cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU‐FF‐T‐271: Investigation of Convergence and Systematic Dosimetric Errors Resulting From Endorectal Balloon‐Based Heterogeneity in Conformal and IMRT Planning of Prostate Cancer

Purpose: To investigate dosimetric errors caused by endorectal balloon‐based heterogeneity in prostate cancer forward and inverse planning. Method and Materials: Five prostate cancer patients, treated with air‐filled rectal balloons, were retrospectively recalculated assuming air‐equivalent density and were compared to plans in which unit‐density was assigned to the air. Each plan was performed using 3D‐CRT (4‐ and 6 field) and IMRT techniques. For IMRT plans, systematic dose errors were estimated as follows: Δ sys wat = D wat air − D air air , where the superscript, “air” assumes the true air density in the rectal balloon and indicates the dataset upon which beam weights were optimized. The subscript represents the final dose calculation dataset based on the optimized beam weights. The convergence dose error may be approximated as follows: Δ conv wat = D air air − D air wat , where the final dose calculation dataset is equivalent (assumes air density) while the initial dataset, upon which beam weights are optimized, is changed between the water‐based and air densities. DVHs, and biological dose indices, generalized EUD (gEUD), and NTCP were used to assess the dosimetric consequences of assigning unit‐density to the air in the rectal balloon. Results: Although the posterior aspect of the prostate (prostate/rectum junction) was consistently under‐dosed when air‐densities were assigned to the rectal balloon, these differences did not significantly affect the prostate gEUD. Average differences were approximately 0.5 Gy, with a maximum difference of 1.5 Gy observed in one IMRT plan. Rectal %NTCPs sometimes differed significantly (up to 7%) between the water‐ and air‐density assignment and were more pronounced for the 3D‐CRT plans. IMRT systematic dose errors were generally found to be larger than convergence errors, with the greatest effect observed in the rectum where NTCP differences ranged from 1 to 5%. Conclusion:Tissue heterogeneity effects resulting from use of endorectal balloons may be dosimetrically important and must be considered for accurate 3D‐CRT and IMRT prostate cancer planning.
The occurrence of a fibro-osseous lesion and multiple dental anomalies in a patient with the Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome

The Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome is an uncommon dysmorphic syndrome characterized by preaxial and postaxial polysyndactyly and minor craniofacial anomalies. It has an autosomal dominant inheritance. A review of the literature has failed to show documentation of any dental or oral abnormalities. Therefore, we report on a patient with Greig syndrome who had a maxillary fibro-osseous lesion and multiple dental and oral abnormalities.
Postmortem stability and characterization of immunoreactive luteinizing hormone releasing hormone and thyrotropin releasing hormone in human brain tissue

Abstract PARKER, C. R., JR. AND J. C. PORTER. Postmortem stability and characterization of immunoreactive luteinizing hormone releasing hormone and thyrotropin releasing hormone in human brain tissue . BRAIN RES. BULL. 8 (6) 623–630, 1982.—The content and concentration of immunoreactive luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) and of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) were evaluated in hypothalamic tissue of 52 cadavers of adult humans (33 males, 18 to 70 years of age, and 19 females, 17 to 74 years of age). Autopsy was performed between 2.5 and 21 hr after death. When the data were subjected to linear regression analysis, it was found that neither the concentration nor content of LHRH or TRH varied significantly between 2.5 and 21 hr postmortem. The stability of LHRH or TRH in hypothalamic fragments that included the pituitary stalk was similar to the stability of these peptides in hypothalamic fragments that did not include the pituitary stalk. The concentration as well as content of LHRH and TRH in specimens analyzed 2.5 to 12 hr postmortem was similar to that in specimens analyzed 13 to 21 hr postmortem. When aliquots of a homogenate or a synaptosomal fraction of hypothalamic tissue were incubated at 4° or 37°C prior to the analysis of endogenous LHRH and TRH, it was found that the concentration of each peptide remained constant for several hours. However, when synthetic LHRH or TRH was mixed with aliquots of homogenates or subcellular fractions of hypothalamic tissue and incubated at 37°C, each exogenous peptide was rapidly degraded. Based upon the results of gel filtration chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, biological activity (LHRH), and susceptibility to degradation by serum (TRH), immunoreactive LHRH and TRH in extracts of human brain tissue appeared to be similar to synthetic LHRH and TRH. These findings support the view that, although human brain tissue has the capacity to degrade LHRH and TRH, the endogenous pools of these peptides are sequestered in such a manner that they are stable for several hours in the postmortem human brain. These data are suggestive that brain tissues obtained at autopsy may be useful in the study of peptidergic systems in the human.
Appraisal of Statistical Predictability under Uncertain Inputs: SST to Rainfall

