cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using PACS and wavelet-based image compression in a wide-area network to support radiation therapy imaging applications for satellite hospitals

An ongoing PACS project at our facility has been expanded to include providing and managing images used for routine clinical operation of the department of radiation oncology. The intent of our investigation has been to enable out clinical radiotherapy service to enter the tele-medicine environment through the use of a PACS system initially implemented in the department of radiology. The backbone for the imaging network includes five CT and three MR scanners located across three imaging centers. A PC workstation in the department of radiation oncology was used to transmit CT imags to a satellite facility located approximately 60 miles from the primary center. Chest CT images were used to analyze network transmission performance. Connectivity established between the primary department and satellite has fulfilled all image criteria required by the oncologist. Establishing the link tot eh oncologist at the satellite diminished bottlenecking of imaging related tasks at the primary facility due to physician absence. A 30:1 compression ratio using a wavelet-based algorithm provided clinically acceptable images treatment planning. Clinical radiotherapy images can be effectively managed in a wide- area-network to link satellite facilities to larger clinical centers.
Competition for mating between ordinary and supermale Japanese medaka fish

Abstract Fourteen pairs of white fish of the species, Oryzias latipes, competed once daily to mate with one female. Each pair consisted of a super-male (YY) and an ordinary male (XY). The YY males were responsible for 88 per cent of 155 spawnings, the XY males for 12 per cent (P = 0·01). The YY males, compared with the XY males, initiated more actions directed toward the female and toward the other male. Quantitative studies showed significantly higher mean values in YY than in XY males for 7 component actions in the behaviour under observation, all of which reflected dominance. In view of the effects of a double Y chromosomal complex in XYY men (despite simultaneous presence of an X) it is postulated that the presence of two Y chromosomes, rather than the absence of an X chromosome, may produce differences between YY and XY male fish.
Electric power systems: The computer connection: Applications — Ranging from billing to payroll to system planning, design, and operation — Make the power industry the third largest user of computers

Many people believe that the only connection between power systems and computers is that computers must be plugged into an electrical outlet to operate. True, electricity does indeed power computers, either directly for desktop units or indirectly through uninterruptible power supplies (batteries charged by the power system) for large computers. There is far more, however, to the connection between computers and power systems.
Exercise‐induced diaphragmatic fatigue in healthy humans.

1. Twelve healthy subjects (33 +/- 3 years) with a variety of fitness levels (maximal oxygen uptake (VO2, max) = 61 +/- 4 ml kg-1 min-1, range 40-80), exercised at 95 and 85% VO2, max to exhaustion (mean time = 14 +/- 3 and 31 +/- 8 min, expired ventilation (VE) over final minute of exercise = 149 +/- 9 and 126 +/- 10 l min-1). 2. Bilateral transcutaneous supramaximal phrenic nerve stimulation (BPNS) was performed before and immediately after exercise at four lung volumes, and 400 ms tetanic stimulations were performed at 10 and 20 Hz. The coefficients of variation of repeated measurements for the twitch transdiaphragm pressures (Pdi) were +/- 7-10% and for compound muscle action potentials (M wave) +/- 10-15%. 3. Following exercise at 95% of VO2, max, group mean Pdi twitch values were reduced at all lung volumes (range -8 +/- 3 to -32 +/- 5%) and tetanically stimulated Pdi values were reduced at both 10 and 20 Hz (-21 +/- 3 and -13 +/- 2%, respectively) (P = 0.001-0.047). Following exercise at 85% VO2, max, stimulated Pdi values were reduced at all lung volumes and stimulating frequencies, but only significantly so with the twitch at functional residual capacity (-15 +/- 5%). Stimulated Pdi values recovered partially by 30 min post-exercise and almost completely by an average time of 70 min. 4. The fall in stimulated Pdi values post-exercise was significantly correlated with the percentage increase in diaphragmatic work (integral of Pdi min-1) from rest to end-exercise and the relative intensity of the exercise. 5. The integral of Pdi min-1 and the integral of Po min-1 (Po, esophageal pressure) rose together from rest through the fifth to tenth minute of exercise, after which integral of Pdi min-1 plateaued even though integral of Po min-1, VE and inspiratory flow rate all continued to rise substantially until exercise terminated. Thus, the relative contribution of the diaphragm to total respiratory motor output was progressively reduced with exercise duration. 6. We conclude that significant diaphragmatic fatigue is caused by the ventilatory requirements imposed by heavy endurance exercise in healthy persons with a variety of fitness levels. The magnitude of the fatigue and the likelihood of its occurrence increases as the relative intensity of the exercise exceeds 85% of VO2, max.
Biogeography and phylogeny of the sea-skater Halobates

