cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Estimating the Magnitude and Field-Size Dependence of Radiotherapy-Induced Mortality and Tumor Control After Postoperative Radiotherapy For Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Calculations From Clinical Trials

Purpose: To create, on the basis of available data, a mathematical model to describe the tumor stage- and field size-dependent risks/benefits of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to assess whether this simple model can accurately describe the reported changes in overall survival. Methods and Materials: The increase in overall survival afforded by PORT is assumed equal to the increase in cancer-specific survival minus the rate of RT-induced mortality. The increase in cancer-specific survival is the product of the probabilities of (residual local disease) × (sterilization of residual disease with PORT) × (absence of metastatic disease). Data were extracted from the literature to estimate these probabilities. Different models were considered to relate the RT-induced mortality to field size. Results: The rate of RT-induced mortality seems to be proportional to the cube of the field size. When these mortality rates are included in the model, the predicted changes in overall survival approximate the literature values. Conclusion: Clinical data can be explained by a simple model that suggests that RT-induced mortality is strongly dependent on field size and at least partly offsets the benefit afforded by PORT. Smaller RT fields, tailored to treat the areas most at risk for recurrence, provide the highest therapeutic ratio. The data used do not reflect the impact of chemotherapy, which will reduce the rate of distant metastases and enhance the efficacy of RT.
Heterogeneity of ACTH-containing cells in the rat pituitary, with emphasis on the structure and function of the intermediate lobe.

The morphology of the corticotroph in the rat pituitary was among the last of the cell types to be described and, for many years, the subject of considerable controversy.' Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) was believed to be produced by acidophils, basophils, and chromophobes by different groups of light microscopists. Electron microscopists described the presumptive corticotroph as a follicular cell or a cell containing scattered small granules.' Finally, a stellate cell with peripheral granules of 200 nm average diameter was described in the extensive studies of Siperstein and her colleagues.2-5 They showed histochemical, morphologic and quantitative evidence that this cell responds to adrenalectomy by hypertrophy and hyperplasia. This evidence convinced most cytologists that the cell described by Siperstein was indeed the corticotroph. Cytologists have also attempted to determine the identity of the ACTH cell immunocytochemically. Although ACTH was one of the first antigens to be localized by immunofluorescence techniques in the early 1950s," the ACTH was not considered pure enough for the production of specific antibodies until the early 1 9 6 0 ~ . ~ + With modern immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence techniques, and antisera to sequences in the ACTH molecule other than those shared by melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) , specific localization was established in a stellate cell similar to that first described by S i p e r ~ t e i n . ~ ' ~ The pioneering light microscopic immunoperoxidase work of Phifer et al. stimulated additional studies.'" They showed that the ACTH reactivity was in the stellate cell and also in the intermediate lobe. With the use of the antisera directed against ACTH'7-:39, they showed that the reaction was due t o ACTH and not to a cross-reaction with sequences in MSH molecules.1c Thus. in the early 1970s there were several challenges facing cytologists interested in the corticotroph. First, could ACTH be localized at the electron microscopic level? And, second, could the functional significance of the second population of ACTH cells in the pars intermedia be elucidated? Three laboratories used an immunoperoxidase technique to answer the first question. With the use of pre-embedding methods and peroxidase antibody conjugates, Nakane found ACTH in stellate cell with small granules.15 Bowie e f ul. used peroxidase conjugated t o antibodies and localized ACTH in thick methacrylate-embedded sections and then examined the adjacent thin section in the electron microscope.17 Moriarty and Halmi applied anti-ACTH'7-3u sera and the immunochemical solutions developed by Sternberger et aZ.I9 to ultrathin Araldite-embedded tissues.Is Although the methodology differed considerably, the results of these studies agreed that the ACTH cell was like the cell first described by Siperstein and her colleagues.2-5
Parents' Goals for Children: The Dynamic Coexistence of Individualism and Collectivism in Cultures and Individuals.

Current scholarship on the cultural value systems of individualism and collectivism, and the associated developmental goals of autonomy and relatedness, has moved beyond grand divide theories to emphasize variation within individuals and cultures. We present a theoretical model on the dynamic coexistence of cultural value systems (at the macro level) and parents' developmental goals (at the micro level). We contend that cultural values and developmental goals that have largely been classified as polar opposites may be viewed as conflicting, additive, or functionally dependent. Parents may view the developmental goal of autonomy as interfering with the goal of relatedness (and vice versa); parents may endorse both autonomy and relatedness; and parents may consider the developmental goal of relatedness to be a path to the goal of autonomy and/or autonomy to be a path to relatedness. These forms of coexistence are themselves dynamic, changing across situations, developmental time, and in response to social, political, and economic contexts.
State-dependent effective charge in the 2p-1f shell

