cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single Fraction Frameless Stereotactic Radiosurgery on the Gamma Knife Icon for Patients With Brain Metastases: Time to Abandon the Frame?

Purpose The latest version of the Gamma Knife, the Icon, allows for immobilization with a mask in lieu of the traditional frame during stereotactic radiosurgery. There have been some concerns regarding extent of immobilization during single fraction frameless treatment and potential effect on outcomes. As such, we reviewed outcomes in patients with brain metastases treated in a single fraction using either a frame or mask on the Gamma Knife Icon at our institution. Methods and materials We reviewed the records of 95 patients with a total of 374 metastases treated between May 2019 and January 2021. Thirty-nine patients (41%) were treated using the Leksell frame with the remainder being immobilized with a mask. The median number of metastatic lesions was 2 (1-20). The median prescription dose was 20 Gy (11.5-24 Gy). Odds ratios were generated to identify predictors of mask use. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate survival, local failure, and distant failure rates. Cox regression was used to identify predictors of survival. Propensity matching was used to account for indication bias. Results Of the 95 patients treated, 88 (93%) had follow-up with a median duration of 5 months (1-18). Frame utilization was more likely with 6 to 10 brain metastases. Median overall survival was not reached and was 70% and 60% at 6 and 12 months for the entire cohort, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival by immobilization method (P = .12). Six patients had local failure in 10 total lesions (3 patients in each group). After propensity matching the 12 month tumor local control was 96% and 85% for framed and frameless cases, respectively (P = .07). Conclusions Frameless mask-based stereotactic radiosurgery using the Gamma Knife Icon is feasible and maintains the excellent local control seen with the use of the headframe.
The Life of the Longhouse: An Archaeology of Ethnicity

Introduction: the problem: ethnicity and community Part I. Longhouses: 1. Longhouses 2. Longhouse communities 3. The coming of the Brooke Raj Part II. Longhouses and Leaders: 4. Aban Jau's career 5. Aban Jau's successors Part III. Longhouses and Trade: 6. The sultan's fence 7. Pre-modern upriver trade Part IV. Longhouse Populations: 8. The linguistic data 9. Disease, slavery, assimilation, annihilation Part V. Longhouses and Ritual: 10. The ritual consensus 11. The ritual operator 12. The impresarios of the ancestors Part VI. Longhouses and the State: 13. Longhouses during the Raj 14. Longhouses after the Raj Conclusion: the general and the particular.
Scrash: a system for generating secure crash information

This paper presents Scrash, a system that safeguards user privacy by removing sensitive data from crash reports that are sent to developers after program failures. Remote crash reporting, while of great help to the developer, risks the user's privacy because crash reports may contain sensitive user information such as passwords and credit card numbers. Scrash modifies the source code of C programs to ensure that sensitive data does not appear in a crash report. Scrash adds only a small amount of run-time overhead and requires minimal involvement on the part of the developer.
Assessing the usefulness and usability of online learning activities: MapStats for kids

MapStats for Kids is concerned with the development of online learning activities based on data from the FedStats web portal. The development of these web applications requires that the tools will be useful and usable for students, grades 4-8. In order to assess web applications developed according to the above requirements a range of usability testing methods are being applied within the project.
Comparison of the Immunofluorescent-Cell Counting and Plaque Methods for the Assay of Vaccinia Virus

The immunofluorescent-cell counting method was compared with the agarand liquid-overlay plaque techniques for the assay of vaccinia virus. In addition to being as quantitative, reproducible, and simple to use as the two plaque techniques, the immunofluorescent assay method was found to be more sensitive, rapid, and specific.
Impact of dairy cooperatives on income and employment generation of milk producers in Alwar District (Rajasthan).

The results of the study clearly indicated that average net income was significantly higher (Rs. 13,285.30) in the member group than non-member group (Rs. 3,602.75). The overall labour utilization per annum per household was also significantly higher (207.36 man days) in the member group than the non-member group (181.92 man days). The study noticeably indicated a positive impact of dairy cooperatives on the income and employment generation of milk producers in the study area.
Identification and characterization of a factor that binds to two human sarcomeric actin promoters.

Abstract A gel mobility shift assay was used to examine nuclear extracts of muscle and nonmuscle cell lines for a factor or factors that interact with the functional promoter segment of both the human cardiac and skeletal alpha-actin genes. A single major band of altered mobility was seen with nuclear extracts from C2 myoblasts and myotubes and L8 myoblasts and myotubes as well as several non-muscle cell lines. Competition experiments with nuclear extracts from both muscle and non-muscle cells localized the region of binding to a 10-base pair sequence of the cardiac alpha-actin gene containing the functional CArG box promoter domain. Similar results and binding site specificities were obtained with a DNA fragment from the human skeletal alpha-actin promoter. The CArG box binding factor was shown to be distinct from a CAAT box binding factor. A molecular weight of 67 kDa for the CArG box binding factor was determined by photoaffinity labeling of the complex and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protease treatment resulted in a smaller fragment that still bound the cardiac alpha-actin promoter fragment and may represent a structurally distinct DNA-binding domain. We discuss how muscle-specific expression of the sarcomeric alpha-actin genes might be achieved with a ubiquitous transcription factor.
Data, Data, Data

