cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diacylglycerol Kinases and Phosphatidic Acid Phosphatases

Diacylglycerol (DAG) is an important lipid that both is an intermediate in lipid biosynthetic pathways and can act as a signaling lipid. The majority of signaling DAG is generated by hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ) by the enzyme phospholipase C, but DAG can also be generated when phosphatidic acid phosphatases (PAPs) remove the phosphate head group from phosphatidic acid (PA). Signaling DAG serves to activate or recruit a number of proteins, including protein kinase C isoforms, RasGRP nucleotide exchange factors, and chimaerins. Like DAG, PA is an intermediate in lipid biosynthetic pathways and can also activate several signaling proteins. Because of their importance, it is crucial that the intracellular levels DAG and PA be tightly regulated, which is accomplished by the DAG kinases and PAPs. As such, these enzymes have numerous important functional roles.
Gamma-ray bursts: Observational overview, searches for counterparts, and BACODINE

The basic properties of γ-ray bursts are reviewed. Many of these properties have been known for over two decades, although new and more detailed observations have been made by Compton Observatory in the past three years. The new observation with the greatest impact has been the observed isotropic distribution of bursts along with a deficiency of weak bursts. This is not compatible with any known Galactic population of objects.
Dying poor in an urban hospital.

A physician describes the challenges of caring for dying poor patients and how the inner-city hospital where he works has created an innovative palliative care program to help give such patients more dignity and choices in their end-of-life care. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
ICT Performance Indicators in Formal Education at the Secondary School Level in Rwanda

The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of ICT indicators used to support education in formal secondary schools in Rwanda. By examining related research papers, Rwandan ministerial reports, and relevant journals, we were able to obtain secondary data for analysis. Additionally, primary data were collected from 46 secondary schools through a questionnaire. Overall, Rwanda has demonstrated significant improvement over the course of just one year. The ratio of students to computers increased from 27:1 in 2016 to 7:1 in 2017, and access to electricity increased from 25% in 2016 to 95.7% in 2017. Additionally, the number of ICT-trained teachers increased from 2.5% in 2016 to 43.7% in 2017. However, there are still improvements to be made; only 43.5% of schools have an Internet connection, and, of those, only 37.1% of students actually use it.
Efficient Multiobjective Antenna Optimization With Tolerance Analysis Through the Use of Surrogate Models

An efficient, black-box multiobjective optimization technique is presented, which is capable of simultaneously optimizing designs for performance as well as robustness when input tolerance values are not known a priori . During the optimization process, adaptive statistical surrogate mappings between input variables and output objectives are formulated within a model selection framework. These statistical models can be evaluated in fractions of a second and serve as an efficient surrogate for a more computationally intensive process, such as an electromagnetic simulation. By exploiting the speed offered from surrogate modeling techniques, new, high-performance designs can be quickly identified. In addition, complete tolerance analysis can be conducted within the optimization loop, which provides designers with critical information regarding the robustness of designs. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach, it will be applied to the optimization of a capacitively loaded monopole and a wideband Vivaldi antenna.
Efficient ab initio auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo calculations in Gaussian bases via low-rank tensor decomposition

We describe an algorithm to reduce the cost of auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC) calculations for the electronic structure problem. The technique uses a nested low-rank factorization of the electron repulsion integral (ERI). While the cost of conventional AFQMC calculations in Gaussian bases scales as O(N4) where N is the size of the basis, we show that ground-state energies can be computed through tensor decomposition with reduced memory requirements and sub-quartic scaling. The algorithm is applied to hydrogen chains and square grids, water clusters, and hexagonal BN. In all cases we observe significant memory savings and, for larger systems, reduced, sub-quartic simulation time.
Adding Haystacks to Our Needles? Assessing Changes in Collection Composition after the Introduction of Uncurated Packages

Although academic library print collections are traditionally carefully selected, collection strategies for online materials often involve the addition of large, uncurated packages of eBooks and ot...
Development and usability testing of an audit and feedback tool for anesthesiologists.

Background We describe the creation and evaluation of a personal audit and feedback (A&F) tool for anesthesiologists. Methods A survey aimed at capturing barriers for personal improvement efforts and feedback preferences was administered to attending anesthesiologists. The results informed the design and implementation of 4 dashboards that display information on individual practice characteristics as well as comparative performance on several quality metrics. The dashboards' usability was then tested using the human-centered design framework. Results Anesthesiologists listed lack of information on current practice as the main barrier for improvement. Regarding usability, participants gave the dashboards an average score of 3.8 (scale 1-5) on consistency, learnability, and information organization, and performed the assigned tasks well, with an average score of 89% (range 79-100%). Conclusions We describe the design, implementation, and usability testing of an innovative tool that utilizes data derived from the electronic health record (EHR) system to provide A&F to anesthesiology providers.
Adjusting the Timeframe of Evidence-Based Therapies for PTSD-Massed Treatments

