cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brief of Tax Law Professors as Amici Curiae in Support of the Department of Revenue of the State of Colorado in Department of Revenue of the State of Colorado v. Oracle Corporation & Subsidiaries

Amici write to address specific matters of tax policy and history raised by this case. In particular, amici address 1) the history and justification for water’s edge combined reporting (the “water’s edge method”) and 2) the history and justification for the remedial provisions that are uniformly part of state corporate income taxes. As to the first issue, amici emphasize that the water’s edge method represents a deviation from sound tax policy arrived at as a political compromise between states, the federal government, and foreign entities. As such, the method should reflect the terms of that compromise and not be expanded to exclude a U.S.-based entity with no foreign activities — such as the subsidiary at issue in this case — from its unitary business’ combined reporting group. As to the second issue, amici write to explain that state remedial provisions, as a matter of policy, exist to ensure that deviations from sound tax policy required to make a tax system administrable are not permitted to significantly harm the state tax base. In this case, the taxpayer relies on a technical reading of Colorado’s tax laws to exclude a domestic member of its unitary business from its Colorado combined group. That reading, if correct, would visit substantial harm on the Colorado corporate income tax base, making this case a strong candidate for application of the state’s remedial provisions.
Additive Manufacturing of Topology-Optimized Graded Porous Structures: An Experimental Study

Graded porous structures, combining the high stiffness of bulk designs and the robustness of porous structures, have received increasing attention in the fields of topology optimization and additive manufacturing. This study aims to experimentally investigate the properties of topology-optimized and additively manufactured graded porous structures, with comparisons to conventional bulk designs and one-level porous structures. Examples with graded porosity are designed through a unique multiporosity topology optimization framework. This multiporosity framework generalizes the concept of multiple materials; i.e., each material field has a different level of local porosity, thus realizing the automatic distribution of multilevel porosity. The optimized designs are fabricated via the mask stereolithography process using photosensitive resins. Based on three-point bending tests, we study the failure processes and the influences of material deficiency on elastic stiffness for the three types of optimized designs: bulk, one-level porous, and graded porous designs. Experimental results demonstrate that the additively manufactured optimized graded porous structures not only have relatively high structural stiffness and load-carrying capacities but also show a ductile failure mode and certain robustness against material deficiency. The presented work contributes to experimental studies on demonstrating the combined advantages of topology-optimized graded porous structures by comparing the structural performances of graded porous structures with bulk designs and one-level porous structures.
Differential Translation of Eukaryotic Messenger RNAs

Investigators demonstrated some years ago that translation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in vitro is characterized by utilization of individual messages with different efficiencies, but the basis of this translational discrimination is poorly understood.1,2 In addition to the in vitro studies, several laboratories have reported competitive mRNA translation in vivo.3–5 Two basic models may be proposed to explain, simplistically, the basis of translational discrimination.1 The first model states that mRNA selectivity is provided by translation components that are mRNA-specific, while the second model states that discrimination occurs as a consequence of differences in affinity among mRNAs for a nonspecific component of the translational system. There are some data that support the first model6; however, the majority of data give support to the second model and strongly suggest that the most significant site of regulation is at the level of initiation of protein synthesis.1,2,4,7
SU-F-207-08: CT Protocol Management Using Quantitative Clinical Image Quality Measurement

Purpose: To establish a CT protocol management program based on quantitative measurement of clinical Image Quality. Methods: After reviewing images of routine adult brains and abdomens for 12 system scanners, we established a target Image Noise range. The scanners are of different vendors, models and configurations. For instance, only 4 have iterative reconstruction capability. For this reason it is problematic to rely on dose alone as a standardization metric.We then instituted quarterly review of clinical images. A set of 10 images is randomly selected, and reviewed to determine if the target noise range is being achieved. This is done for both routine adult brains and abdomens. Outliers are studied to determine if further action is needed, e.g. protocol revision. The performance of the sample as a whole is also examined. Results: The program was implemented spring of 2014. To date, it has successfully identified situations where Image Noise systematically exceeded the target range. Interventions were made in each one of these cases, successfully adjusting the Image noise to within desired limits. In addition, the program is used as a Measure of Effectiveness for proposed protocol revisions, producing an objective performance measure. Conclusion: Measuring and monitoring clinical image noise is a simple, effective, quantitative tool for managing CT protocols.
Potential Daily Sperm Production, Sertoli Cell Number, and Seminiferous Tubule Characteristics in Beef Bulls Fed Conventional or Gossypol‐Enriched Diets