Motivated by a desire to understand the electric quadrupole transition rates in $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$, calculations of the effective charge for both neutrons and protons were carried out, first with $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ as a core and then with $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$. The calculation was done in perturbation theory using the Kallio-Kolltveit interaction. Concerning state dependence, it was first observed and then proved that in the limit in which energy differences in the $2p\ensuremath{-}1f$ shell were small compared with $2\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$ excitations, the effective charge depended on the initial and final orbital angular momentum of a given transition, but when these $l$'s were specified, it was independent of the initial and final $j$ values. The effective-charge correction was much bigger for a neutron than for a proton. This may have the effect of reducing the isovector part of the quadrupole operator and hence causing $\ensuremath{\Delta}T=1$ transitions to be inhibited. The effective charge is substantially larger with $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ as a core than with $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ as a core, but is somewhat too small to explain the $E2$ transition from the first excited $2_{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ stage to ground. The effect of state dependence in the examples considered was to change certain $E2$ rates by a factor of 1.5 to 2. In $^{58}\mathrm{N}1$, the $E2$ ratio $2_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}$0_{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$/$2_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}$2_{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$, if calculated with shell-model wave functions, is extremely sensitive to the two-body interaction that is used. For example, it is about sixty times smaller (and closer to experiment) if Kuo's matrix elements, which are derived from a realistic interaction, are used rather than matrix elements chosen to give a least-squares fit to the energy levels of the nickel isotopes. If only one of the matrix elements obtained from the energy fit is changed by 0.3 MeV, the ratio becomes forty-two times smaller, also closer to the experimental value. The possibility that a lowlying ${2}^{+}$ state was basically a $3p\ensuremath{-}1h$ state was examined. The lowest two such states had very weak $E2$ transitions to ground and therefore did not at all resemble the one-phonon state or the electric quadrupole state. By themselves, these states fail as candidates, not only for the $2_{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ state but also the $2_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ state because they radiate more to the ground than to the $2_{1}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ state.
Seventy-five years of motivation measures (1930–2005): A descriptive analysis

The literature on motivational measures from 1930 to 2005 is reviewed. First, major theoretical models in the area are discussed. Next, a search of PsycINFO is reported for the most frequently employed measures of motivation, with additional support from an SPSP Listserv query of researchers. From this, a diverse group of measures is sorted into various categories, including general scales, context-specific scales (e.g., schooling, work, athletics), and new scales of significance. Then, a descriptive taxonomy of measures in the field of motivation is suggested in order to synthesize ideas about measurement scales. Suggestions are offered for further research in motivational measurement.
Sexual healthcare preferences among gay and bisexual men: a qualitative study in San Francisco, California.

Author(s): Koester, Kimberly A; Collins, Shane P; Fuller, Shannon M; Galindo, Gabriel R; Gibson, Steven; Steward, Wayne T | Abstract: BackgroundResearch on gay and other men who have sex with men's (G/MSM) preferences for sexual healthcare services focuses largely on HIV testing and to some extent on sexually transmitted infections (STI). This research illustrates the frequency and location of where G/MSM interface with the healthcare system, but it does not speak to why men seek care in those locations. As HIV and STI prevention strategies evolve, evidence about G/MSM's motivations and decision-making can inform future plans to optimize models of HIV/STI prevention and primary care.MethodsWe conducted a phenomenological study of gay men's sexual health seeking experiences, which included 32 in-depth interviews with gay and bisexual men. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and entered into Atlas.ti. We conducted a Framework Analysis.FindingsWe identified a continuum of sexual healthcare seeking practices and their associated drivers. Men differed in their preferences for separating sexual healthcare from other forms of healthcare ("fragmentation") versus combining all care into one location ("consolidation"). Fragmentation drivers included: fear of being monitored by insurance companies, a desire to seek non-judgmental providers with expertise in sexual health, a desire for rapid HIV testing, perceiving sexual health services as more convenient than primary care services, and a lack of healthcare coverage. Consolidation drivers included: a comfortable and trusting relationship with a provider, a desire for one provider to oversee overall health and those with access to public or private health insurance.ConclusionsMen in this study were likely to separate sexual healthcare from primary care. Based on this finding, we recommend placing new combination HIV/STI prevention interventions within sexual health clinics. Furthermore, given the evolution of the financing and delivery of healthcare services and in HIV prevention, policymakers and clinicians should consider including more primary care services within sexual healthcare settings.
VQ/DCT-based robust image watermarking

In this paper a robust watermarking technique based on Vector Quantization and the preciously developed spread spectrum robust watermarking technique is proposed. In this work, the watermark is embedded in both the DCT and codebook domains. Results illustrate that the proposed technique provides an improvement over the spread spectrum watermarking technique in terms of robustness for various signal processing attacks. A discussion on the robustness of the technique against the dead-lock and collusion problems is also provided.
Simplified closure of hypospadias fistulas