Current clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) strongly recommend individual manualized trauma-focused therapy. However, it can be challenging for patients to complete a full course of treatment. There has been recent interest in modifying the format of evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD to be delivered within a shorter time frame to reduce the likelihood of dropout and optimize the potential for a positive treatment outcome. This article will review the existing literature on massed psychotherapies for PTSD, including only the treatments highly recommended by the current PTSD treatment guidelines that have been modified to an intensive format. The literature supporting massed treatment formats for PTSD is limited to date. Two randomized clinical trials (RCTs) provide the strongest evidence for efficacy for prolonged exposure and cognitive therapy for PTSD, and preliminary studies of cognitive processing therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing are promising. Current results suggest that massed formats of existing evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD are promising efficient and effective methods to expedite recovery from PTSD symptoms. Additional RCTs are needed to demonstrate the efficacy of these treatments in a range of patient populations.
Autonomous Exploration with Expectation-Maximization

We consider the problem of autonomous mobile robot exploration in an unknown environment for the purpose of building an accurate feature-based map efficiently. Most literature on this subject is focused on the combination of a variety of utility functions, such as curbing robot pose uncertainty and the entropy of occupancy grid maps. However, the effect of uncertain poses is typically not well incorporated to penalize poor localization, which ultimately leads to an inaccurate map. Instead, we explicitly model unknown landmarks as latent variables, and predict their expected uncertainty, incorporating this into a utility function that is used together with sampling-based motion planning to produce informative and low-uncertainty motion primitives. We propose an iterative expectation-maximization algorithm to perform the planning process driving a robot’s step-by-step exploration of an unknown environment. We analyze the performance in simulated experiments, showing that our algorithm maintains the same coverage speed in exploration as competing algorithms, but effectively improves the quality of the resulting map.
The Effectiveness of Litigation as a Policy Instrument: The Case of the New Source Review Settlements

Enforcing regulations through litigation against noncompliant firms is an important policy tool for environmental regulators. In this paper, I provide new empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this mechanism by examining the effects of a major environmental enforcement initiative, which led one-third of the US coal-fired power plant fleet to come under a consent decree. I show that legal settlements arising out of this initiative caused large decreases in pollution emissions, which further led to meaningful improvements in local air quality and decreases in local cardiovascular and respiratory mortality rates. I then show suggestive evidence that in regulated electricity markets average electricity retail price and utility revenues increased following a settlement, implying that a substantial proportion of overall costs were borne by ratepayers.
Implementing Community-Based Service Learning in the Textiles Classroom: Blue Jeans Go Green Denim Sustainability Project

Service learning is a community engagement pedagogy in which students take part in a wide range of experiences that benefit others, while also advancing the goals of the classroom curriculum and enhancing student growth. Effective service learning should be “reciprocal”, meaning both those who provide and receive the service should learn from the experience. Previous research demonstrates that service learning increases undergraduate students’ sense of personal efficacy, awareness of the world, awareness of one’s personal values, and engagement in the classroom experience. Guided by this theory and pedagogical method, the instructor implemented an apparel sustainability service program within an introductory textile science course. Students were provided the opportunity to participate in the Blue Jeans Go Green™ denim drive and given the tools via training to successfully organize and implement the program across campus.
Outcomes following child welfare services: what are they and do they differ for black children?

Current calls to end structural racism in the US include proposals to abolish or radically transform child welfare services (CWS). While substantial research finds numerous poor outcomes following ...
Onset of Ketosis-Prone Diabetes in the Setting of COVID-19 Infection

Diabetic ketoacidosis is typically associated with type I diabetes mellitus, but it can be associated with type II diabetes mellitus under the conditions of extreme stress or as a presenting manifestation of ketosis-prone type II diabetes mellitus. A 38-year-old prediabetic male presented to the emergency room with hyperglycemia six weeks after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Laboratory results showed severe hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis, positive ketones in urine and blood, and elevated fasting C- peptide level. COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was negative, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were positive. The workup was completely unremarkable for acute infection. Hemoglobin A1C increased from 6.1% to 10.8% within six weeks. The mechanism by which COVID-19 infection may trigger the onset of full-blown diabetes mellitus remains unknown. Viral infection may cause the direct destruction of pancreatic beta cells or trigger the changes in the body that induce the state of insulin resistance. Antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may cross-react or interfere with the functioning of endogenous insulin. The association between type II diabetes and COVID-19 infections needs additional investigations to ascertain the exact mechanism by which COVID-19 infection triggers the onset of full-blown diabetes mellitus.
Evaluation of Rat Acute Phase Proteins as Inflammatory Biomarkers for Vaccine Nonclinical Safety Studies.

