cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TU-C-214-11: Interfractional Variations in Partial Breast Irradiation: Prone vs Supine

Purpose: To compare interfractional patient setup and anatomy variations and their dosimetric consequences between prone and supine positioning in partial breast irradiation (PBI). Methods: Daily CT data acquired for 10 breast cancer patients (5 prone and 5 supine) during IGRT PBI treatments were analyzed. The patients were clinically setup to skin marks. Daily pre‐ treatment CTs were acquired using CT‐on‐Rails (CTVision, Siemens). Each daily CT was registered with corresponding planning CT prior to treatment to obtain repositioning shifts based on lumpectomy cavity. Contours of breast, lumpectomy, PTV and critical structures on daily CTs were generated using an auto‐segmentation tool (ABAS, CMS) based on deformable image registration. For each patient, original treatment plan was applied to the daily CT twice, once based on the setup isocenter (setup plan), and then on the IGRT repositioning isocenter (repositioning plan). Dosimetric variations were measured by a series of dose‐volume parameters and compared for the two plans. Results: The variation of daily repositioning shifts for supine cohort was statistically significantly less than that for prone patients. The comparison of the daily setup plans shows that the variations in PTV D95 and D98 (dose received by 95% and 98% of PTV) are smaller for supine cohort and varies from 0.5–3% (opposed with 2– 8% for prone). The repositioning plans show a reduction in variation for the PTV dose criteria for both cohorts; however the D95 reduction for prone patients is not statistically significant and is patient dependent. The impact of repositioning on OAR DVH is dependent on location of the lesion and is small. Conclusions: Larger variation in IGRT repositioning shifts and in DVH parameters in the setup plans indicate the challenge of daily reproducibility of prone setup. Improvement in the plan quality with repositioning suggests the need of IGRT to increase reproducibility of prone setup for PBI.
Secondary circulation of the vascular heat exchangers in skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis

Vascular corrosion replicas of the counter current heat exchanger microcirculation in skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Smallbore (7–10 μm diameter) vessels, with characteristics typical of those associated with the secondary circulation, were abundant in the central and lateral heat exchangers. These vessels arise from the large-bore (70 μm diameter) retial arterioles and, after a tortuous path, anastomose repeatedly to form 50–200 μm diameter secondary collecting vessels which ultimately exit from either pole of the rete. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
NEUTRON IRRADIATION OF VARIOUS PHOSPHATES IN VACUUM

Neutron irradiation of phosphoric acid, of its salts, and of its linear and cyclic condensation products in vacuum produced, primarily, the corresponding radioactive compounds. Not more than traces of reduced products, such as phosphite, hypophosphite, and phosphorus, were formed. Acid phosphates gave small yields of unidentified secondary products resembling those obtained by gamma irradiation. Arid phosphates did not form simple condensation products, such as pyrophosphate and tripolyphosphate, which are usually formed by heat. The irradiation products did not vary with the intensity of the neutron irradiation. From these observations, the large amount of energy liberated through neutron capture by the phosphorus atoms appears to be dissipated without disruption of the PO/sub 4/ group, without rupture of the P--0 or P--0--P linkages, and without extensive condensation of P--OH groups to P--0--P linkages. (auth) Mass spectra of isotopically normal, B/sup 10/-enriched, and deuterated trimethylboranes are analyzed. In the isotopically normal compound an effective B/sup 10//B/sup 11/ abundance ratio of 0.242 is calculated for the principal range, while 0.265 and 0.259 must be used for the low mass ranges of B(CH/sub 3/)/ sub 3/ and B(CD/sub 3/)/sub 3/, respectively. Explanations are offered to account for the significant differences observed among the three monoisotopicmore » fragmentation patterns. (auth)« less
Development of an analytical method for cephapirin and its metabolite in bovine milk and serum by liquid chromatography with UV‐VIS detection and confirmation by thermospray mass spectrometry

Metabolites of the cephapirin beta-lactam antibiotic have not previously been reported in bovine milk. The principal metabolite was tentatively identified as desacetylcephapirin by liquid chromatography with UV-VIS photodiode array (LC/UV-VIS PDA), and liquid-chromatography-mass-spectrometric (LC-MS) detection. Synthetic desacetylcephapirin was prepared by incubation of cephapirin in bovine milk and serum at 37 degrees C. Also, a method for determining cephapirin in bovine milk and serum was developed. The detection limits for cephapirin and desacetylcephapirin were estimated to be 10 and 50 micrograms/kg, respectively, for LC/UV-VIS PDA, and 100 and 500 micrograms/kg for LC-MS.
Identities and Parseval type relations for the L2-transform

Abstract In the present paper, the authors introduce identities for the L 2 -transform which yield a Parseval type relationship for the L 2 -transform. The Parseval type relationship proven in this paper give rise to useful corollaries for evaluating indefinite integrals of special functions. Some examples are also given as illustrations of the results presented here.
Service delivery characteristics associated with contraceptive use among youth clients in integrated voluntary counseling and HIV testing clinics in Kenya.

