cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary debunking arguments: moral realism, constructivism, and explaining moral knowledge

One of the alleged advantages of a constructivist theory in metaethics is that the theory avoids the epistemological problems with moral realism while reaping many of realism's benefits. According to evolutionary debunking arguments, the epistemological problem with moral realism is that the evolutionary history of our moral beliefs makes it hard to see how our moral beliefs count as knowledge of moral facts, realistically construed. Certain forms of constructivism are supposed to be immune to this argument, giving the view a key advantage. This paper considers the challenge that evolutionary debunking arguments pose for the possibility of moral knowledge and concludes that such arguments do not reveal any advantages for constructivism. Furthermore, once we consider how defenders of moral knowledge should best respond to this epistemological objection, constructivists may face more difficulties, not less, explaining how our moral beliefs represent moral knowledge.
Extension of the breakup-fusion description to stripping reactions to negative energy states

Abstract It is shown that the cross section formula which has been used for breakup-fusion reactions can be used, as it stands, also to calculate cross sections for stripping reactions to negative energy states. We illustrate the usefulness of this approach by calculating the cross section for the 27 Al(d, p) reaction with E d =25.5 MeV .
Effect of temperature on seasonal occurrence of aquatic hyphomycetes

Seasonal and successional changes in species composition of aquatic hyphomycetes colonizing leaf litter are reported from a small stream in southwestern Michigan, U.S.A. The successional pattern on leaves during the summer was dominated by species typical of tropical and subtropical streams and differed from a cold-season successional pattern at the same site. The spring transition from cold-season to summer species occurred as the maximum temperature approached 20°. In the autumn, cold-season species again assumed dominance as the minimum temperature decreased to 5 °C. The summer successional pattern compared at three sites with different temperatures indicated that cold-season fungal species were dominant at the two cooler, upstream sites. The summer assemblage dominated at the downstream site, and was not detected at either upstream site. Temperature growth responses in culture only partially explain seasonal occurrence, suggesting that interactions among aquatic hyphomycetes play a role in regulating seasonal occurrence.
Genetic basis for remating in Drosophila melanogaster. II. Response to selection based on the behavior of one sex.

Selection for fast and slow remating was carried out, with selection being based on the behavior of one sex. None of the male selection lines produced a significant response to selection, in lines selected either on the basis of the first male to mate with a female or on the basis of the second male to mate with a female. In contrast, three of four female selection lines showed significant responses to selection. Males in the female selection lines were tested for changes in their mating speed when paired with unselected females. These tests suggest that genes affecting remating speed in females are largely sex limited in their action. The gender difference in response to selection is discussed in terms of sexual selection theory.
The influence of microstructural variations on mechanical and tribological properties of low-friction TiC/diamond-like carbon nanocomposite films

Abstract TiC/diamond-like carbon (DLC) nanocomposite films were deposited via steered cathodic arc deposition with various C 2 H 2 flow rates ( f C 2 H 2 ) to study the relationship among the molar fraction of DLC ([DLC]) and the structural, mechanical, and tribological properties of the films. The X-ray diffraction results indicate that the crystallite size of TiC decreased from 14.1 to 3.2 nm when f C 2 H 2 was increased from 60 to 151 sccm. Transmission electron microscopy images show that an elongated TiC grain shape appeared at low f C 2 H 2 values ( f C 2 H 2 was increased from 80 to 100 sccm. Furthermore, the structure of film became a nano-dot TiC/DLC superlattice when f C 2 H 2 was increased to 151 sccm. Rockwell-C indentation tester results indicate that the Ti–TiN–TiC/DLC nanocomposite layer structure had good adhesion between the substrate and films. The hardness increased from 32.5 to 39.3 GPa when f C 2 H 2 was increased from 60 to 80 sccm, and then decreased to 25.1 GPa when f C 2 H 2 was further increased to 151 sccm. The initial increase in hardness was due to grain refinement leading to suppressed multiplication and mobility of dislocations and the subsequent decrease in hardness was due to grain boundary sliding. The toughness was enhanced by the formation of the nanodot TiC/DLC superlattice, as indicated by plasticity calculated from nanoindentation measurements. The friction coefficient decreased from 0.13 to 0.05 with increasing [DLC].
A survey of laboratory and statistical issues related to farmworker exposure studies.