The objectives were to characterize the kinetics of acute phase proteins (APPs) α-2 macroglobulin (A2M), α-1 acid glycoprotein (A1AGP), and fibrinogen (FIB), and injection site macroscopic and microscopic findings following intramuscular administration of tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine (TDaP; Adacel); adjuvants (aluminum phosphate [AlPO4]; aluminum hydroxide, Al[OH]3; CpG/Al[OH]3; or Quillaja saponaria 21 [QS-21]); or saline to female Wistar Han rats. Intravascular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was a positive control. Injection sites and lymph nodes were evaluated microscopically, using hematoxylin and eosin (HE A2M and A1AGP were measured using Meso Scale Discovery analyzer. Fibrinogen was measured on STA Compact analyzer. In a time-course study, APP peaked at 24 or 48 HPD. In a subsequent study at 48 HPD, injection site microscopic changes included inflammation and muscle degeneration/necrosis, which was different in severity/nature between groups. The APPs were not increased in rats administered saline, Al(OH)3, or AlPO4. Fibrinogen and A1AGP increased in rats administered CpG/Al(OH)3, QS-21, or TDaP; and A2M increased in rats administered QS-21. Fibrinogen, A2M, and A1AGP increased after LPS administration. Acute phase proteins can be used to monitor inflammatory responses to adjuvants; however, some adjuvants may induce inflammation without higher APPs.
Weak directional selection on inducible defensive shell traits in a marine gastropod by the inducing shell-breaking predator

Predation can drive variation in prey phenotypes by selecting for both constitutive and inducible defensive traits, which can act in concert to protect prey from predators. To understand the adaptive evolution of prey traits it is important to determine which traits are true targets of natural selection. Selection gradient analysis is a useful tool for doing this. We combined field surveys of the extensive intraspecific variation in defensive shell traits of the intertidal whelk Nucella lamellosa with laboratory experiments to determine which traits were associated with risk of crab predation, and which traits were under selection by the whelks’ major crab predator, Cancer productus. Field surveys showed strong associations between risk of crab predation and shell shape, shell thickness, and apertural area, but not apertural teeth. Laboratory choice experiments in which crabs were offered a variety of whelk shell morphs revealed that thinner–shelled whelks with wider apertures were consumed significantly more often than thicker–shelled whelks with narrower apertures, confirming previous findings, and resulting in positive selection differentials for these traits. However, multiple logistic regression revealed that only shell thickness, and none of the other traits measured, had a significant effect on whelk survival, indicating only weak directional selection for this trait. The mechanism for crabs selecting for shell thickness in whelks is likely through increased handling time and decreased profitability. Given that shell thickness is a phenotypically plastic trait induced by C. productus, future work should examine the degree to which selection by crabs acts on both constitutive levels and inducibility of shell thickness in N. lamellosa.
Rural Dermatology Private Practice: A Life Worth Living

Dermatologists in rural America have been decreasing in number relative to their urban counterparts. This has had a negative impact on the health of rural Americans. There are several opportunities for impacting this problem. Medical students who grew up in rural areas could be recruited to the field of dermatology knowing they are more likely to return home. Alternatively, the benefits of rural life, which were increasingly obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic, could be popularized to motivate urban dermatologists to move to the country. These benefits include a lower cost of living, lower crime rate, and improved mental health and happiness typical of a rural life full of outdoor activities. The diversity of dermatologic problems handled by rural dermatologists can also be attractive to some practitioners. The facts are clear: rural dermatology practice can be the basis for a great life.
America's Wellness Consumerism

The purpose of the study is to investigate historical “wellness consumerism” and why it has continued to exist. Wellness consumerism is distinct from concepts like health consumerism in that it is not strictly related to or reinforced by the U.S. health care system. The opposite has tended to occur because of rampant online health misinformation. Present research does not unite public health, online health misinformation, and socioeconomic influences (e.g. the wellness movement and wellness economy) under a common framework nor does it examine them with a historical perspective. In addition, present research does not examine the relationship between online health misinformation and wellness trends. Medical journals, the history of the wellness movement, and oral history interviews from witnesses of the wellness movement were used to explore wellness consumerism’s impact on people and public health. A study was conducted on a random sample of Amazon dietary supplements to investigate the relationship between health misinformation and affiliation with wellness trends. The results provide strong evidence for an association between the two, suggesting that producers of the wellness economy may be likely to spread health misinformation. Wellness consumerism resulted from co-optation of wellness by producers and has sustained longevity because it fills a gap in healthcare demand and worsens existing distrust in it. Wellness consumerism promotes a cycle of health information sharing that has negative implications for public health. This study highlights health problems uniquely associated with wellness consumerism and sheds light on other possible future socioeconomic challenges to public health while providing a basis for further consumer protections or health legislation that may be discussed in U.S. policy circles
Product analysis and insight into the mechanochemical destruction of anionic PFAS with potassium hydroxide

