cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formation of microporous polymer fibers and oriented fibrils by precipitation with a compressed fluid antisolvent

Polymer morphology is controlled over a continuum from microspheres to interconnected bicontinuous networks to fibers with a versatile new process: precipitation with a compressed fluid antisolvent. The results are explained qualitatively as a function of phase behavior, mass-transfer pathways, and the formation rates of skin on the flowing jet. By spraying dilute polystyrene in toluene solutions into liquid carbon dioxide, extremely small 100 nm microspheres are formed. For concentrations above the critical composition, fibers are produced that are not only microcellular, but, in some instances, even hollow. Mass-transfer pathways that cross the binodal near the critical composition produce interconnected networks, likely due to spinodal decomposition. In this region, fibers composed of highly oriented microfibrils are produced at high shear rates. Preaddition of CO2 influences the morphology because of dilution, in a similar manner as a liquid antisolvent, except that the viscosity reduction is larger due to added free volume. Because CO2 diffuses through the glassy polystyrene skin faster than does a conventional liquid antisolvent such as methanol, it produces more porous fibers, which are also more cylindrical. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Influence of Polydimethylsiloxane on the Degradation of Soybean Oil at Frying Temperature

Soybean oils treated with 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 ppb polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and a control soybean oil (no PDMS) were heated at 180 °C for 48 h. The decomposition of linoleate (18:2) and tocopherols was monitored. The degradation of 18:2 and both γ- and δ-tocopherols followed pseudo first-order kinetics. For 25 ppb PDMS (the concentration necessary to form a PDMS monolayer on the air-oil interface) and greater concentrations, 18:2 degradation decreased at a rate comparable to the control. However, for the samples with 25 ppb or more PDMS, there was a subsequent increase in the rate of 18:2 degradation during the 48 h of heating period. The same trend seen for 18:2 degradation also was observed for the rates of degradation of both γ- and δ-tocopherols; but, for the tocopherols the treatment with 10 ppb PDMS also decreased the rate of degradation. For those PDMS treatments in which a subsequent increase in degradation rates were observed, the rates of degradation after the change were similar to the rate of degradation in the control oil. In general, the time that the changes in rates occurred increased with the PDMS concentrations. The occurrence of these changes was attributed to decreases in the concentrations of tocopherols or PDMS such that the protective effects were lost.
Effects of fluorouracil on RNA synthesis in Bacillus cereus.

Abstract 5-Fluorouracil (FU) decreased the growth rate of Bacillus cereus , produced inhibition of synthesis of rRNA and ribosomes, and altered the physical properties of ribosomes. These effects were dependent on FU concentration and independent of retarded growth. The quantity of 23S RNA in the FU-treated cells was diminished to a greater extent than was that of 16S RNA, apparently because of ribonuclease degradation. Most of the RNA synthesized in the presence of FU was in the soluble fraction, and [ 14 C] FU was selectively concentrated in this fraction. Ribosomes containing FU possessed a slightly lower thermal denaturation temperature. The 50S and 30S materials containing FU were unstable in 0.1 mM Mg 2+ . The ratio of RNA to protein synthesis was decreased in the 70S ribosomal fraction and increased in the soluble fraction of cells inhibited by FU.
Marketing Sport Psychology Consulting Services

The field of applied sport psychology continues to increase in popularity and offers new and exciting career opportunities. In addition to offering consulting services to athletes, coaches, and teams, applied sport psychology professionals also serve military, dance, and business clients (Lloyd & Foster, 2006). This article outlines a 10-step process that sport psychology professionals can use to successfully market their consulting services, with examples for offering consulting services to athletes, coaches, and teams. This approach consists of a strategy and tactics integrating the “traditional” 4P's approach to marketing (Pitts & Stotlar, 2007). As such, this article seeks to support the benefits of developing and implementing an integrated and comprehensive marketing plan to achieve optimal marketing success for a sport psychology practice.
Formation of gravel-mantled megaripples on Earth and Mars: Insights from the Argentinean Puna and wind tunnel experiments

Abstract Pumice and lithic clasts from gravel-mantled megaripples in the Argentinean Puna, an analog to Martian large ripples and Transverse Aeolian Ridges (TARs), were put in a boundary layer wind tunnel to derive threshold speeds for various stages of motion of the component clasts and observe incipient bedform development. Combined with results from a field meteorological station, it is found that the gravel components can initially only move under gusty conditions, with the impact of saltating pumice and sand lowering threshold. Pumices can saltate without the impact of sand, implying that they are both an impelling force for other pumices and lithics, and are the most likely clast constituent to undergo transport. Accumulation into bedforms in the tunnel occurs when clasts self organize, with larger, more immobile particles holding others in place, a process that is accentuated in the field on local topographic highs of the undulating ignimbrite bedrock surface. In such an arrangement, pumices and especially lithics remain largely stable, with vibration the dominant mode of motion. This results in sand and silt entrapment and growth of the bedform through infiltration and uplift of the gravel. Resulting bedforms are gravel-mantled ripple-like forms cored with fine grained sediment. The Martian aeolian environment is similar to the Puna in terms of having grains of variable size, infrequent wind gusts, and saltating sand, implying that some TARs on the planet may have formed in a similar way.
The diurnal boundary layer wind oscillation above sloping terrain