The objective of this study was to determine the amount of germ cell degeneration throughout spermatogenesis in the bull and to determine if gossypol-enriched diets enhance that degeneration. Twenty-six adult beef bulls in two different sets of treatment groups were chosen for the study. The first set of bulls were broken into three groups, receiving soybean meal (<0.03 g gossypol per bull, per day), cottonseed meal (1.8 g gossypol per bull, per day), or whole cottonseed (16 g gossypol per bull per day). The second set of bulls were fed 4 g of gossypol per day for 180 days and then were placed in their respective treatment groups of 0 g or 4 g of gossypol per day for 72 days to evaluate the effect of continued gossypol treatment versus stopping treatment. Hence, one group received gossypol for 180 days, followed by withdrawal for 72 days. The treated group received gossypol up to castration at 250 days. In both sets of bulls, significant germ cell degeneration occurred between B spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes (i.e., at the end of mitosis and into the beginning of meiosis), with no subsequent degeneration throughout the rest of spermatogenesis. For both sets of bulls, the gossypol-enriched diet fed had no effect on the nuclear volume or number per gram parenchyma of any germ cell or Sertoli cell. Therefore, gossypol did not augment the amount of germ cell degeneration that occurred between B spermatogonia and homogenate-resistant (mature) spermatids in either set of bulls. Gossypol-enriched diets also had no effect on volume density, diameter, luminal diameter, or basement membrane thickness of seminiferous tubules for the first set of bulls. The second set of bulls, with continued diets enriched with gossypol, had a larger number of B spermatogonia per gram than did bulls removed from the gossypol-enriched diet. In conclusion, the bull did experience significant degeneration of germ cells between B spermatogonia and pachytene primary spermatocytes, with no subsequent loss throughout the rest of spermatogenesis, and the gossypol-enriched diet did not further enhance germ cell degeneration.
Machiavelli's Socratic Dialogue: The Prince as a Seduction into Virtue

On its surface, Machiavelli’s Prince is inconsistent both with his Discourses and his republican loyalties. The resulting puzzles can be solved by reading The Prince as a Socratic dialogue involving a Counselor and a Prince, in which only the Counselor speaks. Seeming to teach merely the technique of acquisition, the Counsellor attempts to seduce the Prince into virtue. If The Prince is a drama rather than an essay, its meaning may not lie on its surface. Facing dramatic irony, the reader is forced to engage the text actively to discover the author's intention. Such an active reading reveals a republican message: the project of achieving glory via tyranny is incoherent, and its “effectual truth” can be found only in the foundation or renovation of a republic. Machiavelli's choice of form prevents the reader from uncritically appropriating the author’s ideas. This fits his beliefs that only the wise can be well-advised and that power, to be secure, must be self-reliant. The teaching of The Prince is not given to the lazy; it must be taken by “those worthy to be princes.”
Correction to: "Isospectral surfaces of small genus''

It was brought to our attention by Zoran Luicic and Milica Stojanovic, via Peter Gilkey, that some of the diagrams in our paper are not correct. The particular problems are the gluing diagrams for the pair of isospectral surfaces of genus 4, which occur on page 20. It is easy to check that the gluing diagrams given there give rise to a surface of the wrong genus. The problem arose because of carelessness in some of the identifications of some of the edges of the fundamental domain.
Accession Aspirations Degenerate: A New Chapter for Turkey and the EU

Political and judicial events in 2009 severely undermined Turkey’s negotiations to accede to full membership in the European Union (―EU‖). The ongoing accession dialogue has proven largely unproductive of its aims, and these new events have clarified the negative environment engulfing the process and warrant the conclusion that Turkey and the EU are better served by recognizing this reality and moving forward to a more constructive chapter of collaboration. In the June 2009 European Parliamentary elections, rightist parties inhospitable to Turkey’s EU aspirations won large numbers of seats amid a campaign in which political rhetoric dangerously broadened the range of acceptable criticism of immigration, Islamic culture, and Turkey itself. Concurrently, EU organs and Member States continued an ongoing policy of scrutinizing Turkey’s progress to accession with a finer lens than was ever used before, and in fact vetoing the start of negotiations in many chapters of the EU acquis communitaire. Finally, the European Court of Justice issued its powerful Apolostolides v. Orams judgment, and the voters of the northern Cypriot community elected a new nationalist, rightwing government known to oppose the United Nations (―U.N.‖) plan to reunite Cyprus on a federal, bi-zonal basis. Both of these latter developments further lessened the likelihood of progress in the U.N. negotiations to resolve the Cyprus division, one of the keys to Turkey’s own EU accession aspirations. All of these new developments combine to render Turkey’s accession to full membership in the EU improbable in this era, supporting the conclusion that Turkey and the EU should modify the present, unfruitful accession discussion and advance to a new, realistic framework for constructive dialogue and collaboration.  John J. McAulay Professor of Law, Director of the Center for International Law Programs, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. The author gratefully acknowledges the insightful comments on the article by Prof. Herbert Hausmaninger of the University of Vienna, as well as the research and analytical assistance of D. Samantha Kennedy, Evan J. Bergeron, and Desmonde X. Bennett. Washington University Open Scholarship 226 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY GLOBAL STUDIES LAW REVIEW [VOL. 9:225
High throughput sample preparation and analysis for DNA sequencing, PCR and combinatorial screening of catalysis based on capillary array technique

