cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expanding the use of real-time electromagnetic tracking in radiation oncology

In the past 10 years, techniques to improve radiotherapy delivery, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for both inter- and intrafraction tumor localization, and hypofractionated delivery techniques such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), have evolved tremendously. This review article focuses on only one part of that evolution, electromagnetic tracking in radiation therapy. Electromagnetic tracking is still a growing technology in radiation oncology and, as such, the clinical applications are limited, the expense is high, and the reimbursement is insufficient to cover these costs. At the same time, current experience with electromagnetic tracking applied to various clinical tumor sites indicates that the potential benefits of electromagnetic tracking could be significant for patients receiving radiation therapy. Daily use of these tracking systems is minimally invasive and delivers no additional ionizing radiation to the patient, and these systems can provide explicit tumor motion data. Although there are a number of technical and fiscal issues that need to be addressed, electromagnetic tracking systems are expected to play a continued role in improving the precision of radiation delivery.
Identification of Cryptographically Strong and Weak Pseudorandom Bit Generators

Cryptographically strong Psuedo Random Bit Generators (PRBGs) are used extensively for confidentiality of information. If these PRBGs are weak then the security of information is at stack. In this paper we are giving a model which will use confidence interval and multidimentional scaling for their identification. This statistical model can be used to estimate the strength of a new PRBGs.
High voltage measurements using slab coupled optical sensors (SCOS)

One of the most common methods used to measure high voltage is using a voltage divider. While this method is fairly reliable for most low frequency high voltage measurements, the voltage divider encounters difficulty when measuring higher frequency voltage signals. In these instances, the signal measured by the voltage divider becomes susceptible to distortion and inaccuracy. One solution to measuring voltages where a voltage divider would not suffice is using an electrode structure in conjunction with a fiber-based electric field sensor. A high voltage generator was constructed utilizing automotive ignition coils and was used in a capacitor-charging circuit. The voltage on the capacitor was measured using a common resistive voltage divider as well as with a fiber-based electric field sensor. Where a resistor divider was not reliable in characterizing the system, the optical sensor was successful in measuring the charge and discharge voltages of the capacitor circuit.
Kinetic theory and fluid dynamics in very high energy nucleus-nucleus collisions

The physics of the various regimes and non-equilibrium processes encountered in a central ultra-relativistic heavy ion collision, from the initial kinetic period, through the hydrodynamic phase, hadronization transition and eventual freezeout, are surveyed.
Profiling of DNA copy number changes in sarcomas by array comparative genomic hybridization

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4193 Human sarcomas, malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin, show recurrent copy number alterations of specific chromosomal segments. Alterations involving the long arm of chromosome 1 and 12 are frequently seen. We have in the past years focused on the human chromosomal region 1q21-1q24, a region frequently amplified in sarcomas as well as a number of other tumors, including breast carcinomas, liver- and ovarian cancer. In order to identify the target genes for the copy number changes, we have constructed a genomic microarray with bacterial and P1 artificial chromosomes (BAC and PAC) clones covering the human genome at 1 Mb resolution as well as the 1q12-q25 region at high-resolution (tiling-path). We have used this genomic microarray for array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) of a panel of human sarcomas. Approximately 170 sarcomas have been analyzed so far, mainly liposarcomas, osteosarcomas, leiomyosarcomas, malignant fibrous histiocytomas and a small number of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours. Preliminary analysis has identified both novel and previously described areas targeted for amplification and deletion in all the sarcoma subtypes. In liposarcomas, we have identified a novel region in 3q27 over represented in one third of the samples analyzed. Analysis of osteosarcomas also identified a region in 3q13 frequently deleted, this segments contains, among others, a gene previously identified as a tumor suppressor gene. Currently we are validating these and a number of other candidate target genes by quantitative real time PCR for copy number and expression. Using the large amount of DNA copy number data generated, we are exploring the use of copy number signatures as a tumor classification tool.
Tactics Toward a Thirdspace Classroom

With no word for the moment when a germinating seed bursts forth, how hard is it for English-speakers to ponder the instant of being between embryo and plant, which the Nahuatl language names “xina...
Annual estimates of water and solute export from 42 tributaries to the Yukon River

