cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical implications of low skeletal muscle mass in early-stage breast and colorectal cancer

Although obesity has now been widely accepted to be an important risk factor for cancer survival, the associations between BMI and cancer mortality have not been consistently linear. Although morbid obesity has clearly been associated with worse survival, some studies have suggested a U-shaped association with no adverse association with overweight or lower levels of obesity. This ‘obesity paradox’ may be due to the fact that BMI likely incompletely captures key measures of body composition, including distribution of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Fat and lean body mass can be measured using clinically acquired computed tomography scans. Many of the earlier studies focused on patients with metastatic cancer. However, skeletal muscle loss in the metastatic setting may reflect end-stage disease processes. Therefore, this article focuses on the clinical implication of low skeletal muscle mass in early-stage non-metastatic breast and colorectal cancer where measures of body composition have been shown to be strong predictors of disease-free survival and overall survival and also chemotherapy toxicity and operative risk.
Production of Electronically Excited Species in Photodissociation of Simple Molecules in the Vacuum Ultraviolet

The detailed understanding of the primary photochemical process in the vacuum ultraviolet is difficult even for simple triatomic molecules. It is known [1] for example that the photochemical primary process of N2O at 1470 A and 1236 A involves transient products such as N2(B3π), N2(A3∑), N(2D), O(1s), O(1D), and 0(3P). It is not possible to identify these intermediate products from the analysis of final products or from the absorption spectrum of N2O. With an advancement of flash photolysis and sensitive measuring instruments, it has recently become possible to detect transient species directly, either by measuring absorption or emission of the transient species.
Directed experimentation for theory revision and conceptual knowledge acquisition

Most current Artificial Intelligence systems require a complete and correct model of their domain of application. However, for any domain of reasonable size, it is not feasible to construct such a model. The main thrust of this project is to build a system that initially starts with an incomplete and incorrect model. The system constantly monitors the real world verifying predictions made by its planner. When the system is confronted by observations from the real world which are inconsistent with the computations performed on the world model, it postulates hypotheses to explain the inconsistency and devises experiments to test the hypotheses. Based on the results of the experiments the system updates its world model to accommodate the previously inconsistent observations.
Colostrum and milk in the treatment of disease.

Although pharmaceutical companies have come close to duplicating breast milk, none has a formula that exactly mimics the effects of mother’s milk on the infant. These formulas lack the hormones, the growth factors and the passive and active protection of the neonate’s intestinal tract against microorganisms and antigens provided by breast milk. The frequency of many infections is lower in breast-fed neonates than in formula-fed babies (Goldblum and Goldman, 1994; Carlsson and Hanson, 1994). In addition, breast-fed infants are less susceptible than formula-fed infants to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) (Mayeret al.1988) as well as Crohn’s Disease (Koletzkoet al.1989) and they have a much reduced risk of allergic disease (Chandra, 1979). In addition to providing nutritional benefits and passive immunity against microbial infection, breast milk also influences development of the active immune system in the newborn (Mandalapuet al.1995). Commercial formulas can meet the nutritional demands of the neonate; however, the immunological properties of breast milk are unique.
ZONAL DENSITY GRADIENT ELECTROPHORESIS

Publisher Summary Zonal density gradient electrophoresis is a method that can be used for complete separation of natural mixtures of proteins, their degradation products, and other substances carrying electric charges in solution or suspension. Separation can be achieved if the proteins differ in isoelectric points or if they have different mobilities at any fixed pH value within their stability range. Compared to the moving boundary method, it has the advantage of giving not only the two end components but also every intermediate one in a purified state, and the yield of purified material approximates 100% under favourable conditions. There is no lower limit to the amount of material that can be handled by the method. The upper limit to the capacity is essentially a question of apparatus construction; available apparatus allow half-gram quantities to be completely separated into 5–8 main components. Compared to zonal electrophoresis in powder columns, the density gradient method has the advantage of being entirely free from sorption effects. Also, it is easier to watch and indicate the separation process as the liquid column is transparent and the collection of fractions after a completed separation is much easier and more rapid than in a powder column.
The relationship of maternal glycemia to childhood obesity and metabolic dysfunction

Objective: To determine the association of maternal glycemia with childhood obesity and metabolic dysfunction.Study design: Secondary analysis of follow-up data 5–10 years after a mild gestational ...
Even (s̄,t̄)-core partitions and self-associate characters of S̃n

Abstract We extend a method of Olsson and Bessenrodt to determine the number of even partitions that are simultaneously s -core and t -core. When p and q are distinct primes, this also determines the number of self-associate characters of S n that are simultaneously defect 0 for p and q .
Dynamic Frailty Before Kidney Transplantation: Time of Measurement Matters.