The role of thermal forcing in the diurnal oscillation of the planetary boundary layer wind above sloping terrain is investigated. Because the gravitational force vector has a component parallel to a sloping boundary, the diurnal temperature oscillation in the boundary layer provides a source of potential energy which drives a diurnal oscillation in the boundary layer wind. Thus, the viscous (Ekman) boundary layer and the thermal boundary layer are coupled. A set of three second order differential equations which approximately governs the dynamics of the boundary layer is derived. Diurnally periodic solutions are obtained, and it is shown that the thermal forcing mechanism can account for the amplitude of the nocturnal low-level jet observed over the sloping Great Plains region of the United States. However, it appears that time and height variations in the eddy viscosity and eddy heat diffusion coefficients must be included to duplicate in detail the vertical structure and phase of the observed jet. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1967.tb01473.x
Different endoplasmic reticulum trafficking and processing pathways for calsequestrin (CSQ) and epitope-tagged CSQ.

Abstract Cardiac calsequestrin (CSQ) is a protein that traffics to and concentrates inside sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) terminal cisternae, a protein secretory compartment of uncertain origin. To investigate trafficking of CSQ within standard ER compartments, we expressed CSQ in nonmuscle cell lines and examined its localization by immunofluorescence and its molecular structure from the mass spectrum of total cellular CSQ. In all cells examined, CSQ was a highly phosphorylated protein with a glycan structure predictive of ER-retained proteins: Man9,8GlcNAc2 lacking terminal GlcNAc. Immunostaining was restricted to polymeric ER cisternae. Secretory pathway disruption by brefeldin A and thapsigargin led to altered CSQ glycosylation and phosphorylation consistent with post-ER trafficking. When epitope-tagged forms of CSQ were expressed in the same cells, mannose trimming of CSQ glycans was far more extensive, and C-terminal phosphorylation sites were nearly devoid of phosphate, in complete contrast to the highly phosphorylated wild-type protein that concentrates in all cells tested. Epitope-tagged CSQ also showed a reduced ER staining compared to wild-type protein, with significant staining in juxta-Golgi compartments. Loss of ER retention due to epitope tags or thapsigargin and resultant changes in protein structure or levels of bound Ca 2+ point to CSQ polymerization as an ER/SR retention mechanism.
Diffusion-Limited Aggregation and Two-Fluid Displacements in Porous Media

Remarkable parallels in the behavior of diffusion-limited aggregation and two-fluid displacements in porous media exist; hence, the former can be used to simulate the latter. Both processes can be described by the application of Laplace's equation with similar boundary conditions. Displacements can be stabilized by reversing the flow direction and interfacial tension can be incorporated to broaden dendrites or fingers. Furthermore, diffusion-limited aggregation can be used to simulate flow in anisotropic or inhomogeneous porous media.
Future mask writers requirements for the sub-10nm node era

Mask patterning capability continues to be a key enabler for wafer patterning. Mask writer performance is critical to meet reticle resolution, critical dimension uniformity, registration, and throughput requirements. Technology trends indicate that mask requirements will require higher dose resists with more complex designs producing write time growth that significantly exceeds Moore’s law estimates. Sub 10 nm technology node requirements may exceed what is practically or economically achievable using conventional single beam writers. This is driving the need to explore alternative e-beam mask writer architectures for future nodes. Several equipment suppliers are proposing new architectures for mask patterning. These approaches share the characteristic of some level of parallelism to solve the throughput challenge caused by increasing mask pattern complexity. Although parallelism is a proven approach in laser mask writers, it has not been integrated into an e-beam platform. All of the approaches for multibeam e-beam architectures have unique technical difficulties. In some cases, suppliers have produced proof of concept results to demonstrate the feasibility of their approach and address key technical risks. Although these results are encouraging, it is clear that they need more time and industry assistance to produce a commercially worthy mask writer. Key drivers will be considered. Proposed evolutionary extensions of the current architecture will be evaluated. The need for revolutionary architectures to satisfy future mask patterning will be explored.
Factors predicting compliance to ecological momentary assessment among adolescent smokers.