Data and statistical analysis can help us understand the world and predict the consequences of events. Numerical data have natural numerical values, like 5.1 percent unemployment; categorical data count the number of observations in each category, like 47 females and 34 males. Some data are cross-sectional observations made at the same point in time, like the price/earnings ratios for each of the stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on February 5, 2015. Other data are time series observations at different points of time, like the monthly unemployment rate since 1990. Longitudinal data (or panel data) involve repeated observations of the same things at different points in time, like the prices of 30 stocks every day for the past 12 months. Per capita data are adjusted for the size of the population. Real data are adjusted for prices.
Association between plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels and hemodynamic instability during liver transplantation

The activation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) production in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) has been associated with hemodynamic instability during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The aim of this prospective, observational study was to investigate the involvement of cGMP in the mediation of profound hypotension during liver graft reperfusion. An additional objective was to determine whether preoperative cGMP levels are associated with intraoperative hemodynamic instability. Forty-four consecutive patients undergoing OLT were included in the study. Blood samples for cGMP analysis were obtained from (1) the radial artery before the surgical incision; (2) the radial artery, portal vein, and flush blood during the anhepatic phase; and (3) the radial artery 20 minutes after liver graft reperfusion. On the basis of a statistical analysis, the patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (preoperative cGMP level ≥ 0.05 μmol/L) and group 2 (preoperative cGMP level < 0.05 μmol/L). We demonstrated a significant correlation between the preoperative levels of cGMP and the amount of catecholamine required to maintain hemodynamic stability during reperfusion (r = 0.52, P < 0.001), the length of the hospital stay (r = 0.38, P = 0.01), and the length of the intensive care unit (ICU) stay (r = 0.44, P = 0.004). We also demonstrated a significantly higher intraoperative catecholamine requirement (P < 0.001) and a prolonged postoperative ICU stay (P = 0.02) in group 1 patients versus group 2 patients. In conclusion, this study demonstrates increased baseline cGMP production in patients with ESLD, which is significantly associated with severe hypotension during OLT. We suggest that preoperative levels of cGMP correlate with hemodynamic instability during liver graft reperfusion. Liver Transpl 19:191–198, 2013. © 2012 AASLD.
The Effect of Frequency and Automation of Internal Control Testing on External Auditor Reliance on the Internal Audit Function

ABSTRACT: Failure of the internal audit function (IAF) to detect a significant deficiency in internal controls is a significant shortcoming in the IAF's work performance. This shortcoming in the IAF's work performance reduces external auditors' willingness to rely on the IAF's work. Using a two-stage experiment, we investigate how the implementation of three different internal control testing remediation strategies (akin to CCM, ACL, and periodic manual testing), which vary in their automation and frequency, affect external auditors' perceptions of IAF strength and planned reliance on the IAF's work. We find that automated remediation strategies fully remediate external auditors' perceptions of poor IAF work performance and low degree of reliance on the IAF, whereas manual remediation strategies result in only partial remediation. Counterintuitively, less frequent remediation strategies are more effective at improving perceptions of poor IAF work performance and low levels of reliance on the IAF, relative...
Aminocaproic acid use in hospitalized patients with hematological malignancy: a case series.

The antifibrinolytic aminocaproic acid is widely used in surgical settings to prevent blood loss and decrease transfusion requirements, and small observational studies have suggested that aminocaproic acid may be useful in the setting of malignancy-related bleeding. At our institution, aminocaproic acid is sometimes prescribed to patients with hematological malignancy who experience refractory thrombocytopenia with or without bleeding. We performed a 5-year retrospective review of 54 adult patients with 13 types of hematological malignancy who received aminocaproic acid at our institution. Indications for use included 31 (57.4%) for refractory thrombocytopenia with bleeding, 16 (29.6%) for refractory thrombocytopenia without bleeding, and 7 (13%) for bleeding alone. Patients received both oral and intravenous formulations. Administered doses ranged broadly and median duration of use was 6 days. Three patients (5.7%) developed deep venous thrombosis but none of the thrombotic events were clearly related to administration of aminocaproic acid. We conclude that aminocaproic acid may be a relatively safe and cost-effective adjunct treatment in the setting of bleeding related to the diagnosis and treatment of hematological malignancy. Prospective trials as well as formalized protocols for the use of aminocaproic acid may be indicated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of ribulose diphosphate carboxylase and phosphoribulokinase from Thiobacillus thioparus and Thiobacillus neapolitanus.