Annual export of 11 major and trace solutes for the Yukon River is found to be accurately determined based on summing 42 tributary contributions. These findings provide the first published estimates of tributary specific distribution of solutes within the Yukon River basin. First, we show that annual discharge of the Yukon River can be computed by summing calculated annual discharges from 42 tributaries. Annual discharge for the tributaries is calculated from the basin area and average annual precipitation over that area using a previously published regional regression equation. Based on tributary inputs, we estimate an average annual discharge for the Yukon River of 210âkm3âyearâ1. This value is within 1% of the average measured annual discharge at the U.S. Geological Survey gaging station near the river terminus at Pilot Station, AK, for water years 2001 through 2005. Next, annual loads for 11 solutes are determined by combining annual discharge with point measurements of solute concentrations in tributary river water. Based on the sum of solutes in tributary water, we find that the Yukon River discharges approximately 33 million metric tons of dissolved solids each year at Pilot Station. Discharged solutes are dominated by cations calcium and magnesium (5.65âAâ109 and 1.42âAâ109âgâyearâ1) and anions bicarbonate and sulphate (17.3âAâ109 and 5.40âAâ109âgâyearâ1). These loads compare well with loads calculated independently at the three continuous gaging stations along the Yukon River. These findings show how annual solute yields vary throughout a major subarctic river basin and that accurate estimates of total river export can be determined from calculated tributary contributions. Copyright Â© 2011. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Prediction of complex two-dimensional trajectories by a cerebellar model of smooth pursuit eye movement

Kettner, R. E., S. Mahamud, H.-C. Leung, N. Sitkoff, J. C. Houk, B. W. Peterson, and A. G. Barto. Prediction of complex two-dimensional trajectories by a cerebellar model of smooth pursuit eye move...
Axillary Artery Access as an Adjunct for Complex Endovascular Aortic Repair

Background The aim of this study was to review and compare our experience with 3 upper extremity access techniques (percutaneous single-sheath brachial, multi-sheath brachial cutdown, and axillary cutdown with conduit construction) in the setting of complex endovascular repair of paravisceral aneurysms. Methods We performed a retrospective review of a prospectively collected endovascular aneurysm repair database. All patients who underwent parallel stent grafting or fenestrated repair with upper extremity arterial access were included. End points included the following: (1) local access complications, (2) number of vessels successfully snorkeled, and (3) technical success. Results Fifty patients underwent treatment for paravisceral aneurysms using a combination of snorkel and fenestration techniques. All cases used one of the 3 upper extremity arterial access techniques—percutaneous single-sheath brachial, multi-sheath brachial cutdown, and axillary cutdown with conduit construction. Eighteen patients underwent open brachial exposure (15 for single vessel snorkel, 2 for two vessel snorkel, 1 for 4 vessel snorkel) with zero access site complications. Five patients underwent percutaneous brachial access (all for single vessel snorkel) with 2 brachial artery injuries and 1 median nerve injury. Twenty-seven patients underwent open axillary exposure with the conduit/sheath technique (1 for single vessel, 15 for two vessel, 6 for three vessel, and 5 for four vessel snorkel) with 2 access site hematomas requiring surgical evacuation. Successful cannulation of 95 of the 97 vessels was achieved. Conclusions Upper extremity arterial access is required to snorkel one or more of the visceral vessels during complex endovascular pararenal aortic aneurysm repair. There are several techniques of arm access that can be used. Brachial access is appropriate when a single visceral vessel must be cannulated, and by utilizing the conduit/sheath combination presented here, it is possible to safely approach multiple visceral vessels from an axillary access. Further evolution of this technique will expand our ability to treat complex paravisceral aneurysms.
The half‐wave rectifier response of the magnetosphere and antiparallel merging

In some ways the magnetosphere behaves as if merging occurs only when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is southward, and in other ways it behaves as if merging occurs for all IMF orientations. An explanation of this duality is offered in terms of a geometrical antiparallel merging model which predicts merging for all IMF orientations but magnetic flux transfer to the tail only for southward IMF. This is in contrast to previous models of component merging, where merging and flux transfer occur together for nearly all IMF orientations. That the problematic duality can be explained by the model is compelling evidence that antiparallel merging should be seriously considered in constructing theories of the merging process.
Osmotic Membrane Deformation Revealed by Solid-State 2H NMR and Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Phospholipid membranes are implicated in cellular homeostasis together with a multitude of key biological functions. Many regulatory functions are known to be mediated through protein-lipid interactions. An important feature of pressure-sensitive membrane proteins (mechanosensitive channels, rhodopsin) is that their activation is coupled to membrane tension and curvature elastic stress [1,2]. Solid-state 2H NMR and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies of bilayer ensembles of phospholipids under osmotic stress enable membrane structural deformation to be determined. Here we highlight the results from a combined NMR and SAXS approach utilizing pressure-based force techniques that control membrane structure [3] and tension [1].Our 2H NMR results using both osmotic pressure (PEG osmolyte) and gravimetric pressure (low water concentration) techniques show that the segmental order parameters (SCD) of liquid-crystalline DMPC approach very large values ≈0.35 at ≈30 °C. These correspond to ≈20% change in bilayer structural properties (cross-sectional area per lipid and acyl chain thickness) versusthefully hydrated membrane. The two stresses are thermodynamically equivalent because the change in chemical potential when transferring water from the interlamellar space to the bulk water phase corresponds to the induced pressure. A simple theoretical framework based on a unified thermodynamic description is developed. It is shown that the gating threshold for mechanosensitive channels may be shifted to higher or lower values due to lipid-mediated control of channel properties. These findings demonstrate the applicability of solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy and SAXS together with membrane stress techniques for investigating the mechanism of pressure sensitivity of membrane proteins. [1] S.I. Sukharev et al. (2001) Biophys. J.81, 917-936. [2] A.V. Botelho et al. (2006) Biophys. J.91, 4464-4477. [3] H.I. Petrache, M.F. Brown. (2007) Methods in Membrane Lipids, Humana Press, 339-351.
Mixed olfactory neuroblastoma and carcinoma. A report of two cases