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and potentially toxic chemicals that contaminate many water sources. Removing PFAS from water and ultimately degrading them into products that lack carbon-fluorine bonds will be important for decontaminating water resources. Among numerous emerging degradation methods, mechanochemical degradation of PFAS by ball milling has proven to be a simple and efficient method. However, the reaction pathway and final products after defluorination of PFAS have not been rigorously identified. Herein, we study anionic PFAS degradation by ball milling with alkali hydroxides and identify its degradation byproducts in the final powders for the first time. The degradation of PFAS occurred when KOH was used as a co-reagent, and no degradation is observed with LiOH, NaOH, and CsOH. Results showed degradation of both carboxylic and sulfonated PFAS within 24 h and best KOH:PFAS mass ratio was found to be approximately 20:1. Ion chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, and 1H, 13C, and 19F NMR spectroscopy revealed that milled powders obtained after perfluorocarboxylate degradation consisted of KF, K2CO3, and potassium formate. Perfluorinated sulfonates also produced K2SO4. Further, we characterized a byproduct by solid-state 19F NMR spectroscopy that contains CxFx functional groups, which was formed during the degradation of all tested PFAS. The results and underlying methodology in this study will inform decisions on the scalability of ball milling processes for PFAS destruction, as well as the safe disposal of end products.
Reliability of a Modular Standby Redundant System with Unrecoverable Failures

This paper considers a stand by redundant system consisting of two identical modules. Each module is compose of N distinct components in series. The failure of a module may be attributed due to the failure of any of its N components. The ith components of a module has an arbitrary repair time CDF, G./sub i/ (t). The stand by module has been assumed to have a nonzero hazard rate even when unpowered. The failure of an on-line module is identified through a sensing device which has a probability 'c' of successfully recovering a fault in the on-line module. Expressions for the distribution of the Time to First System Failure (TFSF), the expected TFSF, and the reliability of the system have been derived by using the theory of Markov renewal processes.
Positioning annihilation photon interactions in a thin LSO crystal sheet with a position-sensitive avalanche photodiode

Using scintillation crystal sheets instead of discrete crystal arrays in high-resolution PET has the advantage of reduced complexity. In order to evaluate the positioning capability of a position sensitive avalanche photodiode (PSAPD) using a sheet lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) crystal scintillator, we need to understand the functional dependence of a detected event position on the known source position. We studied positioning with both collimated 57Co 122keV and coincidence-triggered 22Na 511keV sources, which were stepped across the face of an 8 mmtimes8 mm LSO sheet crystal coupled to an 8 mmtimes8mm PSAPD at 160 mum intervals using a voltage-driven mechanical stage with a LabVIEW controlled acquisition system. We analyze the energy resolution, sensitivity, photopeak position and energy gated full width at half maximum (FWHM) spread of the detected position for a particular known source position. We have observed a 10% variation in average energy from the center of the crystal to the edge with 57Co and <1% for 22Na and an average point spread function FWHM of 2.86 mm and 1.12 mm for 57Co and 22Na respectively. We investigated methods to create a 1-1 map between (1) the four positioning signals from the PSAPD and the recorded energy and (2) the true position of the annihilation photon interaction. We found the average energy change over the 1.2 mm near the edge of the continuous LSO crystal to be ~5% - insufficient to resolve with the prototype PSAPD (energy resolution 12%) with an Anger-type logic positioning algorithm. Simulation using the annihilation photon interactions from GATE and scintillation photon transport from DETECT2000 have confirmed the effects observed in experiment
Lipolytic Activity of Human Gastric and Duodenal Juice Against Medium and Long Chain Triglycerides

The presence of lipase in gastric aspirates containing less than 3 % contamination with duodenal reflux (as determined by tests for bile acid) was demonstrated in all samples of apparently normal gastric juice from 73 subjects when assayed with a trioctanoin substrate emulsified in sodium taurodeoxycholate and buffered at p H 6. This enzyme, in contrast to lipase(s) in duodenal aspirate, was stable at p H 2, had a lower p H optimum, was rapidly inactivated by trypsin even in the presence of bile acid, and was moderately inhibited by added fatty acid. Like duodenal lipase(s), gastric lipase had greater activity against short chain than long chain triglycerides and was more active against the fatty acids in the 1 than in the 2 position of triglyceride. It had a much smaller apparent molecular weight (40,000 to 50,000) than duodenal lipase (>500,000) by gel filtration chromatography and had only moderate esterifying properties compared with duodenal lipase(s). Synthetic triglycerides were cleaved more slowly by gastric lipase than by pancreatic lipase in pancreatic fistula juice or duodenal content. Triglycerides of human milk particles were cleaved by gastric lipase and lipases present in duodenal content, but not by pancreatic fistula juice which lacked bile acid, suggesting that milk particle triglyceride is resistant to pancreatic lipase unless bile acid is present. In healthy adults, the concentration of gastric lipase in gastric contents was much less than that of pancreatic lipase in duodenal contents, and gastric lipase did not contribute significantly to the lipolytic activity of duodenal content after a test meal. Gastric lipase was significantly decreased in the gastric contents of 3 achlorhydric patients. Medium chain triglyceride was not cleaved by 16 hr of incubation at p H 1.8 or 1 hr of incubation at p H 1, suggesting that "acid hydrolysis" does not occur. Gastric lipase probably contributes to digestion of milk triglyceride in infants, as well as to hydrolysis of administered medium chain triglyceride, especially in children with decreased pancreatic lipase concentrations. Its limited activity against long chain triglyceride suggests that gastric lipase has little role in normal fat digestion in adults.
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage from a duodenal diverticulum