Developing internally valid, and perhaps generalizable, farmworker exposure studies is a complex process that involves many statistical and laboratory considerations. Statistics are an integral component of each study beginning with the design stage and continuing to the final data analysis and interpretation. Similarly, data quality plays a significant role in the overall value of the study. Data quality can be derived from several experimental parameters including statistical design of the study and quality of environmental and biological analytical measurements. We discuss statistical and analytic issues that should be addressed in every farmworker study. These issues include study design and sample size determination, analytical methods and quality control and assurance, treatment of missing data or data below the method’s limits of detection, and post-hoc analyses of data from multiple studies.
On the Power of Confession Evidence: An Experimental Test of the Fundamental Difference Hypothesis

In Arizona v. Fulminante (1991), a U.S. Supreme Court majority stated that confessions are similar to, not fundamentally different from, other types of evidence. To evaluate this claim, three mock juror studies compared the impact of confessions to other common forms of evidence. In Experiment 1, participants read summaries of four criminal trials (murder, rape, assault, theft), each of which contained a confession, an eyewitness identification, character testimony, or none of the above. Significantly, the confessions produced the highest conviction rates. In Experiments 2 and 3, participants read a murder or assault trial containing all three types of evidence and made a series of midtrial judgments. Results indicated that the confession was seen as the most incriminating, followed by the eyewitness and character testimony. Although the comparisons we made are limited in certain respects, our findings suggest that confessions are uniquely potent.
Anthocyanin Pigment Composition of Red-fleshed Potatoes

Red potatoes (Solanum tuberosum and S. stenotomum) were evaluated as potential sources for natural red colorants. Qualitative anthocyanin composition, pigment content and phenolic composition were screened on 33 cultivars. Monomeric anthocyanin content, determined by pH differential, ranged from 2 to 40 mg/100g tuber fresh weight. Two breeding clones, NDOP5847-1 and NDC4069-4, showed anthocyanin content >35 mg/100g. Anthocyanin composition was characterized by HPLC, spectral analyses and mass spectroscopy (MS). All red potato samples showed similar pigment profiles, with pelargonidin-3-rutinoside-5-glucoside acylated with p-coumaric acid being the major anthocyanin (ca 70%). Anthocyanin content and profiles of epidermal tissue and flesh were compared for NDC4069-4. The presence of glycoalkaloids in color extracts was detected by MS. Some red-fleshed potatoes may be good potential sources of food colorants.
Theory-inspired nano-engineering of photonic and electronic materials: Noncentrosymmetric charge-transfer electro-optic materials

Abstract Electronic and photonic properties of organic materials are well-known to depend on the intra- and intermolecular interaction of π-electron orbitals. We describe the systematic use of coupled quantum and statistical mechanical calculations to design materials with precisely controlled charge perturbation and charge transport (under the influence of applied electric fields) critical to the realization of desired photonic and electronic properties. Control of electro-optic activity is taken as an example because this phenomenon requires that acentric (dipolar or charge-transfer) molecules be organized in a lattice arrangement exhibiting finite noncentrosymmetric symmetry. Noncentrosymmetric organization of dipolar π-electron chromophores is also an arrangement of potential relevance to optimization of the performance of electronic, photovoltaic, and photorefractive materials. In our theoretical calculations, the roles of inter- and intramolecular electrostatic interactions and the effects of applied electrical and optical fields are explicitly taken into account. A variety of experimental tests of theoretical predictions are executed and a new class of materials is introduced and evaluated. Theoretically-inspired molecular and nanoscopic material design is shown to yield electro-optic coefficients ( r 33 ) at telecommunication wavelengths on the order of 500 pm/V (15 times greater than lithium niobate). The optimization of auxiliary properties including optical loss, thermal stability and conductivity is also discussed.
GLC Microdetermination of Indomethacin in Plasma

A GLC method utilizing an electron-capture detector is described for analysis of indomethacin in blood plasma. Indomethacin is extracted with ethyl acetate from plasma buffered to pH 5.0. The ethyl acetate is evaporated to dryness, and indomethacin is derivatized to a pentafluoropropionyl ester prior to chromatography. A GLC standard is used for peak height quantitation of indomethacin. The extraction efficiency from plasma is 92 ± 3%, and as little as 1 ng of indomethacin can be quantitatively determined.
Maximal oxygen uptake at the same fat-free mass is greater in men than women.

Maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 m a x ) is commonly divided by body mass or fat-free mass (body mass minus fat mass) in order to make it size independent so that comparisons among persons of different size can be made. However, numerous studies have shown that the ratio created is not size-independent. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) allows a dependent variable to be compared between groups at a common value of a covariate. The purpose of this study was to compare VO 2 m a x at the same fat-free mass (FFM) in 230 sedentary subjects (half men) who ranged in age from 20 to 70 years. The subjects underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a cycle ergometer as ventilation and the expired gas fractions were being measured. Two ANCOVA models were evaluated. The dependent variable, fixed factor and covariate(s) in the linear model were VO 2 m a x , sex and FFM, respectively. The corresponding terms in the log-linear model were In VO 2 m a x , sex, and In FFM and age. Sex made a significant contribution to both models. In the linear model, the mean VO 2 m a x at the same FFM was 27% higher in men (2444 versus 1929 ml min - 1 ; P<0.001). In the log-linear model, the corresponding value at the same FFM and age was 32% higher in men (2368 versus 1794 ml min - 1 ; P<0-001). The goodness of fit indices of squared multiple correlation coefficient and standard error of estimate were significantly better for the log-linear model. We conclude that VO 2 m a x at the same FFM is considerably higher in men than in women who have a sedentary lifestyle.
Repertoire Networks among National Board-Certified Physical Education Teachers.