Abstract Youth attending voluntary counseling and HIV testing (VCT) services often have unmet need for contraception. Integrated family planning (FP) and HIV services can address dual HIV and unintended pregnancy prevention needs. However, little is known about which VCT service characteristics, such as quality of care, strength of FP-HIV service integration, and youth-friendliness, affect contraceptive behavior. This study explores the facility- and provider-level characteristics that may be associated with same day uptake or intention to use contraception after a VCT visit, and contraceptive use three months later among youth clients, controlling for client characteristics. This was a descriptive study conducted in 20 integrated VCT clinics across Kenya. Data collection included 20 structured clinic observations, 349 baseline interviews with male and female clients aged 15–24 after their VCT visit plus 277 follow-up interviews with clients three months later, and interviews with 46 providers who served ...
Dehydration of Low-Grade Asparagus

ABSTRACT Dehydration by a forced convection process is one potential method to add value to low-grade asparagus for marketing purposes. The objectives of this study were to determine the optimum drying temperature, air velocity, and predrying blanching treatment and study the effects of those parameters on the drying curves for low-grade asparagus and the efficiency of the drying process. The ranges of investigation were 60 to 93°C and 0.14 to 0.44 m/s for drying temperature and air velocity, respectively. Drying at 51 °C and 0.30 m/s yielded product with an optimum quality, and drying at 79° C and 0.18 m/s yielded the optimum process efficiency of 17.9%. Drying temperature, air velocity, and predrying blanching treatment all affected the rate of drying in the constant-rate drying period and the length of the constant-rate drying period. In the falling-rate period, all of the process parameters studied had some effect on the shape of the drying curve.
pH-Dependence of Protein Stability: Absolute Electrostatic Free Energy Differences between Conformations†

A method for calculating the absolute electrostatic free energy of a titrating system as a function of pH is proposed, and a concise formula for the free energy is presented. Based on the theory of linked functions, the electrostatic free energy is calculated by integration of the titration curve. The approach uses pH = ∞, at which the system is in the unprotonated state, as the reference pH for the integration. The finite-difference Poisson−Boltzmann method is used for the electrostatic free energy, and the titration curve is obtained by the Monte Carlo approach of Beroza et al.1 The method is applied to the native and denatured state of hen egg-white lysozyme in aqueous solution. A dielectric constant of 20 is assigned to the protein interior, in accord with the work of Antosiewicz et al.2 X-ray structures are used for the native state, and an extended β-structure is used for the unfolded reference state; good agreement with experiment is obtained. Comparison of the results for the extended β-structure ...
Quality of Diets with Fluidized Bed Combustion Residue Treatment: II. Swine Trials

Feeding trials were conducted with rats (Rattus rattus) to examine effects of soil application, or dietary inclusion, of fluidized bed combustion residue (FBCR) on the composition and quality of foods. Four diets (vegetable protein, egg protein, chicken, chicken + dietary FBCR) prepared with either FBCR or lime (control) treatments, were fed to weanling, female rats in three growth and reproduction trials. Intake, growth rate, and composition of body and organs of rats were measured. Rats in one trial were bred, their litters maintained on dietary treatments, and the offspring rebred. Treatment (FBCR vs. lime) × diet interactions on food composition and animal responses generally were not significant. Treatment had little effect on element composition of diets; mineral concentrations were in normal ranges. Diet treatment with FBCR depressed (P < 0.01) food intake and growth of rats in one trial, but not in others, and had no effect (P < 0.05) on body water, protein, ether extract, or gross energy composition. Some differences in element concentrations in the carcass and organs of rats and pups resulted from FBCR treatment, but effects were small and inconsistent. Litters from the first reproductive cycle appeared normal, except for animals fed the chicken + dietary FBCR treatment, on which pups showed poor growth and anemia. Offspring from certain diets were rebred and litters showed a high mortality, although this was not associated specifically with FBCR treatment. Results indicated no major detrimental effects on food composition, or growth, tissue element accumulation, and reproduction in the rat relating to use of FBCR as a soil amendment. Scientific Paper no. 2079 of the West Virginia Agric. and For. Exp. Stn., Morgantown, WV.
Murine TMJ Loading Causes Increased Proliferation and Chondrocyte Maturation

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of forced mouth opening on murine mandibular condylar head remodeling. We hypothesized that forced mouth opening would cause an anabolic response in the mandibular condylar cartilage. Six-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were divided into 3 groups: (1) control, (2) 0.25 N, and (3) 0.50 N of forced mouth opening. Gene expression, micro-CT, and proliferation were analyzed. 0.5 N of forced mouth opening caused a significant increase in mRNA expression of Pthrp, Sox9, and Collagen2a1, a significant increase in proliferation, and a significant increase in trabecular spacing in the subchondral bone, whereas 0.25 N of forced mouth opening did not cause any significant changes in any of the parameters examined. Forced mouth opening causes an increase in the expression of chondrocyte maturation markers and an increase in subchondral trabecular spacing.
Decreasing the effective radiation dose in pediatric craniofacial CT by changing head position