A review of the literature of bleeding duodenal diverticula is presented. Two adequately documented cases of bleeding from duodenal diverticula have been found. A third case is described of massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage from such a lesion, which was adequately controlled by surgery, although death followed, caused by overwhelming postoperative pneumonia. The uncontrollable or recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient with a radiographically demonstrable duodenal diverticulum and no other significant lesion should be considered an indication for exploration.
6B-4 In Vivo Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging of Abdominal Lesions

The initial results from an ongoing clinical study investigating the utility of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging for in vivo visualization of abdominal lesions are presented. To date, 13 patients with lesions located in the liver (n = 11) or kidney (n = 2) have been included. Preliminary results establish the feasibility of visualizing both primary and secondary liver tumors and primary renal cell tumors with ARFI imaging. For every lesion encountered to date, displacement contrast in ARFI images has exceeded echo contrast in B-mode ultrasound images. In general, boundary definition of lesions in ARFI images is superior to that seen with sonography.
A reinvestigation of the hydrazinolytic procedure for the determination of C-terminal amino acids

Abstract This reinvestigation of the hydrazinolytic procedure for C-terminal amino acids has resulted in an improved procedure for isolating and determining the released amino acid and in altered conditions of hydrazinolysis that improve the yield. The method of determination uses isolation by ion-exchange chromatography with volatile developers and subsequent automatic amino acid analysis. The addition of Amberlite CG-50 to the hydrazinolytic mixture has increased the yield of C-terminal amino acids. Upon application to ten proteins with known C-terminal amino acids, five have given uncorrected yields of 90–100% of the theoretical; in only one instance did the yield fall below 64%.
DITA authoring and specialization

DITA is an architecture for creating topic-oriented, information-typed content that can be reused and single-sourced in a variety of ways. It is also an architecture for creating new information types and describing new information domains based on existing types and domains. This allows groups to create very specific, targeted document type definitions using a process called specialization, while still sharing common output transforms and design rules developed for more general types and domains.
Management of Atrial Fibrillation in Adults: Prevention of Thromboembolism and Symptomatic Treatment

Because of its prevalence in the population and its associated underlying diseases and morbidity, atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important and costly health problem. Advancing age, diabetes, heart failure, valvular disease, hypertension, and myocardial infarction predict the occurrence of AF within a population. The management of AF is complex and involves prevention of thromboembolic complications and treatment of arrhythmia-related symptoms. Stroke occurs in 4.5% of untreated patients with AF per year. Independent risk factors for stroke in nonrheumatic patients with AF are advanced age; a history of prior embolism, hypertension, or diabetes; and echocardiographic findings of left atrial enlargement and left ventricular dysfunction. Warfarin decreases stroke by two-thirds and death by one-third; aspirin is only about half as effective overall and is insufficient therapy for those with risk factors for stroke. Options for thromboembolic prophylaxis are use of warfarin for all in whom it is safe or, alternatively, warfarin for those with risk factors and aspirin for those without risk factors. One-half of the patients with AF are 75 years of age or older. The uniform applicability and relative safety of warfarin therapy in this age-group are controversial. Specific therapy for the arrhythmia should be dictated by the need to control symptoms. Symptomatic treatments include rate-control medications and strategies designed to terminate and prevent arrhythmia recurrence. Digoxin, β-adrenergic blockers, verapamil, and diltiazem slow excessive ventricular rates in patients with AF and may favorably manage comorbid conditions. The efficacy of antiarrhythmic medications is only 40 to 70% per year in preventing recurrences of AF, and these agents, except amiodarone, may increase the risk of sudden death in patients with certain types of organic heart disease and AF. The use of nonpharmacologic symptomatic therapies such as atrioventricular node modification or ablation with a rate-response pacemaker or surgical intervention is increasing.
SU-FF-T-72: Effect of Number of Beams On Dose Gradients and Quality of IMRT Plans T-B Nguyen