Nearly three decades after its publication, A Nation at Risk continues to impact our educational establishment. Most notably, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards was established as a result of A Nation Prepared, Carnegie’s response to A Nation at Risk. Some contend that the national board has through its certification process fostered the emergence of communities of practice (CoP) among its certified teachers. This study attempted to identify this type of community among national board-certified physical education teachers. Sociometric and CoP survey data were collected from national board-certified physical education teachers within the state of South Carolina, followed by formal interviews. Results showed that an expansive CoP exists among these teachers, spanning nearly the entire state of South Carolina. This group of teachers was detected through use of sociometric software that facilitated the examination of pathways within this large network of board-certified teachers. Overall, ...
Field-Programmable Analog Arrays: A Floating-Gate Approach

Floating-gate analog circuits are being used to implement advanced signal processing functions and are very useful for processing analog signals prior to analog to digital conversion. We present an architecture analogous to FPGA architectures for rapid prototyping of analog signal processing systems. These systems go beyond simple programmable amplifiers and filters to include programmable and adaptive filters, multipliers, gains, winner-take-all circuits, and matrix-array signal operations. We discuss architecture as well as details such as switching characteristics and interfacing to digital circuits or FPGAs.
RIT's new minor in free and open source software and free culture: A five year journey driven by student-centered, applied research

This paper briefly describes the five year [1] history of Free and Open Source Software course offerings and projects at RIT and how the Humanitarian focus of the student work built the foundation for the minor. It will then discuss the design of the minor, how the required courses lead to advanced electives via multiple paths, and how it and prepares students to become contributors and potential project leaders within their own future Free and Open Source Software and Free Culture communities.
SIZE CONSTANCY IN STRUCTURE FROM MOTION

The relative motions of points in a structure-from-motion display involving parallel projection provide depth information in an object-centered framework: differences in velocity do not reflect differences in distance from an eyepoint. In contrast, size constancy is generally regarded to be a perspective effect, based on the relationship between projected size and distance from an eyepoint. Five subjects judged the relative sizes of objects in structure-from-motion scenes. Although the scenes were displayed without perspective, judged size was related to the simulated separation in depth of the objects. These results suggest that relative depths recovered from object-centered information are incorporated into a viewer-centered framework.
Historical notes on parenteral fluid therapy of diarrbea in infants

E A R L Y accounts of "watery gripes" in infants were extremely sketchy with regard to treatment, and dealt principally with speculations concerning the etiology. From the time Of Hippocrates through the era of the Medieval pediatrists, brief medical writings concerning diarrhea in infants dealt mainly with the use of herb concoctions and poultices made of bizarre materials. During the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries these primitive therapeutic measures were used uniformly without convincing evidence of success. Fatality rates were uniformly high, and survival depended mainly upon the efficiency of the infant's intrinsic defenses against disease. The first really systematic account concerning diarrhea in infants was that of Benjamin Rush 1 who summarized early nineteenth century thought as to etiology and treatment. He outlined a seven-point program of therapy which may be summarized as follows" (1) evacuation of bile from the gastrointestinal tract by induction of emesis
Autoantibody-negative autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis has a variable clinical phenotype, and the absence of conventional autoantibodies does not preclude its diagnosis or need for treatment. The goals of this review are to describe the frequency and nature of autoantibody-negative autoimmune hepatitis, indicate its outcome after corticosteroid treatment, and increase awareness of the diagnosis in patients with unexplained acute and chronic hepatitis. The frequency of presumed autoantibody-negative autoimmune hepatitis in patients with acute and acute severe presentations is ≤7%, and its frequency in patients with chronic presentations is 1–34%. Patients with acute presentations can have normal serum γ-globulin levels, centrilobular zone 3 necrosis, and low pre-treatment international diagnostic scores. Liver tissue examination is essential for the diagnosis, and hepatic steatosis can be a co-morbid feature. The comprehensive international scoring system can support but never override the clinical diagnosis pre-treatment, and non-standard serological markers should be sought if the clinical diagnosis is uncertain or the diagnostic score is low. A 3-month treatment trial with corticosteroids should be considered in all patients, regardless of the serological findings, and improvements have occurred in 67–87% of cases. Autoantibody-negative autoimmune hepatitis may be associated with an autoantibody outside the conventional battery; it may have a signature autoantibody that is still undiscovered, or its characteristic autoantibodies may have been suppressed or have a delayed expression. The pathogenic mechanisms are presumed to be identical to those of classical disease. Autoantibody-negative autoimmune hepatitis is an infrequent but treatable disease that must be considered in unexplained acute and chronic hepatitis.
Selenium Status of Seven Chronic Intravenous Hyperalimentation Patients

