cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Malignant tumors of the anal canal: The spectrum of disease, treatment, and outcomes

BACKGROUND Cancers of the anal canal are a rare and diverse group of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract currently managed most often with surgery, chemoradiotherapy, or both. Previous investigations of cancer of the anal canal have reported on small numbers of patients, included only squamous histology, or included a select group of patients. The current study reviewed a large consecutive series of patients with cancer of the anal canal, including all histologies, who received chemoradiotherapy as the primary treatment modality. METHODS The spectrum of pathology, treatment, and outcomes for 192 patients with malignant tumors of the anal canal over a 10-year period, from 1984 to 1994, was analyzed. Patient charts were reviewed for diagnosis, staging, treatment, survival, and recurrence rates. RESULTS The pathologies of 192 patients (mean age, 58 years; 119 females and 73 males) included 143 (74%) with squamous cell carcinoma, 36 (19%) with adenocarcinoma, and 7 (4%) with melanoma. The remaining 6 patients (3%) were diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumors (2), carcinoid tumor (1), Kaposi sarcoma (1), leiomyosarcoma (1), or lymphoma (1). T classification distributions were T1 (3%), T2 (46%), T3 (28%), and T4 (12%). The overall crude 5-year survival and recurrence rates were 53% and 34%, respectively. Five-year survival rates were 57% for squamous cell carcinoma, 63% for adenocarcinoma, and 33% for melanoma. Five-year survival rates by T classification were T1 (62%), T2 (57%), T3 (45%), and T4 (17%). Twenty-one (15%) of the patients with squamous cell carcinoma underwent surgical therapy only, with a 5-year survival rate of 60% and a recurrence rate of 23% at 5 years. The remaining 122 patients (85%) with squamous cell carcinoma received chemoradiotherapy only, with a 5-year survival rate of 55% and a recurrence rate of 34% at 5 years. Salvage abdominal perineal resection for recurrent or persistent squamous cell carcinoma after chemoradiotherapy was performed on 13 patients, with 8 (62%) of them alive at a mean follow-up of 32 months. Twenty-two patients (61%) with adenocarcinoma of the anal canal were treated with surgery, and 14 patients (39%) underwent surgery with adjuvant chemoradiation therapy. The 5-year survival and recurrence rates were 63% and 21%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Chemoradiotherapy for patients with squamous cell carcinoma offers survival rates equivalent to surgical therapy and preserved sphincter function. Adenocarcinoma managed with surgery, with adjuvant therapy for selected patients, gives good results. Melanoma continues to be associated with a poor prognosis. Cancer 1999;85:1686–93. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Intersection properties of curves of constant width

Two curves (boundaries of $2$-dimensional disks) of constant width in the plane, whose interiors intersect, must meet in an even or infinite number of omponents. Some new constant width curves are constructed. C0rollariesand partial converses suggest severalopen questions.
The Admissibility of Web-Based Evidence

This article explores the new and important topic of the admissibility of web-based evidence — from authentication to hearsay to judicial notice and beyond. By and large, the novel question regarding the admissibility of web-based evidence — business and personal websites, social-networking pages, and the like — is going to be authentication. And that is where the article begins. Once the evidence is authenticated — shown to be what its proponent claims it is — most of the rest of the evidentiary problems are the common problems lawyers face all the time For example, is the printout itself hearsay or are some of the matters asserted on the printout or in the recording hearsay? Does the printout run afoul of the rule requiring the production of the original, a.k.a., the best evidence rule? Can the court take judicial notice of the website and of matters found on the website? Does the prosecutor’s admission of web-based evidence against the accused in a criminal prosecution violate the Confrontation Clause? The article explores these admissibility issues and many more. Electronic evidence has been with us for a long time — web pages, electronically stored information, digital recordings of voice messages, and Facebook pages are not new. That causes some to wonder why the law of evidence has not adopted new and special rules for dealing with the admissibility of this kind of evidence. The answer is that for the most part the rules that pre-existed electronic evidence provide an adequate framework for resolving the evidentiary problems involved with the introduction of this kind of evidence as well. This article explains how it is that the technology is new, but the evidentiary problems are not.
Increase of Protein Tyrosine Phosphorylation in Rat Retina After Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

PURPOSE This study was conducted to examine the effect of retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury on protein tyrosine phosphorylation, the production of angiogenic growth factors, and the activation of signal proteins in tyrosine kinase pathways. METHODS Ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced in rats by compression of the optic nerve for 2 hours. The rats were killed, and the retinas were collected at 0, 1, 6, 24, 48, 96, or 168 hours of reperfusion. Tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins in the retina was examined by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Angiogenic growth factors and their receptors, such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and Flg, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Flk-1, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B chain and PDGF-beta receptor, and five intracellular signal proteins (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase [PI3K], phospholipase C gamma [PLC gamma], C-Src, SHC, and mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK]) were examined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS Protein tyrosine phosphorylation increased after ischemia-reperfusion injury, reaching a peak at 48 hours of reperfusion. Increased staining of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in the inner retina were evident on immunohistochemical examination. The amount of bFGF decreased after injury, but the amounts of VEGF and PDGF-B chain increased. Tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC gamma, SHC, and MAPK was increased at 48 hours of reperfusion, and tyrosine phosphorylation of PDGF-beta receptor and PI3K was increased at 168 hours of reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS Ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat retina leads to activation of the tyrosine kinase pathway, increasing the amounts of angiogenic growth factors. The resultant activation of signal proteins PLC gamma, SHC, MAPK, PI3K, and PDGF-beta receptor may play an important role in ischemia-induced retinal changes such as cell proliferation.
Control of phosphorylase activity in a muscle glycogen particle. I. Isolation and characterization of the protein-glycogen complex.