The occurrence of urethrocutaneous fistulas after hypospadias repair has been reported in 4 to 14 per cent of cases.“’ Fists (2) use of nonabsorbable suture materials (synthetics, silk, or nylon) in creation of the urethral layer; (3) opposing suture lines and poorly vascularized skin flaps to cover the neourethra; (4) failure to invert the epidermal surface of the neourethra; and (5) postoperative wound or urinary tract infection. At the Babies Hospital, ColumbiaPresbyterian Medical Center, we saw 20 persistent urethrocutaneolls fist&s without distal obstruction from September, 1977, to September, 1979. The majority of these were referred specifically for management of their fistulas. Our technique of closure and management has been uniformly successful and precludes use of suprapubic cystostomy, perineal urethrostomy, or prolonged hospitalization. All of the urethrocutaneous fist&s treated 1,~ the following technique are closed postoperati\lel~, and no long-term problems have been encountered. Technique of Fist& Repail
HIV/AIDS risk behaviors and substance use by young adults in the United States.

The current research assessed the extent to which substance use behaviors (i.e., heavy episodic drinking, marijuana use, and use of illicit drugs other than marijuana) were associated with behaviors that confer risk for HIV infection (i.e., sex with multiple partners, inconsistent condom use, and injection drug use) in a nationally representative sample of young adults. Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) examined patterns in the data from U.S. young adults (N = 7,595), ages 21 to 30, who participated in the Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study between 2004 and 2009. Fifty-two percent of the participants were female and 70% were White. Time-varying effects indicated that more frequent heavy episodic drinking, marijuana use, and other illicit drug use were associated with a greater number of sex partners. Frequency of marijuana and other illicit drug use was associated with less frequent condom use, and marijuana use was associated with use of injection drugs. Younger individuals (i.e., 21–24 years old versus 25–30 years old) had fewer sexual partners, more frequent condom use, and a stronger association between heavy episodic drinking and number of sexual partners than did older individuals. These effects did not vary across gender. Findings highlight the covariation of substance use with HIV-related risk factors among recent cohorts of young adults in the U. S. and the particularly strong link between heavy episodic drinking and number of sexual partners among individuals aged 21 to 24. Prevention programs should acknowledge the co-occurring risks of substance use and HIV risk behaviors, especially among young adults in their early twenties.
Auditory Responses in Avian Vocal Motor Neurons: A Motor Theory for Song Perception in Birds

The hypoglossal motor neurons that innervate the vocal organ (syrinx) of the male zebra finch show a selective, long-latency (50-millisecond) response to sound. This response is eliminated by lesions to forebrain song-control nuclei. Different song syllables elicit a response from different syringeal motor neurons. Conspecific vocalizations may therefore be perceived as members of a set of vocal gestures and thus distinct from other environmental sounds. This hypothesis is an avian parallel to the motor theory of speech perception in humans.
Small-angle neutron scattering measurements of hydrogen and deuterium trapping at dislocations in deformed single-crystalline Pd at low temperature

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements of hydrogen and deuterium trapped at dislocation defects in deformed single-crystalline Pd have been performed at 15, 100, and 200 K at total interstitial solute concentrations of order ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. This work supports recent incoherent inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the vibrational density of states of trapped hydrogen under similar concentration-temperature conditions [Heuser et al., Phys. Rev. B 78, 214101 (2008)]. The measured net absolute macroscopic differential scattering cross sections have been fitted with a cylindrical form factor representing solute-decorated dislocation line segments. Generally, very little difference in the measured cross sections was observed with temperature for a given solute type, while a significant change was observed between hydrogen- and deuterium-loaded samples. The latter difference is understood within a cross-section model that takes into account the local lattice dilatation associated with solute segregation at dislocations. The application of the model cross section to the net PdH${}_{0.0013}$ SANS response yields an effective trapping radius of $R$ \ensuremath{\sim} 10 \AA{} and dislocation density of ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{d}~{10}^{10}$ cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. Analysis of the SANS response allowed the local trapped solute concentration (\ensuremath{\sim}0.5 [H]/[Pd]) and volumetric dilatation (\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\nu}/\ensuremath{\Omega} \ensuremath{\sim} 1.1) to be determined with the constraint that the system locally satisfies the known lattice expansion of Pd hydride (i.e., Vegard's law).
Requiem for the Born-Infeld electron

It is shown that the supposed existence of a particlelike solution in the Born-Infeld electrodynamics is due to an error, and comments are made on the significance of this result for unitary and unified theories.
Semicontinuous viscosity solutions for quasiconvex Hamiltonians