Two cases of olfactory neuroblastoma mixed with other neoplastic elements are reported. One tumor contained foci of adenocarcinoma and of ganglioneuroblastoma in addition to an undifferentiated small cell component consistent with neuroblastoma; the other tumor histologically resembled small cell undifferentiated carcinoma with foci of squamous differentiation, but was shown by electron microscopy to be neuroblastoma. The histogenesis and treatment of mixed tumors of this type are discussed.
CNS midline enhancers of the Drosophila slit and Toll genes

The Drosophila CNS midline cells comprise a small, well-characterized group of neurons and glia in which the transcriptional control of CNS development can be studied. Using germ-line transformation of lacZ fusion constructs, we have dissected putative regulatory regions of the slit and Toll genes to identify CNS midline-restricted transcriptional enhancers. This analysis has uncovered DNA regions able to drive lacZ expression in most tissues in which embryonic slit and Toll are expressed, including three separable CNS midline-conferring regions: one in the Toll gene which is expressed early in all of the CNS midline precursors, and two in the slit gene which are expressed later in the midline glia (MG).
Resonance scattering by sodium in mercury's atmosphere I. The effect of phase and atmospheric smearing

The dependence of the intensity in the sodium D1 and D2 lines on the planetary phase and position of the disk is presented. Theoretical intensities are convolved with an atmospheric point spread function with FWHM of 0.5 and 2.0 arcsec for planetary phases 60 and 90 deg. It is shown that although the absolute intensities are extremely dependent on seeing, the I(D2)/I(D1) ratio remains a reliable indicator of column abundance regardless of the seeing function. For a uniform distribution of sodium, limb brightening will be apparent for a seeing disk with FWHM of 0.5 arcsec but will not be apparent for a FWHM of 2.0 arcsec.
Stepfamily Education Booster Sessions

This study evaluates optional booster sessions offered 4 to 6 weeks after the completion of a stepfamily education course. Participants reported satisfaction with the booster session, and their scores related to stepfamily dynamics improved following attendance of a booster session. Findings did not differ for male and female respondents. However, Latino participants appeared to particularly benefit. Implications for family life education include using culturally sensitive booster sessions to reinforce program content and enhance participants' knowledge.
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: Merkel's CDU/CSU and the Politics of Welfare State Reform

Given its traditional support for conservative welfare state policies, the Christian Democratic Union's embrace of major reform measures in late 2003 seemingly marked a significant shift in the party's direction. The extent of its commitment to this new course became a key question in German politics during the election of 2005 and the early phase of Angela Merkel's Grand Coalition. This article examines the factors that contributed to her CDU's embrace of welfare state retrenchment in light of the literature on the politics of social policy reform. It argues that this shift in party policy was driven mainly by calculations of perceived partisan opportunity and organisational latitude. When the latter appeared to change, the consensus on major reform within the CDU crumbled, which in turn affected the party's 2005 campaign and its role in the Grand Coalition government.
Leupaxin Is a Critical Adaptor Protein in the Adhesion Zone of the Osteoclast

Leupaxin is a cytoskeleton adaptor protein that was first identified in human macrophages and was found to share homology with the focal adhesion protein, paxillin. Leupaxin possesses several protein-binding domains that have been implicated in targeting proteins such as focal adhesion kinase (pp125FAK) to focal adhesions. Leupaxin can be detected in monocytes and osteoclasts, both cells of hematopoietic origin. We have identified leupaxin to be a component of the osteoclast podosomal signaling complex. We have found that leupaxin in murine osteoclasts is associated with both PYK2 and pp125FAK in the osteoclast. Treatment of osteoclasts with TNF-α and soluble osteopontin were found to stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of both leupaxin and leupaxin-associated PYK2. Leupaxin was found to co-immunoprecipitate with the protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP-PEST. The cellular distribution of leupaxin, PYK2, and protein tyrosine phosphorylation-PEST co-localized at or near the osteoclast podosomal complex. Leupaxin was also found to associate with the ARF-GTPase-activating protein, paxillin kinase linker p95PKL, thereby providing a link to regulators of cytoskeletal dynamics in the osteoclast. Overexpression of leupaxin by transduction into osteoclasts evoked numerous cytoplasmic projections at the leading edge of the cell, resembling a motile phenotype. Finally, in vitro inhibition of leupaxin expression in the osteoclast led to a decrease in resorptive capacity. Our data suggest that leupaxin may be a critical nucleating component of the osteoclast podosomal signaling complex.
The Stanford Two-Mile Linear Accelerator Vacuum System