Background Children are exposed to ionizing radiation during pre- and post-operative evaluation for craniofacial surgery.
Renal cell carcinoma in association with tuberous sclerosis in children

Tuberous sclerosis, a genetically transmitted multisystem neurocutaneous disorder, is associated with renal lesions in 50% of cases. The expected lesions are angiomyolipomas or renal cysts; renal cell carcinoma has been encountered in adults who have tuberous sclerosis, but is very rare in children. The authors report the case of a 5-year-old girl with tuberous sclerosis for whom atypical computed tomography findings led to the diagnosis of renal carcinoma at an early age. This experience suggests that children with tuberous sclerosis may need earlier screening.
Inhibition of signal transducer and activator transcription factor 3 in rats with acute hepatic failure.

In fulminant hepatic failure, survival is not possible without recovery of sufficient hepatocyte mass. Remarkably, only a few studies exist that provide insight into the mechanisms that control proliferation of residual hepatocytes after extensive hepatocyte loss. In this regard, the role of growth-regulatory factors, including pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), is not well understood. In the present study we show that in rats with critically low (10%) hepatocyte mass, whether with or without ongoing liver cell necrosis, inhibition of liver regeneration is associated with early and sustained increase in blood IL-6 levels. Under these conditions, the signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat3) DNA binding activity was lowered at the time of G1/S cell-cycle transition. We further demonstrate that the protein inhibitor of activated Stat3 (PIAS3) and the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS-1) were up-regulated early after induction of liver failure (6-12 h). In vitro, IL-6 induced PIAS3 expression in HGF stimulated rat hepatocytes. These findings suggest that after massive hepatocyte loss, an early and rapid rise in blood IL-6 levels may weaken the hepatic regenerative response through up-regulation of Stat3 inhibitors PIAS3 and SOCS-1.
Bcl-xS and Bad Potentiate the Death Suppressing Activities of Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, and A1 in Yeast

Members of the Bcl-2 family can be grouped into three classes based upon their effects on cell death. The first class suppresses death and includes Bcl-2. A second group, which includes Bax, is lethal, whereas a third class, including Bcl-xS, potentiates killing, although the members are not lethal by themselves. The proteins in the last class are proposed to exert their activity by binding to anti-apoptotic family members, thereby making the cell more susceptible to killing by another agent. To test this hypothesis, an inducible yeast expression system is reported that permits the functional analysis of three Bcl-2 family members. In yeast, Bax is lethal, and this activity is suppressed by Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, and A1. Co-expression of Bcl-xS did not diminish the ability of any of the anti-apoptotic members to antagonize Bax. Rather, co-expression of Bcl-xS potentiated the anti-death activity of all three proteins. This effect was not the result of changes in either the levels or integrity of Bax or anti-apoptotic proteins. Thus, Bcl-xS can bind to anti-apoptotic family members, but this association does not result in loss of biological activity. Therefore, Bcl-xS may act downstream of Bax and in a pathway that is conserved in yeast.
Hand/Handhold Coupling: Influence of Active Grip Force and Friction on Breakaway Strength

Fall-related fatalities and injuries during climbing tasks represent a significant socioeconomic problem whether they occur in children, in the working age population, or in the elderly. The strength of the mechanical coupling between hand and handhold largely determines if a person can support their bodyweight or will lose grip of the handhold, fall and risk injury. It therefore seems prudent to quantify the maximum amount of external force that the coupling between the hand and handhold is capable of withstanding and to determine how handle design properties influence this.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Going Mental: Podcasting, Authenticity, and Artist–Fan Identification on Paul Gilmartin's Mental Illness Happy Hour

The podcast has recently emerged as a popular medium for comedians. It would not be accurate to describe the podcast as a wholly new, liberating medium that dispenses of all commercial logic in fav...
EFFECTS OF MINERAL FILLERS ON PROPERTIES OF STONE MATRIX ASPHALT MIXTURES

Stone matrix asphalt (SMA) is a gap-graded hot mixture that has higher proportion of coarse aggregate, lower proportion of middle-size aggregate, and higher proportion of mineral filler than a dense-graded mixture. Because of the high quantity of mineral filler, the type and quantity of this fraction should play a major role in the properties of these mixtures and their mastics. Determination of whether mastic and mixture properties can distinguish good mineral fillers from bad ones is the objective. Eight mineral fillers with known performance were obtained from three European countries. Mastics were tested for stiffness using a bending beam rheometer (AASHTO TP1), a dynamic shear rheometer (AASHTO TP5), and softening point of bitumen using the ring-and-ball apparatus (AASHTO T53-92). None of the tests distinguished among mastics with good and bad mineral fillers. Mixtures were tested for draindown of mastic using the National Center for Asphalt Technology draindown test, rutting using the French pavemen...
An Interpersonal Ethic for Communication