Abstract The main theorem connecting convex Hamiltonians and semicontinuous viscosity solutions due to Barron and Jensen is extended to quasiconvex Hamiltonians. Some applications are indicated.
Application of a sequential reaction model to PANs and aldehyde measurements in two urban areas

Measurements of the peroxycarboxylic nitric anhydrides (PANs = peroxyacetic nitric anhydride, PAN, peroxypropionic anhydride, PPN, and peroxymethacrylic nitric anhydride, MPAN) and aldehydes (acetaldehyde, propanal, and methacrolein) were made at Nashville, TN. in 1999 and Houston, TX. in 2000. The data were interpreted with a sequential reaction model that included reaction of aldehydes with hydroxyl radical and formation or loss of PANs mediated by peroxyacyl radicals {RC(O)OO}. The comparison of the measured ratios with those predicted by the model showed a disagreement for PAN/acetaldehyde and PPN/propanal in Nashville, but agreement in Houston. The Nashville data set also showed a disagreement in the case of PAN/acetaldehyde and MPAN/methacrolein, but agreement for PPN/propanal and MPAN/methacrolein. These features were consistent with the relative importance of isoprene to PAN formation at each site. The ratios were found to be highly correlated with ozone mixing ratios at each site.
Effect of Cohesion and Intelligence on the Problem Solving Efficiency of Small Face to Face Groups in Cooperative and Competitive Situations

(1956). Effect of Cohesion and Intelligence on the Problem Solving Efficiency of Small Face to Face Groups in Cooperative and Competitive Situations. The Journal of Educational Research: Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 127-132.
Memory, Empathy, and the Politics of Identification

This essay explores the ethical and political dimensions of what I have elsewhere called “prosthetic memories” (Landsberg, Prosthetic memory: The transformation of American remembrance in the age of mass culture, Harvard University Press, 2004), focusing on those that are produced and disseminated cinematically. I argue that cinematic technology, by which I mean also to include the dominant cinematic conventions and practices used in the Hollywood style of filmmaking, is an effective means for structuring vision. Through specific techniques of shooting and editing, films attempt to position the viewer in highly specific ways in relation to the unfolding narrative. Sometimes, in such films, viewers are brought into intimate contact with a set of experiences that fall well outside of their own lived experience and, as a result, are forced to look as if through someone else’s eyes, and asked to remember those situations and events as both meaningful and potentially formative. By engaging specific strategies intended to elicit identification, films can force viewers to engage both intellectually and emotionally with another who is radically different from him or herself. This complicated form of identification across difference might condition viewers to see and think in ways that could foster more radical forms of democracy aimed at advancing egalitarian social goals.
Findings from focus groups on Latino Catholic perceptions of Catholic schools

Enrolment in US Catholic schools is declining at a time when the number of US Catholics is increasing due, in large part, to the rapid growth of the US Latino population. To understand these enrollment trends the Institute for Latino Studies, on behalf of the University of Notre Dame Task Force on Latinos in Catholic Education, conducted focus groups among Latinos in seven US cities to examine Latino Catholic perceptions of Catholic schools. The basic story that emerged from the focus groups was uniform: Latinos value Catholic school education for many reasons. However, the perception that Catholic schools are simply unaffordable not only prevents Latinos from enrolling their children but also lessens the likelihood that they will seek information about Catholic schools. The report concludes by offering solutions proposed by Latino parents to make Catholic schools more appealing to them.
Red contact lenses for alleviation of photophobia in patients with cone disorders.

Abstract Purpose To describe the use of red contact lenses to alleviate photophobia in patients with cone disorders. Design Retrospective interventional case series. Methods Twenty-three patients with achromatopsia or an acquired cone disorder with complaints of severe photophobia were fit with absorptive red soft contact lenses to alleviate photophobia and improve their ability to use their remaining vision more effectively Results The contact lenses immediately resolved the aversion to light, with dramatic improvement in visual function in all patients (determined by observation of the patient and by patient report). It allowed eight patients to become eligible to drive. Conclusions Red contact lenses successfully alleviate photophobia in patients with cone disorders.
PerPlot & PerScan: tools for analysis of DNA curvature-related periodicity in genomic nucleotide sequences

Periodic spacing of short adenine or thymine runs phased with DNA helical period of ~10.5 bp is associated with intrinsic DNA curvature and deformability, which play important roles in DNA-protein interactions and in the organization of chromosomes in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Local differences in DNA sequence periodicity have been linked to differences in gene expression in some organisms. Despite the significance of these periodic patterns, there are virtually no publicly accessible tools for their analysis. We present novel tools suitable for assessments of DNA curvature-related sequence periodicity in nucleotide sequences at the genome scale. Utility of the present software is demonstrated on a comparison of sequence periodicities in the genomes of Haemophilus influenzae, Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Arabidopsis thaliana. The software can be accessed through a web interface and the programs are also available for download. The present software is suitable for comparing DNA curvature-related sequence periodicity among different genomes as well as for analysis of intrachromosomal heterogeneity of the sequence periodicity. It provides a quick and convenient way to detect anomalous regions of chromosomes that could have unusual structural and functional properties and/or distinct evolutionary history.
Annotation, submission and screening of repetitive elements in Repbase: RepbaseSubmitter and Censor