The vacuum system of the Stanford two-mile linear accelerator has been designed as nominally a "very high" vacuum system operating in the 10-6 to 10-8 torr region. Main vacuum pumps are of the getter-ion type; the pumps are connected to an allmetal system fabricated of stainless steel except for viton "O" rings in the valve seats. The accelerator structure evacuated by this system consists of OFHC copper rectangular and disk-loaded waveguides with stainless steel flanges connecting the various portions of the structure. For completeness, a brief description of the vacuum system for the beam switchyard at the end of the accelerator is included because it is an integral part of the overall system. Conventional diffusion pumps are used to maintain pressures of 10-4 to 10-5 torr, i. e., nominally "high" vacuum.
Mapping of Potential Gradients within the Electrospray Emitter

A novel electrochemical probe has been designed, built, and used to characterize the distribution in solution potential within the metal capillary and Taylor cone of the electrospray (ES) device. The measurement system consists of three electrodesa counter electrode held at highly negative potential that serves as the cathode, and two anodes consisting of a disk-shaped, mobile, internal (working) electrode, and the internal surface of the surrounding ES capillary (auxiliary electrode, held at ground potential). One-dimensional differential electrospray emitter potential (DEEP) maps detailing solution potential gradients within the electrospray emitter and in the region of the Taylor cone are constructed by measuring the potential at the working electrode vs the ES capillary, as a function of working electrode position along the emitter axis. Results show that the measured potential difference increases as the internal probe travels toward the ES capillary exit, with values rising sharply as the base of th...
Development of internal controls for PCR detection of Bacillus anthracis

This work describes the development and evaluation of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Bacillus anthracis strains harbouring plasmid pX02. The multiplex also incorporated an internal control (IC) to avoid false negative reactions. Internal controls consisted of plasmids containing modified PCR target sequences, corresponding to the capC and BA813 genes of B. anthracis, which were then co-amplified with the original target sequences using the same set of amplimers. The initial IC construct comprised of an internally deleted form of the genomic target sequence cloned into pUC19. A series of nested DNA fragments corresponding to the 23S rRNA sequences of Bacillus cereus were then subcloned into the point of deletion, producing a number of IC constructs with similar sequences but increasing product size on PCR amplification. Neither the presence of IC DNA template or IC PCR product size affected the specificity or non-specific cross-reactivity of the original PCR assay. The concentration of IC was critical, too much IC DNA template would out compete the genomic DNA template, thus giving a false negative result. However, when the concentration of IC was optimal assay sensitivity was not compromised.
Local wettability modification by thermochemical nanolithography with write-read-overwrite capability

The wettability of a thin polymer film was modified twice by thermochemical nanolithography. By means of a first local chemical modification induced by an atomic force microscope tip heated to 110±20°C, hydrophilic patterns are written over an originally hydrophobic polymer surface. By further heating to 190±20°C, a second chemical modification reverses the local wettability change introduced by the first chemical modification. This write-read-overwrite capability can be particularly useful in the design of complex nanofluidic devices.
Wnt/beta-catenin--a canonical tale of cell-fate choice in the vertebrate skeleton.

Three exciting papers in this issue of Developmental Cell provide new insights into the regulation of chondrocytic, osteoblastic, and osteoclastic differentiation during skeletal development and postnatal growth. The studies demonstrate that Wnt/β-catenin signaling represents both a mechanism in mesenchymal precursor cells for selecting between chondrocytic and osteoblastic fates as well as a mechanism in osteoblasts for stimulating the production of an inhibitor of osteoclast formation.
Age differences in perceptual learning on the Müller-Lyer illusion

Reduction in the illusion effect of a black Muller-Lyer figure following stimulus differentiation treatments was compared among children, adults, and the aged. Practice with a differentially colored Muller-Lyer pattern resulted in a greater pre- to posttest reduction than did practice with a black figure, while part-perceiving instructions delivered between pre- and posttest produced no greater reduction than did a brief rest period. Adults under all treatments demonstrated greater illusion reduction than children and the aged, who themselves did not differ. These results, interpreted within Gibson and Gibson’s theory of perceptual learning, demonstrate that the facilitation of distinctive-feature abstraction enhances perceptual learning.
ANCHORS: an Archive of Chandra Observations of Regions of Star formation

ANCHORS is a web based archive of all the point sources observed during Chandra observations of regions of star formation. It is designed to aid both the X-ray astronomer with a desire to compare X-ray datasets and the star formation astronomer wishing to compare stars across the spectrum. For some 50 Chandra fields, yielding 10000+ sources, the database contains X-ray source properties including position, net count rates, flux, hardness ratios, lightcurve statistics and plots.
Clinical trials and evidence-based medicine for metastatic spine disease