Abstract A fraction containing a protein-glycogen complex was obtained from rabbit muscle by different procedures involving acid precipitation followed by differential centrifugation, direct differential centrifugation, and acetone fractionation. All three preparations were essentially identical in terms of their physical, chemical, and enzymatic characteristics strongly suggesting that the protein-glycogen complex represents a structural and functional unit of the cell rather than artifacts resulting from a given isolation procedure. Electron micrographs of the isolated fractions showed the presence of glycogen granules together with vesicles arising from fragments of the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Sedimentation velocity patterns obtained in the analytical ultracentrifuge, sucrose gradient centrifugation, and Sepharose 2B gel filtration indicated that the material can be separated into a light (approximately 120 S) and a heavy (approximately 600 S) fraction. The light fraction consists mainly of glycogen particles to which are associated phosphorylase, phosphorylase kinase, and phosphatase among other enzymes. The heavy fraction contains mainly the elements of the sarcoplasmic reticulum characterized by a strong ATPase activity and some lysosomes as indicated by the presence of traces of acid phosphatase and amylase activity. Contamination of the glycogen particles by this latter enzyme resulted in their slow degradation that prevented further purification.
Rare-Variant Extensions of the Transmission Disequilibrium Test: Application to Autism Exome Sequence Data

Many population-based rare-variant (RV) association tests, which aggregate variants across a region, have been developed to analyze sequence data. A drawback of analyzing population-based data is that it is difficult to adequately control for population substructure and admixture, and spurious associations can occur. For RVs, this problem can be substantial, because the spectrum of rare variation can differ greatly between populations. A solution is to analyze parent-child trio data, by using the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT), which is robust to population substructure and admixture. We extended the TDT to test for RV associations using four commonly used methods. We demonstrate that for all RV-TDT methods, using proper analysis strategies, type I error is well-controlled even when there are high levels of population substructure or admixture. For trio data, unlike for population-based data, RV allele-counting association methods will lead to inflated type I errors. However type I errors can be properly controlled by obtaining p values empirically through haplotype permutation. The power of the RV-TDT methods was evaluated and compared to the analysis of case-control data with a number of genetic and disease models. The RV-TDT was also used to analyze exome data from 199 Simons Simplex Collection autism trios and an association was observed with variants in ABCA7. Given the problem of adequately controlling for population substructure and admixture in RV association studies and the growing number of sequence-based trio studies, the RV-TDT is extremely beneficial to elucidate the involvement of RVs in the etiology of complex traits.
Sexual segregation in childhood: a review of evidence for two hypotheses

In this paper, I review the evidence associated with two hypotheses, both ultimately derived from sexual selection theory, put forth to explain social sexual segregation in human juveniles. More proximately, I posit that segregation is motivated by sex differences in body size, physical activity and competitiveness. The first hypothesis, the energetic/behavioural hypothesis, suggests that difference in energetics is a way in which males differentiate themselves from females and develop muscle and brain systems implicated in reproductive roles. The second hypothesis, the social roles hypothesis, suggests that segregation is related to learning male and female reproductive roles. The reviewed evidence supports the view that there are differences in energetics in male and female groups. With development, the vigorous behaviours shown by males take the form of specific social roles, related to dominance and competitiveness for males and maternal roles for females.
Surgical anatomy and functionof the acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments

Abstract A plethora of information has been published on the clinical aspects of acromioclavicular joint injury. There is little biomechanical data regarding the direction and amount of force required to disrupt this joint and many classification schemes have been described; additionally, the management of various aspects of the injury remain controversial.
ION BEAM MATERIALS ANALYSIS AND MODIFICATIONS AT keV TO MeV ENERGIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

The University of North Texas (UNT) Ion Beam Modification and Analysis Laboratory (IBMAL) has four particle accelerators including a National Electrostatics Corporation (NEC) 9SDH-2 3 MV tandem Pelletron, a NEC 9SH 3 MV single-ended Pelletron, and a 200 kV Cockcroft-Walton. A fourth HVEC AK 2.5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator is presently being refurbished as an educational training facility. These accelerators can produce and accelerate almost any ion in the periodic table at energies from a few keV to tens of MeV. They are used to modify materials by ion implantation and to analyze materials by numerous atomic and nuclear physics techniques. The NEC 9SH accelerator was recently installed in the IBMAL and subsequently upgraded with the addition of a capacitive-liner and terminal potential stabilization system to reduce ion energy spread and therefore improve spatial resolution of the probing ion beam to hundreds of nanometers. Research involves materials modification and synthesis by ion implantation for photonic, electronic, and magnetic applications, micro-fabrication by high energy (MeV) ion beam lithography, microanalysis of biomedical and semiconductor materials, development of highenergy ion nanoprobe focusing systems, and educational and outreach activities. An overview of the IBMAL facilities and some of the current research projects are discussed.
Rayleigh waves for a discrete elastic paraxial equation.