Climatic variables that are used as inputs in hydrologic models often have large measurement uncertainties that are mostly ignored in hydrologic applications because of lack of appropriate tools. This study develops a set of algorithms to engage uncertainty information in three of the most common statistical procedures applied on climatic data, namely correlation (BaNCorr), principal component analysis (VBaNPCA), and regression (VNRVM). These new algorithms are developed within a common framework of Bayesian learning, and together they provide a comprehensive tool to account for uncertainty in various stages of model development. The developed algorithms are first tested and compared with traditional methods and state-of-the-art algorithms on synthetic data. Practical application of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated by developing a seasonal prediction model for all India summer monsoon rainfall by using sea surface temperature (SST) data and associated measurement errors as inputs. The results sugge...
Latencies of implicit verbal responses and the effect of the anticipation interval on mediated transfer

Letters of the alphabet were presented to S s who were required to respond by saying either the letter presented, the next letter in the alphabet, or the second letter in the alphabet. The latencies of the responses increased with the number of implicit verbal responses assumed to occur and differences remained even after 63 presentations of each of eight letters. The second experiment used the letter material in a transfer paradigm. The stimuli in the two lists were the same and the second-list response was a letter two steps in the alphabet beyond the first-list response. There was no positive transfer to the second list when it was presented with a 1-sec anticipation interval and large positive transfer with a 3-sec anticipation interval. The results were discussed in terms of a mediation hypothesis.
Arthur Lundkvist's Swedish Ode to Whitman

Describes Whitman's influence on Swedish poet Arthur Lundkvist and presents an English translation of Lundkvist's poem "Whitman" by Mark Troy, Jeffrey Miller, and Linda Sckenck.
Role of inclusion stiffness and interfacial strength on dynamic matrix crack growth: An experimental study

Abstract Experimental simulations of dynamic crack growth past inclusions of two different elastic moduli, stiff (glass) and compliant (polyurethane) relative to the matrix (epoxy), are carried out in a 2D setting. Full-field surface deformations are mapped in the crack–inclusion vicinity optically. The crack growth behavior as a function of inclusion–matrix interfacial strength and the inclusion location relative to the crack is studied under stress-wave loading conditions. An ultra high-speed rotating mirror-type digital camera is used to record random speckle patterns in the crack–inclusion vicinity to quantify in-plane displacement fields. The crack-tip deformation histories from the time of impact until complete fracture are mapped and fracture parameters are extracted. The crack front is arrested by the symmetrically located compliant inclusion for about half the duration needed for complete fracture event. The dynamically propagating crack is attracted and trapped by the weakly bonded inclusion interface for both stiff and compliant symmetrically located inclusion cases, whereas it is deflected away by the strongly bonded stiff inclusion and attracted by strongly bonded compliant inclusion when located eccentrically. The crack is arrested by a strongly bonded compliant inclusion for a significant fraction of the total dynamic event and is longer than the one for the weakly bonded counterpart. The compliant inclusion cases show higher fracture toughness than the stiff inclusion cases. Measured crack-tip mode-mixities correlate well with the observed crack attraction and repulsion mechanisms. Macroscopic examination of fracture surfaces reveals much higher surface roughness and ruggedness after crack–inclusion interaction for compliant inclusion than the stiff one. Implications of these observations on the dynamic fracture behavior of micron size A-glass and polyamide (PA6) particle filled epoxy is demonstrated. Filled-epoxy with 3% Vf of PA6 filler is shown to produce the same dynamic fracture toughness enhancement as the one due to 10% Vf glass.
Megakaryocyte Lineage-Specific Class VI β-Tubulin Suppresses Microtubule Dynamics, Fragments Microtubules, and Blocks Cell Division

Class VI β-tubulin (β6) is the most divergent tubulin produced in mammals and is found only in platelets and mature megakaryocytes. To determine how this unique tubulin isotype affects microtubule assembly and organization, we expressed the cDNA in tissue culture cells under the control of a tetracycline regulated promoter. The β6 coassembled with other endogenous β-tubulin isotypes into a normal microtubule array; but once the cells entered mitosis it caused extensive fragmentation of the microtubules, disrupted the formation of the spindle apparatus, and allowed entry into G1 phase without cytokinesis to produce large multinucleated cells. The microtubule fragments persisted into subsequent cell cycles and accumulated around the membrane in a marginal band-like appearance. The persistence of the fragments could be traced to a pronounced suppression of microtubule dynamic instability. Impairment of centrosomal nucleation also contributed to the loss of a normal microtubule cytoskeleton. Incorporation of β6 allowed microtubules to resist the effects of colcemid and maytansine, but not vinblastine or paclitaxel; however, cellular resistance to colcemid or maytansine did not occur because expression of β6 prevented cell division. The results indicate that many of the morphological features of megakaryocyte differentiation can be recapitulated in non-hematopoietic cells by β6 expression and they provide a mechanistic basis for understanding these changes.
Fronto-parietal network: flexible hub of cognitive control

A recent study shows that the fronto-parietal network (FPN), and subregions therein, alters its functional connectivity with nodes of other networks based on task goals. Moreover, FPN patterns of connectivity not only reflect engagement of specific tasks, but also serve as a code that can be transferred to facilitate learning novel tasks.
Spectral interpretation of radio-sounder-stimulated magnetospheric plasma resonances in terms of kappa distributions