Selenium status was determined on seven patients receiving long-term intravenous hyperalimentation (IVH) and they were followed monthly for 4 to 17 months. Analysis of the IVH solutions for selenium revealed no detectable amounts. The selenium indices measures were (1) erythrocyte selenium levels, (2) erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities (GSH-Px), and (3) plasma selenium levels. In general, the IVH population had significantly lower values (p less than 0.001) for these selenium indices than a healthy population (n = 275). The plasma selenium levels decreased to below the normal range within one to two months after initiation of IVH. The below normal ranges varied by patient: three patients by three months, one patient by nine months, and three patients had low and normal values throughout the study. No consistent correlation of individual patient's erythrocyte GSH-Px activities and erythrocyte selenium levels existed, but a positive correlation (r = 0.51, p less than 0.01) occurred between plasma selenium levels and erythrocyte GSH-Px activities. Thus, erythrocyte GSH-Px activities decrease parallel to decreases in plasma selenium levels but not with changes in erythrocyte selenium levels. These data suggest that some of these IVH patients may be at risk for selenium deficiency and that selenium supplementation of IVH solutions may be required. Furthermore, these data suggest that the measurement of erythrocyte GSH-Px activity or selenium levels in some IVH patients may not be related to available body selenium.
Interferon stimulated by double stranded RNA.

Interferon represents an interesting approach to the control of viral disease in man and his domestic animals, as this review shows, for it is a part of the animal's own recovery processes during naturally occurring infection and active against most viruses that cause acute infection.
Pulmonary fibrosis associated with low-dose adjuvant methyl-CCNU

Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious side effect of nitrosourea therapy, occurring most frequently in patients treated with BCNU. Pulmonary fibrosis developed in a 63 year-old male patient while being treated with adjuvant methyl-CCNU for rectal carcinoma. This toxicity is rare with methyl-CCNU, having only been reported once previously. The case of methyl-CCNU-induced pulmonary fibrosis reported here occurred at a much lower total dose than the first reported case (604 mg/m2 vs. 2,733 mg/m2). Details of the case history, including radiographic and pathologic findings, are presented.
Dosimetric characteristics and a standard for the 198Au seed used in interstitial brachytherapy

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 43 report (TG-43) provides a dosimetry protocol for brachytherapydose calculations, and results for some sources. Gold 198 seeds (T 1/2 =2.70 days, Eγ=412 keV ) have been used for brachytherapy treatments including brain, eye, and prostate tumors. However, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) does not have a standard for 198 Au seeds as for 103 Pd and 125 I seeds, and the TG-43 report gives no data for 198 Au . For these reasons and with the conversion of treatment planning systems to TG-43 based methods, both Monte Carlo calculations (MCNP 4C) and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD’s) are used in this work to determine TG-43 data. MCNP is also used to model a standard well chamber’s response for a 198 Au seed relative to both an 192 Ir seed and a 137 Cs seed. After activation, seed activity is determined using both a well chamber and a HPGe detector. The geometric variation in dose is measured using TLD’s in a solid water phantom. The results for air kerma strength, S k , per unit apparent activity, are 2.06 (MCNP) and 2.09 (measured) U mCi −1 . The former is identical to the AAPM TG-32 report results. The dose rate constant results, Λ, are 1.12 (MCNP) and 1.10 (measured) cGy h −1 U −1 . The radial dose function, g(r), anisotropy function, F(r,θ), and anisotropy factor, φ an (r), are given. The anisotropy constant values are 0.973 (MCNP) and 0.994 (measured) and are consistent with both source geometry and photon energy. The calculated response of a Sun Nuclear ionization chamber, model 1008, demonstrates that to convert known 192 Ir and 137 Cs seed activities to “ 198 Au equivalent” activities, they should be multiplied by 1.95 and 1.49, respectively.
Receptor transactivation cascades. Focus on “Effects of α1D-adrenergic receptors on shedding of biologically active EGF in freshly isolated lacrimal gland epithelial cells”

receptor transactivation refers to the ability of a primary agonist, via binding to its receptor, to activate a receptor for another ligand. This situation can occur with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), leading to activation of growth factor receptors. In the November 2006 issue of AJP-Cell
Prevention Research Strategies

Prevention of disease is the only method to substantially reduce morbidity and mortality in a population. The two key determinants of disease are the levels of risk factors/determinants and the adherence to efficacious therapies, and there are two approaches to these: public health and preventive medicine. Clinical trials remain the cornerstone for evaluating new approaches. Effectiveness studies are required to evaluate the best approaches to deliver efficacious therapies; public health and preventive medicine programs must include the entire population, and can be costly. Environmental changes have greater benefits and a greater likelihood of reaching large segments of the population, but the preventive medicine approach is better for high-risk diseases. New risk factors and diseases evolve from the upper to lower social classes, while preventive therapies evolve from the upper to lower education groups.
Seismic Reliability of a Fixed Offshore Platform Against Collapse