A modern rhetoric has developed concerning itself with considerably more dimensions of speech than was the case with traditional rhetoric's concentration on persuasion and public address. Indeed, this modern rhetoric has expanded its domain to include the whole range of types of oral communication. But while this very basic kind of evolution has been taking place, it appears that a corresponding ethic (an interpersonal one) has not emerged. The authors make bold to try to stimulate that study. The interpersonal ethic proposed in the article can be stated as follows: A's communication is ethical to the extent that it accepts B's responses; it is unethical to the extent to which it develops hostility toward B's responses, or in some way tries to subjugate B. The ethic can be observed best, the authors believe, when A discovers that B rejects the message A is sending. Such an ethic springs from the following assumptions: (1) By virtue of the very nature of the communicative act, the two parties to a communication exercise control over each other. Both the listener and the speaker are, in part, at the other's mercy. (2) One of the highest values in a democratic culture is that conditions be created and maintained in which the potential of the individual is best realized. (3) The individual will be able to realize his potential to the extent that psychological freedom can be increased for him. An interpersonal ethic, the article suggests, may have more to do with the attitude of the speaker and listener toward each other than with elements of the message (as in the more traditional rhetoric). It may concern itself more with loyalty to the person with whom one is in communication than to rationality or cosmic truth.
In-Register Duplication: Exploiting Narrow-Width Value for Improving Register File Reliability

Protecting the register value and its data buses is crucial to reliable computing in high-performance microprocessors due to the increasing susceptibility of CMOS circuitry to soft errors induced by high-energy particle strikes. Since the register file is in the critical path of the processor pipeline, any reliable design that increases either the pressure on the register file or the register file access latency is not desirable. In this paper, we propose to exploit narrow-width register values, which present the majority of the generated values, for duplicating a copy of the value within the same data item, called in-register duplication (IRD), eliminating the requirement of additional copy registers. The datapath pipeline is augmented to efficiently incorporate parity encoding and parity checking such that error recovery is seamlessly supported in IRD and the parity checking is overlapped with the execution stage to avoid increasing the critical path. Our experimental evaluation using the SPEC CINT2000 benchmark suite shows that IRD provides superior read-with-duplicate (RWD) and error detection/ recovery rates under heavy error injection as compared to previous reliability schemes.
Concreting Sustainability: Renewing the cement industry through sustainability implementation

While the cement industry had traditionally been linked to the concepts of modernity and development, the drive towards socially responsible and environmentally friendly business practices has required a revision of the industry mostly in relation to its sustainability programs. This paper examines the logics followed by employees when relating to the concept of sustainability as sustainability programs are implemented in the cement industry. The interaction with different stakeholders in combination with personal convictions about ethics, power, environment and participation in a team influence how an individual understands sustainability policies and makes them concrete.
Simultaneous prediction of binding free energy and specificity for PDZ domain–peptide interactions

Interactions between protein domains and linear peptides underlie many biological processes. Among these interactions, the recognition of C-terminal peptides by PDZ domains is one of the most ubiquitous. In this work, we present a mathematical model for PDZ domain–peptide interactions capable of predicting both affinity and specificity of binding based on X-ray crystal structures and comparative modeling with Rosetta. We developed our mathematical model using a large phage display dataset describing binding specificity for a wild type PDZ domain and 91 single mutants, as well as binding affinity data for a wild type PDZ domain binding to 28 different peptides. Structural refinement was carried out through several Rosetta protocols, the most accurate of which included flexible peptide docking and several iterations of side chain repacking and backbone minimization. Our findings emphasize the importance of backbone flexibility and the energetic contributions of side chain-side chain hydrogen bonds in accurately predicting interactions. We also determined that predicting PDZ domain–peptide interactions became increasingly challenging as the length of the peptide increased in the N-terminal direction. In the training dataset, predicted binding energies correlated with those derived through calorimetry and specificity switches introduced through single mutations at interface positions were recapitulated. In independent tests, our best performing protocol was capable of predicting dissociation constants well within one order of magnitude of the experimental values and specificity profiles at the level of accuracy of previous studies. To our knowledge, this approach represents the first integrated protocol for predicting both affinity and specificity for PDZ domain–peptide interactions.
A new look at digital orthogonal transmultiplexers for CDMA communications

Orthogonal transmultiplexers have been successfully utilized for multiuser communications. They are of the FDMA type in their most common version. The transmultiplexers using frequency selective PR-QMFs as their user codes were reported in the literature. This approach conflicts with the requirements of a CDMA communications system. We introduce novel spread spectrum PR-QMF codes, wherein the orthogonality is distributed over both time and frequency domains. It is shown that the proposed multivalued spread spectrum PR-QMF codes with minimized auto and cross-correlation properties outperform the conventional binary Gold codes in CDMA communication scenarios considered in the article.
Mental symptoms in Parkinsonian patients treated with L-dopa.

Abstract Eighteen of ninety consecutive patients Summary with Parkinson's disease had mental disturbances attributable to therapy with L-dopa. Seven of them became moderately to severely depressed, four became suicidal, five became psychotic, and one became psychotic and later depressed. One patient developed delusions and hallucinations when L-dopa was temporarily withdrawn. The abrupt appearance and rapid worsening of mental side-effects in five patients, three of whom became suicidal and two psychotic, underlines the need for awareness of mental complications of therapy with L-dopa in order to avoid delay in diagnosis and treatment.
Cultural suppression of female sexuality.