We investigate the effects of a free surface on the 45[degree] paraxial equation for linear elasticity in a half space. We show that the 45[degree] equation has no Rayleigh wave and that it has an exponentially growing instability. We also examine a standard finite-difference approximation to the elastic paraxial equation. We show that the discrete equation also has an exponential instability, but this may be removed by projection. We also find that the discrete elastic paraxial equation has no Rayleigh waves when the mesh size is small, but a coarse mesh gives two Rayleigh waves. Moreover, by a proper choice of the mesh sizes, we may select a discretization so that one of these discrete Rayleigh waves has the speed of a physical Rayleigh wave, and we may project out the nonphysical discrete Rayleigh wave.
Generating context-sensitive responses to object-related misconceptions

Abstract A study of transcripts of users interacting with database or expert systems reveals that users often exhibit misconceptions about the objects modeled by the systems. Simply ignoring these misconceptions may not only mislead the user, but may seriously hamper the ability of the system. This paper discusses a method for responding to such misconceptions in a domain-independent and context-sensitive fashion. The method calls for reasoning about possible sources of the misconception using a model of the user and generating a response based on this reasoning. The process is made context-sensitive by augmenting the user model with domain perspective which provides shifting highlights on the user model.
Design and Characterization of a Space-Based Imaging Experiment Computer Unit

AbstractThe space-based chromotomographic experiment (CTEx), a hyperspectral imager, is currently in development at the Air Force Institute of Technology. This paper details an investigation of hermetic enclosures to house commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. These enclosures will enable the use of electronics in space which may not be available in a space-qualified form for years and reduce cost/schedule constraints. This activity produced an experimentally validated thermal mathematical model supporting further trade-space refinement and operational planning aspects for this device. Results support the transition of this next-generation technology from the laboratory to a fully-realized, space-readied platform uniquely capable of generating hyperspectral data at high spectral and temporal resolutions.
Hydride-bridged dipalladium complexes containing diphosphine ligands

Abstract A series of hydride-bridged dipalladium complexes supported by bis(diphenylphosphino) methane (dppm) ligands has been prepared. The complexes [Pd 2 R 2 (μ-H) (μ.-dppm) 2 ] PF 6 (R = Me, Et, Bu, CH 2 SiMe 3 , Ph) were generated by reduction, using NaBH 3 CN, of the corresponding halide-bridged species. The products are thermally stable, yellow solids, and they have been characterized by 1H and 31 P[ 1 H] NMR spectroscopy. The ethyl complex [Pd2Et2(μ-H) (μ-dppm)2]PF 6 has been characterized further by X-ray crystallography. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21 lc with a=10.6160 ( I ), 6=12.8637 (1 ), c=25.3739 (3) A, β=97.479 (1 )° and Z=2. The cation adopts an A-frame structure, with a Pd-Pd distance of 2.9933 (7) A.
Triiodothyronine induces a transferable factor which suppresses TSH secretion in cultured mouse thyrotropic tumor cells.

Abstract Modulation of TSH release from mouse thyrotropic tumor cells was studied. T3 (1 nM) inhibited basal TSH release, while 6 nM T3 blocked TRH-induced TSH release. Prior exposure of cells to actinomycin or cycloheximide prevented T3 from suppressing basal and TRH-induced TSH release. The TSH-suppressive activity from T3-treated cells was extracted and exposure of untreated thyrotropic cells to this material resulted in suppression of TSH release. The data suggest that T3 suppression of TSH is mediated by formation of an inhibitory protein in thyrotropic cells.
Characterization of Novikoff hepatoma small RNAs homologous to repetitive DNAs

Three minor small RNA species from Novikoff hepatoma cells, with homology to repetitive DNA sequences, have been identified and characterized. These small RNAs, designated 5.1S, 6S and T3 RNAs, show homology to Alu 1, Alu 2, and Alu 3 sequences, respectively. 6S and T3 RNAs were found both in the nucleus and cytoplasm, whereas 5.1S RNA was not found in the nucleus. Neural tissues were found to contain a 6S-sized BC1 RNA with homology to I.D. sequences [19]; in contrast, the current study shows that Novikoff hepatoma cells contain a 75–80 nucleotide long (T3) RNA, homologous to I.D. sequences. These data suggest that BCl and T3 small RNAs, homologous to I.D. sequences, are expressed in a tissue-specific manner. These results also show that in addition to the abundant 7SL, 4.5S and 4.5S1 RNAs having homology to repetitive DNA, Novikoff hepatoma cells also contain several minor small RNAs with homology to repetitive sequences.
Charting Neurodynamic Eddies in the Temporal Flows of Teamwork