As many jacket type steel platforms have been constructed in the highly active seismic area, seismic reliability evaluation of such structures is desirable. Ultimate limit state (ULS) with base shear capacity and demand can be used to estimate seismic performance of fixed offshore platform against collapse. Base shear capacity is evaluated from pushover analysis on a 3D finite element model of the offshore structure using different load patterns. Base shear demand is calculated from spectral acceleration at a given site and the total mass of the platform. Uncertainties are considered in both capacity and demand evaluations.With the limit state function, seismic fragility of a prototype structure is assessed using reliability analysis. The results indicate that various load patterns affect the seismic performance evaluation. It is also found that the steel yield stress is a critical parameter in the reliability of the steel jacket platforms.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
FBAR-CMOS Oscillator Array for Mass-Sensing Applications

Thin-film bulk acoustic resonators (FBAR) are an effective platform for sensitive biological and chemical detection, where their high operating frequencies make them many times more sensitive than a quartz crystal microbalance. Here, we present a monolithic, solidly mounted FBAR oscillator array on CMOS for mass-sensing applications. Through monolithic integration with CMOS drive circuitry, we aim to overcome the spatial and parasitic load limitations of externally coupled resonators to build dense sensor arrays without specialized fabrication techniques. The sensors in this work are constructed in a 6 × 4 array atop a 0.18 ?m CMOS active substrate, and mass sensitivity comparable to off-chip FBAR sensors is demonstrated.
Generalized Space-Filling Gosper Curves and Their Application to the Design of Wideband Modular Planar Antenna Arrays

The Peano-Gosper space-filling curve provides an excellent framework for designing planar antenna array distributions with modular architectures and suppressed sidelobes over a relatively wide bandwidth. The curve consists of a self-avoiding path that intersects a triangular lattice and its construction is based on the iterative application of a generating curve. There exist a number of other recently discovered curves, coined generalized Gosper curves, that possess properties similar to those of the Peano-Gosper curve but are based on larger and more complex generating curves. In this paper these generalized curves will be examined as the framework for antenna array layouts. It will be shown that arrays based on these curves have a number of excellent characteristics while offering modular array configurations and sizes that are not inherent to Peano-Gosper arrays. Moreover, when combined with a simple recursive-perturbation technique, the element distributions of these arrays can be efficiently adjusted to generate designs with bandwidths that far exceed that of standard periodic- and triangular-lattice arrays. The efficacy of this technique will be demonstrated through design examples, including one that has more than a 10:1 bandwidth. Full-wave simulations of a wideband patch array will also be used to investigate the effects of mutual coupling on these array distributions.
The effectiveness of virtual facilitation for supporting group decision-making

This study examines the effectiveness of virtual facilitation (system-directed multi-modal user support) for supporting structured group decision-making. A multi-modal application for automating the facilitation process for a group decision support system is used to compare decision-making efficiency and decision quality of human-facilitated groups vs. groups using virtual facilitation, in an experiment involving auditors and IT security professionals as participants. The results of the research indicate that groups receiving virtual facilitation were not significantly different from human-facilitated groups in the areas of decision-making efficiency and decision quality.
Measurement biases in user involvement research

Abstract Considerable research has been conducted to demonstrate user involvement's effect on information system success. User involvement and system success typically have been measured by asking users for their perceptions of these variables. This paper reports on a field study conducted to investigate the possibility that this approach to measuring study variables tends to overstate the benefits of user involvement. The link of user involvement to user satisfaction is found to be significantly weaker when user involvement is assessed by systems analysts than when it is self reported. Further, this difference is found to be greater for systems with few users than for systems with many users. The findings suggest that common method variance and self-serving bias may have overstated the apparent benefits of user involvement in past research on information systems. Suggestions for future research are presented.
GDC-Based Low-Temperature SOFCs Powered by Hydrocarbon Fuels

The critical issues facing the development of economically competitive solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems include lowering the operation temperature and creating novel anode materials and microstructures capable of efficiently utilizing hydrocarbon fuels. In this paper, we report our recent progress in developing more efficient anodes for direct utilization of methane and propane in low-temperature SOFCs. Anode-supported SOFCs with an electrolyte of 20 μm thick Gd-doped ceria (GDC) were fabricated by copressing, and both Ni- and Cu-based anodes were prepared by a solution impregnation process. Results indicate that both microstructure and composition of the anodes, as fabricated using a solution impregnation technique, greatly influence fuel cell performance. At 600°C, SOFCs fueled with humidified methane, and propane reach peak power densities of 602, 519, and 433 mW/cm2, respectively. © 2004 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.
Gefitinib Radiosensitizes Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Suppressing Cellular DNA Repair Capacity