Ionospheric topside sounders stimulate a wide variety of signal returns, which have been labeled plasma resonances, including two sequences that appear between the harmonics of the electron cyclotron frequency f ce . One, known as the Qn sequence, occurs above the upper-hybrid frequency f uh , where f uh 2 = f ce 2 + f pe 2 and f pe is the electron plasma frequency; this sequence has been attributed to slowly-propagating electrostatic Bernstein-mode waves [1, 2]. Similar resonances are stimulated by magnetospheric radio sounders. In this case, however, it is often necessary to introduce a non-Maxwellian electron-velocity distribution function into the dispersion equation used to calculate the Qn frequencies to obtain agreement with observations [3]. Interpretations based on bi-Maxwellian [3] and kappa [4] distributions have been proposed. Here we expand on the latter, which requires fewer free parameters, by comparing parametric curves of kappa-derived Qn frequencies with observations from the Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) on the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) satellite. The calculated Qn frequencies based on a Maxwellian distribution are higher than those based on a kappa distribution and the differences have been found to approach 20% of the ambient f ce value [4]. Applying this radio spectrometry to IMAGE/RPI plasmagrams, after accurate f pe /f ce determinations have been obtained, enables the determination of electron-velocity-distribution function information pertaining to the ambient magnetospheric plasma. Such accurate f pe /f ce determinations can best be made when a sounder generated wave cutoff can be determined in addition to identifying and determining the frequencies of sounder-stimulated plasma resonances. We will demonstrate this procedure using IMAGE/RPI data.
An energy-balance approach for oscillator parameter identification

An energy-based approach for parametric nonlinear identification was investigated. The presented method uses an energy balance on the oscillator governing equations for identification purposes, thus requiring the availability of the position and velocity signals. Since it is rarely practical to measure every state variable in an experimental setting, we describe an alternative procedure for estimating velocity from the measured displacement. The presented approach uses cubic smoothing splines to avoid the noise amplification effect that occurs for numerical signal derivatives. Finally, we investigate the identification of parameters from both numerical and experimental data for three nonlinear oscillators. These studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented energy-balance approach for transient, periodic, and chaotic response behavior.
The Medium Makes a Difference: Gender Similarities and Differences in Instant Messaging

This study examines gender differences in instant messaging (IM). Participants recorded their IM conversations for 3 weeks and then submitted a sample of six conversations, three with male and three with female partners. The conversations were analyzed for a number of variables often found to show gender differences. In many ways, messages were similar regardless of the gender of the sender or the recipient. However, women sent messages that were more expressive than those sent by men.
Evidence combination for hard and soft sensor data fusion

A group of multiple heterogeneous sensors is used to observe events of interest and their readings are aggregated into observation vectors that are used to draw inferences. In this generic environment we wish to integrate data provided by ”hard” sensors such as readings of radar and thermal sensors with data provided by ”soft” sensors such as reports from humans or context analysis by domain experts. Here we form a probabilistic representation of soft sensor data using Dempster Shafer's belief mass assignment and a consensus operator for combining human opinions with uncertainties. We then use a probability fusion rule proposed by Krzystofowicz and Long to generate a hard and soft data fusion system. This approach brings all sensor outputs to the same probabilistic framework prior to fusion. The formulation is demonstrated through three exercises involving hypothetical and real scenarios.
Surgical Skills for the APRN Student: A Low-Fidelity Simulation Experience

There are many contemporary areas of practice available to the ACNP to date that encompass a surgical component of practice. Surgical specialty settings require a practitioner to be competent in a specialized base of knowledge as well as possess a fundamental set of psychomotor skills to practice competently. Unlike the training of the PA, ACNP programs do not typically address surgical theory or skills. The purpose of the program was to increase graduate nursing student confidence in basic surgical skills. The review of the literature examined the differences between the educational preparation of the PA and the NP, expansion of the NP role in surgery, as well as the use of simulation in graduate nursing education. The program incorporated a surgical skills lab concluding with a low-fidelity simulation experience. Skills addressed included the surgical hand scrub, donning surgical attire, and simple wound closure techniques. The sample comprised of 13 subjects representing 65% of the population meeting the inclusion criteria. The program was evaluated using a researcher designed and validated non-experimental Likert type survey measuring subject confidence both pre and post intervention. Responses to the nine Likert scale questions demonstrated a statistical increase from the pre-intervention to the post-intervention survey. Two participants reported utilized the new attained knowledge and skills during their final semester surgical clinical practicum. Incorporating surgical theory and skill training into graduate nursing education is vital if the ACNP would like to remain competitive with the PA in the surgical specialty job market.
Minimum variance guided wave imaging in a quasi-isotropic composite plate