Sample preparation has been one of the major bottlenecks for many high throughput analyses. The purpose of this research was to develop new sample preparation and integration approach for DNA sequencing, PCR based DNA analysis and combinatorial screening of homogeneous catalysis based on multiplexed capillary electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence or imaging UV absorption detection. The author first introduced a method to integrate the front-end tasks to DNA capillary-array sequencers. protocols for directly sequencing the plasmids from a single bacterial colony in fused-silica capillaries were developed. After the colony was picked, lysis was accomplished in situ in the plastic sample tube using either a thermocycler or heating block. Upon heating, the plasmids were released while chromsomal DNA and membrane proteins were denatured and precipitated to the bottom of the tube. After adding enzyme and Sanger reagents, the resulting solution was aspirated into the reaction capillaries by a syringe pump, and cycle sequencing was initiated. No deleterious effect upon the reaction efficiency, the on-line purification system, or the capillary electrophoresis separation was observed, even though the crude lysate was used as the template. Multiplexed on-line DNA sequencing data from 8 parallel channels allowed base calling up to 620 bp with an accuracy of 98%. The entire system can be automatically regenerated for repeated operation. For PCR based DNA analysis, they demonstrated that capillary electrophoresis with UV detection can be used for DNA analysis starting from clinical sample without purification. After PCR reaction using cheek cell, blood or HIV-1 gag DNA, the reaction mixtures was injected into the capillary either on-line or off-line by base stacking. The protocol was also applied to capillary array electrophoresis. The use of cheaper detection, and the elimination of purification of DNA sample before or after PCR reaction, will make this approach an attractive alternative to current methods for genetic analysis and disease diagnosis.
Issues in Canada

Herie, M., & Skinner, W. (2010). Substance Abuse in Canada. Don Mills, Canada: Oxford University Press. 253 pp., $19.95. The international communities continue to seek effective and efficient ways ...
Causal Attributions: Perceived Dimensions of Causality and Chance

A multidimensional scaling analysis was performed to examine how adult subjects perceive causality and chance in relation to each other. 12 hypothetical situations, representing different classes or categories of causality and chance were scaled on the basis of pairwise comparisons. The results indicated that subjects' perception of causality and chance is two-dimensional with one dimension representing the more objective, conventional chance-cause distinction and the other the more subjective cause-reason distinction. Thus, it is argued that not only Buss's (1978, 1979) logical categories of cause and reason have found empirical validation, but important theoretical implications for attribution theory can be derived.
Rate constants for the gas phase reactions of OH radicals and O3 with pyrrole at 295 ± 1 K and atmospheric pressure

Abstract As part of a program to investigate the atmospheric chemistry and lifetimes of heteroatom-containing organics, rate constants have been determined for the reaction of OH radicals and O 3 with pyrrole in one atmosphere of air at 295 ± 1 K. The rate constants obtained were 1.20 × 10 −10 and 1.57 × 10 −17 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 for reaction with OH radicals and O 3 , respectively. With these rate constants, it can be calculated that under atmospheric conditions the major loss process of pyrrole will be via reaction with the OH radical, with a lifetime due to reaction with OH radicals of ~ 2 h at an OH radical concentration of l × 10 6 molecule cm −3 .
Bladder wall fat on computed tomography with pathologic correlation

Abstract Objectives To determine the prevalence and significance of fat in the urinary bladder wall detectable by computed tomography (CT). Methods Retrospective review of 200 consecutive patients with noncontrast CT. Cystectomy specimen CT/pathologic correlation. Results CT-detectable fat in 30 (15%) patients was significantly more predominant in men ( P =.003) and in patients with past renal stones ( P P =.05). Pathologically, CT-detectable fat was submucosal. Conclusion CT-detectable bladder wall fat is more common in men than women and in patients with a history of renal stones and urinary tract infections.
Causes for vegetation dieback in a Louisiana salt marsh: A bioassay approach

Abstract Wetlands in Louisiana are rapidly deteriorating. An important component of the wetland loss process is vegetation dieback. In order to determine the factors causing vegetation dieback in a Louisiana coastal marsh, a manipulative field experiment was conducted where four native salt marsh plant species with different salinity and flooding tolerances were placed at two elevations within a deteriorating marsh: (1) ambient elevation of the deteriorating marsh and (2) 20 cm above the marsh surface. At the ambient elevation, species that were least flood tolerant had the lowest standing crop and the most flood tolerant species had the highest standing crop. When the deteriorating marsh surface was elevated 20 cm, plant growth improved, the soils became less reduced and sulfide concentrations decreased relative to the ambient elevation of the deteriorating marsh. Soil salinity was low for all treatments, and the differential growth responses of the species were not related to their salinity tolerances. Thus, salinity was not important to the dieback of vegetation in this system but rather excessive submergence was the primary factor controlling dieback in this marsh.
Proton NMR study of molecular motion in solid cortisone.

