacy, or reassurance. Beds affect the approach. Shoes …