Background.Frail kidney transplant (KT) recipients have higher risk of adverse post-KT outcomes. Yet, there is interest in measuring frailty at KT evaluation and then using this information for post-KT risk stratification. Given long wait times for KT, frailty may improve or worsen between evaluatio
Großflächige Kunststoffteile online lackieren

Kunststoffteile im Ausenbereich einer Automobilkarosserie werden meist dezentral beschichtet. Dabei besteht das Risiko von Farbtonabweichungen. Unser Beitrag zeigt den Entwicklungsstand bei neuartigen online-lackierfahigen Nanocomposites, die sich auch fur grosflachige Teile wie Kotflugel oder Seitenturbeplankungen eignen sollen.
Reductive Silylation Using a Bis-silylated Diaza-2,5-cyclohexadiene

1,4-Bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,4-diaza-2,5-cyclohexadiene, 1, was tested as a reagent for the reductive silylation of various unsaturated functionalities, including N-heterocycles, quinones, and other redox-active moieties in addition to deoxygenation of main group oxides. Whereas most reactions tested are thermodynamically favorable, based on DFT calculations, a few do not occur, perhaps giving limited insight on the mechanism of this very attractive reductive process. Of note, reductive silylation reactions show a strong solvent dependence where a polar solvent facilitates conversions.
Throughput Analysis of the IEEE 802.11 DCF in Cognitive Radio Networks

Abstract This paper presents an analysis estimating the saturation throughput of the IEEE 802.11 Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) in Cognitive Radio (CR) networks. Among the many CR network paradigms, the one where existing wireless networks continue to work in the cognitive radio context is attractive and of great importance for CR study and deployment. The performance of the IEEE 802.11 DCF with cognitive radio thus emerges as an important topic. We present an analytical method based on a Markov chain model to estimate the saturation throughput of the IEEE 802.11 DCF with cognitive radio. We also show simulation results validating the presented throughput analysis. Our main contributions are that we propose the abstracted network concept in the context of CR networks and based on this concept we revise an existing Markov chain model to derive the saturation throughput of the IEEE 802.11 DCF in CR networks.
Effect of exorphins on gastrointestinal function, hormonal release, and appetite

Abstract Peptic digestion of gluten results in the production of substances having opiatelike activity in bio- and receptor assays. These substances have been termed exorphins. In this study, we determined the effect of gluten, hydrolyzed gluten, and hydrolyzed gluten plus the opiate blocker naloxone on a variety of hormonal parameters, gastrointestinal transit time, small bowel mucosal integrity, and satiety. Hydrolyzed gluten prolonged intestinal transit time, and this effect was reversed by concomitant administration of naloxone. Hydrolyzed gluten also produced a naloxone-reversible increase in plasma somatostatinlike activity, which may have been responsible for the delayed transit time. No effects of the "exorphins" could be demonstrated on serum gastrin, cortisol, carbohydrate metabolism, or small bowel mucosal integrity. Although a number of studies have suggested a role for endogenous opiates in appetite regulation, we could not demonstrate any effect of "exorphins" on the amount of calories ingested nor on the perception of satiety. This study defines a potential role for small opiatelike peptides in foodstuffs in the regulation of intestinal function.
The Mirrors of Princesses: Utopic Geopoetics and Geopolitics in Salman Rushdie’s "The Enchantress of Florence"

In contrast to previous analyses that foreground ideas like hybridity, insterstitiality, and globalization in Salman Rushdie’s The Enchantress of Florence (2008), this article explores Rushdie’s critical engagement with humanism in the novel. The Enchantress of Florence plays with the literary form of utopia by juxtaposing anachronistic worlds in an act of unhistorical imagination. Shifting across different geographical spaces—Renaissance Italy, Mughal India, and the Americas—the text decenters the humanist self that emerges in Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, contrasting it with another tradition of humanism from the Indian subcontinent. Highlighting the importance of gender to the novel’s reflection on the place and nature of “man,” I examine the “mirrors” created by the enchantresses of Florence and Fatehpur Sikri for their princes, which reflect worlds in which strength derives from egalitarian relations. Rushdie’s utopic play runs aground in the New World, however, marking the limits of his critical humanism.
Financial Implications of Parched Power: Insights from an Analysis of Indian Thermal Power Companies

Climate-related risks pose inevitable threats to investors and the assets in which they invest; therefore, institutional investors have become increasingly concerned about climate-related risks, but physical risks are difficult to measure and manage because it requires physical hazard data, asset exposure, and vulnerability. Water-related risks are prominent physical risks that affect a wide range of industries, including the thermal power sector. Using traditional financial analysis and econometric techniques, this paper introduces a new methodology to quantify the financial impacts of water shortages on India’s thermal power sector. The methodology leverages asset-level data from the World Resources Institute’s 2018 working paper, Parched Power: Water Demands, Risks, and Opportunities for India’s Power Sector, and combines it with geospatial physical risk and corporate financial data to analyze the financial impacts of water-shortage-induced electricity generation outages at five publicly listed Indian thermal power companies from FY 2014–2017. The paper uses India power sector as an example because its electricity regulator publishes daily generation and outages data, which is essential to apply this methodology. It also uses outputs from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate models to project the impact of future water shortages on electricity production at the five companies. This paper serves as a tool for investors to understand, analyze, and engage more effectively with thermal power companies on water-shortage risks.
Promote transit via hardening first-and-last-mile accessibility: Learned from modeling commuters’ transit use