Four theories about cultural suppression of female sexuality are evaluated. Data are reviewed on cross-cultural differences in power and sex ratios, reactions to the sexual revolution, direct restraining influences on adolescent and adult female sexuality, double standard patterns of sexual morality, female genital surgery, legal and religious restrictions on sex, prostitution and pornography, and sexual deception. The view that men suppress female sexuality received hardly any support and is flatly contradicted by some findings. Instead, the evidence favors the view that women have worked to stifle each other's sexuality because sex is a limited resource that women use to negotiate with men, and scarcity gives women an advantage.
Higher Resolution Subsurface Imaging

This is the fifth in a series of articles on the great challenges facing the oil and gas industry as outlined by the SPE Research and Development (R&D) Committee. The R&D challenges comprise broad upstream business needs: increasing recovery factors, in-situ molecular manipulation, carbon capture and sequestration, produced water management, higher resolution subsurface imaging of hydrocarbons, and the environment. The articles in this series examine each of these challenges in depth. White papers covering these challenges are available at www.spe.org/industry/globalchallenges and allow reader comments and open discussion of the topics.
The importance of individual characteristics on consideration sets for online auction buyers

In this research, we extend online auction theory by considering set theory in terms of a staged buying process. Success of online auction marketplaces depends on the efficacy of individual buyers searching for and finding desired items for bidding. Searches that lead to consideration sets with too many or too few options may result in a suboptimal choice. Results from this study suggest that certain personal characteristics may impact the number of auctions considered when filtering the awareness set to the consideration set. The findings suggest that design and management of online auction marketplaces should be refined to facilitate these individual traits such that individual search strategies are maximized.
Application of yoga in residential treatment of traumatized youth.

BACKGROUND:The Trauma Center at Justice Resource Institute has adapted a form of Hatha yoga into a trauma- sensitive adjunctive component of intervention for use with complexly traumatized individuals exhibiting chronic affective and somatic dysregulation and associated behavioral, functioning, and health complaints. OBJECTIVES: This article explores the use of yoga with traumatized youth (aged 12-21 years) in residential treatment. DESIGN: A review of the literature on the somatic impact of trauma exposure provides a rationale for the use of yoga with this population and highlights an emerging evidence base in support of this practice. Case vignettes illustrate the integration of structured, gentle yoga practices into residential programming for youth with severe emotional and behavioral problems. RESULTS: Anecdotal data and clinical observation underscore the promise of yoga as a viable approach to build self-regulatory capacity of traumatized youth. Conclusions: Future directions in the development and evaluation of trauma-informed yoga practices for youth are discussed.
Manual and Automated Instrumentation for Identification of Enterobacteriaceae and Other Aerobic Gram-Negative Bacilli

Identification of gram-negative bacilli, both enteric and nonenteric, by conventional methods is not realistic for clinical microbiology laboratories performing routine cultures in today's world. The use of commercial kits, either manual or automated, to identify these organisms is a common practice. The advent of rapid or “spot” testing has eliminated the need for some commonly isolated organisms to be identified with the systems approach. Commercially available systems provide more in-depth identification to the species level as well as detect new and unusual strains. The answers obtained from these systems may not always be correct and must be interpreted with caution. The patient demographics, laboratory workload and work flow, and technologist's skill levels should dictate the system of choice. Cost considerations introduce another variable into the equation affecting choice. Each system has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each laboratory must decide on the level of sophistication that fulfills its particular needs.
Calf removal improves conception rates to the Ovsynch and CO-Synch protocols.

Beef cows (n = 473) from two locations were stratified by breed, postpartum interval, age, and AI sire and were randomly allotted to one of four treatments for synchronization of ovulation. Ovulation synchronization protocols included the Ovsynch protocol with (n = 114) or without (n = 123) 48-h calf removal from d 7 to 9 (d 0 = 1st GnRH injection) or the CO-Synch protocol with (n = 119) or without (n = 117) 48-h calf removal from d 7 to 9. The Ovsynch protocol included administration of GnRH (100 microg; i.m.) on d 0, PGF2alpha (25 mg; i.m.) on d 7, GnRH (100 microg; i.m.) on d 9, and timed insemination on d 10. The CO-Synch protocol included administration of GnRH (100 microg; i.m.) on d 0, PGF2alpha (25 mg; i.m.) on d 7, and GnRH (100 microg; i.m.) with timed insemination on d 9. Blood samples were collected from all cows on d -10 and d 0 for analysis of serum progesterone. Cows with at least one serum progesterone concentration greater than 1 ng/mL were considered to be cyclic at the time of treatment. Conception rates of cows that received the CO-Synch + calf removal, Ovsynch + calf removal, CO-Synch, or Ovsynch protocol (63, 61, 54, and 52%, respectively) were not different (P = 0.50). Conception rates were not different (P = 0.80) among CO-Synch- and Ovsynch-treated cows; however, both estrual status and 48-h calf removal affected conception rates. Conception rates of cyclic cows (66%) were greater (P = 0.01) than those of anestrous cows (53%), regardless of which synchronization protocol was used. When data were pooled across synchronization protocol, conception rates of cows with 48-h calf removal (62%) were greater (P = 0.09) than conception rates of cows without calf removal (53%). The CO-Synch + calf removal protocol induces a fertile ovulation in cyclic and anestrous cows, requires handling cattle just three times, results in high conception rates from timed insemination, and should be a useful program for synchronization of ovulation in beef cows.
Evidence for a Proton–Protein Symport Mechanism in the Anthrax Toxin Channel