Abstract Polycrystalline cortisone (17,21-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,11,20-trione, C21H28O5) has been investigated by proton NMR methods between 56 and 400 K at 14 and 25 MHz. Reductions in second moment and two very well-resolved minima in the spin-lattice relaxation time at both frequencies are attributed to reorientation of the two methyl groups on carbons 18 and 19. The data are very well fitted over the entire temperature range to the Kubo-Tomita dipolar relaxation theory using the same parameters at both frequencies. Activation energies Ea characterizing the hindrances to the two methyl reorientations were 5.9 and 15.5 kJ/mol, an unusually large difference. The relaxation constants were 6.4 and 7.9 × 108 s−2.
Radiographic findings in late-presenting congenital diaphragmatic hernia: helpful imaging findings

Imaging findings in delayed presentation of congenital diaphragmatic hernia can be confusing and misleading, resulting in a delay in diagnosis. To evaluate the often puzzling plain film findings of late-presenting CDH in an effort to determine whether any of the findings could be helpful in arriving at an early diagnosis. We reviewed and documented the plain film findings and clinical data in eight patients seen during the last 20 years with late-presenting CDH. IRB exempt status was obtained in this study. There were five boys and three girls. The age range was 4 months to 12 years with a mean of 2.4 years. Five children presented with acute respiratory problems while three presented with acute abdominal pain. Two children presented with both respiratory and abdominal findings and one also presented with hematemesis. Two children had radiographic findings that were not difficult to analyze while the remaining six had findings that posed initial diagnostic problems. Although not common, late-presenting CDH can result in confusing plain film radiographic findings and a delay in diagnosis. We found that the most important finding in analyzing these radiographs is in evaluating the location and position of the gastric bubble with the more common left-side hernias.
The use of transvaginal ultrasound and saline infusion sonohysterography for the evaluation of asymptomatic postmenopausal breast cancer patients on tamoxifen

Tamoxifen has been shown to decrease the recurrence rate of breast cancer. Evidence that tamoxifen use may be associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer has caused investigators to recommend routine invasive sampling. We have assessed a minimally invasive alternative for endometrial surveillance of tamoxifen-treated patients utilizing transvaginal ultrasound and saline infusion sonohysterography. Asymptomatic women (n = 44) with breast cancer on postoperative tamoxifen treatment were referred to our gynecological ultrasound unit. Initially, the endometrial echo was measured with unenhanced transvaginal ultrasound. If a distinct echo measured < or = 5 mm, no further procedure was performed. For thickened or inadequately visualized echoes, sonohysterography was performed. If a thin echo was noted on sonohysterography, no further procedure was performed. If focal changes were detected, hysteroscopy/dilatation and curettage (DC seven had thin endometria with typical tamoxifen-induced subendometrial changes: and seven had focal polypoid thickening confirmed by hysteroscopy/D&C. Histology revealed carcinoma associated with two, proliferation in one and four polyps. Five patients had thickened unenhanced echoes with symmetrically thickened single-layer measurements on sonohysterography. Histology revealed that three were proliferative, one was inactive and one was hyperplastic. In the nine patients with unsuccessful sonohysterography, hysteroscopy/D&C revealed inactive endometria in six, and three polyps. Our paradigm of evaluating the endometrial response to tamoxifen is concluded to overcome the shortcomings of either unenhanced transvaginal ultrasound or blind biopsy alone while it kept the number of invasive sampling procedures to 55% (24 out of 44).
On connected domination in unit ball graphs

Given a simple undirected graph, the minimum connected dominating set problem is to find a minimum cardinality subset of vertices D inducing a connected subgraph such that each vertex outside D has at least one neighbor in D. Approximations of minimum connected dominating sets are often used to represent a virtual routing backbone in wireless networks. This paper first proposes a constant-ratio approximation algorithm for the minimum connected dominating set problem in unit ball graphs and then introduces and studies the edge-weighted bottleneck connected dominating set problem, which seeks a minimum edge weight in the graph such that the corresponding bottleneck subgraph has a connected dominating set of size k. In wireless network applications this problem can be used to determine an optimal transmission range for a network with a predefined size of the virtual backbone. We show that the problem is hard to approximate within a factor better than 2 in graphs whose edge weights satisfy the triangle inequality and provide a 3-approximation algorithm for such graphs. We also show that for fixed k the problem is polynomially solvable in unit disk and unit ball graphs.
Development of 2-DOF ankle rehabilitation system