Purpose: To investigate the dose gradient as a function of number of beams and the role of beam angle selection in IMRT plans Method and Materials: A hypothetical tumor and an organ‐at‐risk (OAR) were created in a cylindrical phantom, with two different tumor‐OAR distances: 3mm and 7mm. For each tumor‐OAR arrangement, 22 plans with different beam configurations were generated using 3, 4, 6, 9 and 15 equally spaced beam angles. 6 additional plans were created for the beam number of 3, 4 and 6 using selected beam directions based on tumor‐OAR geometry. All plans were compared based on the same dose coverage to the tumor, the plan conformal index, dose gradient (defined by the minimum distance between the 90% and 20% of iso‐dose lines), maximum dose and mean dose to the OAR. Results: The dose gradient is linearly broadened as the number of beams is increased. The plan conformal index is rapidly improved from 3 to 6 beam angles. The maximum dose (defined as D1%) to the OAR is linearly decreased as the number of beams is increased while the mean dose to the OAR is decreased only from 3 to 9 beam angles. When compared to the equally spaced beam directions for a given number of beam angles, the selected beam angles can only improve the mean dose to the OAR. Conclusion: Using more beams in IMRT plans can improve plan conformality and reduce maximum dose and mean dose to the OAR, but it may broaden the dose gradient, which is defined as a minimum distance from 90% to 20% isodose lines. The tumor‐OAR geometry is not a good indicator for beam angle selection in IMRT planning. Conflict of Interest: Research is supported in part by Prowess Inc.
Semantic access occurs outside of awareness for the ground side of a figure

Traditional theories of vision assume that figures and grounds are assigned early in processing, with semantics being accessed later and only by figures, not by grounds. We tested this assumption by showing observers novel silhouettes with borders that suggested familiar objects on their ground side. The ground appeared shapeless near the figure’s borders; the familiar objects suggested there were not consciously perceived. Participants’ task was to categorize words shown immediately after the silhouettes as naming natural versus artificial objects. The words named objects from the same or from a different superordinate category as the familiar objects suggested in the silhouette ground. In Experiment 1, participants categorized words faster when they followed silhouettes suggesting upright familiar objects from the same rather than a different category on their ground sides, whereas no category differences were observed for inverted silhouettes. This is the first study to show unequivocally that, contrary to traditional assumptions, semantics are accessed for objects that might be perceived on the side of a border that will ultimately be perceived as a shapeless ground. Moreover, although the competition for figural status results in suppression of the shape of the losing contender, its semantics are not suppressed. In Experiment 2, we used longer silhouette-to-word stimulus onset asynchronies to test whether semantics would be suppressed later in time, as might occur if semantics were accessed later than shape memories. No evidence of semantic suppression was observed; indeed, semantic activation of the objects suggested on the ground side of a border appeared to be short-lived. Implications for feedforward versus dynamical interactive theories of object perception are discussed.
β-Endorphin Neuronal Cell Transplant Reduces Corticotropin Releasing Hormone Hyperresponse to Lipopolysaccharide and Eliminates Natural Killer Cell Functional Deficiencies in Fetal Alcohol Exposed Rats

CHILDREN PRENATALLY EXPOSED to alcohol often have an increased incidence of bacterial infections such as urinary tract and upper respiratory tract infections. Fetal alcohol exposed children also had lower cell counts of eosinophils and neutrophils, decreased circulating E-rosette-forming lymphocytes, reduced mitogen-stimulated proliferative responses by peripheral blood leukocytes, and hypo-γ-globulinemia (Johnson et al., 1981). One of the immune components suppressed by prenatal ethanol exposure is the natural killer (NK) cell, which is critical for killing tumor and virally infected cells (Albertsson et al., 2003; Arjona et al., 2006; Colucci et al., 2003; Dewan et al., 2005). NK cells are tightly regulated by the neuroendocrine system involving hypothalamic β-endorphin (BEP) neurons (Boyadjieva et al., 2002, 2006; Dokur et al., 2004a,b, 2005), which are reduced in prenatal ethanol exposed offspring (Arjona et al., 2006). BEP neurons are believed to reduce corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) neuronal mediate sympathetic influence on NK cell activity in the spleen (Boyadjieva et al., 2006). We have previously determined the effects of ethanol on BEP-regulated NK cell function. We found that chronic ethanol administration suppresses the response of the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene and the NK cells to the immune challenge. Furthermore, we found that ethanol inhibits the response of proinflammatory cytokines to the immune challenge, but not the response of anti-inflammatory cytokines (Chen et al., 2006). We found that adult rats exposed to ethanol during their fetal life had reduced expression of granzyme B and interferon γ (IFN-γ) which is associated with decreased NK cell cytotoxic activity (Arjona et al., 2006). Hence, the question arises whether the BEP neuronal deficiency in fetal alcohol exposed animals affects the NK cell function. We have recently developed a method to isolate neural stem cells from the fetal rat hypothalamus and established a hormone treatment paradigm that differentiates these stem cells into BEP neurons in culture (Sarkar et al., 2008). As they do in vivo, these cells in cultures showed immunostaining for BEP, expressed the gene POMC, and produced an increased amount of the gene and the peptide in response to a regulatory hormone, prostaglandin E. When these neurons were transplanted into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, they developed many BEP-immunoreactive neurofibers. The transplanted neurons produced POMC, mRNA and BEP peptide. In this study, we determined the effectiveness of these neurons in controlling CRH neuronal hyperresponse to an immune challenge and in enhancing NK cell cytolytic functions in fetal alcohol-exposed rats.
Lipid peroxidation in livers and kidneys from young and old rats