The toxin produced by Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is composed of three proteins: a translocase heptameric channel, (PA(63))(7), formed from protective antigen (PA), which allows the other two proteins, lethal and edema factors (LF and EF), to translocate across a host cell's endosomal membrane, disrupting cellular homeostasis. It has been shown that (PA(63))(7) incorporated into planar phospholipid bilayer membranes forms a channel capable of transporting LF and EF. Protein translocation through the channel is driven by a proton electrochemical potential gradient on a time scale of seconds. A paradoxical aspect of this is that although LF(N) (the N-terminal 263 residues of LF), on which most of our experiments were performed, has a net negative charge, it is driven through the channel by a cis-positive voltage. We have explained this by claiming that the (PA(63))(7) channel strongly disfavors the entry of negatively charged residues on proteins to be translocated, and hence the aspartates and glutamates on LF(N) enter protonated (i.e., neutralized). Therefore, the translocated species is positively charged. Upon exiting the channel, the protons that were picked up from the cis solution are released into the trans solution, thereby making this a proton-protein symporter. Here, we provide further evidence of such a mechanism by showing that if only one SO(3)(-), which is essentially not titratable, is introduced at most positions in LF(N), through the reaction of an introduced cysteine residue at those positions with 2-sulfonato-ethyl-methanethiosulfonate, voltage-driven LF(N) translocation is drastically inhibited. We also find that a site that disfavors the entry of negatively charged residues into the (PA(63))(7) channel resides at or near its Phi-clamp, the ring of seven phenylalanines near the channel's entrance.
A True O(1) Parallel Deadlock Detection Algorithm for Single-Unit Resource Systems and Its Hardware Implementation

Due to rapid technology advance, multiprocessor system-on-chips (MPSoCs) are likely to become commodity computing platforms for embedded applications. In the future, it is possible that an MPSoC is equipped with a large number of processing elements as well as on-chip resources. The management of these faces many challenges, among which deadlock is one of the most crucial issues. This paper presents a novel hardware-oriented deadlock detection algorithm suitable for current and future MPSoCs. Unlike previously published methods whose runtime complexities are often affected by the number of processing elements and resources in the system, the proposed algorithm leverages specialized hardware to guarantee O(1) overall runtime complexity. Such complexity is achieved by: 1) classifying resource allocation events; 2) for each type of events, using hardware to perform a set of specific detection and/or preparation operations that only takes constant runtime; and 3) updating necessary information for multiple resources in parallel in hardware. We implement the algorithm in Verilog HDL and demonstrate through simulation that each algorithm invocation takes at most four clock cycles.
Informal discussions in substance abuse treatment sessions with Spanish-speaking clients

This study investigated the extent to which bilingual counselors initiated informal discussions about topics that were unrelated to the treatment of their monolingual Spanish-speaking Hispanic clients in a National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trial Network protocol examining the effectiveness of motivational enhancement therapy (MET). Session audiotapes were independently rated to assess counselor treatment fidelity and the incidence of informal discussions. Eighty-three percent of the 23 counselors participating in the trial initiated informal discussions at least once in one or more of their sessions. Counselors delivering MET in the trial initiated informal discussion significantly less often than the counselors delivering standard treatment. Counselors delivering standard treatment were likely to talk informally the most when they were ethnically non-Latin. In addition, informal discussion was found to have significant inverse correlations with client motivation to reduce substance use and client retention in treatment. These results suggest that informal discussion may have adverse consequences on Hispanic clients' motivation for change and substance abuse treatment outcomes and that maintaining a more formal relationship in early treatment sessions may work best with Hispanic clients. Careful counselor training and supervision in MET may suppress the tendency of counselors to talk informally in sessions.
Die Entstehung der Mode und die Lenkung der Verbrauchernachfrage