INTRODUCTION Ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) are increasingly used in smoking research to understand contextual and individual differences related to smoking and changes in smoking. To date, there has been little detailed research into the predictors of EMA compliance. However, patterns or predictors of compliance may affect key relationships under investigation and introduce sources of bias in results. The purpose of this study was to investigate predictors of compliance to random prompts among a sample of adolescents who had ever smoked. METHODS Data for this study were drawn from a sample of 461 adolescents (9th and 10th graders at baseline) participating in a longitudinal study of smoking escalation. We examined 2 outcomes: subject-level EMA compliance (overall rate of compliance over a week-long EMA wave), and in-the-moment prompt-level compliance to the most proximal random prompt. We investigated several covariates including gender, race, smoking rate, alcohol use, psychological symptomatology, home composition, mood, social context, time in study, inter-prompt interval, and location. RESULTS At the overall subject level, higher mean negative affect, smoking rate, alcohol use, and male gender predicted lower compliance with random EMA prompts. At the prompt level, after controlling for significant subject-level predictors of compliance, increased positive affect, being outside of the home, and longer inter-prompt interval predicted lower momentary compliance. CONCLUSIONS This study identifies several factors associated with overall and momentary EMA compliance among a sample of adolescents participating in a longitudinal study of smoking. We also propose a conceptual framework for investigating the contextual and momentary predictors of compliance within EMA studies.
Adaptive Control of a Scalar Linear Stochastic System with a Fractional Brownian Motion

Abstract In this paper, an adaptive control problem is formulated and solved for a scalar linear stochastic system perturbed by a fractional Brownian motion and an ergodic (or average cost per unit time) quadratic cost functional. The Hurst parameter for the fractional Brownian motion may take any value in (1/2, 1).
Multiple breathhold 3D time-of-flight MR angiography of the renal arteries

A technique is described for angiographic imaging of the renal arteries with acquisition performed over several periods of suspended respiration. The 3D Fourier transform (FT) gradient-echo angiographic sequence uses magnetization preparation and appropriately chosen delay times for background nulling and time-of-flight enhancement of the vasculature. The sequence was applied to 10 volunteers, each of whom was imaged in three ways: (i) over a series of breathholds in which feedback was provided to enable reproducible breathholding; (ii) over a series of breathholds with no feedback; and (iii) over continuous respiration. Results were evaluated by measuring the transverse extent of the well-delineated renal vasculature and by noting the distal extent of the vasculature branching (main, segmental, and interlobar branches). The transverse extent of renal vasculature visible with breathhold feedback, breathholding, and free breathing was 6.1 +/- 0.9 cm, 5.0 +/- 1.8 cm, and 4.0 +/- 1.4 cm, respectively (mean +/- SD). Breathhold feedback enabled visualization of segmental renal arteries bilaterally in all 10 volunteers.
Colposcopic regression patterns in high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Objective To evaluate the serial changes in colposcopic and cervicographic findings of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II and III enrolled in a phase III randomized comparison of oral beta carotene and placebo. Methods All subjects treated with beta carotene or placebo for at least 6 months were included if they met the criteria of persistent or progressive disease (no change or worsening of CIN grade) or disease regression (improvement of two grades or more). These two groups were compared for changes in colposcopic and cervicographic patterns. Colposcopically directed biopsies and cervicography were done at enrollment and after 6 months. Quarterly Papanicolaou smears and colposcopic assessments also were performed. Findings of mosaic pattern, punctation, and white epithelium were graded and diagrammed at colposcopic examinations. Cervicographic measurements of the centripetal movement of metaplastic epithelium were recorded. Data were analyzed by χ 2 analysis and Fisher exact tests. Results Data were available for 23 subjects with regression and 16 with persistent lesions. Small lesions were significantly more likely to regress than large ones. Lesions without coarse punctation were significantly more likely to regress than lesions with coarse punctation, and lesions with mild acetowhite changes were more likely to regress than those with dense white epithelium. A pattern of centripetal movement of the metaplastic epithelium toward the cervical os was noted in lesions that regressed, but not in those that persisted or progressed. Conclusion This study describes the centripetal growth of metaplastic squamous epithelium associated with the regression of CIN II and III. This observation contributes to our understanding of the process of disease regression in CIN and may be useful in identifying individuals for conservative management. Failure to identify this pattern correlates with persistent or progressive disease.
Unifying aspect- and object-oriented design

The contribution of this work is the design and evaluation of a programming language model that unifies aspects and classes as they appear in AspectJ-like languages. We show that our model preserves the capabilities of AspectJ-like languages, while improving the conceptual integrity of the language model and the compositionality of modules. The improvement in conceptual integrity is manifested by the reduction of specialized constructs in favor of uniform orthogonal constructs. The enhancement in compositionality is demonstrated by better modularization of integration and higher-order crosscutting concerns.
A RADIOIMMUNOLOGICAL ASSAY METHOD FOR INSULIN USING INSULIN-125I AND GEL FILTRATION.