The ankle joint is critical to upright balance control and gait function, and is a common location for orthopedic or neurological injuries - e.g., every year in the US 628,000 people suffer ankle sprains and 795,000 suffer a stroke. The Virtually-Interfaced Robotic Ankle and Balance Trainer (vi-RABT) is a rehabilitation system designed to help such individuals improve their ankle and balance control. The system is equipped with two actuators and complete mechanisms for torque and angle measurement. A model-based proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller was tuned and implemented into the system and an interactive maze game was augmented to provide an entertaining rehabilitation experience. We present results of a pilot test on these system features. Vi-RABT shows promise for treating a wide variety of ankle and balance disorders.
Chicken Semen and Semen Serum as Turkey Semen Diluents

ABSTRACT THE use of artificial insemination for the larger strains of turkeys has become a necessary practice for economical poult production. The availability of satisfactory turkey semen diluents would greatly facilitate practical artificial insemination programs. Most attempts to develop turkey semen diluents have involved inorganic buffered salt solutions with some additions of carbohydrates and amino acids. Gilbreath and Davis (1949) reported greatly reduced fertility following 1:10 dilutions with a 0.85% NaCl solution, while fertility was markedly reduced by 1:100 dilutions of a synthetic diluent used by Moravec, Mussehl and Pace (1954). Unfortunately, the exact formulation of the latter diluent was not included, being referred to only as “S-2 solution.” Moore et al. (1955) have reported that the use of an “extender fluid” at a 1:4 dilution rate resulted in a level of fertility equal to that obtained by insemination with undiluted semen. However, additional studies involving this diluent would be desirable . . .
What has geography got to do with it? Using GWR to explore place-specific associations with prenatal care utilization

We use a geographically weighted regression (GWR) approach to examine how the relationships between a set of predictors and prenatal care vary across the continental US. At its most fundamental, GWR is an exploratory technique that can facilitate the identification of areas with low prenatal care utilization and help better understand which predictors are associated with prenatal care at specific locations. Our work complements existing prenatal care research in providing an ecological, place-sensitive analysis. We found that the percent of the population who was uninsured was positively associated with the percent of women receiving late or no prenatal care in the global model. The GWR map not only confirmed, but also demonstrated the spatial varying association. Additionally, we found that the number of Ob-Gyn doctors per 100,000 females of childbearing age in a county was associated with the percentage of women receiving late or no prenatal care, and that a higher value of female disadvantage is associated with higher percentages of late or no prenatal care. GWR offers a more nuanced examination of prenatal care and provides empirical evidence in support of locally tailored health policy formation and program implementation, which may improve program effectiveness.
Energy Expenditure and Plasma F2-Isoprostanes across the Menstrual Cycle

Introduction: Habitual energy expenditure seems to favorably alter oxidant/antioxidant balance. Sparse evidence suggests that hormones that fluctuate during the menstrual cycle, particularly estrogens, may influence concentrations of oxidative biomarkers and their relation to energy expenditure. Methods: We investigated the relation between energy expenditure and plasma free F2-isoprostane concentrations in 259 healthy, regularly menstruating 18- to 44-yr-old participants of the BioCycle Study. Habitual energy expenditure was measured using a baseline International Physical Activity Questionnaire and categorized as low, moderate, or high. Women were followed for one or two subsequent menstrual cycles. Past-week and past-day physical activity were measured during follow-up using questionnaires and diaries, respectively. F2-isoprostane concentrations were measured in blood samples collected at both menses (approximate cycle day 2; low serum estradiol concentration) and the late follicular phase (approximate cycle day 12; peak estradiol concentration). Generalized estimating equations were used to model the energy expenditure/isoprostane association, adjusting for confounders. Results: Habitual energy expenditure was positively associated with F2-isoprostane concentration (adjusted difference in median F2-isoprostane, high versus low energy expenditure: 17.4%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.3%-31.4%). This association was not modified by cycle phase (interaction, P = 0.61) or differences in peak estradiol concentration across women (interaction, P = 0.20). Past-week and past-day physical activity measures were not associated with F2-isoprostane concentration (category trend, P = 0.50 and P = 0.18, respectively). Conclusions: These results suggest that higher habitual energy expenditure may be associated with higher concentration of F2-isoprostanes in healthy, reproductive-aged women. Estradiol concentration changes during the menstrual cycle do not seem to influence this relationship.
Abstract 3562: Building workflows for gene fusion detection by RNA-seq

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Many cancers are associated with chromosomal rearrangements, which in some cases yield fusions between disparate genes and impact cancer phenotypes. Rapid discovery of gene fusions in cancer can facilitate a deeper understanding of specific cancers and may become an important diagnostic tool in clinical settings informing decisions on cancer treatment. An attractive and cost-effective method to identify and study gene fusions is by massively-parallel RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), which provides rich transcriptome profiling data and, with appropriate computational analysis, can discover fusions between transcribed genes. Herein we present data exploring the robustness of gene fusion detection by RNA-seq on Illumina sequencing platforms with TopHat-Fusion, a RNA-seq read aligner specifically designed to detect expressed gene fusions. Using a set of synthetic fusion transcripts to spike in to human RNA samples, we demonstrate quantitative detection of gene fusions by RNA-seq. Additionally, we report the sensitivity of gene fusion discovery across different RNA-seq library preparation methods, including mRNA enrichment by poly-A selection, rRNA-depletion, and exome enrichment by targeted capture. This data helps build workflow recommendations for the detection and study of gene fusions by RNA-seq. Citation Format: Stephen Gross, Lisa Watson, Smita Pathak, Irina Khrebtukova, Gary Schroth. Building workflows for gene fusion detection by RNA-seq. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3562. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3562
Preparation and in vitro evaluation of "no-carrier-added" 18F-labeled biotin.