Ribulose diphosphate carboxylase and phosphoribulokinase activity in chemosynthetic autotrophs Thiobacillus thioparus and Thiobacillus neapolitanus, noting sedimentation and gel filtration characteristics
Spintronics: Field-free ringing of nanomagnets

That the magnetic orientation of ferromagnets can be changed using magnetic fields has been known for centuries. But the exploration of magnetization control without any additional magnetic field has only just begun.
C- and L-band erbium-doped waveguide lasers with wafer-scale silicon nitride cavities

We report on integrated erbium-doped waveguide lasers designed for silicon photonic systems. The distributed Bragg reflector laser cavities consist of silicon nitride waveguide and grating features defined by wafer-scale immersion lithography and a top erbium-doped aluminum oxide layer deposited as the final step in the fabrication process. The resulting inverted ridge waveguide yields high optical intensity overlap with the active medium for both the 0.98 μm pump (89%) and 1.5 μm laser (87%) wavelengths with a pump–laser intensity overlap of >93%. We obtain output powers of up to 5 mW and show lasing at widely spaced wavelengths within both the C and L bands of the erbium gain spectrum (1536, 1561, and 1596 nm).
IS THE NUCLEON A $pi$N BOUND STATE.

The ${P}_{11}$ partial wave of the $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ system is characterized by a large absorption and a resonance (possibly inelastic) at 575-MeV laboratory pion energy (Roper resonance). In view of these features of the ${P}_{11}$ channel, the $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ system may be rendered sufficiently weak not to bind the nucleon. Using the experimental mass of the nucleon and the recently obtained extensive energy-dependent, complex phase-shift results on $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ scattering data, we examine here, through a nonperturbative $S$-matrix approach, the existence of a nucleon bound state in the $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ channel in the absence of forces arising from the inelastic states. The formalism is independent of any model for the contribution of the left-hand cut. We discuss two different possibilities concerning the nature of the Roper resonance: (a) It is an elastic resonance primarily due to the forces in the $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ channel; (b) it is an inelastic resonance mainly due to the forces from the inelastic states. In either case we find it unlikely that the $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ system by itself can sustain the nucleon bound state.
Influence of prior pseudopregnancy on lactation and reproduction of rats.

Abstract Conflicting opinions exist regarding the effect of parity (lactation number) on mammary development and milk yield. The cumulative effect of successive pregnancies is difficult to distinguish from other effects accompanying advancing age, increases in body size, or digestive capacity. Pseudopregnancy in the rat, produced by mating with vasectomized males, causes an 11–12 day stimulation of the mammary gland similar to that of early pregnancy. To study the effect of prior mamary stimulation, rats were compared that had a) two prior pseudopregnancies, b) one prior pseudopregnancy, and c) no such previous mammary stimulation. These rats, of equal age, were subsequently bred to intact males and their reproductive and milk-producing performance determined. Rats stimulated by two pseudopregnancies showed a 15% increase in litter size, but this difference in reproductive preformance was not statistically significant. All litters were standardized at birth to ten young and weighed periodically to determine the lactational performance of the dam. Growth of the litters, number of young surviving, and dam weight at weaning were similar for all groups. This experiment thus indicates that the prior mammary stimulation afforded by pseudopregnancy did not increase milk production in the subsequent natural lactation.
Recycling, degradation and sensitivity to the synergistic anion of transferrin in the receptor-independent route of iron uptake by human hepatoma (HuH-7) cells.

Abstract To secure iron from transferrin, hepatocytes use two pathways, one dependent on transferrin receptor (TfR 1) and the other, of greater capacity but lower affinity, independent of TfR 1. To clarify further similarities and differences of the two pathways, we have suppressed TfR 1 by 75–80% in human hepatoma-derived HuH-7 cells co-transfected with vectors bearing full-length TfR 1 cDNA or its first 100 bases in antisense orientation. Suppression of TfR 1 does not lead to down regulation of TfR 2, a recently described second transferrin receptor of as yet uncertain function. Both pathways depend on acidification of the compartments in which iron release from transferrin takes place. Recycling of transferrin is a feature of both pathways, but is substantially more efficient in the receptor-dependent route. Degradation of transferrin occurs only in the receptor-independent route, in the first example of a specific catabolic pathway of transferrin. Linkage of cellular iron uptake to release of the synergistic anion (without which iron is not bound by transferrin) is particularly evident in the receptor-independent pathway. Although the relative importance of the two pathways in normal and deranged hepatic iron metabolism remains to be determined, the receptor-independent route is a substantial accessory for iron uptake to the better-known receptor-dependent track.
Cell cycle and 5'-Nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities in rat liver.