Abstract Lipid peroxidation was measured in young (6 months) and old (24 months) rat tissue homogenates and microsomal fractions. Decreases in lipid peroxidation were noted in homogenates and microsomes from old animals. The decreases in liver and kidney appear due to reduced ascorbic acid content and the appearance of an inhibitor in the soluble phase. In addition old kidney microsomal fractions contain a membrane associated lipid soluble inhibitor. The significance of these inhibitors and of lipid-protein interactions in the regulation of lipid peroxidation are also discussed.
D.H. Lawrence, World War I and the battle between the sexes: A reading of “the blind man” and “tickets, please”

(1986). D.H. Lawrence, World War I and the battle between the sexes: A reading of “the blind man” and “tickets, please”. Women's Studies: Vol. 13, The Female Imagination and the Modernist Aesthetic, pp. 63-74.
Is early onset of gray hair a risk factor

An office and autopsy study was performed to see if early graying was associated with increased morbidity, earlier age at death, and specific cause of death. 195 consecutive office patients over the age of 40 were studied to see if premature graying of scalp hair (50% or more gray before age 50) was associated with increased incidence of disease before age 50 (P = ns). Their parents' mean ages at death, prematurely gray or not, were compared. For fathers, mean age at death if prematurely gray was 68.27 years; if not prematurely gray, 66.03 years (P = 0.35). For mothers, the values were 70.55 years and 70.37 years respectively (P = greater than 0.50). 874 autopsy patients dying over a 23-year period (1966-1989) were studied to see if the median age at death (of patients 50% or more gray) differed for any of the six categories of disease (myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, cancer, stroke, pneumonia/bronchitis, or cirrhosis of the liver/GI problems) when compared to the entire autopsy sample of 19 categories of disease (P = ns for each comparison). This dual office and autopsy study provides no evidence to support the contention that early gray hair is a risk factor.
Synthesis of 14C‐labeled surfactants: Sodium p‐n‐dodecylbenzenesulfonate‐[phenyl‐U‐14C]

The synthesis of sodium p-n-dodecylbenzenesulfonate-[phenyl-U-14C], III, from benzene-U-14C is described. The preparative method consists of simple Friedel-Crafts acylation, reduction of the resulting ketone, I, and sulfonation of II with chlorosulfonic acid. The specific activity of III was 6.8 mCi/mmole and the overall radiochemical yield was 25% (based on benzene-U-14C).
A Model for Sealed-bid Auctions with Independent Private Value and Common Value Components

This paper shows how a decision-making model can be applied to a sealed-bid auction with both independent private value (IPV) and common value (CV) components. The model yields estimates for the winning bid and for the actual value and error components of the winning bid as functions of the number of bidders and the underlying value and error distributions, assuming that these distributions are normal. The winner's curse and the special cases of IPV and CV
Untying the Knots: Dance/Movement Therapy with a Family Exposed to Domestic Violence

Domestic violence affects not only the battered victim, but all members of the family. Dance/movement therapy, through its active and metaphorical process, can provide a new therapeutic approach to assist families exposed to domestic violence. This paper provides a case illustration of the use of dance/movement therapy with a family exposed to domestic violence, as the primary therapeutic intervention. It is grounded in theories of attachment, on the primary hypothesis that dance/movement therapy offers not only a way to address the physical and emotional patterns of immobilization but also, as a reparative tool, it assists victims in integrating healthy self-regulatory capacities that have been stunted by trauma experienced through the body. The case illustration highlights how dance/movement therapy provided a direct approach to addressing specific symptoms of abuse that appeared in particular individuals in this family, as well as how “re-choreographing” the family dynamics and relationships dysregulated by the domestic violence was pivotal in helping this family to learn new ways to self-regulate.
Role of FSH and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the initiation of steroidogenesis in granulosa cells associated with follicular selection in chicken ovaries