Fifty percent to 70% of all cancer patients have metastases at the time of their death, with the spine being the most common osseous site [1– 3]. As shown in Fig. 1, approximately 5% to 10% of cancer patients and up to 40% of patients with preexisting nonspinal bone metastases develop metastatic epidural spinal cord compression from metastases [2,4–8]. Of those with spinal disease, 10% to 20% develop symptomatic spinal cord compression, resulting in more than 25,000 cases per year, with the number expected to grow [7,9,10]. Approximately 50% of spinal metastases arise from one of three primary sites—breast, lung, or prostate [6,11]—with additional cases from renal, gastrointestinal, and thyroid metastases; sarcoma; and the lymphoreticular malignancies of lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Metastases from the prostate, breast, melanoma, and lung commonly cause spinal metastases in 90.5%, 74.3%, 54.5%, and 44.9% of patients, respectively [2]. The risk of neurologic deficits as a result of epidural spinal cord compression varies with the site of primary disease as follows: 22% with breast cancer, 15% with lung cancer, and 10% with prostate cancer [7]. Overall, 10% of patients present with no known history of cancer, although in some of the older surgical literature, this figure was as high as 70% of the study population [10,12–15]. In more than 50% of these cases, the lung is the primary source of malignancy [7,14]. The thoracic spine is the most common site of disease (70%), followed by the lumbar (20%) and cervical (10%) spine [6,7,16]. As shown in Fig. 2, metastatic spinal disease can arise in one of three locations: the vertebral column (85%), the paravertebral region (10%–15%), and, rarely, the epidural or subarachnoid/intramedullary space itself (<5%) [6,7,16]. The posterior half of the vertebral body is usually involved first, with the anterior body, lamina, and pedicles invaded later [17]. Intradural metastases, including intramedullary metastases, from nonneural primary tumors are extremely rare but have been reported [18,19]. Multiple lesions at noncontiguous levels occur in 10% to 40% of cases [6,7,16,20]. Treatment should generally be considered
Effects of early experience on food acceptance in a colony of adult research cats: A preliminary study

Abstract Acceptance of feline commercial canned and raw-type moist foods was evaluated in 18 adult cats with and without dietary pre-exposure to the same moist foods in the postweaning period. We hypothesized that cats pre-exposed to moist foods would readily accept canned or raw foods on re-exposure as adults, despite consuming a commercial expanded dry food for a period of 7-23 months. A total of 13 cats were fed 1 of 3 moist foods (commercial canned, commercial raw, or homemade raw foods) exclusively between 9 and 20 weeks of age (exposed), and 5 adult cats were offered only dry food during the postweaning period (unexposed). All 18 cats were offered 1 of 3 moist foods as adults. The relative risk, confidence intervals, and P values were determined for weight maintenance and food intake between the exposed and nonexposed cats when they were fed moist foods as adults. Moist food acceptance was generally poor when offered to adult cats accustomed to eating an expanded dry diet for >7 months. There was no difference ( P = 0.61) in weight maintenance between those cats fed a moist food or expanded dry food as kittens and the later acceptance of a commercial canned or raw-type moist food as an adult. Similarly, adequacy of food intake measured as a proportion of estimated resting energy expenditure was not different between groups. The shorter the duration of dry food feeding, the greater was the likelihood of weight maintenance on reintroduction of moist foods. Kittens fed canned foods showed greater adaptability and acceptance of both raw and canned foods than those pre-exposed to either of the raw foods. In conclusion, prefeeding kittens a raw or canned food during the postweaning period between 9 and 20 weeks of age, followed by a period of dry foods for >7 months, did not increase later acceptance of the foods as an adult as compared with feeding expanded dry foods alone. Further studies with larger numbers of cats are needed to verify these observations and determine statistical significance.
Man-machine interactive transit system planning

Abstract The problem of finding the best fixed routes for node oriented transit systems is used for an initial implementation and evaluation of a man-machine interactive problem solving system. The interactive graphic system enables a planner/analyst to effectively search for and evaluate a large number of alternative designs in a short period of time. This evaluation is based on a modal split model which predicts the system utilization and cost consequences of each alternative design. The model performs a detailed analysis of the components of the trip of each potential trip maker by the alternative modes of travel by transit or private automobile and it is based on values reflecting the average trip makers perception of disutility of the various trip components. After a conceptual discussion of the problem, the interactive graphic problem solving environment and the model underlying the prediction process, the mechanics of the actual implemented system are described, both in terms of computer hardware and software features. The use of the system is then illustrated with a hypothetical problem situation and the ability of the interactive process to assist the resolution of conflicting objectives and to help a policy making body to reach compromises after a value-oriented discussion. Finally, the paper discusses some issues raised in the prototype analysis relative to (1) the role and performance of the human in the interactive process, (2) alternative solution generation schemes and (3) model calibration.
A sensor based technique for automated robot programming