A radioimmunological assay for insulin is described using insulin-125I as a tracer and gel nitration on Sephadex G75 to effect the separation of bound from free insulin. The relatively long half-life (60 days) and the absence of β radiation by this isotope decreases the radiation hazard encountered during iodination procedures. As little as 0.25 μU of insulin can be reliably measured by a single tracer for 6 months.
Comparative biology of oogenesis in nemertean worms

Stricker, S. A., Smythe, T. L., Miller, L. and Norenburg, J. L. 2001. Comparative biology of oogenesis in nemertean worms. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 82: 213–230 In order to supplement previous analyses of oogenesis in nemertean worms, this study uses light and electron microscopy to compare the ovaries and oocytes in 16 species of nemerteans that represent various taxa within the phylum. Nemertean ovaries comprise serially repeated sacs with an ovarian wall that characteristically includes myofilament-containing cells interspersed among the germinal epithelium. Each oocyte can attach to the germinal epithelium by a vegetally situated stalk and resides in the ovarian lumen without being surrounded by follicle cells. In the ovary, oocytes arrest at prophase I of meiosis and contain a hypertrophied nucleus (‘germinal vesicle’) that often possesses multiple nucleoli. Intraovarian growth apparently involves an autosynthetic mode of yolk formation in most nemerteans and generates oocytes that measure ~60 µm to 1 mm. When fully developed, oocytes can be discharged through a short gonoduct and are either spawned freely or deposited within egg cases. In most species, oocytes released from the ovary possess extracellular coats and resume maturation by undergoing germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Such post-GVBD specimens also form a punctate endoplasmic reticulum that may facilitate fertilization and development.
SU‐EE‐A4‐02: Stochastic Noise in CT Images

Purpose: Because diagnostic Computed Tomography(CT)imaging involves a tradeoff between image quality and radiation risk, there is great interest in determining the effects of stochastic noise on the utility of clinical tasks. The reconstruction processes used in CT result in noise properties that are non‐local and anisotropic in the image domain. A commonly used approximation for computing imagenoise from raw measurement data was empirically tested for validity. A noise variance mapping scheme was used to estimate stochastic noise in complex anatomical scenes and was compared to variance measurements of image simulations generated with controlled amounts of synthetic noise.Methods: The commonly assumed transformation between linear and log variance (σ2=1/Q) was tested for Poisson random numbers with means ranging from less than one to larger than 30. Noise variance maps were generated by filtered back projection using the square of the reconstruction kernel operating on sinogram variance estimates. A series of images was reconstructed by adding Poissonnoise to sinogram data, and the variance of regions of interest in the image sequence was calculated. Results: The approximation that log variance is proportional to the inverse number of quanta fails badly for N<10. Estimated variance maps were found to agree with empirical measurements of image variance. The noise variance in a CTimage is a slowly varying spatial function. Image simulations demonstrated that noise has a texture that is highly anisotropic and can mimic anatomic structures. Conclusions:CTnoise is a complex phenomenon. Variance maps are a useful tool for estimating noise in structured image regions where direct variance measurements fail. Fortunately most clinical scans operate at higher flux levels where the commonly used variance approximation is valid. Low‐dose protocols must be carefully evaluated to determine the effects of stochastic noise on diagnostic performance.
Diagnosing the irritable bowel syndrome.

Excerpt To the Editors:The two recent reviews of the irritable bowel syndrome (1, 2) are very helpful. However, both state that sigmoidoscopy is necessary in all patients to rule out organic disord...
Dynamics of evoked potentials in the dog auditory cortex during the formation of goal-directed behavior after ablation of the medial geniculate bodies.

1. After bilateral extirpation of the medial geniculate bodies, additional channels of communication with many relays along their course are brought into play by way of compensation to conduct information to the auditory cortex. EP continue to be recorded in the auditory cortex but their latent period is increased to 12–15 msec, the duration of the principal negative wave is increased (to 40 msec), and splitting chiefly of its ascending front is observed. 2. Integrative processes organized in the medial geniculate bodies exert a definite influence on the character of activity of the functional system at the auditory cortical level. Ascending excitation, relayed by the medial geniculate bodies, activates certain synapses on apical dendrites of pyramidal cells and determines the formation of EP of a definite configuration: They participate in the formation of the early negative waves, the first positive component, and the ascending front of the principal negative wave of the EP. 3. After removal of the medial geniculate body the auditory cortex participates in the formation of processes of afferent synthesis (in the active period of reflex formation the amplitude of EP increases, the principal negative component lengthens to 45–55 msec, and splitting of its fronts takes place), and also in the preparation for decision making (the conditioned reflex is preceded by a “double EP,” which is probably connected with potentiation of reverberation excitation in the compensatory channels of communication.
Strong isotope effect on the intermolecular exchange integral of excited triplet-state dimers

Abstract High-resolution phosphorescence—microwave double resonance (PMDR) and optically detected magnetic resonance techniques have yielded two independent measurements of the nearest-neighbor excited-state exchange matrix element in dimers of 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene. Both experiments yield a value (0.07 cm −1 ) smaller than the value reported for exciton systems (0.34 cm −1 ), indicating a strong violation of the ideal mixed crystal concept.
The thermal stability of nanocrystalline cartridge brass and the effect of zirconium additions