Ultrasonic guided waves are capable of rapidly interrogating large, plate-like structures for both nondestructive evaluation and structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. Distributed sparse arrays of inexpensive piezoelectric transducers offer a cost-effective way to automate the interrogation process. However, the sparse nature of the array limits the amount of information available for performing damage detection and localization. Minimum variance techniques have been incorporated into guided wave imaging to reduce the magnitude of imaging artifacts and improve the imaging performance for sparse array SHM applications. The ability of these techniques to improve imaging performance is related to the accuracy of a priori model assumptions, such as scattering characteristics and dispersion. This paper reports the application of minimum variance imaging under slightly inaccurate model assumptions, such as are expected in realistic environments. Specifically, the imaging algorithm assumes an isotropic, non-dispersive, single mode propagating environment with a scattering field independent of incident angle and frequency. In actuality, the composite material considered here is not only slightly anisotropic and dispersive but also supports multiple propagating modes, and additionally, the scattering field is dependent on the incident angle, scattered angle, and frequency. An isotropic propagation velocity is estimated via calibration prior to imaging to implement the non-dispersive model assumption. Imaging performance is presented under these inaccurate assumptions to demonstrate the robustness of minimum variance imaging to common sources of imaging artifacts.
Reflections on the interpretation of heterogeneity and strain differences based on very limited PCR sequence data from Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus genomes

Ever since the original identification of fragments of KSHV DNA in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) tissue by Chang et al. in 1994, PCR has been used successfully and extensively to detect the virus in clinical samples from the accepted etiological diseases of KS, PEL and MCD. However, a number of other clinical and epidemiological studies claiming evidence for KSHV in multiple myeloma or sarcoid and more recently in primary pulmonary hypertension, as well as claims about the biological significance of DNA sequence polymorphisms based just on small ORF26 PCR DNA fragments have not been convincing. Here, we evaluate the validity and interpretations of previous results in the context of both the observed rates and global patterns of sequence variability within an extended ORF26 locus, as well as from the perspective of the overall levels of KSHV variability found after sampling multiple loci across the complete KSHV genome. The results cast doubts on most claims for biological significance for these polymorphisms, which instead correlate with viral subtype clustering arising from geographic and ethnic divergence of the ancestral human hosts. In addition, we describe several observations that help to explain likely sources of the often either unexpectedly high or unexpectedly low levels of sporadic variability seen in the PCR DNA sequence data reported in some of those studies.
Endothelin production by hypoxic human endothelium

Abstract Purpose: The physiologic significance of endothelin remains incompletely defined. Procoagulant and antifibrinolytic activities are increased in hypoxic cultured human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC). We examined the effect of hypoxia on HUVEC endothelin-1 production in vitro to determine whether a correlation existed between the procoagulant and antifibrinolytic response to hypoxia previously observed and an increase in vasoconstrictor peptide secretion by hypoxic HUVEC. Methods: Cultured HUVEC were rendered hypoxic (PO 2 = 40 mm Hg) or control (PO 2 = 120 mm Hg) for 24 hours. Media were either standard, 5 gm glucose/L (high glucose), or contained 500 units superoxide dismutase/ml (SOD). Endothelin-like immunoreactivity for endothelin-1 (ET-IR) in conditioned media was measured by radioimmunoassay and expressed as mean femtomoles per milliliter (±SD) per 100,000 cells. Viability of HUVEC was assessed by trypan blue exclusion. Significance was determined by use of Student's t test. Results: Conditioned media from hypoxic cells contained 76% more ET-IR than was found in control counterparts ( p p Conclusions: Thus 24 hours of hypoxia caused an increase in conditioned-media ET-IR in cultured HUVEC. Because SOD or greater substrate availability did not diminish endothelin presence in conditioned media, it seems that hypoxic induction of endothelin-1 production or secretion is signaled in a fashion unrelated to cell toxicity from the hypoxic period. (J VASC SURG 1993;18:178-84.)
A Perspective on the Cost-Benefit of Drug Therapy

AbstractCost-benefit analysis is an important tool in assessing the impact of drugs on society. The purpose of this paper is to assess the cost-benefit of drugs to society and specifically to consider whether it is cost-beneficial for insurance and entitlement programs to include drug coverage in their health benefits package.Although prescription and over-the-counter drugs represent only 7.5 percent of total health care costs, drugs have been responsible for dramatic improvements in the health status of the public in this country.If we had the same diseases and mortality rates in recent years that we had at the turn of the century, we would have foregone billions of dollars annually due to loss of life and loss of work days. Our calculations demonstrate that even if drugs accounted for only 10 percent of the improvement in mortality and morbidity figures, the benefits of drugs definitely exceed the annual expenditures (costs) for drugs.The evidence indicates that it is very cost-beneficial for employers,...
Production of Exotic (or Polarized) Low-Energy Radioactive Beams via Two Successive Nuclear Reactions: Tertiary Beams ?