Abstract This paper presents the concept of integrating a tactile sensor based, automated part measuring technique and a CAD programming scheme to perform off-line programming for a welding robot. The techniques used to achieve data flow throughout the production process include coordinate system referencing, interactive programming, tactile sensing seam tracing, and coordinate transformation. Together they form the backbone of the idea of integrating measurement and production operations where continuous path geometrical control is required. Techniques for referencing a workpiece with respect to different handling devices, and positioning the part on a suitable fixture, form an important portion of this work. Consequently, the positioning aspect and the data transfer capability between stages in the production process are highlighted. The welding of lap-joint type seams serves as an example. The integration of automated measurement and off-line robot programming actually constitutes a flexible manufacturing system operation that is capable of assuring the required process control. In this regard, linking a robot with an automated part measuring technique forms an important step towards upgrading a robot device from a difficult to program unit to a unit with a high degree of flexibility with rapid, convenient automatic contour programming.
Prediction of gas-phase reduced ion mobility constants (K0).

A method of predicting reduced ion mobility values, K0, for use in ion mobility spectrometry is described. While the method is very similar to a previously reported method based on a neural network, the method described in this paper uses a purely statistical regression approach. Furthermore, it has been applied to a wider class of compounds, including chemical agents. Various molecular parameters were evaluated in the predictive model to determine the qualitative dynamics that have the greatest effect on K0. An R2 value of 80.1% was obtained when calculated K0 values were plotted against measured K0 values for 162 compounds for which experimental K0 values were available. However, when chloroacetophenone and 3-xylyl bromide (3-methylbenzyl bromide) were removed from the set due to their large residual values, the predictability increased to an R2 value of 87.4%. This compares well with the value of 88.7%, which was obtained in a regression step of a previous neural network study for a less diverse set of...
Blunt renal trauma in the pediatric patient.

Injury to the kidney from blunt trauma occurs rather frequently in the active, pediatric patient. Early evaluation and treatment of these children is essential in order to preserve maximum renal function. Ninety cases of pediatric renal trauma from blunt injury have been reviewed. The majority of these responded well to careful conservative, nonoperative management. Many of those requiring surgical intervention responded well to initial conservative treatment followed by surgical intervention conducted as an elective procedure within the first week after injury. Five case reports with associated radiographic studies are presented.
Video quality evaluation using ST-CIELAB

With the rapid growth of internet and digital video technology, perceptual assessment of video quality is becoming more important. An automatic assessment procedure based on some human vision model is desirable because subjective video quality measurement is costly and time- consuming. We propose a video quality metric called spatio- temporal CIELAB (ST-CIELAB). ST-CIELAB is an extension of the spatial CIELAB (S-CIELAB) image quality metric, that is itself an extension of the CIELAB color standard. The ST- CIELAB metric is based on a spatial, temporal, and chromatic model of human contrast sensitivity. Few such video quality metrics, accounting for human temporal as well as spatial sensitivities, have been proposed and they are based on multi-resolution, subband decomposition, models of human pattern sensitivity. ST-CIELAB is single-resolution which offers computational advantages over multi-resolution models. The ST-CIELAB rating is in units of JND, providing a meaningful interpretation of the rating. The ST-CIELAB metric was designed to fit published contrast sensitivity data, and ST-CIELAB is backward compatible with the well- established CIELAB standard, i.e., it reduces to CIELAB for uniform color fields. We tested the ST-CIELAB metric by performing psychophysics experiments with MPEG video sequences to see how well ST-CIELAB ratings correlate with subjective ratings.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Parasitism and predation of stink bug eggs in soybean and alfalfa fields.

Parasitism and predation of the eggs of Acrosternum hilare (Say), Euschistus servus (Say), Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de Veauvois) and Podisus maculiventris (Say) were studied. Small sheets of filter paper, each containing a stink bug egg mass, were placed on soybean and alfalfa plants during June–Sept. 1977 to determine the degree of parasitism and predation. This procedure was modified in 1978 by placing caged stink bugs on the plants until they oviposited, and then removing the cages and bugs. Supplementary parasitism data were obtained by collecting naturally-oviposited pentatomid egg masses from soybeans and other plants. Four species of parasites were recovered, of which Telenomus podisi Ashmead was the predominant egg parasite of all 4 host species studied in soybeans and alfalfa. Trissolcus euschisti (Ashmead) was also recovered from pentatomid eggs collected from soybeans and several other plant species. Chewing predators generally destroyed more pentatomid eggs in each crop than did sucking predators; egg mortality due to sucking predators, however, was more than 7 times greater in alfalfa than in soybeans during 1978. Combined egg mortality due to parasites and predators was lower for A. hilare than for E. servus , E. variolarius , or P. maculiventris .
Designing surfaces with wettability that varies in response to solute identity and concentration.