The thermal stability of nanocrystalline cartridge brass (Cu–30 at.% Zn) and brass–Zr alloys were investigated. The alloys were produced by cryogenic ball milling and subsequently heat treated to a maximum temperature of 800 °C. The grain size of pure brass was found to be relatively stable in comparison to pure copper, and a high hardness was retained up to 600 °C. When 1 at.% zirconium was alloyed with the brass, the grain size was stabilized near 100 nm even at 800 °C. At the highest temperature, hardness was retained above 2.5 GPa for 1 and 5 at.% zirconium alloys, but the pure brass softened significantly. The stabilization is believed to be dominated by Zn–Zr interactions as a second phase of these two was observed in X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Thermodynamic modeling indicates a zero grain boundary energy may be achieved depending on the mixing enthalpy value used (i.e., calculated vs. experimental) under ideal conditions, but microstructural features such as twinning and second phase particles are thought to be the dominant stabilization mechanism. Zr worked well in stabilizing the brass in the nanocrystalline state to nearly 90 % of its melting temperature.
Quantile regression with doubly censored data

Quantile regression offers a semiparametric approach to modeling data with possible heterogeneity. It is particularly attractive for censored responses, where the conditional mean functions are unidentifiable without parametric assumptions on the distributions. A new algorithm is proposed to estimate the regression quantile process when the response variable is subject to double censoring. The algorithm distributes the probability mass of each censored point to its left or right appropriately, and iterates towards self-consistent solutions. Numerical results on simulated data and an unemployment duration study are given to demonstrate the merits of the proposed method.
Adventure as Character Work: The Collective Taming of Fear

ft is ultimately through experience that character is formulated and made evident. From an ethnographic examination of an adventure program (Ropes Adventure, lnc.) that attempts to mold the identity of adolescents who have been detained for minor felonies and misdemeanors, we examine how personal challenge can be channeled into moral messages. By evoking and then taming fear (adventure), organizations demonstrate the power of personal accomplishment, trust, and cooperation-each socially legitimated moral virtues. We argue that character building efforts may be hampered when organizational aims and actual implementation of structured adventure collide.
Further Increase in Oxygen Uptake During Early Active Recovery Following Maximal Exercise in Chronic Heart Failure

Study objective Some patients with chronic heart failure manifest a further increase in oxygen uptake ( V ˙ o 2 ) after maximal exercise whereas others do not. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of chronic heart failure patients with further increase in V ˙ o 2 in early active recovery following maximal exercise. Design Retrospective analysis of clinical and exercise testing characteristics in patients with or without a further increase in V ˙ o 2 during early active recovery. Patients One hundred forty-two patients with a history of congestive heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction of 45%, or less who performed a symptom-limited graded treadmill exercise test. Measurements and results Expired gases were monitored breath by breath from rest throughout exercise and during 1 min of active recovery. Patients were defined as having a further increase in V ˙ o 2 if the average V ˙ o 2 during the initial 30 s of active recovery was greater than or equal to V ˙ o 2 during the final 30 s of graded exercise and the instantaneous V ˙ o 2 (from the breath-by-breath plot) at 30 s of active recovery was greater than or equal to the instantaneous V ˙ o 2 at peak exercise. Thirty patients (21%) showed a further increase in V ˙ o 2 following peak exercise (group 1), and 112 had decreased V ˙ o 2 at 30 s after peak exercise (group 2). In group 1, treadmill time was significantly shorter, peak V ˙ o 2 was significantly lower (16.6±3.6 vs 21.6±6.4 mL/kg/min), and peak ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide ( V ˙ E / V ˙ co 2 ) was significantly higher than those in group 2. There was no difference in etiology of heart failure or functional class and medication status. Conclusion A further increase in V ˙ o 2 during early active recovery was associated with poorer exercise tolerance, lower peak V ˙ o 2 , and higher peak V ˙ E / V ˙ co 2 in chronic heart failure patients. This sign may be a new functional variable for assessment of chronic heart failure. Further investigations are warranted to clarify the mechanisms and clinical implications of this phenomenon.
3D-NMR Studies of B-Centered n-ad Structures in Poly(ethylene-co-13C-n-butyl acrylate-co-carbon monoxide)

This paper presents the first application of a suite of three-dimensional (3D) NMR techniques for the characterization of complex microstructures in hydrocarbon-based terpolymers. The 3D-NMR experi...
The Costs of Diabetes-related Lower Extremity Amputations in the Netherlands

Diabetes mellitus is a common problem in the Netherlands and in the rest of the world. A complication seen in association with diabetes is peripheral neuropathy which can lead to lower extremity amputation. The purpose of this study is to identify the duration of hospital stay and the direct costs associated with diabetes-related lower extremity amputations in the Netherlands in 1992. Total direct costs included costs associated with hospital stay and the average procedure specific costs (surgeons' fees, anaesthetists' fees, and operating room fees) for the specific level of amputation. In the Netherlands in 1992, 1575 hospitalizations for 1810 diabetes-related lower extremity amputations occurred. The total number of days in the hospital for the diabetic population was 65,778 days with a mean of 41.8 days per hospitalization. Mean costs associated with diabetes-related hospitalizations for amputation were pounds 10,531 (Dfl. 28,433) per hospitalization. Persons who underwent multiple amputations during their hospitalization stayed in the hospital longer and the costs associated with these hospitalizations were higher when compared to hospitalization with a single amputation. An increase in length of stay and costs with increasing age and higher level of amputation was identified.
SU‐FF‐T‐139: Dosimetric Accuracy of Low Dose Region (V5‐V10) in TomoTherapy Planning of Lung IMRT