The postnatal developments of liver and serum 5′-nucleotide phosphodiesterase (5′-NPD) in Fischer 344 rats were studied. The liver enzyme activities were found to correlate well with the growth of the liver as measured by the wet weight and percentages of liver cells in the G2/M phases of the cell cycle as determined by flow cytofluorometry. Therefore, this enzyme may be intimately related to the growth of the liver. Although the specific activities of the serum enzyme are three orders of magnitude less than that of the liver enzyme, very good correlation was obtained between the total serum and liver enzyme activities. This finding, therefore, suggests that the main origin of the serum enzyme is from liver. Multiple isozymes were detected in both liver and serum 5′-nucleotide phosphodiesterase after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Low-cost conversion of the Polaroid MD-4 land camera to a digital gel documentation system

A simple, inexpensive design is presented for the rapid conversion of the popular MD-4 Polaroid land camera to a high quality digital gel documentation system. Images of ethidium bromide stained DNA gels captured using the digital system were compared to images captured on Polaroid instant film. Resolution and sensitivity were enhanced using the digital system. In addition to the low cost and superior image quality of the digital system, there is also the added convenience of real-time image viewing through the swivel LCD of the digital camera, wide flexibility of gel sizes, accurate automatic focusing, variable image resolution, and consistent ease of use and quality. Images can be directly imported to a computer by using the USB port on the digital camera, further enhancing the potential of the digital system for documentation, analysis, and archiving. The system is appropriate for use as a start-up gel documentation system and for routine gel analysis.
A Current Comparator-Based System for Calibration of AC Shunts at Frequencies Up to Audio Frequencies

An overview of the development of a system comprising of instruments based on the current-comparator technology, for calibration of ac shunts up to audio frequencies is presented. The instruments include an audio-frequency current-comparator, a calculable ac/dc resistor and an ampere-turn balancing circuit. The current comparator is a special multiple ratio audio-frequency current-comparator
Analytical solutions for non-isothermal viscoelastic torsional flow in a bounded domain

Abstract The effects of viscous heating on torsional flow of viscoelastic fluids in the parallel-plate viscometer are considered. The fluid is modelled by the Oldroyd-B constitutive equation with temperature-dependent viscosities and relaxation time which obey a Nahme type law. Analytic solutions are obtained in the limit of small Nahme–Griffith number which are uniformly valid up to the fluid–air interface. If the aspect ratio, α is small then there is a thermal boundary layer of width α at the free surface.
Autophagy: an affair of the heart.

Whether an element of routine housekeeping or in the setting of imminent disaster, it is a good idea to get one’s affairs in order. Autophagy, the process of recycling organelles and protein aggregates, is a basal homeostatic process and an evolutionarily conserved response to starvation and other forms of metabolic stress. Our understanding of the role of autophagy in the heart is changing rapidly as new information becomes available. This review examines the role of autophagy in the heart in the setting of cardioprotection, hypertrophy, and heart failure. Contradictory findings are reconciled in light of recent developments. The preponderance of evidence favors a beneficial role for autophagy in the heart under most conditions.
Climate change impacts on Laurentian Great Lakes levels

Scenarios of water supplies reflecting CO2-induced climatic change are used to determine potential impacts on levels of the Laurentian Great Lakes and likely water management policy implications. The water supplies are based on conceptual models that link climate change scenarios from general circulation models to estimates of basin runoff, overlake precipitation, and lake evaporation. The water supply components are used in conjunction with operational regulation plans and hydraulic routing models of outlet and connecting channel flows to estimate water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, St. Clair, Erie, and Ontario. Three steady-state climate change scenarios, corresponding to modeling a doubling of atmospheric CO2, are compared to a steady-state simulation obtained with historical data representing an unchanged atmosphere. One transient climate change scenario, representing a modeled transition from present conditions to doubled CO2 concentrations, is compared to a transient simulation with historical data. The environmental, socioeconomic, and policy implications of the climate change effects modeled herein suggest that new paradigms in water management will be required to address the prospective increased allocation conflicts between users of the Great Lakes.
Evaluation of models for flame stretch due to curvature in the thin reaction zones regime

Abstract Direct numerical simulation (DNS) was used to study modelling assumptions for the curvature-propagation component of flame stretch in the thin reaction zones regime of turbulent premixed combustion, a regime in which small eddies can penetrate the preheat zone but not the thinner fuel breakdown zone. Simulations of lean hydrogen–air and methane–air flames were conducted, and statistics of flame stretch due to curvature, henceforth referred to simply as stretch, were extracted from a species mass fraction iso-surface taken to represent the flame. The study focussed on investigating the modelling assumptions of Peters [J. Fluid Mech. 384 (1999) 107]. It was found that the mean stretch is dominated by stretch due to correlations of flame speed with curvature, and specifically the effects of tangential diffusion. The modelling suggestions of Peters were found to provide an improvement over the assumptions of a constant flame speed or a flame speed governed by the linear relationship with stretch at small and steady stretch. However for the conditions considered here, diffusive-thermal effects remain well into the thin reaction zones regime, and the suggestions of Peters generally over-predict the mean compressive stretch. An effective diffusivity for flame stretch was suggested and evaluated for the methane simulations. It was found that the effective diffusivity was comparable to the mass diffusivity for flames with a high ratio of flame time to eddy turnover time. The length scales contributing to stretch were investigated, and it was found that while most flame area has a radius of curvature greater than the laminar flame thickness, most stretch occurs in more tightly curved flame elements.
Pressure-induced metallization in solid boron