Surfaces with solute responsive wettability can be prepared by covalent layer-by-layer assembly of PNIPAM-c-PNASI with 10 and 100 nm diameter aminated silica nanoparticles. These surfaces are found to exhibit reversible changes in surface wetting in response to solute anion identity and concentration, allowing surfaces to be switched from hydrophilic (advancing water contact angle 68°) to hydrophobic (advancing water contact angle 145°). The extent of the response to solute salts is found to be consistent with the Hofmeister series and with associated changes in surface roughness which result from varying degrees of polymer swelling in response to solute ion identity and concentration. The observed wettability changes on these surfaces are reversible.
Seeing Like a Research Project: Producing “High-Quality Data” in AIDS Research in Malawi

Numbers are the primary way that we know about AIDS in Africa, yet their power and utility often obscure the conditions of their production. I show that quantification is very much a sociocultural process by focusing on everyday realities of making AIDS-related numbers in Malawi. "Seeing like a research project" implies systematically transforming social reality into data points and managing uncertainties inherent in numbers. Drawing on 20 months of participant observation with survey research projects (2005, 2007-2008), I demonstrate how standards govern data collection to protect and reproduce demographers' shared expectations of "high-quality data." Data are expected to be "clean," accurate and precise, data collection efficient and timely, and data collected from sufficiently large, pure, and representative samples. I employ ethnographic analysis to show that each of these expectations not only guides survey research fieldwork but also produces categories, identities, and practices that reinforce and challenge these standardizing values.
Information and the ecology of scholars.

Groups of scholars often behave in ways that are startlingly reminiscent of the behavior of groups of plants and animals in a biological ecosystem. I have tried to show that the parallel may have its basis in two fundamental considerations: (i) the similar properties of stable dissipative structures in a wide variety of contexts and (ii) the mathematical similarity of information to chemical (nutrient) free energy. A particularly intriguing problem is that of successional trends arising from the kinetic limitation of information flow through the intellectual and social structures created by scholars. The "strategy of ecosystem development" may have implications for the strategy of academic administration. In this connection, it is worth bearing in mind Marglef's dictum ( 6 , p. 77): "Probably the hypothesis holds everywhere that the less mature ecosystem feeds the more mature structures around it."
Utility of susceptibility-weighted imaging and arterial spin perfusion imaging in pediatric brain arteriovenous shunting.

The objectives of the study are to investigate the application of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging in the assessment of shunting and the draining veins in pediatric patients with arteriovenous shunting and compare the utility of SWI and ASL with conventional MR and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). This study is a retrospective study of 19 pediatric patients with arteriovenous shunting on brain MRI who were also evaluated with DSA. We assessed the ability of conventional MRI sequences, susceptibility magnitude images, phase-filtered SWI images, and pulsed ASL images in the detection of arteriovenous (AV) shunting, number of draining veins and drainage pathways in comparison to DSA. The mean number of detected draining veins on DSA (3.63) was significantly higher compared to SWI phase-filtered image (mean = 2.72), susceptibility magnitude image (mean = 2.92), ASL (mean = 1.76) and conventional MRI (2.47) (p 0.05). ASL was the only method that correctly identified superficial and deep venous drainage in all patients. Regarding detection of shunting, ASL, SWI phase-filtered, and magnitude images demonstrated shunting in 100, 83, and 84 % of patients, respectively. SWI depicts a higher number of draining vein compared to conventional MR pulse sequences. ASL is a sensitive approach in showing 100 % sensitivity in the detection of AV shunting and in the diagnosis of the pattern of venous drainage. The present findings suggest the added utility of both SWI and ASL in the assessment of AV shunting.
Cytotoxic and genotoxic consequences of heat stress are dependent on the presence of oxygen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Lethal heat stress generates oxidative stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and anaerobic cells are several orders of magnitude more resistant than aerobic cells to a 50°C heat shock. Here we characterize the oxidative effects of this heat stress. The thermoprotective effect in anaerobic cells was not due to expression of HSP104 or any other heat shock gene, raising the possibility that the toxicity of lethal heat shock is due mainly to oxidative stress. Aerobic but not anaerobic heat stress caused elevated frequencies of forward mutations and interchromosomal DNA recombination. Oxidative DNA repair glycosylase-deficient strains under aerobic conditions showed a powerful induction of forward mutation frequencies compared to wild-type cells, which was completely abolished under anaerobiosis. We also investigated potential causes for this oxygen-dependent heat shock-induced genetic instability. Levels of sulfhydryl groups, dominated mainly by the high levels of the antioxidant glutathione (reduced form) and levels of vitamin E, decreased after aerobic heat stress but not after anaerobic heat stress. Aerobic heat stress also led to an increase in mitochondrial membrane disruption of several hundredfold, which was 100-fold reduced under anaerobic conditions.
Storage and spoilage of uneviscerated and ‘oven ready’ poultry and game birds