Abstract To understand how transit ridership would be increased via hardening first-and-last mile (FL and job accessibility by transit is measured using the number of destination jobs covered by transit and transit journey time to destinations. The GWL modeling results suggest that a 10% growth in population covered by transit and job accessibility by transit can increase transit usage by 5.9% and 6.6% respectively, especially attracting more riders in the urban fringe. Then, the effectiveness of policy interventions such as dense development, promotion of bike usage, and increased bike connectivity in increasing transit ridership are subsequently estimated. Additionally, results indicate that providing improved F&LM access to car-less population, minority, and low-income people who tend to rely more on transit than others is more effective in promoting transit use.
Chemotherapy can induce breakage in the FRA12E/SMRT fragile site.

4768 Background: The Silencing Mediator of Retinoic Acid and Thyroid Hormone Receptor (SMRT) gene that maps at chromosome 12q24 is a transcriptional co-repressor. We recently determined that various cancer cell lines and samples from cancer patients with solid tumors that developed advanced disease have altered SMRT expression. In addition, we mapped a fragile site (FRA12E) within the SMRT gene. Pilot studies indicated that patients with metastatic disease have a higher incidence of FRA12E in their genome. Hypothesis: Based on the fact that aphidicolin (the fragile site inducer used in vitro) as well as Doxorubycin/ Adriamycin are DNA polymerase inhibitors, we tested the hypothesis that Doxorubycin/Adriamycin-based chemotherapy could induce breakage at the FRA12E fragile site in carriers9 genome. Material and Methods: We identified two lymphoblastoid cell lines that are carriers and non-carriers of the FRA12E/SMRT fragile site, respectively. Their carrier status was established using our FISH approach: each cell line was cultured in the presence of aphidicolin (an inducer of fragile sites); chromosomes were harvested and fixed using classical cytogenetic techniques. SMRT-specific BAC clones were used in fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) experiments using each cell line’s metaphase chromosomes. Metaphase images were collected, scored, and analyzed for a disrupted FISH signal indicative of FRA12E presence. Following the same procedure, DOX/ADR was tested at sub-optimal concentrations for its fragile site induction potential in both carrier and non-carrier lymphoblastoid cell lines. Results: The results of this study showed that a sub-optimal concentration of 0.01 uM of DOX is able to induce the breakage of the FRA12E/SMRT fragile site in the carrier cell line only. The results obtained with this DOX dosage were highly comparable with those obtained with aphidicolin. Discussion: This study examined the potential FRA12E/SMRT fragile site induction by DOX/ADR in the context of a carrier genome. We were able to demonstrate that a sub-optimal dose of Adryamycin is able to recapitulate the effect of the aphidicolin used in vitro to demonstrate the presence of a fragile site. This is of particular importance since we have shown that the presence of the FRA12E fragile site in a cancer patient’s genome has a high predictive value for development of metastasis. Additional studies are ongoing, especially testing additional chemotherapy drugs used in treatment regimen.
The Canary in the Mine: Remote Learning in the Time of COVID-19

National organizations in the United States issued policy proposals for returning to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative review, using the constant comparison model, examined six policies from different organizations. The policies operate on the notion of a progressive curriculum, with the values of equity, access, and adaptations driving the planning process. There are five variables national policies utilize to operationalize the progressive curriculum and values: organizing, staffing, scheduling, envisioning, and vulnerabilities. A case study using an individual school district examined the impact on learning within the framework of the policies. Recommendations to improve online and remote learning follow.
Evaluation of commercially manufactured animal feeds to determine presence of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium perfringens

Summary The following research report provides information regarding the bacterial contamination that exists in feed ingredients and mixed animal feeds collected from 4 commercial feed mills and the research feed mill from Auburn University. The experiment was conducted to establish if feed ingredients or commercial animal feeds serve as sources of contamination of Salmonella, Escherichia coli (EC), and Clostridium perfringens. During microbiological isolation, an unknown group of bacteria belonging to the Clostridium genus was identified. Therefore, the second aim of this research was to characterize the unknown group of bacteria. No Salmonella serovars were detected on ingredients or feed samples collected; however, the presence of C. perfringens was confirmed in some mixed animal feeds. Peanut meal and corn gluten meal were the ingredients with highest contamination of Clostridium spp. (CS), and peanut meal and corn meal for EC. Soybean meal and distillers dried grains with solubles had the lowest contamination with CS and EC. The stage of feed processing (postmixing, postpelleting, postcooling, and loadout) did not influence the degree of contamination with CS. However, contamination with EC was higher at the postmixing stage, but it was significantly reduced after the pelleting process (9/10 times), which suggests low stability of EC during thermal processing. Recontamination of mixed feed with EC after the pelleting process was observed in 2 of 5 feed mills studied; therefore, strategies must be developed by feed mills to prevent feed recontamination after thermal processing and thus guarantee EC–free animal feed. The unknown bacteria found in mixed feeds were identified as Bacillus proteolyticus or Clostridium argentinense, the latter representing a potential risk for farm animals because of its ability to produce a neuroparalytic toxin that can cause botulism. The present research report underscores the importance of evaluating alternatives to control bacterial pathogens such as EC, C. perfringens, and C. argentinense that may be present on animal feeds.
Phylogenetic diversity analyses reveal disparity between fungal and bacterial communities during microbial primary succession