Different phases of solid boron under high pressure are studied by first principles calculations. The $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{B}}_{12}$ structure is found to be stable up to 270 GPa. Its semiconductor band gap (1.72 eV) decreases continuously to zero around 160 GPa, where the material transforms to a weak metal. The metallicity, as measured by the density of states at the Fermi level, enhances as the pressure is further increased. The pressure-induced metallization can be attributed to the enhanced boron-boron interactions that cause band overlap. Limited calculations on $\ensuremath{\beta}$ boron indicate a similar trend of gap closure.
The molecular level determination of black carbon in marine dissolved organic matter

Abstract Products from incomplete combustion of organic carbon (black carbon) are ubiquitous in the environment. However, the available information on black carbon in marine dissolved organic matter (DOM), one of the largest organic carbon pools, is extremely scarce. The objective of this study was to introduce an analytical technique for the routine determination of black carbon in marine DOM. Dissolved black carbon was isolated from seawater via solid phase extraction. The salt free extracts were oxidized with nitric acid in a microwave digestion system. Oxidation temperature and duration were optimized to yield maximum amounts of benzenepolycarboxylic acids (BPCAs) from condensed aromatic structures. BPCAs were separated and quantified with high-performance liquid chromatography and diode-array detection (HPLC–DAD). Minimal sample processing and no derivatization are required which makes the method practical for routine analysis. The technique was tested on a suite of reference materials and applied to coastal and open ocean DOM. One half liter of seawater from the open Gulf of Mexico was sufficient for reliable analysis. Black carbon free DOM from algal cultures and organic tissues did not yield detectable amounts of BPCA (
DI-063 Off-label drug use in a Spanish university hospital

Background Few studies have been undertaken on off-label drug use in Spain since the introduction of new legislation in 2009 in which the responsibility for off-label use was transferred from the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products to the physician. Purpose To analyse which clinical units requested off-label drugs more often, for what treatments and indications they were used, and to establish the economic impact this had on a Spanish university hospital. Materials and methods Descriptive observational study from October 2009 to December 2012. We included all individual requests for off-label drugs received in the pharmacy service. The request was submitted by physicians who indicated prior treatment received and the reasons deemed appropriate for the requested treatment. Individualised assessment reports were written with an analysis of efficacy, safety, convenience and cost, which were referred to the hospital’s medical administration to make the decision to authorise or deny their use. Results A total of 512 requests were analysed, of which 72.7% were for antineoplastics (372), followed by the musculoskeletal system with 8.2% (42). The most-requested drugs were bevacizumab with 13.3% (68) and rituximab with 8.2% (42) of requests. It was observed that the most frequent off-label indications were for glioblastoma with 7.8% (40) and breast cancer 5.3% (27) of requests. Requests for adult units represented 80.5% (412), being mostly oncology at 43.9% (181) and haematology with 15.5% of requests (64). Paediatric clinical units performed 9.5% (100) of requests, of which the most frequent were onco-haematology with 49% (49) and rheumatology with 11% (11). The cost of off-label drugs authorised was 4,938,808 € with a median cost per patient of 7,340 € [1,307 €, 16,728 €] and represented 3.03% of the total expenditure of the pharmacy service. Treatments that were rejected would have meant an expenditure of 1,656,644 € and this would have been 1.02% of drug spending. Conclusions Off-label drugs were requested mostly in the field of oncology and haematology. The authorised off-label drugs are very expensive. Unapproved treatments would have increased costs with theoretically minimal health benefits. No conflict of interest.
IR voltage switch in delayed crevice corrosion and active peak formation detected using a repassivation-type scan

Abstract This paper investigates the induction period preceding crevice corrosion in the spontaneously passive iron/0.2 M Na 2 SO 4 + 0.025 M K 2 CrO 4 (pH 9) system. The focus is on the interaction between pH, corrosion products and the IR > Δ ϕ * criterion for initiating crevice corrosion, where ionic current I is the accumulation of metal dissolution currents on the crevice wall, R is the resistance of this electrolyte path, and Δ ϕ * is the difference between E x = 0 at the crevice's opening and E A/P at the active/passive transition in the crevice solution's polarization curve. Potential microprobe measurements show that IR ϕ * switches to IR > Δ ϕ * to end the induction period and start crevice corrosion. Thus, the switch occurs at a critical combination of increasing E A/P (decreasing Δ ϕ * ), i pass (increasing I ), and gas accumulation which decreases the effective crevice opening dimension, a (increasing R ). During the switch, E x = L at the bottom of the crevice, was just inside the active peak of the crevice solution's polarization curve, so crevice corrosion started at the bottom of the crevice. Arrival at the critical combination of E A/P , i pass and a was promoted by acidification of the crevice electrolyte. H 2 gas in the crevice also likely played a role. A repassivation-type scan revealed the active peak that had formed during the induction period as the pH decreased from 9 to 4.
Thermally excited spin-disorder contribution to the resistivity of LaCoO 3