Teams at the ‘sweet spot’ of organization demonstrate both stability and flexibility having the organization to cooperatively accomplish the task while being able to rapidly respond to evolving demands. The goal of this study was to characterize these reorganizations at the neurophysiologic level. The neurophysiologic measures highlighted were electroencephalography (EEG)-derived levels of engagement or workload that were modeled into collective team variables called Neurophysiologic Synchronies (NS) showing the engagement or workload levels of each team member as well as the team as a whole. An entropy model of the NS data streams revealed a dynamic information structure characterized by fluctuations or eddies in the neurodynamic flow of the team. These eddies were often seen when a team encountered an obstruction to its normal operation. Fewer, or less persistent or lower amplitude eddies were correlated with higher team performance suggesting that the entropy levels of NS data streams may identify when...
Living-donor liver transplantation at UCLA

Background Living-donor (LD) liver transplantation has been developed as an alternative to overcome the shortage of cadaver donor organs for pediatric recipients. Patients and methods We reviewed our experience with 9 LD transplants performed between August 25, 1993 and August 3, 1994. The median recipient age and weight were 13 months and 10 kilograms. Left lateral segments from parental donors, with aortic inflow via saphenous vein grafts, were used in all cases. Results At a median follow-up of 160 days, all donors were alive and well. Recipient and graft survival were both 89%. Rates of hepatic artery thrombosis, portal vein thrombosis, biliary complications, and acute rejection were 22%, 11%, 11%, and 67%, respectively. Conclusions Excellent outcome can be achieved with LD liver transplantation in small children with minimal donor risk. This procedure has the potential to emerge as the preferred treatment for pediatric liver transplant candidates for whom it is an option.
Time-Varying Across-Shelf Ekman Transport and Vertical Eddy Viscosity on the Inner Shelf

Abstract The event-scale variability of across-shelf transport was investigated using observations made in 15 m of water on the central Oregon inner shelf. In a study area with intermittently upwelling-favorable winds and significant density stratification, hydrographic and velocity observations show rapid across-shelf movement of water masses over event time scales of 2–7 days. To understand the time variability of across-shelf exchange, an inverse calculation was used to estimate eddy viscosity and the vertical turbulent diffusion of momentum from velocity profiles and wind forcing. Depth-averaged eddy viscosity varied over a large dynamic range, but averaged 1.3 × 10−3 m2 s−1 during upwelling winds and 2.1 × 10−3 m2 s−1 during downwelling winds. The fraction of full Ekman transport present in the surface layer, a measure of the efficiency of across-shelf exchange at this water depth, was a strong function of eddy viscosity and wind forcing, but not stratification. Transport fractions ranged from 60%, d...
The engineering of ferrite films at the atomic scale

Abstract We have developed an artificial preparation scheme to produce ferrite films in which magnetic and non-magnetic layers can be alternated at the atomic scale. As a result of this growth process, we have prepared a ferrite film in which aluminum substitutions have minimal effects on the saturation magnetization in contrast to ferrite films grown by the natural process.
Disinfection byproduct reactivity of aquatic humic substances derived from soils.

Abstract This short communication compared the differences in disinfection byproduct (DBP) reactivity of organic carbon fractions extracted from four soils by either deionized water or a 0.1 N NaOH solution. Results indicated that the whole alkaline extracts had a higher DBP reactivity than the whole water extracts. However, the DBP reactivity of fulvic acid and acid soluble fraction showed the opposite. The slopes of the linear correlations between specific UVA254 and specific THM formation potential of the alkaline and water extracts are not significantly different ( p > 0.05 ) from each other, suggesting that the extraction with 0.1 N NaOH can be acceptable to predict of DBPs as long as UVA254 values for water extracted and alkali extracted samples are close.
Alanet: The American Library Association's Electronic Information System.

Librarians in every type of library — public, academic, school, special — are aware of how important computers have become in the day‐to‐day management of the library. So many types of Hardwareand software are available that many librarians and information professionals feel perpetual “information overload” as they try to decide which system or program is best for various uses in their libraries. Along with automated cataloguing, circulation, and acquisition systems, libraries are presented with bibliographic databases, “front‐end” systems, and electronic mail services, and staff and management are faced with the problem of choosing different types of services from various vendors without really knowing which system is best.
Basal ganglia calcifications in childhood

In the advent of widespread use of neuroimaging, calcification of the basal ganglia is visualized with increasing frequency. In this monograph, modern neuroimaging features of various disorders causing basal ganglia calcification in childhood are illustrated and discussed.
Estimates of the orthogonal polynomials with weight exp(-x m ), m an even positive integer