Abstract This paper will describe the preparation of “no-carrier-added” 18F-labeled biotin where the radiolabel bound to an aromatic moiety is described. This has been accomplished by preparation of [18F]fluorobenzylbromide (yield 20–30%) and its reaction with biotin-LC-hydrazide. This yielded “no-carrier-added” radiolabeled biotin (5–10%) which was then purified by reversed phase HPLC. The pure product was found to bind to avidin, thereby demonstrating retention of its biological integrity. Thus this product is potentially useful for imaging tumor tissue following injection of avidin coupled MoAbs.
The microcomputer as a psychotherapeutic aid

Abstract This paper describes the efforts of a psychologist to use word processing, spreadsheet, and graphics programs as psycho-therapeutic aids with chronic psychiatric patients. The basic goal was to enhance users' feelings of mastery and self-esteem. Individual and group interventions are briefly described as well as positive responses and resistances to computer use. No differences in computer utilization were found based on diagnosis, age, or educational level. Future areas of research are delineated.
DRUG-INDUCED LACTATION IN UREMIA

Nonpuerperal lactation occurred in 3 patients with uremia, while they were receiving small amounts of reserpine or phenothiazine derivatives. It is suggested that uremia may facilitate the development of galactorrhea in response to these substances.
Study of Thermal Energy Transport Between Hydrogen Gas Molecules and a Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The focus of the current research is the investigation and characterization of the energy transport between a (10,10) single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and surrounding molecular hydrogen gas using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The MD simulations use Tersoff-Brenner hydrocarbon potential for C-C, C-H, and H-H bonding interactions and the conventional Lennard-Jones potential for soft-sphere gas-CNT collision dynamics of H-H and H-C non-bonding van der Waals interactions. A simulation cell with periodic boundary conditions is created for 1200 carbon atoms in an armchair nanotube configuration and three distinct gas densities corresponding to 252, 500, and 1000 H2 molecules in the same volume. The MD simulation runs are performed with time steps of 0.1 fs and the total simulation times of 40 ps. The simulations are initialized by setting the gas species and CNT at two different temperatures. Initial gas temperatures range from 2000K to 4000K, whereas the carbon nanotube is held at 300K. After the equilibrium temperatures of the CNT and the gas molecules are achieved, the external constraints to maintain the temperature are removed and the thermal energy transport between the two is studied. The kinetic energy exchange between the nanotube and the surrounding gas is monitored to study thermal energy transport over the duration of the simulation. A parameter is proposed, the coefficient of thermal energy transfer (CTET), to characterize the thermal transport properties of the modeled systems based on parameters governing the transport process, thus mimicking the conventional heat transfer coefficient. Values for CTET vary directly with gas density and range from 50 MW/m2 K to 250MW/m2 K, showing that gas density has a significant impact with higher density corresponding to higher collision rates and higher rates of energy transfer. In contrast, the gas temperature has a lower impact on CTET, with colder gas providing in certain cases a slightly lower value for the coefficient. In order to validate the MD simulations, the time-series data of molecular vibrations of the CNT is converted to a vibrational frequency spectrum through FFT. The characteristic frequencies obtained on the spectra of isolated SWCNT and H2 simulations are compared against the known natural frequencies of the CNT phonon modes and vibrational modes of H2 molecules. The comparison is quite favorable.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Is there a role for proliferation Signal/mTOR inhibitors in the prevention and treatment of de novo malignancies after heart transplantation? Lessons learned from renal transplantation and oncology

With the development of new immunosuppressive agents, the majority of transplant recipients are surviving for over a decade, and malignancy has become a major burden on long-term survival. Reducing the incidence of post-transplant malignancies is especially important in heart transplantation where the risk of malignancies is higher than in other organ transplants. Everolimus and sirolimus, the proliferation signal inhibitors (PSIs) or mammalian target-of-rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, now provide new strategies for immunosuppression because of their proven efficacy that translates to a reduction in doses of calcineurin inhibitors needed to prevent acute rejection. In addition, the anti-proliferative effects of this class of drugs raise the possibility that they may be effective for reducing the risk of malignancies after solid-organ transplantation. Despite the paucity of direct clinical evidence for this effect in heart transplant patients, observations from renal transplant recipients suggest that the anti-proliferative actions of PSIs/mTOR inhibitors may also protect against malignancies in heart transplant recipients. This potential for an anti-cancer effect is further supported by the emerging data on the use of PSIs/mTOR inhibitors in non-transplant oncology patients. Reviewed in this article are the incidence rates of malignancies after solid-organ transplantation, and the evidence for anti-cancer effects of PSIs/mTOR inhibitors in renal transplant recipients and in non-transplant patients. Also discussed are the implications of these observational data for future studies on the reduction of malignancies after heart transplantation.
Dysthymia as a temperamental variant of affective disorder