Purpose: To quantify the dosimetric accuracy of a TomoTherapy treatment planning system in areas of low dose (V5 to V10 regions) and in the presence of tissue heterogeneities in lungIMRT.Materials and Methods: CIRS anthropomorphic heterogeneous thorax phantom was used to generate clinical treatment plans using TomoTherapy's treatment planning system (TPS). Three plans were developed for treatment delivery using three different field widths (1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 cm) with standard planning parameters used in our clinic. A designated tumor volume was contoured in the phantom lung volume and was planned to receive 200 cGy fractions to a total prescription dose of 7000 cGy. Point measurements with a PTW Farmer chamber were conducted at two locations in the contralateral lung which fell with in the V5 to V10 region of low dose. Comparison of the experimental findings to the TPS results was performed to assess the dosimetric accuracy of TomoTherapy's convolution/superposition algorithm in low dose regions. Results: Comparison of the ion chamber measurements to the TPS dose calculation demonstrated an average difference of +4.5% and −3.0% at the medial and posterior points of measurement in the contralateral lung of the same axial slice. Variation as a function of field width was found to be 1–2% for chamber measurements. Over the total course of treatment of 35 fractions, differences between the TPS and measurement were 35 cGy regardless of field width or point of measurement. Conclusions: At low dose levels (V5 to V10 regions), dosimetric accuracy of conventional TPS systems is often underestimated, but our experimental results suggest the TomoTherapy TPS is reasonably accurate under the given conditions. Tomotherapy's TPS provides acceptable dosimetric accuracy in lung region areas of low dose.
Synthesis and spectral properties of 5α-cholesta-6,8,14-trien-3β-ol

Abstract Treatment of 2β-benzoyloxy-7α,15β-dichloro-5α-cholest-8(14)-ene with potassium hydroxide in refluxing, t-butanol gave, after appropriate purification, 5α-cholesta-6,8,14-trien-3β-ol. Full characterization of the latter sterol and its 3β-benzoate ester are described herein. Detailed 13C nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the free sterol and the benzoate ester have been completed. The assignments for each of the carbons in 5α-cholesta-6,8,14-trien-3β-ol and the benzoate ester have been made. In addition, analyses of the effects of olefinic double bonds on the 13C chemical shifts of the angular C-18 and C-19 methyl carbons have been presented. A mechanism consistent with the formation of the Δ6,8,14-triene from the 7α,15β-dichloro-Δ8(14)-steryl ester has been described.
Invariants of trace forms over finite fields of characteristic 2

Let K be a finite extension of F"2. We compute the invariants of the quadratic form Q(x)=tr"K"/"F"""2(x(x^2^^^a+x^2^^^b)) and so determine the number of zeros in K. This is applied to finding the cross-correlation of certain binary sequences.
Systematics and evolutionary biology: uneasy bedfellows?

The history of systematics and evolutionary biology demonstrates how greatly the “modern evolutionary synthesis” instrumentally prevented, rather than facilitated, the intellectual growth and maturity of the diversity of evolutionary disciplines. In truth, the claim of the synthesis being synthetic is essentially without basis, indeed a myth. Instead, the “synthesis” had precisely the opposite effect: namely, squelching the arena of debate, disagreement, and diverse theorizing that had characterized the preceding decades. Although each of the 3 primary architects of the synthesis – Dobzhansky, Mayr, and Simpson – had his own agenda, they were united around the theme of population genetics and population thinking. When applied to systematics, especially by Mayr, the result can now be seen as confused at best. Perhaps this review will provoke a revival of earlier years of intellectual curiosity and fervor, and rekindle interest in systematic method and theory.
Joint monitoring and prediction of accrual and event times in clinical trials

In many clinical trials, the primary endpoint is time to an event of interest, for example, time to cardiac attack or tumor progression, and the statistical power of these trials is primarily driven by the number of events observed during the trials. In such trials, the number of events observed is impacted not only by the number of subjects enrolled but also by other factors including the event rate and the follow-up duration. Consequently, it is important for investigators to be able to monitor and predict accurately patient accrual and event times so as to predict the times of interim and final analyses and enable efficient allocation of research resources, which have long been recognized as important aspects of trial design and conduct. The existing methods for prediction of event times all assume that patient accrual follows a Poisson process with a constant Poisson rate over time; however, it is fairly common in real-life clinical trials that the Poisson rate changes over time. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian joint modeling approach for monitoring and prediction of accrual and event times in clinical trials. We employ a nonhomogeneous Poisson process to model patient accrual and a parametric or nonparametric model for the event and loss to follow-up processes. Compared to existing methods, our proposed methods are more flexible and robust in that we model accrual and event/loss-to-follow-up times jointly and allow the underlying accrual rates to change over time. We evaluate the performance of the proposed methods through simulation studies and illustrate the methods using data from a real oncology trial.
Iron accumulation in Alzheimer disease is a source of redox-generated free radicals.