Etablissement de quelques estimations des polynomes orthogonaux de poids exp(−X m ), ou m est un entier positif pair
The analysis of interaural time differences in the chick brain stem

The brain stem auditory system of the chick has proven to be a useful model system for analyzing how the brain encodes temporal information. This paper reviews some of the work on a circuit in the brain stem that compares the timing of information coming from the two ears to determine the location of a sound source. The contralateral projection from the cochlear nucleus, nucleus magnocellularis (NM), to nucleus laminaris (NL) forms a delay line as it proceeds from medial to lateral across NL. NL neurons function like coincidence detectors in that they respond maximally when input from the two ears arrive simultaneously. This arrangement may allow NL to code sound space by the relative level of activity across the nucleus. The head anatomy of the chick allows for enhancement of the functional interaural time differences. Comparing the functional interaural time differences to the length of the neural delay line suggests that each NL can encode approximately one hemifield of sound space. Finally it is suggested that inhibitory input into the NM-NL circuit may provide a means to dynamically adjust the gain of the circuit to allow accurate coding of sound location despite changes in overall sound intensity.
Adequacy of Control Comparisons in Olfactory Experiments

This paper describes the unique problems associated with selecting appropriate control conditions when designing olfactory experiments. Olfactory experiments are compared to behavioral neuroscience experiments in which a sham operation is used as a control condition. These comparisons point out the difficulty of using no-odor control conditions in olfactory experiments since they cannot provide adequate context for assessing nonspecific treatment effects. Demand characteristics in olfactory experiments are also discussed, and nomenclature is introduced to help guide the process of selecting good control conditions. In addition, a discussion of the selection of appropriate odors for control conditions is presented along with suggestions for strategies to create better olfactory experiments.
Versions of Cochran's theorem for general quadratic expressions in normal matrices

Abstract Let E, V be n-, p-dimensional inner product spaces over the real field, L (V, E) be the set of all linear maps of V into E, and Y be a normal random operator in L (V, E) with mean μ and covariance ΣY. The necessary and sufficient conditions under which a set of general quadratic expressions {Qi(Y)}′i = 1 of Y with Qi(Y) = Y′WiY + B′iY + Y′Ci + Di is a family of independent noncentral Wishart random operators are given. This version of Cochran's theorem combines certain results of Khatri (1980), Mathai and Provost (1992), Wong et al. (1991), and Wong and Wang (1993) into a more general one. This result is further simplified to a verifiable version of Cochran's theorem for the case of nonnegative definite Wi's.
Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding two distinct somatostatin precursors found in the endocrine pancreas of anglerfish.

Complementary DNAs for two distinct anglerfish somatostatin peptides (termed I and II) have been cloned in bacterial plasmids and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence for somatostatin I encodes a large precursor peptide (molecular weight 13,300) in which the somatostatin hormone is at the carboxyl terminus. The predicted 14-amino acid sequence for anglerfish somatostatin I is the same as mammalian somatostatin. Somatostatin II is also synthesized as part of a larger precursor (molecular weight 14,100) with the presumptive somatostatin hormone also at the carboxyl terminus. The 14-amino acid sequence of somatostatin II differs from somatostatin I at two internal residues (Tyr in place ofPhe 7 and Gly in place of Thr 10). The two different somatostatins may have distinct biological activities. Homologies in the amino acid sequences of the two peptides outside the somatostatin moiety suggest other regions of the molecules have biological functions.
Diffusion studies of methotrexate in Carbopol and Poloxamer gels

Abstract The diffusion properties of methotrexate (MTX) in two hydrogels, Carbopol 934 (Carbopol) and Poloxamer 407 (PF-127), were compared with those in PEG 1500 and white petrolatum ointments in order to evaluate various factors governing the diffusion of MTX in different semisolid vehicles. A new membraneless method, which employed an MTX gel as the donor phase, was used for the measurement of the diffusivity of MTX in the vehicles. The flux of MTX in the hydrogels was at least 20-fold faster than those found in the ointments. The diffusion coefficients ( D ) of MTX were 3.58 (±0.31)×10 −6 cm 2 /s in the 2% Carbopol gel and 1.03 (±0.01)×10 −6 cm 2 /s in the 25% PF-127 gel at 34°C, despite similar bulk viscosities of the two gels. The activation energies for the diffusion of MTX in the Carbopol and PF-127 gels were 6.13 kcal/mol and 5.56 kcal/mol respectively, which were in the same order of magnitude as the diffusion of the small molecules in water, indicating that microviscosity rather than bulk viscosity of the gel was primarily responsible for the diffusion of MTX in the gels. D values of MTX in the PF-127 gel were significantly accelerated at higher temperatures, despite increased bulk viscosity of the gels due to the reverse thermal gelation property of PF-127. The diffusivity of MTX was the inverse function of polymer concentration, over the range of 20–30% of PF-127 and 1–3% of Carbopol at 34°C. Significant effects of pH and drug concentration on the diffusivity of MTX in the Carbopol gels were observed, while no such effects were found in the PF-127 gels.
Making the virtual leap: ten issues to consider about telecommuting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address ten key considerations regarding telecommuting that one should consider before leaving an onground position to become a telecommuter. The “insider's” view presented provides a realistic overview of changes that one can expect on a day‐to‐day basis comparing working in an office to working from home so an informed decision can be made.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is written from the perspective of a telecommuter.Findings – The paper finds that ten key considerations have been addressed that provide valuable insights into the telecommuting world.Practical implications – The paper shows that anyone considering becoming a telecommuter would be well advised to weigh each of the considerations listed before making the virtual leap to working from a distance.Originality/value – The paper is written from lived experience. The lessons learned addressed in this piece provide those considering telecommuting with a realistic overview of pros and cons to co...
Location in magnetic latitude and local time of the tropical ultraviolet bands seen from Apollo 16