Abstract Early community assembly of fungi and bacteria differ in many ways, including their contrasting successional trajectories. We examined if fungal and bacterial primary successional dynamics are phylogenetically constrained. Microbial communities were queried across a recently deglaciated forefront using three measures of phylogenetic diversity. We analyzed these data at the Kingdom (fungi) and Domain (bacteria) levels plus at less-inclusive taxonomic hierarchies (Phylum and Class) as well as selected, well-defined functional groups (N-fixing and photosynthetic bacteria). Fungi and bacteria differed in their phylogenetic distributions across successional age. Phylogenetic diversity estimates did not change over successional age for fungi, whereas bacteria were strongly structured phylogenetically over successional age. Further, our results suggest that analyses at Kingdom or Domain levels may prove inadequate to understand successional dynamics. Investigations should include both broad (Kingdom or Domain) and less inclusive groups (perhaps metabolically distinct taxa) to better dissect community dynamics.
Idiopathic preretinal glia in aging and age-related macular degeneration.

During analysis of glia in wholemount aged human retinas, frequent projections onto the vitreal surface of the inner limiting membrane (ILM) were noted. The present study characterized these preretinal glial structures. The amount of glial cells on the vitreal side of the ILM was compared between eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and age-matched control eyes. Retinal wholemounts were stained for markers of retinal astrocytes and activated Muller cells (glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP), Muller cells (vimentin, glutamine synthetase) and microglia/hyalocytes (IBA-1). Retinal vessels were labeled with UEA lectin. Images were collected using a Zeiss LSM 710 confocal microscope. Retinas were then cryopreserved. Laminin labeling of cryosections determined the location of glial structures in relation to the ILM. All retinas investigated herein had varied amounts of preretinal glia. These glial structures were classified into three groups based on size: sprouts, blooms, and membranes. The simplest of the glial structures observed were focal sprouts of singular GFAP-positive cells or processes on the vitreal surface of the ILM. The intermediate structures observed, glial blooms, were created by multiple cells/processes exiting from a single point and extending along the vitreoretinal surface. The most extensive structures, glial membranes, consisted of compact networks of cells and processes. Preretinal glia were observed in all areas of the retina but they were most prominent over large vessels. While all glial blooms and membranes contained vimentin and GFAP-positive cells, these proteins did not always co-localize. Many areas had no preretinal GFAP but had numerous vimentin only glial sprouts. In double labeled glial sprouts, vimentin staining extended beyond that of GFAP. Hyalocytes and microglia were detected along with glial sprouts, blooms, and membranes. They did not, however, concentrate in the retina below these structures. Cross sectional analysis identified small breaks in the ILM above large retinal vessels through which glial cells exited the retina. Preretinal glial structures of varied sizes are a common occurrence in aged retinas and, in most cases, are subclinical. While all retinal glia are found in blooms, vimentin labeling suggests that Muller cells form the leading edge. All retinas investigated from eyes with active choroidal neovascularization (CNV) had extensive glial membranes on the vitreal surface of the ILM. Although these structures may be benign, they may exert traction on the retina as they spread along the vitreoretinal interface. In cases with CNV, glial cells in the vitreous could bind intravitreally injected anti-vascular endothelial growth factor. These preretinal glial structures indicate the remodeling of both astrocytes and Muller cells in aged retinas, in particular those with advanced AMD.
A new searchless fractal image encoding method for a real-time image compression device

In this paper, we present a new searchless iterative function system (SIFS) fractal encoding method that encodes image range blocks based on fixed location domain blocks. The advantage of this method is that the fractal code does not contain coordinates (x,y) of the domain-range matched pairs. Therefore, the size of the range block can be as small as 2/spl times/2 pixels and still maintain a good compression rate and image quality. A fractal image encoding device based on the new method is implemented and tested. Finally, the experimental results of the fractal encoding device are presented. The results show that the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and the compression rate of the reconstructed image are as good as the traditional domain block search methods. An FPGA implementation is capable of encoding a 256/spl times/256 8-bit gray-scale image in 0.63 ms. This provides the basis for real-time fractal image compression.
RECONSTITUTION OF YEAST TRANSLATION INITIATION

To facilitate the mechanistic dissection of eukaryotic translation initiation we have reconstituted the steps of this process using purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae components. This system provides a bridge between biochemical studies in vitro and powerful yeast genetic techniques, and complements existing reconstituted mammalian translation systems (Benne and Hershey, 1978; Pestova and Hellen, 2000; Pestova et al., 1998; Trachsel et al., 1977). The following describes methods for synthesizing and purifying the components of the yeast initiation system and assays useful for its characterization.
Detection of Salmonella spp. survival and virulence in poultry feed by targeting the hilA gene.