Repbase is a reference database of eukaryotic repetitive DNA, which includes prototypic sequences of repeats and basic information described in annotations. Updating and maintenance of the database requires specialized tools, which we have created and made available for use with Repbase, and which may be useful as a template for other curated databases.
Eternal Cosmos and the Womb of History: Time in Early Ismaili Thought

One of the more serious and threatening, yet unsolved, problems in theology is uncertainty about the meaning of time. Clearly, the theologian of an omnipotent and absolute God must reconcile His transcendence with the human worshiper's graphic and personal particularity. To come to terms in the matter of spatial dimension is, moreover, relatively easy when compared with the problem of the temporal dimension. Compounding the woes of the theologian (or perhaps causing them) is the abject poverty of all languages in proper terms for time and aspects of time.1 In describing time, all theologians resort to the use of an artificial vocabulary so unfortunate because it makes the communication of already unfamiliar ideas doubly difficult. Martin Nilsson, years ago, in a perceptive study of primitive time-reckoning2 recognized this fact and discovered furthermore that for many societies even the most elemental concern with temporal orientation is either lacking or but weakly developed. There are societies that do not 'keep time', to use a modern expression, at all. Not only are their languages nearly devoid of time words, but it would appear that they have almost no interest in temporality. Nilsson, whose study began as an attempt to explain ancient Greek concepts of time, reports that the most common method of reckoning time involves what he describes as counting pars pro toto. One does not count intervals of time, but rather periodically recurring things or events such as suns, moons, sleeps, winters. These events are the instants of a kind of subjective, biological, or natural time. It is the advent of the instant and of the thing which matters, not the exact length of the interval between each one.
Graduate Nursing Faculty Workload in the United States

Faculty workload is an ever-present issue in nursing education, but little is known about how workload is managed across institutions. Even less is known about faculty workload in the supervision of research and practice for graduate nursing students. The purpose of this study was to describe workload assignments for graduate nursing faculty supervising both research and advanced clinical nursing students. Using the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's list of schools, we sent 617 e-mails with links to an electronic survey to administrators of colleges of nursing. One hundred sixty (26%) administrators responded. Forty schools reported having a doctor of philosophy program, and 31 administrators answered the question about workload for dissertations, with 20 (65%) giving workload credit. Of the 36 respondents with a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program, 22 (61%) gave credit for DNP project supervision. Great variability exists among schools of nursing in the United States for the amount of workload given for supervision of graduate student research and practice.
Mass transport and surface reactions in microfluidic systems

We provide analysis of different regimes of diffusion and laminar flow convection combined with bimolecular surface reactions relevant to biochemical assays performed in microfluidic devices. Analytic solutions for concentration fields are compared to predictions from two-dimensional finite element simulations for the various operation regimes. The analytic and numerical results extend the transport models beyond the models commonly used to interpret results from surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments. Particular emphasis is placed on the characterization of transport in shallow microfluidic channels in which the fully developed transport regime dominates rather than the mass transfer boundary layer transport typically encountered in SPR. Under fast reaction and diffusion conditions, the surfaces saturate following moving front kinetics similar to that observed in chromatographic columns. Two key parameters relevant to on-chip biochemical assays and microfluidic sensors are studied and compiled: the capture fraction of the bulk analyte at the surface and the saturation time scale of the reactive surfaces. The physical processes in the different regimes are illustrated with data from the relevant microfluidics literature.
Minimization of threshold current in short wavelength AlGaInP vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

This paper investigates the interdependence of wavelength and threshold current in an AlGaInP vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser with an emphasis on optimizing the performance of shorter wavelength lasers. We apply a model which includes bandstructure, band-filling and many body effects in a consistent manner, as well as leakage current effects, to evaluate the effect of strain and quantum confinement on threshold current. We find that leakage current becomes increasingly important for shorter wavelength devices, comprising more than half of the total current for a laser emitting at 620 nm. The reduction of threshold current with increasing compressive strain is clearly demonstrated and the dependence of threshold current density on quantum well width is found to be greater for shorter wavelength lasers. >
Object Recognition by Combining Appearance and Geometry

We present a new class of statistical models for part-based object recognition. These models are explicitly parametrized according to the degree of spatial structure that they can represent. This provides a way of relating different spatial priors that have been used in the past such as joint Gaussian models and tree-structured models. By providing explicit control over the degree of spatial structure, our models make it possible to study questions such as the extent to which additional spatial constraints among parts are helpful in detection and localization, and the tradeoff between representational power and computational cost. We consider these questions for object classes that have substantial geometric structure, such as airplanes, faces and motorbikes, using datasets employed by other researchers to facilitate evaluation. We find that for these classes of objects, a relatively small amount of spatial structure in the model can provide statistically indistinguishable recognition performance from more powerful models, and at a substantially lower computational cost.
Signature wood modifications reveal decomposer community history.