The live bird, like other animals including man, carries millions of microorganisms in its intestines and also on its skin and amongst its feathers, but only some of those present are able to multiply under the conditions used for storing dressed birds and thus cause spoilage of the carcass. Most food spoilage is caused by microorganisms which are harmless in themselves but, when their numbers reach millions, unacceptable ‘off odours’ or flavours are produced and the food is rejected.
Dishevelled 2 Recruits ß-Arrestin 2 to Mediate Wnt5A-Stimulated Endocytosis of Frizzled 4

Wnt proteins, regulators of development in many organisms, bind to seven transmembrane-spanning (7TMS) receptors called frizzleds, thereby recruiting the cytoplasmic molecule dishevelled (Dvl) to the plasma membrane.Frizzled-mediated endocytosis of Wg (a Drosophila Wnt protein) and lysosomal degradation may regulate the formation of morphogen gradients. Endocytosis of Frizzled 4 (Fz4) in human embryonic kidney 293 cells was dependent on added Wnt5A protein and was accomplished by the multifunctional adaptor protein beta-arrestin 2 (betaarr2), which was recruited to Fz4 by binding to phosphorylated Dvl2. These findings provide a previously unrecognized mechanism for receptor recruitment of beta-arrestin and demonstrate that Dvl plays an important role in the endocytosis of frizzled, as well as in promoting signaling.
The kidney in preeclampsia

A27-year-oldAsianwomanwasadmittedtothehospi-tal for swelling of her legs over the previous 2 to 3 days. Aprimigravida, she was 30 weeks pregnant. She had beenwell and had no prior history of hypertension, diabetes,or renal disease. She saw her physician every month andhad had no previous swelling. Her prior blood pressuremeasurements and urinalyses had been normal. The ini-tial serum creatinine when she was 6 weeks pregnant was0.6 mg/dL. When she saw her obstetrician the morningof admission, she felt otherwise well. The examinationwas unremarkable except for a blood pressure of 160/100 mm Hg, which was unchanged 30 minutes later,and signiﬁcant pretibial edema. Her reﬂexes were nor-mal. Urinalysis demonstrated 3+ protein without blood,sugar, leukocytes, or nitrate. Laboratory tests revealeda serum creatinine of 0.9 mg/dL, uric acid of 5.0 mg/dL,andnormalcoagulationstudiesandliverenzymes.Aspoturine protein-to-creatinine ratio was 1.8.The patient was admitted to the hospital for bed rest.Fetal ultrasound showed the fetus to be without defect;
High-Level Gentamicin Resistance in Enterococcus faecalis Bacteremia

In a retrospective analysis, patients with bacteremia due to Enterococcus faecalis with and without high-level gentamicin resistance (GRE; MIC greater than 2000 micrograms/ml) were compared. Bacteremic patients with GRE (n = 32) had significantly higher rates of nosocomial acquisition and bladder catheterization, longer hospitalizations, and more frequent prior treatment with cephalosporins than did bacteremic patients without high-level resistance (n = 19). Overall mortality was significantly associated with septic shock, high-risk source (intraabdominal, wound, respiratory tract, multiple, unknown), and polymicrobial bacteremia. Higher mortality was observed in GRE bacteremia (47%) than in bacteremia without high-level resistance (37%), but this difference was not statistically significant. For patients with monomicrobial bacteremia, low-risk source (genitourinary tract, intravascular), or treatment with antibiotics appropriate for the enterococcus, higher mortality with GRE bacteremia approached statistical significance. These results suggest that high-level resistance adversely affects survival with a pure E. faecalis bacteremia or low-risk bacteremic source. Also, response to antibiotic therapy may be diminished by high-level resistance.
Communication about sexuality and intimacy in couples affected by lung cancer and their clinical‐care providers

Objective: Little is known about the effects of lung cancer on intimate and sexual relationships. This study explores health-care provider, patient, and partner perspectives on: (1) the effects of lung cancer on physical and emotional intimacy, (2) the ways in which intimacy affects the experience of living with lung cancer, and (3) communication about intimacy and sexuality in the context of lung cancer. Methods: Qualitative, in-depth interviews with eight cancer-care providers and 13 married couples (ages 43–79) affected by lung cancer were conducted and audiotaped in the clinical setting. Interviews were transcribed, iteratively analyzed, and coded according to the above domains. Coding was performed independently by members of an interdisciplinary team; inter-rater reliability was assessed using the kappa statistic; and analyses were summarized by domain. Results: Most cancer-care providers and couples affected by lung cancer believed intimacy and sexuality issues were salient, yet few reported discussing these. Couples described negative and positive effects of cancer on intimacy. Negative effects were driven by cancer or its treatment, including physical and psychological effects. Positive effects included an increase in non-coital physical closeness and appreciation of the spouse. Age was perceived as an important factor influencing the relationship between lung cancer and intimacy. Conclusions: Emotional intimacy and sexuality are important concerns for couples affected by lung cancer. The findings suggest previously unrecognized positive effects of lung cancer on emotional and physical intimacy. Couples affected by lung cancer and providers believe these issues are relevant for lung cancer care. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.