Purpose: Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) promotes unregulated growth, inhibits apoptosis, and likely contributes to clinical radiation resistance of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Molecular blockade of EGFR signaling is an attractive therapeutic strategy for enhancing the cytotoxic effects of radiotherapy that is currently under investigation in preclinical and clinical studies. In the present study, we have investigated the mechanism by which gefitinib, a selective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, restores the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells. Experimental Design: Two NSCLC cell lines, A549 and H1299, were treated with 1 μmol/L gefitinib for 24 h before irradiation and then tested for clonogenic survival and capacity for repairing DNA double strand breaks (DSB). Four different repair assays were used: host cell reactivation, detection of γ-H2AX and pNBS1 repair foci using immunofluorescence microscopy, the neutral comet assay, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Results: In clonogenic survival experiments, gefitinib had significant radiosensitizing effects on both cell lines. Results from all four DNA damage repair analyses in cultured A549 and H1299 cells showed that gefitinib had a strong inhibitory effect on the repair of DSBs after ionizing radiation. The presence of DSBs was especially prolonged during the first 2 h of repair compared with controls. Immunoblot analysis of selected repair proteins indicated that pNBS1 activation was prolonged by gefitinib correlating with its effect on pNBS1-labeled repair foci. Conclusions: Overall, we conclude that gefitinib enhances the radioresponse of NSCLC cells by suppressing cellular DNA repair capacity, thereby prolonging the presence of radiation-induced DSBs.
Sensor scheduling with waveform design for dynamic target tracking using MIMO radar

Multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) radar systems have gained significant attention as they can enhance target detection, identification and parameter estimation performance. In this paper, we consider the problem of optimizing the target tracking performance of a widely-separated MIMO radar system by scheduling the transmitter sensors and adaptively designing their waveforms. Specifically, for a tracking scenario consisting of a large number of MIMO radars, we propose: (a) a transmitter scheduling algorithm to achieve tracking performance gains based on resource constraints; and (b) an adaptive waveform optimization algorithm that further improves tracking performance. Under an ideal receiver assumption, we evaluate the predicted tracking mean-squared error using the derived Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) on the estimation of the target states. The scheduling algorithm is then formulated as a mixed boolean-convex optimization problem to minimize the CRLB. The optimum waveform parameters are adaptively obtained using sequential quadratic programming. The effectiveness of combining the MIMO radar technology with adaptive waveform design and sensor scheduling was demonstrated with simulations.
Fundamentals of Light Microscopy and Electronic Imaging, Second Edition

The second edition of Fundamentals of Light Microscopy and Electronic Imaging is a collaborative effort of Douglas B. Murphy and Michael W. Davidson. Murphy is known for his establishment of the School of Medicine Microscope Facility at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He directed the facility until 2006 and has superb experience as a teacher of microscopy, optics, and image processing. He was the sole author of the first edition of this text and reference book. Davidson, who is at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, The Florida State University, is well known for his development of websites for online learning of microscopy; especially his development of dynamic Java and Flash tutorials to illustrate the principles and the applications. Davidson and his collaborators have produced very useful dynamic Java and Flash tutorials which are highly recommended. Nikon supports the site: CrossRef[[XSLOpenURL/]]. Olympus supports the Microscopy Resource Center at CrossRef[[XSLOpenURL/]]. I have used both of these education sites, and I highly recommend them to the readers of the Journal of Biomedical Optics. The combined work of these two authors results in a recommended textbook and reference that is an excellent starting point for someone new to the field of microscopy. While there is much information contained within the covers, from theory to applications, to demonstrations that the reader can perform in the laboratory, to discussions of limitations, it must be stated that this book is directed to the novice in microscopy and is an entry-level exposition of the fundamentals of the subject, devoid of the mathematics that is usual for optics books. With that disclaimer, I think that this highly acclaimed book is well-suited to the person who is attempting to learn the fundamentals of microscopy and electronic imaging.
Treatment of metastatic spinal epidural disease: a review of the literature.