Abstract We propose a method to produce usable amounts (1–100/s) of low-energy, very neutron-, proton-rich or highly-polarized radioactive nuclear beams (RNBs) via a two-stop production method which utilizes a high-intensity secondary RNB with a second production target. For example: 7 Li+ 9 Be→ 8 Li+ 9 Be→ 9 Li. The latter ( 9 Li) is very difficult to produce at low energies (a few MeV/u) as it is several nucleons away from the line of stability and no efficient one-step mechanism exists. In contrast, high-cross-section transfer reactions such as 9 Be( 7 Li, 8 Li) combined with a high-efficiency ion-optical collection devices can produce 8 Li and other near-stability RNBs ( 8 B, 7 Be, 6 He,…) at very good intensities, viz. 10 4 –10 8 /s. Thus, it appears feasible to use a second, high cross-section reaction – perhaps now with a radioactive or polarized second production target, to produce and exotic, low-energy tertiary RNBs, including polarized RNBs. These and other aspects are described together with some initial tests using the new UM-UND TwinSol RNB apparatus (see M. Lee, this Proceedings).
Determination and analysis of long-wavelength transition zone structure using SS precursors

SUMMARY Global mapping of 410 and 660 km discontinuity topography and transition zone thickness has proven to be a powerful tool for constraining mantle chemistry, dynamics and mineralogy. Numerous seismic and mineral physics studies suggest that the 410 km discontinuity results from the phase change of olivine to wadsleyite and the 660 km discontinuity results from the phase change of ringwoodite to perovskite and magnesiowustite. Underside reflections of the 410 and 660 km discontinuities arrive as precursors to SS. With the recent development of a semi-automated method of determining SS arrivals, we have more than tripled the Flanagan and Shearer (1998a) data set of handpicked SS waveforms. We are able to increase resolution by stacking waveforms in 5 ◦ rather than 10 ◦ radius bins as well as increasing data coverage significantly in the southern hemisphere. The resulting SS-S410S and SS-S660S times are heavily influenced by upper-mantle velocity structure. We perform a joint inversion for discontinuity topography and velocity heterogeneity as well as performing a simple velocity correction to the precursor differential times and find little difference between the two methods. The 660 km discontinuity topography and transition zone thickness are correlated with velocities in the transition zone whereas the 410 km discontinuity topography is not. In addition, the 410 km discontinuity topography is not correlated with the 660 km discontinuity topography, rather anticorrelated, as expected due to the opposite signs of the Clapeyron slopes of their respective phase changes. These results suggest that, whereas the topography of 660 km discontinuity could be dominated by thermal effects, the topography of the 410 km discontinuity is likely dominated by compositional effects. In addition, unlike previous studies which find less topography on the 410 km discontinuity than on the 660 km discontinuity, our 410 and 660 km topography have similar amplitudes.
Zero-IF for GSM transmitter applications

Transmitters/receivers in base station are expected to be manufactured at least cost. In this paper, a new solution of Zero-IF in the design of transmitter in GSM system is introduced and the auto calibration is proposed for the most difficult problems origin offsets and sideband suppression.
Three interactions between context and epistemic locutions

I motivate and formalize three interactions between context and epistemic modalities, discussing (1) the effects of temporal perspective on knowledge of the future, (2) the effects of perceived risk on belief, and (3) the effects of presupposed background information on epistemic 'might'.
Inductively mapping expert-derived soil-landscape units within dambo wetland catenae using multispectral and topographic data

Abstract Constructing a cost-effective and detailed digital soil map of Africa will require the extensive utilization of both legacy soil data and legacy soil-landscape knowledge — which in Africa is primarily available from reconnaissance-scale catena or association maps and related studies. We evaluated a hybrid approach for disaggregating reconnaissance scale soil maps: rapid and inexpensive delineation of representative soil-landscape units in the field using expert knowledge, followed by the use of inductive, empirical, and correlative modeling techniques to map these landscape units. Our 2214 km 2 study area, located in central Uganda, consisted predominantly of catenae that terminate in seasonal valley floor wetlands called dambos — a type of landscape that can be found throughout the African continent. For model training and validation, we identified four landscape classes in the field using published expert knowledge: well-drained uplands (red soils); sloping dambo wetland margins (gradient > 2%), frequently inundated dambo bottoms (hummocky microtopography), and flat dambo floors (default). Using binary decision trees (BDT) with multispectral and topographic remote sensing covariates, we created a 20 m resolution map of these four classes. Multispectral inputs included reflectance values, vegetation indices, and spectral mixture modeling fractions from Systeme Pour l'Observacion de la Terre (SPOT) 4 satellite images acquired in December, 2006 and February, 2007. Topographic inputs consisted of a digital elevation model (DEM) from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data, slope, and 20 relative elevation layers calculated using moving windows of various sizes. Decision rules were based upon the following input variables: the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Normalized Difference Infrared Index (NDII), the shortwave infrared (SWIR) reflectance, northing, slope, and two relative elevation layers. The overall classification accuracy of 75.5% and Kappa coefficient of 0.67 suggest that a combination of multispectral, topographic, and spatial data may be used to reliably classify landscape classes for dambo-terminated catenae. At 59% of the 2214 km 2 study area, the upland class was by far the most abundant, with margins at 21%, floors at 12% and bottoms at 8%. A statistical analysis of soil property data from a small catchment located within the study area showed significant class differences in soil texture, color, organic carbon (SOC), base saturation, pH, effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC), and clay mineralogy. Though detailed soil maps are rare in Africa, reconnaissance soil maps can be inexpensively disaggregated to provide a valuable starting point for digital soil mapping.
GeneLab: NASA's Open Access, Collaborative Platform for Systems Biology and Space Medicine