Damage from free radicals has been demonstrated in susceptible neuronal populations in cases of Alzheimer disease. In this study, we investigated whether iron, a potent source of the highly reactive hydroxyl radical that is generated by the Fenton reaction with H2O2, might contribute to the source of radicals in Alzheimer disease. We found, using a modified histochemical technique that relies on the formation of mixed valence iron complexes, that redox-active iron is associated with the senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles—the pathological hallmark lesions of this disease. This lesion-associated iron is able to participate in in situ oxidation and readily catalyzes an H2O2-dependent oxidation. Furthermore, removal of iron was completely effected using deferoxamine, after which iron could be rebound to the lesions. Characterization of the iron-binding site suggests that binding is dependent on available histidine residues and on protein conformation. Taken together, these findings indicate that iron accumulation could be an important contributor toward the oxidative damage of Alzheimer disease.
Whole genome sequencing of 35 individuals provides insights into the genetic architecture of Korean population

Due to a significant decline in the costs associated with next-generation sequencing, it has become possible to decipher the genetic architecture of a population by sequencing a large number of individuals to a deep coverage. The Korean Personal Genomes Project (KPGP) recently sequenced 35 Korean genomes at high coverage using the Illumina Hiseq platform and made the deep sequencing data publicly available, providing the scientific community opportunities to decipher the genetic architecture of the Korean population. In this study, we used two single nucleotide variant (SNV) calling pipelines: mapping the raw reads obtained from whole genome sequencing of 35 Korean individuals in KPGP using BWA and SOAP2 followed by SNV calling using SAMtools and SOAPsnp, respectively. The consensus SNVs obtained from the two SNV pipelines were used to represent the SNVs of the Korean population. We compared these SNVs to those from 17 other populations provided by the HapMap consortium and the 1000 Genomes Project (1KGP) and identified SNVs that were only present in the Korean population. We studied the mutation spectrum and analyzed the genes of non-synonymous SNVs only detected in the Korean population. We detected a total of 8,555,726 SNVs in the 35 Korean individuals and identified 1,213,613 SNVs detected in at least one Korean individual (SNV-1) and 12,640 in all of 35 Korean individuals (SNV-35) but not in 17 other populations. In contrast with the SNVs common to other populations in HapMap and 1KGP, the Korean only SNVs had high percentages of non-silent variants, emphasizing the unique roles of these Korean only SNVs in the Korean population. Specifically, we identified 8,361 non-synonymous Korean only SNVs, of which 58 SNVs existed in all 35 Korean individuals. The 5,754 genes of non-synonymous Korean only SNVs were highly enriched in some metabolic pathways. We found adhesion is the top disease term associated with SNV-1 and Nelson syndrome is the only disease term associated with SNV-35. We found that a significant number of Korean only SNVs are in genes that are associated with the drug term of adenosine. We identified the SNVs that were found in the Korean population but not seen in other populations, and explored the corresponding genes and pathways as well as the associated disease terms and drug terms. The results expand our knowledge of the genetic architecture of the Korean population, which will benefit the implementation of personalized medicine for the Korean population.
Phosphorylation of purified rat striatal tyrosine hydroxylase by Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II: effect of an activator protein

: The phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase, purified from rat striatum, was investigated using purified Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II. This kinase catalyzed the Ca2+-dependent incorporation of up to 0.8 mol 32PO4/mol tyrosine hydroxylase subunit (62 kilo-daltons). Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chroma-tography mapping of tryptic 32P-peptides established that the Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylated a different serine residue than was phosphorylated by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Limited proteolysis sequentially reduced the subunit Mr from 62 to 59 kilodaltons and finally to 57 kilodaltons, resulting in loss of the site phosphorylated by the Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase II, but not the site phosphorylated by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. Phosphorylation by the Ca2+/ CaM-dependent protein kinase II had little direct effect on the kinetic properties of tyrosine hydroxylase, but did convert it to a form that could be activated twofold by addition of an activator protein. This heat-labile activator protein increased the Vmax without affecting the Km for the pterin cofactor. This effect was specific in that the activator protein was without effect on nonphosphorylated tyrosine hydroxylase or on tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylated by the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the „Vmax-type” activation of tyrosine hydroxylase observed upon depolarization of neural and adrenal tissues may be mediated by the Ca2+/ CaM-dependent protein kinase II.
Initial characterization of shade avoidance response suggests functional diversity between Populus phytochrome B genes