Aims: The objectives of this work were to evaluate immunomagnetic beads and a reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR method for the detection of Salmonella inoculated into feed. In addition, a reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR method was evaluated for quantifying virulence gene hilA expression of Salmonella ssp. in poultry feed matrices and utilized to determine the influence of poultry feed environmental factors on Salmonella hilA expression. Methods and Results: An immunomagnetic separation technique was evaluated for increased recovery of Salmonella from feed. Salmonella cultures were inoculated into feed samples and exposed to heat treatments of 70°C and sampled periodically. From these samples, RNA was collected and hilA gene expression was measured relative to the housekeeping 16S rRNA gene. The immunomagnetic bead protocol increased recovery by 1 log. The up-regulation of hilA was demonstrated after 5 and 10 min of inoculated feed samples being exposed to heat treatment. Conclusions: From this work, the data indicate that the ability to detect live Salmonella cells in feed samples may be increased by targeting the hilA gene. Significance and Impact of the Study: Foodborne salmonellosis originating from poultry is a major problem, and feed is a leading source of contamination in poultry, but detection in feed is complicated by low concentrations. The assays and experiments in this study examine possible improvements to recovery and detection of Salmonella in feed.
Searching on a Deadline

We analyze an equilibrium search model where the buyer seeks to purchase a good before a deadline. The buyer’s reservation price rises continuously as the deadline approaches. A seller cannot observe a potential buyer’s remaining time until deadline, and hence posts a price that weighs the probability of sale versus the prot once sold. The model has a unique equilibrium, which can take exactly one of two forms. In a late equilibrium, buyers initially forgo any purchases, only accepting some oers as the deadline draws near. In an early equilibrium, buyers are willing to accept some oers even as they enter the market. Equilibrium price dynamics are determined by the concentration of buyers near their deadline, as well as their urgency of completing the transaction before their deadline.
Multi-camera reconstruction based on surface normal estimation and best viewpoint selection

We present a new algorithm for reconstructing an environment from images recorded by multiple calibrated cameras. Multiple camera systems challenge traditional stereo algorithms in many issues including view registration, selection of commonly visible image parts for matching, and the fact that surfaces are imaged differently from different viewpoints and poses. On the other hand, multiple cameras have the advantage of revealing surfaces at occluding contours and covering wide areas. The presented algorithm makes no assumption on camera loci and outputs an occupancy voxel grid, with occupied voxels being accompanied by a surface normal. It is correlation-based, however, outperforms the conventional correlation-based approach in reconstruction quality. It is highly parallelizable, and most importantly, is robust against artifacts due to camera registration errors that are typically encountered when using multiple cameras.
Death from thyroid cancer of follicular cell origin.

Abstract Background: Although patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) of follicular cell origin usually have an excellent prognosis, some patients die from progressive tumor. Numerous postoperative criteria have been used to predict prognosis in patients with DTC. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether the TNM and metastases, age, completeness of resection, invasion, size (MACIS) classifications predicted survival time and why patients died from DTC. The extent of initial treatment and causes of death were also evaluated in these patients who died from thyroid cancer. Study Design: Between 1965 and 1995, 102 of 1,224 patients with DTC treated at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and UCSF/Mount Zion Medical Centers died from DTC. Risk factors including age at diagnosis, gender, histologic characteristics, TNM and MACIS classifications, the intervals among initial treatment, recurrence, and death, and the initial and subsequent treatments were documented in these 102 patients. Results: Among the 102 patients who died of DTC 50% were men and 50% were women. The mean age of patients with DTC at diagnosis was 58 years at recurrence, 62 and 65 years at death. Thirty percent of these patients initially had unilateral thyroid operations and 70% had a bilateral operation. Tumors at presentation ranged from 0.6 to 13.0 cm (mean 4.4 cm); 46% of patients presented with late-stage tumors (TNM stage III, IV; MACIS score > 8). At presentation 46% of the patients had locally recurrent disease or regional metastases and 18% had distant metastases. Patients with persistent disease had a significantly shorter survival time than those with recurrent disease (p Conclusions: As expected, patients with local or regional recurrence and those with TNM stage I or MACIS score 6, but some patients thought to be at low risk (TNM stage I; MACIS
Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning, Monte Carlo Calculations in

The distribution of radiation in three-dimensional (3D) heterogeneous geometry is governed by the Boltzmann transport equation. In general, it does not have analytic solutions, and therefore one has to rely on numerical methods. Monte Carlo simulation is probably the most accurate numerical method for such problems. It uses random sampling techniques to simulate various physical events. In radiation therapy, the most commonly used radiations are photons and electrons with energies up to 20 MeV. The geometry can be the machine that produces the radiation or the 3D images of the patient under treatment. In a Monte Carlo calculation for radiation therapy treatment planning, radiation particles are generated and tracked through various components in the machine head and followed into the patient body, inside of which the relevant physical events are simulated and energy deposited. Several examples are given to illustrate the application of Monte Carlo calculations in radiation therapy treatment planning. These include the calculation of beam characteristics by simulating the machine head, and dose calculations in patient for photon and electron beams. Keywords: monte carlo methods; radiation therapy; dose calculation
Applied Liberal Education: Making the Case or Muddying the Waters?