Ultraviolet photographs of the earth made from the moon on the Apollo 16 mission showed two bands of emission extending from the evening terminator to the limb. The location in magnetic latitude and local time of these bands is consistent with a mechanism involving radiative recombination of O(+) ions in the F2 region of the ionosphere.
Isolation and Identification of Volatile Chemicals Formed in Aqueous L-Cysteine Solution with a UV Light

Thirty-six volatile compounds were positively identified in the dichloromethane extract of an aqueous solution of l-cysteine that was irradiated with UV light at 253.7 nm for 24 hr. The irradiated ...
Algorithm development for predicting biodiversity based on phytoplankton absorption

Abstract Ocean color remote sensing has provided the scientific community with unprecedented global coverage of chlorophyll a, an indicator of phytoplankton biomass. Together, satellite-derived chlorophyll a and knowledge of Phytoplankton Functional Types (PFTs) will improve our limited understanding of marine ecosystem responses to physiochemical climate drivers involved in carbon cycle dynamics and linkages. Using cruise data from the Gulf of Maine and the Middle Atlantic Bight (N=269 pairs of HPLC and phytoplankton absorption samples), two modeling approaches were utilized to predict phytoplankton absorption and pigments. Algorithm I predicts the chlorophyll-specific absorption coefficient ( a p h ⁎ (m2 mg chl a−1)) using inputs of temperature, light, and chlorophyll a. Modeled r2 values (400–700 nm) ranged from 0.79 to 0.99 when compared to in situ observations with ∼25% lower r2 values in the UV region. Algorithm II-a utilizes matrix inversion analysis to predict a p h (m−1, 400–700 nm) and r2 values ranged from 0.89 to 0.99. The prediction of phytoplankton pigments with Algorithm II-b produced r2 values that ranged from 0.40 to 0.93. When used in combination, Algorithm I, and Algorithm II-a are able to use satellite products of SST, PAR, and chlorophyll a (Algorithm I) to predict pigment concentrations and ratios to describe the phytoplankton community. The results of this study demonstrate that the spatial variation in modeled pigment ratios differ significantly from the 10-year SeaWiFS average chlorophyll a data set. Contiguous observations of chlorophyll a and phytoplankton biodiversity will elucidate ecosystem responses with unprecedented complexity.
S/360 programmer development at Goddard Space Flight Center

In 1966, the first IBM 360/ computer came to the Goddard Space Flight Center, and our experience with large-scale programmer development began. Considerable attention has been given to the training problem at GSFC. Our arsenal of programmer training tools and techniques now ranges from relatively informal on-the-job experience through in-house formal courses to university and commercial highly specialized courses. GSFC has made extensive use of software and hardware evaluation techniques to indicate areas for improving computation efficiency and has pioneered automated proramming techniques. The training and evaluation activities are described including organizational and communications concerns. Results of these activities are described providing numerous examples of the tangible improvements obtained by increasing the effectiveness of computation activities.
The Soul and the Body in the Philosophy of the Rambam

Among the wide-spectrum contribution of the Rambam – the Maimonides – in philosophy to the word and to Judaism are his ideas on the body and on the soul and on the relations between them. His major approaches in these subjects are the following: 1) The body is the home of the soul, and the soul guides the body. That means the body and the soul are one unit. 2) The soul has five virtual parts. Each part is responsible for another activity in the human being. 3) Except for the treatment of diseases of the body and the soul with drugs, foods, physical exercise, etc., the Rambam believes that maintaining the health – of the body and of the soul – lies first of all, and probably exclusively, in observing the commandments and improving one’s ways, morals and conduct up to their highest levels, toward all of the world’s creatures. 4) The Rambam is of the opinion that one needs to persist in learning the Torah. One should worship God with awe and love and observe good values and virtues. All of these build the frameworks that maintain mental health and strengthen man’s abilities to develop skills for maintaining bodily health. This is so because body and soul are one – which is the basis of the Rambam’s philosophy of health and medicine.
A study of the redox potentials and electron transfer rates of several naturally occurring and synthetic iron porphyrins in DMF