We have investigated the effect of the thermally induced spin-state transition on the electronic conduction mechanism in the perovskite ${\mathrm{LaCoO}}_{3}.$ The magnetotransport properties of this material are greatly influenced by this well studied spin-state transition. In fact, the excitation to a finite Co ion spin results in a thermal activation of spin disorder. This spin disorder is induced by thermal population of the nonzero spin states of the Co ions in zero magnetic field. The disorder is suppressed by a magnetic field leading to significant negative magnetoresistance effects, which are in effect thermally excited. We suggest that this material is an ideal testing ground for colossal magnetoresistive phenomena in a system where the complicating effects of lattice and magnetic phase transitions are not present.
Dynamic variability of column ozone

A first-order, analytic estimate of the dynamical change in column ozone density is given as a function of temperature change in the lower stratosphere. It is found that, for each 1 percent (about 2 C) cooling averaged over the lower stratosphere, the column ozone density can be expected to decrease by approximately 7 percent, if it can be assumed that such a temperature change is induced by changes in wave transports.
The salivary gland transcriptome of the neotropical malaria vector Anopheles darlingi reveals accelerated evolution of genes relevant to hematophagy

Background Mosquito saliva, consisting of a mixture of dozens of proteins affecting vertebrate hemostasis and having sugar digestive and antimicrobial properties, helps both blood and sugar meal feeding. Culicine and anopheline mosquitoes diverged ~150 MYA, and within the anophelines, the New World species diverged from those of the Old World ~95 MYA. While the sialotranscriptome (from the Greek sialo, saliva) of several species of the Cellia subgenus of Anopheles has been described thoroughly, no detailed analysis of any New World anopheline has been done to date. Here we present and analyze data from a comprehensive salivary gland (SG) transcriptome of the neotropical malaria vector Anopheles darlingi (subgenus Nyssorhynchus).
Teenage Drug and Alcohol Use: Comparing Individual and Contextual Effects

While both macro- and micro-level studies have identified important correlates of substance use, multi-level models may explain more than each level alone. Drawing on extant research and Akers' (1998) Social Structure-Social Learning model, we offer hypotheses about the relationship between contextual- and individual-level explanatory variables and substance use. The sample included 85,000 students in 202 school districts. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed low socioeconomic status, percent rural, and racial composition directly affected use of some substances net individuals' characteristics. Further, the effects of gender, age, and class were substantially mediated by differential association and school bonds, which significantly influenced alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy, and methamphetamine use.
Doing poorly by doing good: the bottom line of proton therapy for children.

Purpose Proton beam therapy (PBT) is the most expensive form of radiation therapy in the United States. An area in which clear advantage has been modeled is the use of PBT for pediatric patients, although no publications deal with practice costs to PBT centers associated with a pediatric focus. Pediatric cases require longer treatment times and more staff members and incur higher supply and device costs. In addition to being more expensive to treat, the pediatric patients at the authors' center also present with Medicaid as their primary insurer at higher rates than adults. At their center, in the past 2 years, pediatric patients ( Methods After approval was obtained from the local institutional review board, data relating to patients ≤21 years of age who started treatment during the period between November 1, 2011, and October 31, 2013, were reviewed. Direct expenses of devices and supplies used, billing for anesthesia, staffing, and direct operational costs (proton beam) were calculated to determine the direct cost to treat. Those direct costs were then compared with actual reimbursements received for those treatments. Additionally, gross operating costs per hour and gross average expenses per pediatric patient were calculated, and that cost was then compared with actual reimbursement. Results The mission to preferentially treat pediatric patients involves accepting a loss for one-third of pediatric patients before allocating any overhead. After averaging gross expenses over total operating hours, 60% of the pediatric patients were found to be treated at a net loss. Conclusions Given insurance constraints and unique costs associated with the pediatric population, PBT centers devoted to children should not be expected to be markedly profitable. For centers that do choose to accept pediatric patients, those patients must be balanced with patients producing higher net reimbursement.
“White is Right” : The Utilization of an Improper Ontological Perspective in Analyses of Black Experiences

Social analysis is structured by ontologies: framing understandings of the concepts that exist and the possible relationships between those concepts. This article details instances where whiteness has been improperly employed as a basis for the analysis of black experiences. It goes on to look at the efforts of scholars to contextualize the study of blacks in the specific social circumstances that blacks navigate in their everyday lives.
Graduate school racial climates and academic self-concept among minority graduate students in the 1970s.