Correlating plant litter decay rates with initial tissue traits (e.g. C, N contents) is common practice, but in woody litter, predictive relationships are often weak. Variability in predicting wood decomposition is partially due to territorial competition among fungal decomposers that, in turn, have a range of nutritional strategies (rot types) and consequences on residues. Given this biotic influence, researchers are increasingly using culture-independent tools in an attempt to link variability more directly to decomposer groups. Our goal was to complement these tools by using certain wood modifications as ‘signatures’ that provide more functional information about decomposer dominance than density loss. Specifically, we used dilute alkali solubility (DAS; higher for brown rot) and lignin:density loss (L:D; higher for white rot) to infer rot type (binary) and fungal nutritional mode (gradient), respectively. We first determined strength of pattern among 29 fungi of known rot type by correlating DAS and L:D with mass loss in birch and pine. Having shown robust relationships for both techniques above a density loss threshold, we then demonstrated and resolved two issues relevant to species consortia and field trials, 1) spatial patchiness creating gravimetric bias (density bias), and 2) brown rot imprints prior or subsequent to white rot replacement (legacy effects). Finally, we field-tested our methods in a New Zealand Pinus radiata plantation in a paired-plot comparison. Overall, results validate these low-cost techniques that measure the collective histories of decomposer dominance in wood. The L:D measure also showed clear potential in classifying ‘rot type’ along a spectrum rather than as a traditional binary type (brown versus white rot), as it places the nutritional strategies of wood-degrading fungi on a scale (L:D=0-5, in this case). These information-rich measures of consequence can provide insight into their biological causes, strengthening the links between traits, structure, and function during wood decomposition.
On the primary exclusive region of cognitive networks

We study a cognitive network consisting of a single primary transmitter and multiple secondary, or cognitive, users. The primary transmitter, located at the center of the network, communicates with primary receivers within a disc called the primary exclusive region (PER). Inside the PER, no cognitive users may transmit, in order to guarantee an outage probability for the primary receivers within. Outside the PER, uniformly distributed cognitive users may transmit, provided they are at a certain protected radius from a primary receiver. We analyze the aggregated interference from the cognitive transmitters to a primary receiver within the PER. Based on this interference and the outage guarantee, we derive bounds on the radius of the PER, showing its interdependence on the receiver protected distance and other system parameters. We also extend the analysis to allowing the cognitive users to scale their power according to the distance from the primary transmitter. These studies provide a closed-form, theoretical analysis of such a network geometry with PER, which may be relevant in the upcoming spectrum sharing actions.
Serological and Molecular Testing in Viral Hepatitis: An Update

The routine serological diagnoses of the three major forms of viral hepatitis - A, B and C - as well as delta hepatitis, are important in the evaluation of acute and chronic viral hepatitis. Increasingly, molecular virology is also being used to evaluate patients with chronic hepatitis C, with genotype and viral load testing to plan therapy.
Inhibitory Effects of d-Amino Acids on Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Development

Biofilms are communities of cells held together by a self-produced extracellular matrix typically consisting of protein, exopolysaccharide, and often DNA. A natural signal for biofilm disassembly in Bacillus subtilis is certain d-amino acids, which are incorporated into the peptidoglycan and trigger the release of the protein component of the matrix. d-Amino acids also prevent biofilm formation by the related Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Here we employed fluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy to investigate how d-amino acids prevent biofilm formation by S. aureus. We report that biofilm formation takes place in two stages, initial attachment to surfaces, resulting in small foci, and the subsequent growth of the foci into large aggregates. d-Amino acids did not prevent the initial surface attachment of cells but blocked the subsequent growth of the foci into larger assemblies of cells. Using protein- and polysaccharide-specific stains, we have shown that d-amino acids inhibited the accumulation of the protein component of the matrix but had little effect on exopolysaccharide production and localization within the biofilm. We conclude that d-amino acids act in an analogous manner to prevent biofilm development in B. subtilis and S. aureus. Finally, to investigate the potential utility of d-amino acids in preventing device-related infections, we have shown that surfaces impregnated with d-amino acids were effective in preventing biofilm growth.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of SERMs with potent nongenomic estrogenic activity