Abstract The reduction potentials and formal electron transfer rate constants of several iron porphyrins were measured in DMF by the technique of cyclic voltammetry. The ease of each reduction was found to be a function of porphyrin ring basicity and was dependent on the type of electrode reaction. Greatest effects of ring basicity were observed for π anion radical formation while smaller effects were obtained for reactions involving the central metal. Electron transfer rate constants for the ferric-ferrous reaction also varied with ring basicity and paralled trends in the redox potentials, that is, the most basic porphyrin yielded the most difficult reduction, both kinetically and thermodynamically, while the least basic prophyrin yielded the most facile kinetic and thermodynamic reduction. Based on this data a mechanism of ferric-ferrous electron transfer involving transfer via the π ring system is proposed.
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor OSG-1 Confers Functional Aging via Dysregulated Rho Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans Neurons

Rho signaling regulates a variety of biological processes, but whether it is implicated in aging remains an open question. Here we show that a guanine nucleotide exchange factor of the Dbl family, OSG-1, confers functional aging by dysregulating Rho GTPases activities in C. elegans. Thus, gene reporter analysis revealed widespread OSG-1 expression in muscle and neurons. Loss of OSG-1 gene function was not associated with developmental defects. In contrast, suppression of OSG-1 lessened loss of function (chemotaxis) in ASE sensory neurons subjected to conditions of oxidative stress generated during natural aging, by oxidative challenges, or by genetic mutations. RNAi analysis showed that OSG-1 was specific toward activation of RHO-1 GTPase signaling. RNAi further implicated actin-binding proteins ARX-3 and ARX-5, thus the actin cytoskeleton, as one of the targets of OSG-1/RHO-1 signaling. Taken together these data suggest that OSG-1 is recruited under conditions of oxidative stress, a hallmark of aging, and contributes to promote loss of neuronal function by affecting the actin cytoskeleton via altered RHO-1 activity.
A simplified model of heat transfer in heat exchangers and stack plates of thermoacoustic refrigerators

A simplified model of heat transfer was developed to investigate the thermal behavior of heat exchangers and stack plates of thermoacoustic devices. The model took advantage of previous results describing the thermal behavior of the thermoacoustic core and heat transfer in oscillating flow to study the performance of heat exchangers attached to the core. The configuration considered is a flat tube (with a working fluid flowing in the tube) of the thickness of the stack plate attached to both ends of the stack plate. Geometrical and operational parameters as well as thermophysical properties of the heat exchangers, transport fluids in the heat exchangers, stack plate and the thermoacoustic working fluid were organized into dimensionless groups that allowed accounting for their impact on the performance of the heat exchangers. Two types of thermal boundary conditions were considered: constant temperature and constant heat flux along the heat exchanger tubes. Numerical simulations were carried out with the model introduced in the paper. The temperature distributions and heat fluxes near the edge of the stack plate were found to be nonlinear. The influence of system parameters on the thermal performance of the heat exchangers was analyzed.
Cholesterol Oxides in Commercial Dry Egg Products: Quantitation

Cholesterol α-oxide (5α-cholestan-5,6α-epoxy-3β-ol), a suspected carcinogen and/or atherogen, and its β-isomer are found in varying amounts in commercial dried egg products. The level of total cholesterol oxides in dried eggs ranges from undetectable to 311 parts per million of total lipids. The majority of the samples (64%) had total cholesterol oxides content between 6 – 49 ppm. The level of cholesterol α-oxide ranges from undetectable to 62 ppm. The ratio of α-oxide to its β-isomer is found consistantly to be 1 to 4. The formation of cholesterol oxides is greater in samples dried by hot air heated directly with gas burner than those dried by air heated indirectly with steam. Prolonged storage increases cholesterol oxides content in dried egg products.
EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON GROWTH, LIGHT ABSORPTION, AND QUANTUM YIELD IN DUNALIELLA TERTIOLECTA (CHLOROPHYCEAE)1

The effects of growth temperature on the marine chlorophyte Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher were studied to provide a more mechanistic understanding of the role of environmental factors in regulating bio-optical properties of phytoplankton. Specific attention was focused on quantities that are relevant for modeling of growth and photosynthesis. Characteristics including chlorophyll a (chl z)-specific light absorption (a*ph(λ)), C:chl a ratio, and quantum yield for growth (φμ) varied as functions of temperature under conditions of excess light and nutrients. As temperature increased over the range examined (12°-28°C), intracellular concentrations of chl a increased by a factor of 2 and a*ph(λ) values decreased by more than 50% at blue to green wavelengths. The lower values of a*ph(λ) were due to both a decrease in the abundance of accessory pigments relative to chl a and an increase in pigment package effects arising from higher intracellular pigment concentrations. Intracellular pigment concentration increased as a consequence of higher cellular pigment quotas combined with lower cell volume. At high growth temperatures, slightly more light was absorbed on a per-cell-C basis, but the dramatic increases in growth rate from μ= 0.5 d−1 at 12° C to μ= 2.2 d−1 at 28°C were primarily due to an increase in φμ (0.015–0.041 mol C (mol quanta)−1). By comparison with previous work on this species, we conclude the effects of temperature on a*ph(λ) and φμ are comparable to those observed for light and nutrient limitation. Patterns of variability in a*ph(λ)and φμ as a function of growth rate at different temperatures are similar to those previously documented for this species grown at the same irradiance but under a range of nitrogen-limited conditions. These results are discussed in the context of implications for bio-optical modeling of aquatic primary production by phytoplankton.
Characterizing magnetic surfaces with secondary electron spin polarization