In approximately 50 to 70% of patients with cancer there is evidence of metastatic disease at the time of death. 36 The spinal column is the most common osseous site, and may be involved in up to 40% of patients with cancer. 11,89 Not all spinal metastases will lead to neurological dys- function, however. Epidural spinal cord compression from metastases occurs in 5 to 10% of cancer patients and in up to 40% of patients with preexisting nonspinal bone metas- tases. 6,8,15,26,38,89 Of those with spinal disease, 10 to 20% will experience symptomatic spinal cord compression, re- sulting in more than 25,000 cases per year; this number is expected to grow. 28,50,72 Object. Spinal cord compression is one of the most dreaded complications of metastatic cancer. It can lead to a num- ber of sequelae, including pain, spinal instability, neurological deficits, and a reduction in the patient's quality of life. Except in selected circumstances, treatment is palliative. Treatment options include surgery, radiation, and chemother- apy. The goal of this study was to summarize the existing data on the outcomes of various treatment methods for met- astatic spinal epidural disease and to make appropriate recommendations for their use. Methods. The authors used a search strategy that included an electronic database search, a manual search of jour- nals, analysis of bibliographies in relevant review papers, and consultation with the senior author. There is good evi- dence, including Class I data, that steroid drugs constitute a beneficial adjunctive therapy in patients with myelopathy from epidural compression. Historically, conventional radiation therapy has been viewed as the first-line treatment because it has been shown to be as effective as a decompressive laminectomy, with a lower incidence of complications (Class II data). Nevertheless, in the last 20 years there has been remarkable progress in surgical techniques and tech- nology. Currently, the goals of surgery are to achieve a circumferential decompression of the spinal cord, and to recon- struct and immediately stabilize the spinal column. Results in a large body of literature support the belief that surgery is better at retaining or regaining neurological function than radiation and that surgery is highly effective in relieving pain. Most of the data on the treatment of metastatic spinal disease are Class II or III, but the preliminary results of a well-designed, randomized controlled trial in which surgery is compared with standard radiation therapy represents the first Class I data. Conclusions. As the number of treatment options for metastatic spinal disease has grown, it has become clear that effective implementation of these treatments can only be achieved by a multidisciplinary approach. KEY WORDSspinemetastasisradiation therapystereotactic radiosurgery
An Improved High-Resolution SST Climatology to Assess Cold Water Events off Florida

Cloud filters developed for high-resolution (1-km) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) observations are generally inadequate to capture extreme cold events. Such events impacted shallow waters in Florida Bay and other coastal regions in January 2010 with fatal consequences for large numbers of corals and associated organisms. Raw AVHRR images were reprocessed to understand whether historical knowledge of daily and interannual SST variations could be used to derive a practical cloud-filtering technique. This approach, however, misidentified valid water temperature pixels in nearly 20% of 2703 images collected during the month of January for each year between 1995 and 2010. To create an improved SST climatology, this cloud-filtering method was combined with manually delineated overrides of falsely masked regions. During the January 2010 cold event, this climatology indicated negative SST anomalies of up to 11.6°C in the Big Bend region and 14°C in Florida Bay, with high spatial heterogeneity throughout. Our findings highlight the need for improved autonomous cloud-masking techniques to detect cold events in near real time.
Comparison of the timing properties of the new Philips components (Amperex) XP2020/UR photomultiplier and the XP2020 photomultiplier

Timing characteristics are measured for the Philips Components (Amperex) XP2020/UR photomultiplier. The transit time jitter is significantly better than that of previously available XP2020 tubes. In a study of the transit time jitter, a single photoelectron resolution of 286+or-3 ps was obtained for the XP2020 and 190+or-2 ps for the XP2020/UR. >
Relationship of dietary saturated fatty acids and body habitus to serum insulin concentrations: the Normative Aging Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of body mass index, abdomen-hip ratio, and dietary intake to fasting and postprandial insulin concentrations among 652 men aged 43-85 y, followed in the Normative Aging Study. Log-transformed fasting insulin was significantly associated with body mass index, abdomen-hip ratio, total fat energy, and saturated fatty acid energy, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.14 for total fat to 0.45 for body mass index. When multivariate models were used, body mass index, abdomen-hip ratio, and saturated fatty acid intake were statistically significant independent predictors of both fasting and postprandial insulin concentrations, after age, cigarette smoking, and physical activity were adjusted for. If saturated fatty acids as a percentage of total energy were to decrease from 14% to 8%, there would be an 18% decrease in fasting insulin and a 25% decrease in postprandial insulin. These data suggest that overall adiposity, abdominal obesity, and a diet high in saturated fatty acids are independent predictors for both fasting and postprandial insulin concentrations.
The Overlooked Importance of Tympanic Membrane Bulging: In Reply

In Reply .— We thank Drs Hoover and Roddey for their comments on the “Diagnosis and Management of Acute Otitis Media.”1 After much discussion, the subcommittee decided to list tympanic membrane (TM) bulging as a sign of middle ear effusion (MEE) in Table 2 despite some evidence suggesting that bulging is a sign of inflammation and may be the best physical indication of acute otitis media (AOM). This decision was largely based on the articles by Karma et al.2,3 The articles by Schwartz et al,4 Halsted et al,5 and McCormick et al6 are also strongly suggestive of the importance …
Taxonomic Approaches to Studying Strategy: Some Conceptual and Methodological Issues:

Taxonomic inquiry is emerging as an important type of research in the field of strategy. This paper builds a case for strategy taxonomy-building and addresses selected conceptual and methodological issues for researchers interested in such investigations. Among the issues discussed are the following: choosing variables to classify, framing the domain of the taxonomy, developing longitudinal taxonomies, manipulating variables, and incorporating organizational performance into strategic taxonomies. Drawing from the literature and from my own experiences in taxonomic studies, this paper is intended as a special supplement to more generic and technically detailed treatments of numerical classification.
ANALYTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF A BLADE STIFFENED PANEL IN AXIAL COMPRESSION