Chris Martin’s defense of liberal education, particularly in the context of preparation for the “moral professions,” adds a valuable rationale for the importance of the humanities and liberal arts to the overall project of a university education. Martin carries out his defense by elucidating the value of a liberal approach to medical education that reveals and “More fully realizes the humanistic dimensions of more specialist professions such as medicine.” In what follows I take a fairly contrarian line, so I want to emphasize that I sympathize with and find compelling Martin’s argument for reconfiguring medical education to emphasize the centrality of humanistic concerns to the lives of medical professionals, rather than dabbling with a “quarantined” liberal education detached from practical or pedagogical issues. My concern is that, in framing his specific case for liberal medical education, Martin has conceded a particular conception of the nature and purpose of the university, which cripples the larger project of justifying liberal education. In particular, I argue that accepting and extending a set of distinctions regarding the value of liberal education undermines efforts to justify authentic liberal education, either within or outside medical education.
Electrochemical Investigations of Bare and Pd-Coated LaNi 4.25 Al 0.75 Electrodes in Alkaline Solution

Electrochemical investigations were carried out on electrodes made from both bare and Pd-coated LaNi4.25Al0.75 particles. Experimental results showed that the Pd-coating significantly decreases the electrode resistance and increases the electrode discharge capacity. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique was used to determine various resistive components in the electrodes and electrolyte by fitting an equivalent circuit to the experimental data. The results indicated that an electrode made from the Pd-coated alloy has much less ohmic resistance (particle-to-particle contact resistance and current collector to electrode pellet contact resistance) compared to the electrodes made from bare alloy.
cDNA cloning and characterization of eck, an epithelial cell receptor protein-tyrosine kinase in the eph/elk family of protein kinases.

A human epithelial (HeLa) cDNA library was screened with degenerate oligonucleotides designed to hybridize to highly conserved regions of protein-tyrosine kinases. One cDNA from this screen was shown to contain a putative protein-tyrosine kinase catalytic domain and subsequently used to isolate another cDNA from a human keratinocyte library that encompasses the entire coding region of a 976-amino-acid polypeptide. The predicted protein has an external domain of 534 amino acids with a presumptive N-terminal signal peptide, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain of 418 amino acids that includes a canonical protein-tyrosine kinase catalytic domain. Molecular phylogeny indicates that this protein kinase is closely related to eph and elk and that this receptor family is more closely related to the non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinase families than to other receptor protein-tyrosine kinases. Antibodies raised against a TrpE fusion protein immunoprecipitated a 130-kDa protein that became phosphorylated on tyrosine in immune complex kinase assays, indicating that this protein is a bona fide protein-tyrosine kinase. Analysis of RNA from 13 adult rat organs showed that the eck gene is expressed most highly in tissues that contain a high proportion of epithelial cells, e.g., skin, intestine, lung, and ovary. Several cell lines of epithelial origin were found to express the eck protein kinase at the protein and RNA levels. Immunohistochemical analysis of several rat organs also showed staining in epithelial cells. These observations prompted us to name this protein kinase eck, for epithelial cell kinase.
Cocaine's minor destinies: Ephemerality and legal threat on the margins of the Peruvian state

How do fate and luck become decisive legal temporalities in the social worlds of Peruvian cocaine traders? This article retells an episode from the life of a woman who excelled at running cocaine in Peru's Upper Huallaga Valley. Drawing on her story, I consider how state predations affect experiences of law in a coca-growing region where police have historically exercised a right of spoils. Against legal fate—a threatening “state time” oriented toward misfortune—cocaine traders seek la suerte (luck), which they grasp through sensitivity to mundane details and a willingness to act on unforeseeable opportunities. Their accounts of police encounters reveal how the art of coordinating temporality and movement becomes essential to navigating margins of the state. I suggest that they also demonstrate the relevance of ephemerality to ethnographies of law.
Surgical and medical results of complete atrioventricular canal: A ten year review