Summary Shade avoidance signaling involves perception of incident red/far-red (R/FR) light by phytochromes(PHYs)andmodulationofdownstreamtranscriptionalnetworks.Althoughthese responses are well studied in Arabidopsis, little is known about the role of PHYs and the transcriptional responses to shade in the woody perennial Populus. Tissue expression and subcellular localization of Populus PHYs was studied by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and protoplast transient assay. Transgenic lines with altered PHYB1 and/orPHYB2expressionwereusedinphenotypicassaysandtranscriptprofilingwithqRT-PCR. RNA-Seq was used to identify transcriptional responses to enriched FR light. All three PHYs were differentially expressed among tissue types and PHYBs were targeted to the nucleus under white light. Populus PHYB1 rescued Arabidopsis phyB mutant phenotypes. Phenotypes of Populus transgenic lines and the expression of candidate shade response genes suggested that PHYB1 and PHYB2 have distinct yet overlapping functions. RNA-Seq analysis indicated that genes associated with cell wall modification and brassinosteroid signaling were induced under enriched FR light in Populus. This study is an initial attempt at deciphering the role of Populus PHYs by evaluating transcriptionalreprogrammingtoenrichedFRanddemonstratesfunctionaldiversityandoverlap of the Populus PHYB1 and PHYB2 in regulating shade responses.
A versatile half-micron complementary BiCMOS technology for microprocessor-based smart power applications

A modular, high density 0.5 /spl mu/m Complementary BiCMOS technology with integrated high-voltage Lateral Diffused MOS (LDMOS) and conductivity modulated Lateral Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (LIGBT) structures designed for high performance, multi-functional integrated circuit applications is described. The advantages of VLSI processing and 0.5 /spl mu/m compatible layout rules have been applied to the design and fabrication of the tight-pitch high-voltage devices without sacrificing the performance of 0.5 /spl mu/m dual-poly (N+/P+) gate CMOS and complementary vertical bipolar transistors. Single chip integration of VLSI microprocessors with high-voltage and/or high-current input and output functions for "Smart Power" applications can be achieved using this technology. >
Exchange Traded Notes: An Introduction

The first Exchange Traded Note (ETN) was introduced in 2006. Since then, at least 64 other ETNs have been issued, with more announced. This financial security, which is growing in number and popularity, is often confused with Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and seems to be largely misunderstood by the general investing public and even by institutional investors and academicians. Since no academic work has been published on the subject, our paper offers a seminal introduction to ETNs. We provide five basic categories of information related to ETNs: (1) descriptive information about ETNs, (2) fine print related to ETNs that we believe investors should understand before purchasing shares, (3) a few simple examples of ETNs that are available, (4) a simple analysis of how closely ETN market prices track their indicative values (something akin to NAV) and (5) a discussion of why ETNs may appeal to various investor classes. We believe our work will help investment professionals, individual investors, and academicians better understand ETNs, and we believe our work will also provide the catalyst for much future empirical work on these financial securities.
Common element in the repression control of enzymes of histidine and aromatic amino acid biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilus.

Single-step mutants of Bacillus subtilis derepressed for enzymes of both aromatic amino acid and histidine biosynthesis were isolated. These mutants occur at a frequency of 10−6 per cell per generation. All histidine enzymes as well as all enzymes of aromatic acid synthesis which were examined are maximally derepressed. This level cannot be repressed by growth on either histidine or tyrosine. Some of the structural genes which specify the derepressed enzymes are linked to the aromatic cluster; others are unlinked. The significance of these nonrepressible strains is discussed in terms of the mechanism of repression.
On positivity, shape, and norm-bound preservation of time-stepping methods for semigroups

Abstract We use functional calculus methods to investigate qualitative properties of C 0 -semigroups that are preserved by time-discretization methods. Preservation of positivity, concavity and other qualitative shape properties which can be described via positivity are treated in a Banach lattice framework. Preservation of contractivity (or norm-bound) of the semigroup is investigated in the Banach space setting. The use of the Hille–Phillips (H–P) functional calculus instead of the Dunford–Taylor functional calculus allows us to extend fundamental qualitative results concerning time-discretization methods and simplify their proofs, including results on multi-step schemes and variable step-sizes. Since the H–P functional calculus is used throughout the paper, we present an elementary introduction to it based on the Riemann–Stieltjes integral.
Using the Future to "Sort Out" the Present: Rankprop and Multitask Learning for Medical Risk Evaluation

A patient visits the doctor; the doctor reviews the patient's history, asks questions, makes basic measurements (blood pressure, ...), and prescribes tests or treatment. The prescribed course of action is based on an assessment of patient risk--patients at higher risk are given more and faster attention. It is also sequential--it is too expensive to immediately order all tests which might later be of value. This paper presents two methods that together improve the accuracy of backprop nets on a pneumonia risk assessment problem by 10-50%. Rankprop improves on backpropagation with sum of squares error in ranking patients by risk. Multitask learning takes advantage of future lab tests available in the training set, but not available in practice when predictions must be made. Both methods are broadly applicable.