Summary Dysthymia is estimated to afflict at least 3% of the population worldwide. Because it is a chronic disorder, its prevalence is high in psychiatric and general medical settings. The mystery of this incapacitating depressive subtype — long recognized but only recently sanctioned in the DSM-IV and ICD-10 — is that, in their habitual condition, those suffering from dysthymia lack the classical ‘objective’ or ‘major’ signs of acute clinical depression, such as profound changes in psychomotor and vegetative functions. Instead, patients consult their doctors for more fluctuating complaints consisting of gloominess, lethargy, self-doubt, malaise, and lack of joie de vivre. They typically work hard, but do not enjoy their work. If married, they are deadlocked in bitter and unhappy marriages which lead neither to reconciliation nor separation. For them, their entire existence is a burden: they are satisfied with nothing, complain of everything, and brood about the uselessness of existence. As a result, in the past they were labeled ‘existential depressives’ or ‘depressive characters’ and condemned to the couch, often on a chronic basis. Several lines of research over the past fifteen years have shed new light on the biological origins of this disorder. Sleep neurophysiologic findings have shown that many parameters of paradoxical sleep in dysthymia (such as REM percentage, REM latency, and circadian distribution of REM) are similar to those observed in major affective illness. Furthermore, family studies of dysthymia have demonstrated a significant excess of mood disorders. Indeed, dysthymia has been identified in childhood, and prospective follow-up has demonstrated major affective breakdowns including bipolar switches in up to 20%. Coupled with sleep findings, these family and follow-up data suggest that dysthymia is best considered as ‘trait depression’, a constitutional variant of major affective illness. As expected from the early onset chronic nature of the disturbance, in both clinical and epidemiological studies, the social and health burden of dysthymia has been found to be considerable and comparable to that of major medical disorders. The foregoing clinical and biological data have provided the impetus for well-designed pharmacological trials in dysthymia, and a new therapeutic optimism.
The structure of erbium doped sodium silicate glasses

Abstract The structure of erbium doped sodium silicate glasses 1Er2O3–xNa2O–(99 − x)SiO2 (x = 0, 10, 20, 30) were studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The simulated glasses were compared with neutron diffraction and other experimental structural data. Silicon oxygen network ring size distributions and Qn distributions, the local structures around erbium ions, including the pair distribution functions, bond angle distributions, coordination number, dipole and quadrupole moments, were calculated. Their changes with sodium concentration were studied. It was found that both the Er–O bond length and the erbium coordination number increases from silica to sodium silicate glasses. Erbium ions adopt more favorable and uniform coordination environments in sodium silicate glasses. Erbium and sodium distribution and erbium clustering in the glasses were characterized. Erbium clustering is less obvious in sodium silicate glasses than in silica. Bond valences calculations of the simulated glasses provide a useful way to study the simulated glass structure. The comparison of bond valence of simulated glasses with related crystalline materials showed that the biggest difference be on the modifier sites.
Quantitative assessment of smooth pursuit gain and catch-up saccades in schizophrenia and affective disorders

The smooth pursuit responses to 5 degrees and 20 degrees/sec constant-velocity stimuli were recorded from 23 patients with schizophrenia, 16 affective disorder patients, and 21 normals using low-noise infrared oculography. Pursuit gain, catch-up saccade (CUS) rate and amplitude, and their interrelationships were examined. Gain in the schizophrenic patients was reduced only at 20 degrees/sec, but for both patient groups, CUS rate at 5 degrees/sec was significantly lower than in normals. Using CUS rate at 20 degrees/sec, the patient groups could be distinguished from each other (the rate for schizophrenic patients being highest, and the rate for affectives the lowest) but neither differed significantly from normals. The diagnostic groups did not differ significantly in mean CUS amplitude, although there was a trend for patients to have larger saccades. Gain-CUS rate correlation was strong in normals but reduced or absent in both patient groups. These results indicate that the ocular motor systems of patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders process eye position error abnormally.
SU-GG-T-06: Determining the Optimal Gating Window Size by Considering the Effect of Tumor Displacement on Dose Distributions