NASA is investing in GeneLab1 (http:genelab.nasa.gov), a multi-year effort to maximize utilization of the limited resources to conduct biological and medical research in space, principally aboard the International Space Station (ISS). High-throughput genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic or other omics analyses from experiments conducted on the ISS will be stored in the GeneLab Data Systems (GLDS), an open-science information system that will also include a biocomputation platform with collaborative science capabilities, to enable the discovery and validation of molecular networks.
Runway Visibility in Thick Fog

The need to determine the visual range in thick fog is critical. To safely land and take off aircraft in heavy fog, adequate visual aids must be provided. Because of the inconstant nature of fog, pilot training is difficult. Consideration should be given to fog modification by man-made means.
Taxation and social welfare

66 There is a growing concern that a fair share of the national income should go to low income families. Increasingly, people talk about inequality in the distribution of in come when they speak of poverty.1 What do they mean by poverty? As society be comes affluent, the definition changes from destitution to relative deprivation. Thus, in the United States the poverty line is no longer set at an income just enough to pro vide a minimum level of physical well being. A study of the distribution of income in volves investigating a dynamic cycle of in come at three stages. At the first stage, workers receive income in exchange for pro ductive activities. At the second stage, the government collects a portion of the work ers' income in the form of taxes. At the
Survival of the lone star tick (Acari: Ixodidae) under flooding conditions: a laboratory evaluation

In the laboratory, lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.), were able to survive submersion in water at 20°C for up to 19 weeks (unfed nymphs). The LT50 (lethal time) ranged from 3.4 to 5.5 days for engorged larvae, nymphs, and females and eggs, and 3.3 to 3.5 weeks for unfed larvae and adults. Unfed nymphs survived the longest (LT50 = 7.3 weeks). The lengthy survival of the ticks in water indicates that periodic flooding of land has little long-term effect on lone star tick populations.
Characterization of the Fluorescence Properties of 4-Dialkylaminochalcones and Investigation of the Cytotoxic Mechanism of Chalcones

Understanding the mechanisms responsible for the various biological activities of chalcones, particularly the direct cellular targets, presents an unmet challenge. Here, we prepared a series of fluorescent chalcone derivatives as chemical probes for their mechanistic investigation. Upon systematic physicochemical characterization, we explored their potential to elucidate the mode of action of chalcones’ cytotoxicity. The fluorescence of the chalcones was found to be highly sensitive to structural and environmental factors. Structurally, a 4-dialkylamino group on the B ring, suitable electronic properties of the A ring substituents, and the planar conformation of the chalcone's core structure were essential for optimal fluorescence. Environmental factors influencing fluorescence included solvent polarity, pH, and the interactions of the chalcones with proteins and detergents. It was found that 18 chalcones showed a fluorescent brightness greater than 6000 M−1 cm−1 in DMSO. However, water dramatically quenched the fluorescence, although it could be partially recovered in the presence of BSA or detergents. As expected, these fluorescent chalcones showed a sharp structure–activity relationship in their cellular cytotoxicity, leading to the identification of structurally similar cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic fluorescent chalcones as chemical probes. Confocal microscopy results revealed the co-localization of the cytotoxic probe C8 and tubulin in cells, supporting tubulin as the direct cellular target responsible for the cytotoxicity of chalcones.
Inorganic Scaling and Geochemical Formation Damage

Various processes leading to inorganic scaling and formation damage are discussed. Special attention is given to formation damage caused by the adverse reactions encountered during acid stimulation, brine incompatibility in seawater injection for water flooding, precipitation caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) and light hydrocarbon gases near wellbore, and sulfur deposition. The alterations of thermodynamic and chemical balances in favor of precipitation, precipitate aggregation, crystal growth, and inorganic scale formation are discussed and mathematically formulated. The rate processes governing the cation exchange, adsorption/desorption, and dissolution/precipitation reactions are formulated. The criteria for precipitate forming conditions are derived. Typical applications to above mentioned inorganic precipitation and scale formation processes are presented.
Interaction and Mental Involvement