The files of 121 patients who presented to Children's Hospital of Michigan over the last 10 years with complete atrioventricular (AV) canal were reviewed to evaluate long-term management and overall outcome. Of 121 patients, 70 underwent corrective surgery, 21 (30%) of whom died perioperatively. The surgical mortality rate was 13% when patients with hypoplastic left or right ventricle (n = 6), double-orifice mitral valve or extreme deficiency of mitral tissue (n = 5), and pulmonary vascular obstructive disease (n = 5) were excluded. Of the 49 patients who survived operation, 36 are in New York Heart Association class I, 1 patient requires a pacemaker and 3 died late. In 34 of the 51 patients (28%) who did not undergo operation, pulmonary vascular obstructive disease developed; it occurred within 12 months in 10 patients (8%). Eight other patients who did not undergo operation died before planned surgery (age 1 to 9 months). Although surgical prognosis in good candidates is acceptable, the overall prognosis for children with complete AV canal is guarded because of the risk of early death or early pulmonary vascular obstructive disease and frequently unfavorable anatomy.
EFFECT OF SOIL TEMPERATURE ON TRANSPIRATION IN HELIANTHUS ANNUUS.

In the researches upon the adaptation of transplants to alpine and dune habitats, it has been essential to develop field methods for analyzing the factor complex. Chief among these are control batteries of phytometers in which one major factor is maintained in a series of intensities or levels while the others are held practically uniform, except for the daily march. Water content, light, wind, and soil temperature in particular permit such manipulation, and all are under investigation in the series of transplant gardens at Pike's Peak and at Santa Barbara. In both the alpine climax and the xerosere of litoral dunes, instrumentation has shown that wind and soil temperature are relatively extreme, and much attention has in consequence been directed to them. The first experiments in this field were conducted by Whitfield (12, 13) at the Alpine Laboratory in 1930-1931 by means of standardized phytometers of Helianthus annuus, and the native Mertensia sibirica, which is much utilized in the transplant project. He demonstrated that a reduction of soil temperature from 113° to 51° F. lowered transpiration very little, while a decrease from 51° to 34° F. exerted a pronounced influence. Records of soil temperature during the growing season at 12,000 feet in the alpine tundra of Pike's Peak indicated a range from 35° to 48° F., with an average of 44° F. for the four years of observation (14). A physiological test indoors of the relation between temperature and absorption was long ago made by Sachs (7), who placed a well-watered tobacco plant in a warm room and surrounded the pot with ice. After a brief period the plant began to wilt, but when the ice was removed and the soil heated, it recovered without the addition of water. By means of potometers, Vesque (10) found that within the limits of 10° to 15° C. the absorption by roots increased rapidly as the temperature rises. Kozarow (3) employed the same method to show that a fall from 20° to 0° C. retarded the rate of water supply by 25-30 per cent. Later investigations by Delf (2), Stiles and J^rgensen (9), and by Weber and Hohenegger (11) agree in demonstrating that the rate of absorption by a plant cell always increases with a rise of temperature, at least up to 30° C. Such responses in absorption are naturally reflected in transpiration, although Stahl (8) has discovered that temperatures near 0° C. may still permit a slight loss of water. 619
Changes in sexual behavior among unmarried teenage women utilizing oral contraception

213 teen-age women were interviewed both before and 1-year following receiving oral contraception (OC) from the Teen Center a facility operated by the Planned Parenthood League of a large midwestern city in order to examine the belief that the provision of contraception will result in greatly increased sexual activity among adolescents. During the year the mean number of current sex partners remained at 1.1 while mean frequency of coitus increased moderately from 4.3 to 6.8 times per month. The majority of the young women consistently used the OCs throughout the year and the majority of those who discontinued OC use for a time during the year used an alternative birth control method or were sexually inactive. The study results taken in conjunction with other research support the conclusion that providing adolescents with effective contraception will not markedly alter their sexual behavior. The most straightforward answer to whether obtaining OC influences the behavior of sexually experienced unmarried adolescent women would be obtained from a study utilizing a random sample from this population and a truly experimental design.
Mimesis, artistic inspiration and the blends we live by

Abstract The cognitive linguists Fauconnier and Turner [Fauconnier, Gilles, Turner, Mark, 1998. Conceptual integration networks. Cognitive Science 22, 133–187; Fauconnier, Gilles, Turner, Mark, 2002. The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and The Mind's Hidden Complexities. Basic Books, New York] have proposed that human creativity may be modeled by their theory of conceptual blending (conceptual integration). I apply blending theory to the pragmatics of fiction, showing how blending theory explains the mechanics of literary mimesis. I investigate how conceptual blends are iteratively chained, arguing that a mimetic blend can be defined as a blend that self-referentially embeds itself into subsequent blends. Using examples from Mario Vargas Llosa's novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter and its cinematic adaptation as Tune in Tomorrow , I show how these mimetic blends can be a literary device whereby an author may offer metafictional social commentary on issues such as the ability of art to incite fictive emotion or even violence on the part of the art-viewer. However, blending theorists typically fail to note important methodological issues raised by whether they are modeling the person who is interpreting (as opposed to who is creating) the conceptual blends. This shortcoming leads me to propose a “space-swapping” hypothesis which argues that the differences between creativity and interpretation can be at least partly explained by the differing roles played by highly similar mental spaces.
Energy flow and subsidies associated with the complex life cycle of ambystomatid salamanders in ponds and adjacent forest in southern Illinois