Purpose: To develop a population‐based multivariate linear regressionmodels for determining the optimal size of the gating window by considering the effect of the distribution of tumor displacements on target dose. This population model can then be used to prospectively guide the selection of gating window size for an individual case, based on tumor displacement distribution. Method and Materials: We considered stereotactic body radiation therapy(SBRT)treatment plans for lungtumors planned and calculated using heterogeneity corrections. Fifty tumor trajectories that varied in the distribution of tumor displacement were selected. A set of variables were defined to describe the variability in these trajectories. Four‐dimensional dose calculation was performed by sampling the distribution of tumor displacements resulting in the residual tumor displacement influenced target dose. Stepwise elimination was performed to determine only those input variables that were independently predictive of D95 and D99. A multivariate regression population‐based model was constructed for D95 and D99 as a function of these independently predictive variables (and as a result the gating window size). This model was then tested on a set of 15 new tumor trajectories and gating window prediction errors were determined. Results: Ten different models were generated for D95 (5 locations, 2 margins) and ten for D99. Average errors were calculated for all the models in terms of percentage of cases more than 5% off the prediction. For D95 the average was 3.8 with and standard deviation of 3.0, whereas for D99 it was 4.5 with a standard deviation of 3.4. Conclusion: The MLR models built show a great degree of predictability in D95 and D99 for all the 5 tumor locations and 15 breathing trajectories studied in prospective prediction. The methodology developed can be used to predict the gating window for any patient using only the tumor trajectory as input.
The Impact of Attitudes, Word-of-Mouth, and Value Congruence on Conference Participation: A Comparison of Attending and Non-Attending Organizational Members

ABSTRACT In the face of competition for limited vacation and leisure time, meeting planners and membership associations have traditionally been interested in how to attract new members and enhance attendance at organizational conferences. This study empirically investigates members' intentions to attend organizational conferences using an accessibility-diagnosticity framework (Feldman and Lynch 1988). Findings suggest that post-attendance attitudes are the most important factor predicting intentions to (1) attend a future conference and (2) recommend the conference to others. Furthermore, what one has heard about the conference (i.e., the buzz) and one's perceived congruence with the values of the organization are also found to be important when predicting attendance intentions. Implications and conference planning strategies are discussed.
Sulindac Inhibits Activation of the NF-κB Pathway

Sulindac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent that is related both structurally and pharmacologically to indomethacin. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, sulindac has been demonstrated to have a role in the prevention of colon cancer. Both its growth inhibitory and anti-inflammatory properties are due at least in part to its ability to decrease prostaglandin synthesis by inhibiting the activity of cyclooxygenases. Recently, we demonstrated that both aspirin and sodium salicylate, but not indomethacin, inhibited the activity of an IκB kinase β (IKKβ) that is required to activate the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. In this study, we show that sulindac and its metabolites sulindac sulfide and sulindac sulfone can also inhibit the NF-κB pathway in both colon cancer and other cell lines. Similar to our previous results with aspirin, this inhibition is due to sulindac-mediated decreases in IKKβ kinase activity. Concentrations of sulindac that inhibit IKKβ activity also reduce the proliferation of colon cancer cells. These results suggest that the growth inhibitory and anti-inflammatory properties of sulindac may be regulated in part by inhibition of kinases that regulate the NF-κB pathway.
Sex and seasonal differences in the skin lipids of garter snakes.

Abstract 1. 1. This study investigates the skin lipids of male and female red-sided garter snakes both in the breeding season and in the non-breeding season. 2. 2. Skin lipids were analyzed by means of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). 3. 3. Distinct differences exist in the skin lipids of males and females. 4. 4. Samples obtained during the breeding season were qualitatively different from those acquired during the non-breeding season.
Effects of crystal elasticity on rolling contact fatigue

Abstract Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) is one of the primary damage modes for properly installed and lubricated rolling element bearings. Historically, because RCF is a stochastic process, extensive testing with subsequent statistical analysis is required to calibrate models that enable confident prediction of expected bearing service life. Recent research has focused on using computational models of microstructure topology to simulate the scatter in bearing life results. In this study, the anisotropy of the grain crystals and the grain texture of the microstructure are taken into account in addition to the explicit representation of the microstructure topology. Starting with a topological microstructure of Voronoi elements representing the material grains, each grain is assigned a cubic material definition and a set of random Euler angles to define the orientation. This microstructure is then converted into a 2D finite element model and a Hertzian contact is passed over the surface of the polycrystalline microstructure to simulate a roller bearing loading cycle. The maximum shear stress reversal and its location are calculated. Due to mismatch in the orientations of grains, stress concentrations develop on the grain boundaries leading to higher shear stress ranges than those calculated for an isotropic material. Depths of the maximum shear stress range show good agreement with experimental observations of crack initiation locations. The shear stress range and location are used to calculate the relative life of the bearing; evaluating many microstructural domains demonstrates that the life scatter produced by various microstructures relates well to the experimentally observed scatter in bearing life.
The dangerous rise of therapeutic education

Kathryn Ecclestone & Dennis Hayes, 2009, London, Routledge, £21.99 (pbk), 182 pp., ISBN10 0-415-39701-4 I think that this is an important book for professionals working in the field of pastoral car...