In chicken ovaries, one small yellow follicle (SYF) is selected daily from a pool of follicles of similar size and becomes a preovulatory follicle. FSH induces follicular growth and steroidogenesis. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), an intraovarian hormone, suppresses granulosa cell differentiation. This study demonstrates that recruitment of SYFs into the hierarchy of preovulatory follicles is associated with a change in steroidogenic activity in granulosa cells regulated, at least in part, by FSH and EGF. Abundance of P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc) mRNA was higher in the smallest preovulatory follicle (F6) compared with SYF, whereas FSH and EGF receptor (FSHr and EGFr, respectively) mRNA abundance was similar. FSH increased P450scc mRNA abundance and progesterone secretion and decreased FSHr mRNA in cultured granulosa cells, whereas EGF attenuated or suppressed P450scc mRNA and decreased FSHr mRNA abundance. None of the hormones influenced EGFr mRNA abundance. When used in combination, EGF attenuated or suppressed the stimulatory effect of FSH on the expression of P450scc mRNA and production of progesterone in a dose-dependent manner. The results indicate that (1) selection is associated with an increase in P450scc mRNA; (2) FSH stimulates expression of P450scc mRNA and progesterone secretion in granulosa cells of SYF; and (3) induction of P450scc mRNA and progesterone secretion by FSH is attenuated or blocked by EGF.
Multiplicative and additive interaction in contingency tables

SUMMARY The 'multiplicative' and 'additive' definitions of no-interaction in contingency tables are compared according to whether they possess or fail to possess the properties of being partitionable, closest to independence, implied by independence, amalgamation invariant, subtable invariant and of placing no constraints on the marginal probabilities. It is shown that both definitions fall short of the ideal. The author believes that the multiplicative definition is preferable by a small margin.
Irregular menses in adolescents

A 16 year and 10 month old girl presents with the complaint of irregular menstrual periods. She states that she reached menarche at age 13 years and 1 month and has “never had regular periods.” Menses come every 1 to 3 months and last for 7 days. They are heavy at first but lighten up by the third day. She occasionally has cramps on the first few days of her periods. She went to her pediatrician at age 14 and was reassured about the irregularity but returned shortly after her 15th birthday at which time a pelvic ultrasound was ordered. It showed a normalsized uterus and normal-sized ovaries. There was a small cyst on her left ovary measuring 1.4 cm in diameter. She was again reassured. She returned again at age 16 years and 9 months with continuing irregular infrequent periods and was referred to a gynecologist. Another pelvic ultrasound was ordered and showed two small cysts on the left ovary. Hormonal studies were done and oral contraceptives were prescribed to regulate her periods. (excerpt)
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES ON POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

The central objective of this paper is to determine whether internal religiosity, or devotionalism, and external religiosity, or church involvement, are associated with three modes of political participation: voting, campaigning, and communal activity. The data for the project are taken from the American National Election Study of 1992. There are several key findings A positive correlation exists between internal religiosity and campaigning for white and upper income respondents. An inverse relationship exists between internal religiosity and voting for the lower income group. External religiosity is positively linked with campaigning for black and lower income respondents, and with voting for whites. External religiosity is also associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in communal activity. This relationship applies consistently across racial and economic categories.
Immunogenetics of the Domestic Mink: Blood Group Factors A, B 1 and B 2

SEROLOGICAL differentiation of red blood cells, especially in such species as man, cattle and the chicken, is well known1,2,5. It has been established that red blood cells have antigenic properties on their surfaces; further, these antigenic properties are hereditary characters, their structures being determined by genes. Blood group investigations have proved helpful in elucidating the nature of the chain of events from gene to character, as well as of practical use in animal breeding3,4,6. So far as we are aware, nothing on blood groups in the domestic mink (Mustela visori) has been published.
Perinatal Depression: An Update and Overview

Over the last 3 years there have been notable developments in the screening and treatment of perinatal depression. Most importantly, the DSM-V has made only minor changes in the diagnostic criteria for perinatal depression as compared to the DSM-IV; “perinatal,” as opposed to “postpartum,” is a specifier for depression with a requirement that the depression onset occurs during pregnancy or the first 4 weeks postpartum. Advances in the treatment of perinatal depression have been made over the last 3 years, including both prevention and acute interventions. Additional support has emerged confirming the primary risk factors for perinatal depression: a personal or family history, low SES and poor interpersonal support. There is general agreement that universal screening be conducted for all perinatal women, by both the woman’s obstetrician and the baby’s pediatrician.
Fractal and superdiffusive transport and hydrodynamic dispersion in heterogeneous porous media

We review and discuss diffusion and hydrodynamic dispersion in a heterogeneous porous medium. Two types of heterogeneities are considered. One is percolation disorder in which a fraction of the pores do not allow transport to take place at all. In the other type, the permeabilities of various regions of the pore space are fractally distributed with long-range correlations. Both systems give rise to unusual transport in which the mean square displacement <r 2(t)> of a particle grows nonlinearly with time. Depending on the heterogeneities and the mechanism of diffusion and disperison, we may havefractal transport in which <r 2> growsslower than linearly with time, orsuperdiffusive transport in which <r 2> growsfaster than linearly with time. We show that percolation models can give rise to both types of transport with scale-dependent transport coefficients such as diffusivity and dispersion coefficients, which are consistent with many experimental observations.
Inside risksU.S. election after-math

Recounting problems still associated with election integrity, transparency, and accountability.