Seine eigene Zeit und Gesellschaft zu charakterisieren ist auserst schwierig. Die Schwierigkeit liegt vor allem darin, das Gemeinsame und Typische in allen Ereignissen herauszufinden. Im allgemeinen fesselt das Ungewohnliche unser Interesse besonders, und wir beachten die gewohnlichen Dinge des Lebens zu wenig. Und doch sind es gerade diese gewohnlichen Dinge, die in spateren Zeiten als fur unsere Gegenwart charakteristisch angesehen werden. Einen Zugang zu unseren normalen Verhaltensformen gewinnen wir, wenn wir einen ziemlich auffalligen und charakteristischen Zug unserer Gegenwart herausgreifen, wie z. B. die Stilgebung unserer Gebrauchsgegenstande und deren Entwicklung aus fruherer Zeit bis heute verfolgen, wobei wir besonders auf die in dieser Entwicklung sich abbildenden Veranderungen der allgemeinen Anschauungen und Gefuhle achten.
Millimeter-Wave Signal Transport Over Optical Fiber Links by “Feed-Forward Modulation”

Development of optical modulation techniques at frequencies of tens of gigahertz is motivated to a large part by potential applications in microwave and millimeter-wave signal transport in optical fiber, such as point-to-point free space data links for commercial applications and phased array antenna systems for military applications. Most of these systems operate over a relatively narrow band ( ∼ a few gigahertz), although the carrier frequency may vary over a wide range (as in frequency hopping schemes). Recent work in high-frequency, narrow-band modulation includes direct modulation, specifically resonant modulation (Part II of this book), which takes advantage of coupling between longitudinal modes of a laser diode to enhance the optical modulation efficiency of laser diodes over a narrow band around the frequency separation between longitudinal modes of the laser diode, in the tens to even hundreds gigahertz range for common laser diode structures [88,159].
On the continuity of the value of a linear program and of related polyhedral-valued multifunctions

Results about the continuity of the optimal value of a linear program and of related polyhedral-valued multifunctions (determined by the constraints) are reviewed. A framework is provided for studying their interconnections.
Against ISP Liability

In "Holding Internet Service Providers Accountable" (Regulation, Winter 2004), Douglas Lichtman argues for making Internet Service Providers (ISPs) liable for the propagation of Internet pathologies like worms, viruses, and other malicious computer code. His hope is that placing liability on ISPs will give them the incentive to protect Internet users. Protecting users is a noble goal and Lichtman has given this problem a good deal of thought. But his argument for ISP liability has a fundamental flaw: it places efficiency ahead of justice. The Internet is a medium, not a thing, and the supply of access to it is peculiarly unsuited to a liability rule like Lichtman proposes.
Whodunit: an auditing tool for detecting data breaches

Commercial database systems provide support to maintain an audit trail that can be analyzed offline to identify potential threats to data security. We present a tool that performs data auditing that asks for an audit trail of all users and queries that referenced sensitive data, for example "find all queries and corresponding users that referenced John Doe's salary in the last six months". Our tool: (1) handles complex SQL queries including constructs such as grouping, aggregation and subqueries, (2) has privacy guarantees, and (3) incorporates novel optimization techniques for efficiently auditing a large workload of complex SQL queries.
Gift Exchange with Saints in Medieval Icelandic Miracle Stories

Employing anthropological perspectives on gift giving, I analyze exchanges between Icelandic saints and their devotees in the miracle stories of Saints Jon and Þorlakr. Norms of reciprocal gift giving offered a framework for seeking saintly assistance that involved predictable stages, including vows, counter-pledges, and pledge-confirmations, followed by gifts and counter-gifts. I highlight the need for equity in gift exchange and the negotiations between devotees and saints seeking materially and/or symbolically balanced exchange. The examples discussed underscore the role of reciprocal exchange in structuring the miracle stories, the consequences of failed saintly gift transactions, and the Church’s role in promoting a reciprocal understanding of saintly worship. Counter-gifting of material goods by the devotee to the saints’ cathedrals directed wealth towards the Church, but I contend that the pivotal outcome of saintly gift exchange conducted according to traditional norms was the cementation of socio...
Some Alternatives to Linear Factor Analysis for Variable Grouping Applied to Buyer Behavior Variables

A problem which often arises in analyzing survey data concerns finding a way to partition a large number of variables into a more parsimonious set. The procedure most often used for this partitioning is linear factor analysis [3, 8]. Other means of grouping variables are considered here; specifically, a nonlinear measure of association is substituted for the simple correlation coefficient. Alternatives to the conventional factor analysis approach for grouping variables are suggested. These suggested approaches are then applied to a common data set involving a new product introduction.
The Founding of Biological Abstracts

No other American scientific publication or organization of comparable size can possibly have had a longer gestation period, with more midwives in attendance throughout, than Biological Abstracts! A full six years were to elapse between the first informal meeting to consider its conception in December, 1920, and the appearance of the first issue of Biological Abstracts in December, 1926. Yet these were to be fully occupied years, with several important and decisive meetings of multiple committees and numerous individuals. In spite of all the many and frustrating delays, the involvement of so many individual biologists in the founding of Biological Abstracts served the extremely useful purpose of creating a large group of loyal and knowledgeable backers, truly the leaders of the biological community, who were widely distributed geographically through the major universities and other institutions of this country. Their supportive influence was long felt. The gradual shift toward institutional rather than individual support for Biological Abstracts began only a decade after its founding and was brought about not by any change in the original concept but by the urgent need for funds on a life-or-death basis to prevent the sudden liquidation of the whole enterprise, when continuing financial support for its editorial operations had been somewhat unexpectedly terminated by The Rockefeller Foundation during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Weight and cardiometabolic health: new perspectives.