Breeding adults and metamorphosing larval amphibians transfer energy between freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems during seasonal migrations and emergences, although rarely has this been quantified. We intensively sampled ambystomatid salamander assemblages (Ambystoma opacum,A. maculatum, and A. tigrinum) in five forested ponds in southern Illinois to quantify energy flow associated with egg deposition, larval production, and emergence of metamorphosed larvae. Oviposition by female salamanders added 7.0–761.4 g ash-free dry mass (AFDM) year−1 to ponds (up to 5.5 g AFDM m−2 year−1). Larval production ranged from 0.4 to 7.4 g AFDM m−2 year−1 among populations in three ponds that did not dry during larval development, with as much as 7.9 g AFDM m−2 year−1 produced by an entire assemblage. Mean larval biomass during cohort production intervals in these three ponds ranged from 0.1 to 2.3 g AFDM m−2 and annual P/B (production/biomass) ranged from 4 to 21 for individual taxa. Emergent biomass averaged 10% (range=2–35%) of larval production; larval mortality within ponds accounted for the difference. Hydroperiod and intraguild predation limited larval production in some ponds, but emerging metamorphs exported an average of 70.0±33.9 g AFDM year−1 (range=21.0–135.2 g AFDM year−1) from ponds to surrounding forest. For the three ponds where larvae survived to metamorphosis, salamander assemblages provided an average net flux of 349.5±140.8 g AFDM year−1 into pond habitats. Among all ponds, net flux into ponds was highest for the largest pond and decreased for smaller ponds with higher perimeter to surface area ratios (r2 =0.94, P<0.05, n=5). These results are important in understanding the multiple functional roles of salamanders and the impact of amphibian population declines on ecosystems.
Mitigation of radar interference with WiMAX systems

In this paper, the effect of radar-induced electromagnetic interference (EMI) on a WiMAX base station receiver is investigated through the use of MATLAB models. The three types of radar pulses investigated include: a short, wideband, chirp pulse; a long, narrowband, chirp pulse; and a long, sinusoidal pulse. The benefits of superimposing these pulses in the guard interval and/or guard band of the WiMAX waveform are explored.
Pulmonary stenosis with survival to the age of 78 years.

Abstract The record of a man with pulmonary stenosis with an intact septum complicated by rheumatic heart disease, who survived to the age of 78 years, has been presented. The longest survival time of a patient with pulmonary stenosis previously recorded was 75 years.
Mad pride: Reflections on sociopolitical identity and mental diversity in the context of culturally competent psychiatric care

Although the consumer/survivor/ex-patient (c/s/x) movement has influenced mental health services and human rights discourse for several decades, the broader movement's heterogeneity, and the releva...
TO KILL OR TO CURE : OPTIONS IN HOST DEFENSE AGAINST VIRAL INFECTION

It is generally thought that viral clearance is mediated primarily by antigen-specific T cell responses that destroy infected cells. This assumption may not be true for all viruses. Recent studies using a transgenic mouse model of hepatitis B virus infection have shown that adoptively transferred, virus-specific cytotoxic T cells can abolish hepatitis B virus gene expression and replication in the liver without killing the hepatocytes. This effect is mediated by interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which are secreted by the cytotoxic T lymphocytes following antigen recognition. Similar noncytopathic cytokine-dependent 'curative' processes also occur in this model during an unrelated infection of the liver. Intracellular viral inactivation mechanisms such as these could greatly amplify the protective effects of the immune response. Research has also been carried out to clarify the relevance of curative versus destructive mechanisms of viral clearance in other models of viral infection.
Total Synthesis of Paracaseolide A

The total synthesis of paracaseolide A, a valuable cell-cycle progression inhibitor, was accomplished in 8 steps from known compounds, with 6.6% overall yield. The synthetic strategy creates strong potential for diversification.
Source areas contributing to the episodic acidification of a forested headwater stream

Abstract A study was initiated on the Leading Ridge Experimental Watersheds in central Pennsylvania to investigate the extent to which episodic depressions of streamwater pH result from direct channel interception of acidified rainwaters and from rapid subsurface stormflow. During a 4.78-cm rainfall event on June 6, 1986, stream pH declined from 5.93 to 5.46. Analysis of the storm hydrograph indicated that direct channel interception accounted for only 2.8% of the total stormflow volume but contributed 40% of the total increase in the concentration of H + . At peak flow, channel interception accounted for 5.7% of the stormflow volume and 72% of H + . Large increases in the height of the saturated soil zone and coinciding increases in H + concentrations in soilwater were measured at a number of soilwater observation wells. These fluctuations occurred almost simultaneously with measured fluctuations in both streamflow and streamwater H + concentrations, indicating direct interactions between saturated soilwater and the storm discharge. These results indicate that cathcments in which soil macropores permit rapid subsurface flow could be especially susceptible to stream acidification.