Abstract We have synthesized novel SERMs that activate a rapid response in CNS neurons, but which lack the ability to bind to the nuclear estrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta). These compounds are analogues of 4-hydroxytamoxifen, but unlike 4-hydroxytamoxifen, they do not exist as a mixture of E/Z isomers. They contain a carboxamide insertion between the olefin and basic phenyl side chain, which results in more stable geometric isomers. The amide insertion also eliminates their ability to bind to the nuclear estrogen receptors, and hence, they are unable to modulate ER-mediated gene transcription as do classical estrogens and SERMs. We show that one of these analogues, ST-X, elicits a potent nongenomic estrogen response in the CNS by rapidly inhibiting GIRK activation in hypothalamic gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. To our knowledge, ST-X is the only SERM that modulates rapid estrogen responses, but which lacks nuclear ER activity.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Cystic Pancreatic Tumors

Cystic pancreatic tumors (CPTs) have more frequently been identified in the last decade because of increased use of cross-sectional abdominal imaging. Although serous CPTs follow an indolent course and do not necessarily require surgical resection or long-term follow-up, mucinous CPTs (mucinous cystic neoplasms and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms) have a greater risk for malignancy. Although most CPTs are initially detected with imaging modalities such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, these tests alone rarely permit an accurate clinical diagnosis. Endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound-guided, fine-needle aspiration allow real-time examination and biopsy analysis of CPTs, which increases diagnostic accuracy because cytopathology features and tumor markers in cyst fluid can be analyzed. Management of patients with mucinous CPTs by surgery or imaging surveillance is controversial, partially because of limited information about disease progression and the complexities of surgical resection. We review approaches to diagnosis and management of common CPTs.
Combinatorially composing Chebyshev polynomials

We present a combinatorial proof of two fundamental composition identities associated with Chebyshev polynomials. Namely, for all m,n " 0, Tm(Tn(x)) = Tmn(x) and Um! 1(Tn(x))Un! 1(x )= Umn! 1(x).
Investigation of the electromagnetic near field around an offshore wind farm

Summary form only given. The development of offshore wind energy is raising concerns about the potential impact of wind farms on marine communication and radar systems. Although the electromagnetic effects of land-based wind farms have been well studied and discussed, the offshore scenario raises some new questions that have not been addressed previously. This is due to the larger turbine structure, the presence of the sea surface, and the possibility that shipboard electronic equipment can come very close to the turbine structure within the farm. In this work, we investigate the near-field distribution within and around a wind farm due to a transmitter located outside the farm. To simulate the near field due to the electrically large structure, several simplifications are made. First, the scattered signal from a single turbine is assumed to be dominated by the tower while that from the nacelle and blades are of secondary importance (I. Angulo et al., Proc. EuCAP, 707-711, 2011). Second, the cone-shaped tower structure is approximated by an infinite circular conducting cylinder, and a 2-D simulation is used to compute the near field. Third, the computation of the near field is accelerated by the use of the complex echo width concept. Lastly, the scattered signals from individual turbines are combined in complex form to obtain the near field around and within a wind farm. The errors introduced by the approximations are quantified against full-wave simulations done using the MLFMM (multilevel fast multipole method) solver in FEKO at 500MHz. The near-field distribution within a wind farm on a planar, conducting sea surface is generated at different frequencies from UHF up to X-band. The results show the spatial extent and depth of the shadow region behind the turbine towers, and how they vary as a function of frequency. Outside the shadow zone, the multipath interference between the incident and scattered fields results in a rapidly oscillating fade pattern. Results from this study provide the necessary input in order to assess the potential impact of offshore wind farms on marine communication and radar systems.
Institutional and Professional Attitudes: Dilemmas for the Chronically III Child

A majority of children with chronic illness and handicaps enter the systems of care and services through medical institutions. The organization of health care services, reinforced by institutional practices and social attitudes, can run counter to the goals of independence for the child. This discussion addresses the disease-centered structures of services for disabled children and analyzes their orientation toward institutional imperatives rather than toward the concerns of families.
Monetary Variability and Real Output

Abstract Utilizing Engel's (Econometrica, 1982, 50, 987–1008) autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH) model to consistently parameterize the conditional variance of money growth, I find an inverse relationship between monetary variability and real output. This provides some additional evidence in favor of Friedman's (Journal of Political Economy, 1977, 85, 451–472) famous conjecture.
Abstract 135: Change in Cognition, Depression, and Anxiety Following Catheter Ablation