International Journal of Obesity accepted article preview online, 02 May 2016. doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.83.
Comparison of fosfomycin to ertapenem for outpatient or step-down therapy of extended-spectrum β-lactamase urinary tract infections.

Abstract Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes cause resistance to common β-lactam antibiotics and are associated with poor outcomes. Management of ESBL urinary tract infections (UTIs) is challenging given the limited treatment options available outside the hospital setting. In this study, the primary endpoint of UTI-related 30-day hospital re-admission or emergency department/clinic revisit rates was compared for fosfomycin and ertapenem outpatient ESBL UTI treatments. A retrospective cohort study was performed on patients with ESBL UTIs treated with outpatient fosfomycin or ertapenem from January 2010 to February 2015. Inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, outpatient treatment with fosfomycin or ertapenem for symptomatic ESBL UTI, and positive urine cultures with microbiologically proven ESBL-producing bacteria. A non-inferiority margin of 0.15 was selected to detect a difference in the primary endpoint. Patient and infection characteristics were compared. A sensitivity analysis with propensity score matching was performed. In total, 178 patients were included (89 fosfomycin-treated and 89 ertapenem-treated). Ertapenem-treated patients received longer outpatient antibiotic treatment (10 days vs. 6 days; P 0.001). ESBL isolates identified were 149 Escherichia coli (83.7%), 26 Klebsiella spp. (14.6%) and 3 other (1.7%). Common dosage regimens were oral dose of 3 g fosfomycin every 72 h (62%), oral dose of 3 g fosfomycin every 48 h (23%) and intravenous dose of 1 g ertapenem daily (76%). The thirty-day re-admission/revisit rates for fosfomycin and ertapenem were 14.6% vs. 13.5% (1.1% difference; 97.5% CI, −0.11 to 0.13). Fosfomycin was non-inferior to ertapenem for treating outpatient ESBL UTIs and should be considered as appropriate step-down therapy for these infections.
Robust H_∞ Control for Space Teleoperation Systems Based on Linear Matrix Inequality

A robust H∞ control method based on linear matrix inequality(LMI) is proposed for force feedback space teleoperation systems with large time-varying delays and the uncertainty of the environment model parameters.This method only needs to know the bounds of the delay interval for teleoperation systems with unknown and variable round trip time delays.It also can solve the problem that the parameters of the environment are uncertain and obtain good position and force tracking performances.The master and slave dynamics are respectively transformed to state space equations,and they are incorporated to a uniform form,which is discretized in succession.A state-feedback controller is designed for the whole systems based on LMI method;the stability of the closed-loop system is analyzed by defining a Lyapunov function;and sufficient conditions for the controller are presented which enable the closed-loop system to be asymptotic stability as well as guarantee a prescribed position tracking performance under the cases that the parameters of the environment are certain or uncertain.Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method enables the teleoperation system not only asymptotic stability,but also taking on good position and force tracking performances.
Effect of tannic acid and gallic acid on suspension of carbon nanotubes

In this study,tannic acid( TA) and gallic acid( GA) were used as model chemicals for CNTs suspension to investigate the effect of molecular morphology and properties on CNTs suspension. At low adsorption amounts,the higher suspension of CNTs by TA than GA was observed,while this phenomenon was opposite for GA at high adsorption amounts. Additionally, CNTs with higher O-contents showed the better suspension. This study emphasizes that the dispersion of CNTs by organic matter is not only controlled by the apparent adsorption of organic matter but also the molecular morphology and chemical properties of organic matter. Besides,chemical properties of CNTs are very important for the suspension.
Magnesium absorption by everted sacs of rat intestine and colon.

The isotope 28Mg++ was used to study the transport of magnesium by everted sacs prepared from three levels of small bowel and from colon of fasted rats. At low mucosal Mg++ concentrations, the specific activity of Mg++ in serosal fluid was considerably less than in mucosal fluid. This indicated either leakage of unlabeled tissue Mg++ or exchange of 28Mg++ with the unlabeled cellular pool during transport. At low mucosal Mg++ levels, net transport calculated from chemical concentrations was therefore higher than that calculated from isotope transport. Both gut wall uptake and transport of magnesium, calculated as the ratio of total serosal fluid radioactivity to the specific activity of the mucosal bath, were linearly related to mucosal concentrations at all levels of bowel and decreased progressively from proximal to distal bowel. Glucose tended to reduce Mg++ transport, and this trend was reversed by 2, 4-dinitrophenol. Addition of calcium to the mucosal fluid tended to reduce Mg++ transport. We conclude that simple ionic diffusion is probably the major mechanism of magnesium absorption, at least at high mucosal concentrations. Possible active or facilitated transport could not be excluded, however, owing to inequality of serosal to mucosal specific activity ratios at low mucosal concentrations.