Longitudinal data on African American and Chicano students attending graduate school in the 1970s is used to test a model reflecting the influence of parental socioeconomic status (SES), gender, precollege assessments, and the graduate school's racial climate on academic self-concept. The study establishes that early influences and the components of academic self-concept change as students move into adulthood. Minority females consistently lag behind males in views of their academic self-concept. Higher academic self-concept was reported in graduate racial climates characterized by low trust and interaction among groups. These findings raise important questions regarding the development of academic self-concept among minorities in graduate school.
Preparation of polynitro compounds from amino acids

Abstract Amino acid esters, formaldehyde and trinitromethane react readily in a Mannich type condensation to form N-trinitroethylamino acid esters in good yields. These products decompose slowly on standing but are stabilized by further nitration to the N-nitro-N-trinitroethylamino esters. Hydrolysis of the esters to the free acids-is readily accomplished by warming with a mixture of hydrochloric and acetic acids. The above reactions are applied to both α - and β -amino carboxylic acids and also to both α - and β - amino dicarboxylic acids. Azides of the substituted β -amino acids decompose normally to give isocyanates, but azides of the substituted α -amino acids decompose abnormally and yield none of the expected isocyanates.
Tears-of-wine and related phenomena

Abstract The meniscus of a strong wine in a glass is drawn upward on the glass surface into a thin film. Due to a preferred evaporation of alcohol, the alcohol-lean liquid interface has a higher surface tension giving rise to a surface tension gradient and a flow which leads to the formation of the thin film. The accumulated liquid water forms “tears.” The tears-of-wine phenomenon has been generalized here to account for movement of thin films containing contact lines and driven by surface tension gradients. The fluid mechanical problem has been solved under lubrication theory approximation and a rough comparison with the experiments made. The results obtained here for the nonwetting liquids show that wettability plays an important role and the lack of wetting ability can give rise to receding contact lines even when the gradient of surface tension opposes such a movement.
MVS data services

The IBM Enterprise Systems Architecture/370™ vastly increases the potential virtual addressability available to both system and application programs. The I/O model and the application model of permanent data are discussed to illustrate how large virtual addressability can be used to simplify application programs and improve performance. New MVS services that exploit the architecture are described. Also described are data window services, which are callable from high-level languages and provide the capability to manage very large permanent and temporary objects in virtual storage.
Reflectometry at continuous wave and pulsed-neutron sources

Abstract Monte Carlo simulations of identical reflectometers viewing a continuous wave (CW) neutron source and a variety of pulsed-neutron sources were undertaken in order to quantify the performance of reflectometers that use either time-of-flight (TOF) or crystal-monochromator techniques to determine neutron wavelength. The performance of a reflectometer includes its capability to produce accurate information, and the speed in which the information is gathered. We find: (1) Properly calibrated reflectometers at any neutron source can produce equally accurate and precise data. (2) Reflectometers at pulsed-sources are always faster than a reflectometer using a monochromator at a CW source of equal time-average flux. (3) Reflectometers viewing low-frequency sources performed faster than those viewing higher frequency sources of equal power, provided the measurement of a large region of reciprocal space was required . (4) Reflectometers at short-pulsed-sources performed marginally better than those at long-pulsed-sources of equal power, frequency and instrumental resolution. The primary design criterion for a pulsed-source to be optimized for reflectometry studies is to maximize moderator brightness per pulse . A criterion of secondary importance is the reduction of the source frequency.
Synthesis and structural characterization of glucopyranosylamide films on gold.

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of glucose derivatives on gold have been prepared from α- and β-glucopyranosylamide derivatives. The glucosyl conjugates were synthesized stereoselectively via the in situ generation of glucosyl isoxazolines followed by treatment with thiopyridyl esters. The resulting film structures were characterized by atomic force microscopy, reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The experimental data indicated that α- or β-linked glucopyranosylamide derivatives with free hydroxyl groups attach to gold via the thiol linker. Both derivatives form monolayer films with high packing densitiescomparable to those typically observed for alkanethiol monolayers on gold. Acetate analogues of these conjugates do not form SAMs on gold; they form multilayered films under identical deposition conditions.
An 'Ionospheric Weather' Index