The development of HCI design and evaluation methodology throughout this and the companion books has emphasized the treatment of user and computer as a combined system. Words like “partnership” and “synergism” are employed, and interdependence between the two information processors is stressed repeatedly. At times it probably sounds akin to a marriage, whether voluntary or forced, between two rather dissimilar entities. The cause-and-effect model makes clear that the enabling and constraining factors of the two, in combination, have determining effects on the feasibility of creating interface features and achieving desirable levels of performance. In other words, for the union to work out with reasonable success, both have to do their parts; both must be prepared and participate in the interaction.
Spatial Homogeneity in Metabolic Activity Controls Electrical Activity in Pancreatic Islets

Pancreatic islets are micro-organs which secrete hormones including insulin and glucagon to maintain glucose homeostasis. Regulated secretion of insulin is managed by β-cells when glucose is taken into the cell and enters the metabolic pathway to generate NADH and ATP. The increased ATP/ADP ratio triggers the closure of ATP sensitive potassium channels which activates voltage gated calcium channels, depolarizing the membrane and increasing cytosolic calcium levels [Ca2+] to induce insulin release. Oscillatory depolarizations of β-cells are synchronized by connexin 36 gap junctions that allow the passage of cations between cells. Travelling waves of depolarization and [Ca2+] influx emerge from one spatial origin and terminate at another, strengthening the collective effect of insulin secretion. Individual β-cells show large amounts of electrical heterogeneity; in both the level of glucose required to induce electrical oscillations and in oscillatory dynamics. To test if cells of similar heterogeneity are grouped together forming regions of spatial homogeneities a mouse line expressing the optogenetic tool Chanelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) was created to induce membrane depolarizations in subregions of the islet. Two-photon NADH imaging was used with ChR2 activation to determine if subregions showed preferential excitability. β-cell electrical activity measured through ChR2 activation was found to be spatially variable, and this intra-islet variation corresponded with NADH levels in that subregion. A computational electrophysiological model of the islet was used to determine that variations in ChR2 stimulated spatial electrical activity and NADH levels could come from subregions of similar cells. Furthermore, ChR2 stimulated activity was less in the depolarizing wave origin – consistent with the computational model. These data suggest islets are grouped in neighborhood regions of like heterogeneity which provide functional control over electrical activity and dynamics.
'Cloud' Atlas — A Map to Amending Metadata Privacy Law in the Modern Era

In this article, I aim to do three things. First, I argue that metadata is an important piece of personal information, that warrants protection under the law. Metadata that is stored by corporations are not subject to uniform laws, or even a set of accepted standards of how requests by law enforcement are treated. In the modern era, data and metadata are created faster than ever. This issue has never been more prevalent in American society. Second, I show how the current laws surrounding data and metadata are woefully inadequate. These laws were written in the context of 1986 technology, and do little to protect citizens' personal privacy. There is broad support for amending these laws, and the need for change is clear. Third, I propose practical changes to current data and metadata laws. I borrow from a proposal by Professor Andrew K. Woods, but give significant consideration to the issue of metadata. Properly amending these laws can increase law enforcement efficiency, while protecting personal privacy. I hope my analysis will spark future debate about these proposals.
Adverse drug interactions in dental practice: interactions involving antibiotics. Part II of a series.

ABSTRACT Background The prudent use of antibiotics is an integral part of dental practice. While these agents generally are considered safe in the dental setting, their use can result in interactions that can lead to serious morbidity in dental patients. Methods The faculty of a symposium entitled “Adverse Drug Interactions in Dentistry: Separating the Myths From the Facts” did an extensive literature review on drug interactions. Through this, they were able to establish a significance rating of alleged adverse drug interactions as they relate to dentistry, based on their scientific documentation and severity of effect. The author of this article focused on antibiotics. Results Most of the reported drug interactions discussed in this article are well-documented by clinical studies. It is particularly important that dentists be aware of the potentially serious and life-threatening interactions of the antibiotics erythromycin, clarithromycin and metronidazole, and of the antifungal agents ketoconazole and itraconazole, with a host of other drugs whose metabolism is impaired by these antimicrobial agents. In contrast, the alleged ability of commonly employed antibiotics to reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptive agents is not adequately supported by clinical research. It still is recommended, however, that clinicians discuss this possible interaction with their patients, as it might represent a relatively rare event that cannot be discerned in clinical trials. Conclusion Potentially serious adverse drug interactions can occur between antimicrobial agents used in dental practice and other drugs patients are taking for a variety of medical conditions. Clinical Implications It is important that dentists stay abreast of potential drug interactions involving antibiotics to avoid serious morbidity among their patients.
Double-beam diffraction-grating transducers for improved blood flow measurement

Two diffraction-grating transducers on either side of a conventional transducer form a configuration with useful properties: when placed in or on the wall of a blood vessel, the blood velocity along the axis of the vessel, i.e. the component of velocity that produces net flow, equals the Doppler shift multiplied by the spatial period of the diffraction-grating transducers, independently of the frequency used to drive the transducers. That and other properties leading to better blood flow measurement are described and experimentally validated.
Riemannian Harmony and The HarmoRubette Software