Abstract The measurement of spin polarization of secondary electrons opens new frontiers for high resolution (of order 10 nm) static and dynamic studies of magnetic surfaces. The techniques involved and their limitations are discussed. Applications to some important technical and scientific problems are described.
Interspecific vs intraspecific patterns in leaf nitrogen of forest trees across nitrogen availability gradients

Leaf nitrogen content (δ) coordinates with total canopy N and leaf area index (LAI) to maximize whole-crown carbon (C) gain, but the constraints and contributions of within-species plasticity to this phenomenon are poorly understood. Here, we introduce a game theoretic, physiologically based community model of height-structured competition between late-successional tree species. Species are constrained by an increasing, but saturating, relationship between photosynthesis and leaf N per unit leaf area. Higher saturating rates carry higher fixed costs. For a given whole-crown N content, a C gain-maximizing compromise exists between δ and LAI. With greater whole-crown N, both δ and LAI increase within species. However, a shift in community composition caused by reduced understory light at high soil N availability (which competitively favors species with low leaf costs and consequent low optimal δ) counteracts the within-species response, such that community-level δ changes little with soil N availability. These model predictions provide a new explanation for the changes in leaf N per mass observed in data from three dominant broadleaf species in temperate deciduous forests of New England. Attempts to understand large-scale patterns in vegetation often omit competitive interactions and intraspecific plasticity, but here both are essential to an understanding of ecosystem-level patterns.
Optical spectroscopy for guiding thermotherapies of tumors

Dynamics of fluorescence/diffuse reflectance characteristics and temperature of liver and kidney tissue undergoing radio-frequency ablation were studied in vivo. The results demonstrate the sensitivity and effectiveness of the optical-based method for tissue thermal damage assessment.
Modification of secondary craters on the Martian South Polar Layered Deposits

Secondary crater fields are important stratigraphic markers that can shed light on resurfacing processes that have occurred since their formation. We examine the morphologies of secondary craters formed from the ejection of material from two large impacts on the Martian South Polar Layered Deposits (SPLD): McMurdo crater at 84.5°S, 0°W, and an unnamed impact at 80.8°S, 284°W. The morphologies of these secondary craters allow us to impose constraints on the modification history of the SPLD. We have quantified crater morphologies using data sets from the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey missions. We find a complete lack of secondary craters smaller than 300 m in diameter in both crater fields, which implies that at least the upper 30 m of the deposits have been resurfaced since the time of these impacts. Secondary crater depth-to-diameter ratios are low (average of 0.016), indicating that significant degradation has occurred since their emplacement. We find that vertical resurfacing alone is not enough to explain the observed depth-to-diameter distribution and suggest that viscous relaxation of craters coupled with a small amount of vertical resurfacing best fits the data. In the McMurdo field, high depth-to-diameter craters are found preferentially on steeper terrain associated with scarps cutting through the secondary field. This observation suggests that crater modification exhibits a dependence on slope. We comment on possible mechanisms that may explain this observation. The morphologies of secondary craters on the SPLD point to modification processes without lunar parallel and not yet fully modeled for Mars.
Modeling systems biology for research and target prioritization.

In silico biology, the computer aided analysis of biological systems, is a relatively young research area. It was first coined from theoretical and computational biology. Biology, like many other fields, has recently experienced an increased use of systems mathematics and computer simulation. With the availability of the human genome sequence and an exponentially growing number of completely sequenced genomes from various model organisms, along with expression and proteomic data at hand, the research paradigm has shifted towards systems analysis and simulation. Computer aided modeling of complex biomolecules and assemblies are already routinely performed. Nowadays, theoretical description and computer simulation of cellular components in larger intraand inter-cellular networks is of growing importance. Together with classic biological and clinical experiments, as well as data from functional genomics, in silico biology will take the leading role in the analysis of biological systems [1].
Teacher Possible Selves: How Thinking about the Future Contributes to the Formation of Professional Identity

Researchers see the value of future-oriented thinking for teacher development. Inthis study, ten teacher candidates (Elementary = 1; Middle-level = 2; Secondary = 6; All-level = 1) from a large university in the southwestern United States were interviewed about their teacher “possible selves,” and the regulative role these had on learning-to-teach behaviors. We found that all participants regulated behaviors through the use of strategies; used future thinking to gather information about progress; and derived incentive about themselves as teachers. We also found that for many participants possible selves changed, in a relatively short period of time, in response to reflection, mentors and experiences. This work contributes to a growing body of evidence concerning the usefulness of teacher identity in thinking about teacher development.