Analytical and experimental study of a blade stiffened composite panel subject to axial compression was conducted. The study first examines the effect of differences between the conditions used to design the panel and experimental conditions. Next, the analytical model is compared to experimental results. Several structural analysis programs including PANDA2, STAGS, and ABAQUS have been used to achieve high fidelity in the analysis. Comparisons between analytical and experimental results show that buckling load from STAGS agree well with failure load from test. However, substantial differences are found in the out-of-plane displacements of the panel. These differences may be due to some loading eccentricity, rotation of the load introduction edge, as well as imperfections in the panel.
Optimizing Metering for Trajectory Timing Uncertainty

Trajectory-Based Operations (TBO) is a NextGen concept, which involves increased use of trajectory prediction and scheduling tools and improved methods for trajectory management in order to improve the capacity and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS) and the flight efficiency and predictability of individual aircraft. Metering operations are one element of TBO and involve the sequencing and scheduling of aircraft to flow-constrained points, referred to as meter points. Aircraft trajectories are then managed to the schedule to ensure adequate aircraft-to-aircraft spacing across the meter point. Automation tools are being developed to support air traffic controller tasks in managing aircraft trajectories to meet their scheduled times of arrival (STAs) at the meter points. Uncertainties in trajectory prediction, such as those related to wind forecast and aircraft modeling errors, pose a significant challenge in the design of supporting automation for trajectory management. This paper proposes a framework for making trade-offs in metering automation control laws in order to manage aircraft trajectory uncertainty and balance the costs of intervention with the costs of meeting an STA with less than desired precision. This allows a metering operation to be formulated as an optimal control problem using the Bellman Equation and solved using Dynamic Programming. Numerical results are shown using uncertainties measured from operational data and representing actual trajectory-prediction errors. The optimal control approach is compared to alternate nonoptimal control laws to demonstrate the advantage of optimizing for the uncertainties. The results show that this optimal control framework is a viable approach for understanding and quantifying uncertainty trade-offs, enabling metering automation that supports more reliable and cost-effective operations.
Abstract P6-19-02: Clinicopathologic features and radiation therapy utilization in patients with male breast cancer: A national cancer database (NCDB) study

Introduction: Male breast cancer (MBC) is an uncommon malignancy, accounting for approximately 1% of all breast cancers (BC). The purpose of this study was to compare the clinicopathologic features of and radiation therapy (RT) utilization by patient age in patients with non-metastatic MBC and female breast cancer (FBC) using a large national database. Methods: The NCDB is a comprehensive national database that captures approximately 70% of newly diagnosed cancer patients in the US. Data for patients meeting study criteria were extracted including patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment modalities used, and overall survival (OS). Comparison of clinicopathologic factors between MBC and FBC were made using the Chi-Square test. Overall survival curves were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. All results are presented as MBC vs FBC patients. Results: A total of 23,305 MBC patients and 2,678,061 FBC patients with non-metastatic breast cancer were identified in the NCDB database. The median patient age was 65 vs 60 yrs (MBC vs FBC, p Conclusion: MBC is an uncommon malignancy accounting for approximately 1% of all breast cancers. Compared to FBC, patients with MBC presented with more advanced stage BC, and were more likely to have LVI. Median survival rates were lower for patients with MBC compared to FBC. Citation Format: Algan O, Herman T. Clinicopathologic features and radiation therapy utilization in patients with male breast cancer: A national cancer database (NCDB) study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-19-02.
LIPIDS OF THE SPLEEN IN GAUCHER'S DISEASE.

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used to analyze lipids of eight spleens of patients with Gaucher's disease. Four non-Gaucher spleens were also analyzed. Phospholipid concentrations are not increased in Gaucher spleens, while several classes of neutral lipids are moderately increased. Acid hydrolysis followed by hexose determination was applied to total lipids and to separated fractions. Specific oxidase reactions demonstrated that glucose present is primarily in ceramide glucoside and ceramide lactoside, and galactose is primarily in ceramide lactoside. No ceramide galactoside was detected. The two hexoses found account for the anthrone-positive material in the lipid extract. Two TLC spots seen for Gaucher ceramide glucoside differ only with respect to fatty acid chain length. Long-chain base is all C18-sphingosine. Small amounts of hydroxy acids are present in ceramide lactoside, but not in ceramide glucoside. Ceramide lactoside is present in similar amounts in Gaucher and non-Gaucher spleens.
Meaning and purpose in life: assessment techniques of logotherapy.

Logotherapy is a school of Psychotherapy that focuses upon the individual’s feeling that life has meaning and purpose. Logotherapy offers particular assistance to therapists working in hospice/pall...