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) commonly experience symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath and chest discomfort. The severity of AF-related symptoms is associated with psychosocial factors such as anxiety and depression. Limited data suggests that catheter ablation, a treatment option in symptomatic patients with AF, reduces depression and anxiety but its effect on cognitive function remains unclear. Methods: Participants were 38 AF patients (mean age = 63 years ±8; 68% male, 66% paroxysmal AF) undergoing an index catheter ablation for AF at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and interviewed pre-ablation and post ablation (1-week, 1 month and 3 months) as part of an ongoing study of AF treatment and psychosocial factors. A total of 150 ablation patients will be included in the final sample. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Battery (impairment = score <27 on the 30 point scale), depression by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and anxiety by the Generalized Anxiety Score (GAD). Trajectories of depressive symptoms, anxiety and cognitive function were modeled before and after catheter ablation using linear mixed models adjusting for age, sex, AF type (paroxysmal vs other), and history of coronary artery disease or diabetes. Results: Patients reported high levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety and many (>50%) were cognitively impaired prior to ablation. Cognitive function increased following ablation, with improvements observed as early as one week after catheter ablation and continued to improve at 3-months post procedure (Table). Symptoms of depression and anxiety declined immediately following ablation and continued to decline through 3-months post procedure but changes were not statistically significant and may have been limited by power. Conclusions: Catheter-based ablation was associated with improved symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as cognitive function among patients with symptomatic AF. Knowledge of the patient-centered, as well as clinical, benefits of the various treatments for AF will guide patients, their families and their physicians make informed treatment choices. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Feedback control for communication and traffic networks

The main objective of this article is to develop techniques of robust control and their applications to communication and transportation networks. Three following problems will be studied in detail: (1) Resource Sharing: These systems belong to a class of hybrid systems where the plant to be controlled is a continuous drift free system, and the controller is implemented as a FSM. (2) Admission Control. Ramp metering control problem can be studied in either distributed or lumped parameter setting. These two settings to an isolated case have been studied by the authors and solutions for these have been obtained. (3) Traffic Routing. Traditionally both kinds of network systems have been treated using static optimization methods for congestion control. The traffic routing problem for both types of networks can be solved either in user-equilibrium setting or system-optimal. In user-equilibrium, the aim of the controller is to obtain equal travel times on alternate routes. In system-optimal, the aim is to obtain minimum total travel time on the entire network.
Seasonal Distribution and Abundance of Adult Male Oriental Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Kula, Maui, Hawaii

Seasonal occurrence of the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, was monitored from 1979 to 1981. Sixty plastic traps baited with methyl eugenol were used to catch adult males in the Kula area of Maui, Hawaii. Total flies caught in the 60 traps were 188,636, 414,504, and 247,397 for 1979, 1980, and 1981, respectively. D. dorsalis activity peaked during late November 1979, early October 1980, and July 1981. In 1981, trap catches were significantly correlated with fruit infestations between 14 and 16 weeks following fruit collections. In all 3 years, significantly more flies were caught in lower elevations than in higher elevations. There were no significant differences in numbers of flies caught in 46 traps placed on host plants compared to those caught in 14 traps placed on nonhost plants. In some cases, however, significant year-to-year differences in trap catches were found for particular sites.
Plasma Deposition of SiNxHy: Process Chemistry vs Film Properties

The chemistry of silicon nitride deposition from ammonia-silane and nitrogensilane mixtures in a glow-discharge plasma was analyzed using special mass spectrometric techniques involving line-of-sight sampling through an orifice in the wafer plane of a parallel-plate reactor. It was found that high rf power is needed to activate the nitrogen source sufficiently, and that silane flow must be held below a certain critical value to ensure an excess of activated nitrogen. This critical value is detectable by the appearance of disilane in the plasma, which is indicative of silane reacting with itself. At low power, silane reacts only with itself, and disilane is the dominant gaseous product. Conversely, disilane-free plasmas in either gas mixture result in films that are nitrogen-rich and free of the Si-H bonding that has been correlated with poor dielectric behavior. Utilization of silane to form SiN x H y is near unity. The aminosilanes, SiH 4-n (NH 2 ) n , are the sole gas-phase Si-N products of the ammonia mixture, and the triaminosilane radical, Si(NH 2 ) 3 , is the key deposition precursor. The precursor is transformed into SiN x H y by way of a temperature-driven chemical condensation reaction at the surface, with the evolution of ammonia. The nitrogen mixture produces no gas-phase Si-N products, and deposition proceeds by the reaction of SiH n radicals and N atoms at the surface. These basic differences in deposition mechanism result in significant and logical differences in the physical and electrical properties of films deposited from the two mixtures.
Ultrafast electronic delocalization in CdSe/CdS quantum rod heterostructures.

Femtosecond cross-polarized transient grating (CPTG) and polarization anisotropy were used to probe the extent of electronic delocalization in CdSe/CdS quantum rod heterostructures (QRH) with a “do...