This note explains a method for deriving a daily ' ionospheric weather ' index for a given geographic location, and displays the behaviour of this index for the Boulder ionosphere during 8 months of 1968. ' Ionospheric weather ' means the dynamic state of the ionosphere at a particuIar time and place, as influenced by the number and intensity of ionization ' irregularities ' present. Such an index should be useful in attempts to associate short-term fluctuations in ionospheric electron density with other geophysical events, and ultimately, if such associations can be found, in forecasting the dynamic properties of ionospheric telecommunication circuits. The index is derived from continuous, steep-incidence, HF Doppler ionospheric soundings of the type described by Davies & Baker (1966). Ionospheric irregularities cause changes in the radio reflection height, which are recorded as fluctuations in the received frequency (Doppler shifts) of a stable 5 MHz radio wave reflected from heights of about 200 km in the F region. A great variety of irregularity ' signatures ' appear on Doppler-shift-vs-time records, many of which are attributable to the passage of atmospheric waves, whose properties can be measured with spaced sounders (Georges 1968; Davies & Jones 1971). At other times, the fluctuations are nearly random in appearance, defying most quantitative analyses. It was quickly learned, however, that the intensity of the fluctuations seemed to wax and wane on time scales of a few days, and also that intensity bore no obvious relation to other geophysical phenomena (except that high Doppler activity characteristically accompanies geomagnetic storms). Fig. 1 shows representative samples of ' quiet ' and ' disturbed ' Doppler records, as well as one containing wavelike frequency fluctuations. The Boulder data cited here were made available through the courtesy of Dr K. Davies of the NOAA Space Environment Laboratory. The unanswered question is: what causes the variations in ionospheric weather that are not associated with magnetic disturbances? In order to examine possible connections with other geophysical events (specifically, tropospheric weather) it was necessary to find a way to quantify the degree of ionospheric activity represented by a given Doppler record. Although it is often easy to subjectively classify a given record as ' quiet ' or ' disturbed ', many fall in between, and it seemed desirable to develop a more quantitative and objective indicator of' ionospheric activity. After several attempts that need not be discussed here, it was found that measuring the total length of the Doppler trace for a fixed time interval, though physically meaningless, provided a single number that agreed well with subjective feelings about the degree of activity present. To quantify one day's activity in a single number, the line length for the 8-hr interval centred on local noon was measured and divided by the length of the time
Methodologic Frontiers in Environmental Epidemiology

Environmental epidemiology comprises the epidemiologic study of those environmental factors that are outside the immediate control of the individual. Exposures of interest to environmental epidemio...
Comparative c-type cytochrome expression analysis in Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 and Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans strain 2CP-C grown with soluble and insoluble oxidized metal electron acceptors

The genomes of Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 and Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans strain 2CP-C encode 40 and 69 putative c-type cytochrome genes respectively. Deletion mutant and biochemical studies have assigned specific functions to a few c-type cytochromes involved in electron transfer to oxidized metals in S. oneidensis strain MR-1. Although promising, the genetic approach is limited to gene deletions that produce a distinct phenotype and to an organism for which a genetic system is available. To investigate and compare c-type cytochrome expression in S. oneidensis strain MR-1 and Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans strain 2CP-C more comprehensively, proteomic measurements were used to characterize lysates of cells grown with soluble Fe(III) (as ferric citrate) and insoluble Mn(IV) (as MnO2) as electron acceptors. Strain MR-1 expressed 19 and 20, and strain 2CP-C expressed 27 and 25, c-type cytochromes when grown with Fe(III) and Mn(IV) respectively. The majority of c-type cytochromes (77% for strain MR-1 and 63% for strain 2CP-C) were expressed under both growth conditions; however, the analysis also revealed unique c-type cytochromes that were specifically expressed in cells grown with soluble Fe(III) or insoluble Mn(IV). Proteomic characterization proved to be a promising approach for determining the c-type cytochrome complement expressed under different growth conditions, and will help to elucidate the specific functions of more c-type cytochromes that are the basis for Shewanella and Anaeromyxobacter respiratory versatility.
Water molecules can control the side-chain rotamer distribution of an aryl peptide in a nonpolar environment.

Abstract With computer-controlled circular dichroism (CD) spectrophotometry it is possible to obtain difference CD spectra which result from small perturbations to the environment of a chiral molecule. In the experiments described here a dry iso-octane solution of cyclobis-N-methyl- L -phenylalanine (c-(NMe- L -Phe)2) has been perturbed by exposure to water vapor. The resulting difference spectrum shows that water coordination to c-(NMe- L -Phe)2 eliminates negative ellipticity in the 244 nm region, while it simultaneously creates positive CD intensity in the 212 nm region. These two features of the difference spectrum plus related features of other direct spectra imply that water coordinated with p-orbital unpaired electrons of the carbonyl interferes sterically with the δ = 180° side-chain rotamer. It can be expected that in this way hydrogen bonding of any species to backbone carbonyls can control the rotamer distribution of aromatic side-chains, if one of the rotamers occludes unpaired electrons of the carbonyl. Such control may offer an on-off switch for electron transport through proteins.
Measured and calculated stress in a ribbon parachute canopy

An experimental study of the steady-state stresses in a model ribbon parachute canopy is presented. Using Omega sensors, the distribution of circumferential stress in the horizontal ribbons of the parachute was measured, as well as canopy pressure distribution, shape, and drag. The stress distribution and shape were calculated for the parachute canopy using the parachute structural analysis code CANO. It was found that the stresses calculated using CANO were larger than the measured stresses and that the calculated canopy shape was substantially different from the measured shape. A modified version of CANO was developed that gave a better representation of the canopy shape and stress than the original version of CANO.
Surface‐mode suppression in a thick microstrip antenna by parasitic elements

Reduction of the surface-wave excitation is achieved by placing parasitic elements next to the radiating edges of a rectangular microstrip antenna. A new experimental technique is introduced to measure the effect of the parasitic strips in reducing the surface-wave excitation.