In music, the production of meaning is prominently described in harmony. This means that musical objects such as chords are given a signification as harmonic signs. The classical approach to this enterprise was proposed by Hugo Riemann (Figure 8.1).
Effects of caffeine on alcohol reinforcement: beverage choice, self-administration, and subjective ratings

Rationale Combining alcohol and caffeine is associated with increased alcohol consumption, but no prospective experimental studies have examined whether added caffeine increases alcohol consumption.
Three-party status-based matching and successful exit in the IPO market

This paper discusses the relationship between status-based matching (i.e., a VC, an investment bank, and a portfolio company) and successful exit in the IPO market. Using a sample of 3,075 venture ...
Responsive superabsorbent hydrogels via photopolymerization in lyotropic liquid crystal templates

Abstract In this work, stimuli-responsive, superabsorbent materials are created by copolymerization of stimuli-responsive poly(n-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) in combination with superabsorbent sodium acrylate (SA) via photopolymerization in lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) templates. Templating PNIPAM in LLC mesophases imparts nanostructure to the polymer that significantly increases transport and swelling when compared to isotropic hydrogels. These materials exhibit twice the equilibrium swelling of analogous non-templated materials and show a dynamic range between the swollen and deswollen state that is 5 times greater. To further augment this stimuli-responsive range, LLC-templated PNIPAM was combined with the superabsorbent monomer sodium acrylate (SA). As SA concentration is increased, significant structure changes are observed during polymerization that leads to less-defined nanostructure and lower stimuli response. Maximum swelling and temperature response are observed at low concentrations of SA (∼2 wt%). These LLC-templated copolymers exhibit stimuli-responsive volume transitions up to 40 times and equilibrium swelling ratios of 60 times their dry mass. This 600% increase in thermal response is due to the combined high swelling capabilities of SA with the enhanced thermal-response behavior induced by the LLC-templated nanostructure. Additionally, the nanostructure induces fast deswelling rates at temperatures above the lowest critical solution temperature of PNIPAM. The high dynamic range and quick response of this composition could allow for the development of superabsorbent, stimuli-responsive hydrogels in a variety of biomaterial, microfluidic, and water remediation applications.
Regulation of Adult Neurogenesis by the Fragile X Family of RNA Binding Proteins

The fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) has an important role in neural development. Functional loss of FMRP in humans leads to fragile X syndrome, and it is the most common monogenetic contributor to intellectual disability and autism. FMRP is part of a larger family of RNA-binding proteins known as FXRs, which also includes fragile X related protein 1 (FXR1P) and fragile X related protein 2 (FXR2P). Despite the similarities of the family members, the functions of FXR1P and FXR2P in human diseases remain unclear. Although most studies focus on FMRP's role in mature neurons, all three FXRs regulate adult neurogenesis. Extensive studies have demonstrated important roles of adult neurogenesis in neuroplasticity, learning, and cognition. Impaired adult neurogenesis is implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Interventions aimed at regulating adult neurogenesis are thus being evaluated as potential therapeutic strategies. Here, we review and discuss the functions of FXRs in adult neurogenesis and their known similarities and differences. Understanding the overlapping regulatory functions of FXRs in adult neurogenesis can give us insights into the adult brain and fragile X syndrome.
Efficient transfer planning for flat knitting

Industrial knitting machines form fabric by manipulating loops of yarn held on hundreds of hook-shaped needles. Transfer planning algorithms generate a sequence of machine instructions that move loops between their current needles and given target needles. In this paper we describe how to compute the run-time cost of a transfer plan in terms of machine passes, and compare the plans generated by several existing and new transfer planning algorithms under this metric over a a large benchmarking set of transfer operations taken from example flat lace patterns, along with synthetically generated patterns.
Detection of Disruption of Sarcolemmal Membrane by Indium-111 Labeled Antimyosin Antibody Scan

We evaluated patients with a relatively recent onset of symptoms (under 1 year) of congestive heart failure who were suspected to have myocarditis for presence or absence of myocardial cell necrosis with antimyosin scan. To our astonishment, we discovered that 50%-60% of patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy showed acute myocardial cell necrosis based on antimyosin scan results [1, 2]. Patients with myocarditis may present with congestive heart failure, chest pain, fatigue, dizzy spells, and even syncope or cardiac arrest. In our daily practice these symptoms are not specific, and we may misdiagnose them as coronary disease, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, or other noncardiac disorders. This can be exemplified by the following case.
Peas, Beans, and Other Vegetable Legumes

The Fabaceae constitute a broad and very large botanical family, consisting of more than 450 genera and over 12 thousand species. Many species are important as food sources for humans and animals. Legumes are dicot annuals and perennials; most cultivated vegetable and grain legumes are annuals. Grain legumes, often identified as pulse crops, rank second to cereal grains as a primary world food source. The term pulse refers to edible seed of pod-bearing plants and the word gram, also refers to some legume seed-bearing plants. In India, the term dal or dahl refers to a food preparation usually made with pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan. In French horticultural writings, legume refers to a garden vegetable or pot herb.