Members of the genusHalobates are the only insects to be found in the open oceans, generally roughly between latitudes 40°N and 40°S. Of the 40-old species, only five (Halobates micans, H. sericeus, H. germanus, H. sobrinus andH. splendens) are pelagic, the others being found in near-shore habitats, often endemic to islands or island groups.H. micans is the only cosmopolitan species, being found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. All five species are found in the Pacific Ocean but only two,Halobates micans andHalobates germanus, occur also in the Indian Ocean. Their ranges of distribution are probably limited by physical as well as historical factors. Halobates probably originated from a near-shore brackish-water ancestor in the Indo-Malaysian region. This is the area where the majority of the near-shore sea-skater species are found; it is also where related brackish-water genera (Asclepios, etc.)occur. There are indications that the open-oceanH alobates are more highly evolved than their near-shore cousins, but we do not yet know how the various species are related. Eventually, cladistic analyses coupled with molecular biological techniques may provide data on this point.
Mixed convection friction factors and Nusselt numbers in vertical annular and subchannel geometries

Analytical solutions are obtained for fully developed vertical laminar mixed convection flows within annular and conventional rod bundle subchannel geometries. Friction factors and Nusselt numbers are presented and fitted as functions of Grq/Re. A modified friction factor is defined to be used in applications where only bulk-averaged fluid temperatures are available, as in the case of lumped parameter analyses and most one-dimensional experiments. It is shown that the modified friction factor can vary significantly from the standard definition, which highlights the necessity of using the modified friction factor in analyses where the bulk density is used to calculate the gravity component of the axial pressure gradient. Finally, the present analysis is compared with experimental data available in the literature.
Comment on Hansen et al.: Would the Results Be the Same if Patients Were Receiving an Evidence‐Based Treatment?

The poor response to psychotherapy reported by Hansen et al. (this issue) is inconsistent with the substantial database supporting the efficacy of psychological interventions. One observation that may explain the lack of treatment response in their study is the fact that most patients received less than five sessions of treatment. Clearly, one would not expect a significant clinical effect when an insufficient dose of therapy is administered. In light of this finding, an essential question emerges: Why did patients terminate treatment so early? In this article, I speculate that the lack of use of evidence-based treatments in the field may account for the discrepancy between data reported by Hansen et al. and those from clinical trials.
The genetics of mental illness: An overview

(1991). The genetics of mental illness: An overview. Social Biology: Vol. 38, No. 3-4, pp. 1-5.
The effect of indomethacin on alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis

This study was undertaken to determine if prostaglandins play a role in the events leading to loss of bone in the ligature model of periodontitis. Periodontitis was induced by placement of the ligatures around mandibular teeth on one side of the jaw of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus). From one day prior to ligature placement, half the animals were administered indomethacin (5 mg/kg/day), a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis. Animals were sacrificed after one and two weeks of experimental periodontitis. It was found that indomethacin treatment abolished the significant losses of alveolar bone height and bone mass seen in non-indomethacin-treated (NIT) animals following ligature placement. Indomethacin also depressed the large increase in osteoclast density measured at one week in the NIT animals. The results support the hypothesis that prostaglandins are an important mediator of bone loss in the ligature model of periodontitis. Evidence is also presented for the coupling of bone resorption with osteoblastic neo-osteogenesis on both periodontal ligament and endosteal bone surfaces.
Monensin sensitivity of recent field isolates of turkey coccidia.

Abstract The efficacy of monensin at concentrations of 60 and 100 ppm was evaluated against 22 isolates not exposed to monensin and 16 monensin-exposed field isolates of coccidian obtained from US and Canadian turkey production flocks, respectively. Isolates not previously exposed to monensin were effectively controlled by monensin. However, 7 monensin-resistant isolates (predominantly Eimeria meleagrimitis) were independently isolated from turkey flocks in Ontario, Canada where monensin was being used as an anticoccidial. Subsequent sensitivity evaluations of two of these isolates revealed cross-resistance to lasalocid, narasin, and salinomycin. Evaluation of the stability of monensin resistance in one isolate suggested that monensin sensitivity was not restored after 10 generations of relaxed selection. Although the extent of monensin resistance among field isolates of turkey coccidia is unknown, these results provide the first unequivocal characterization of monensin resistance in field isolates of coccidia. Contrarily, after more than eight years of intensive use of monensin as an anticoccidial in US broiler production facilities, this type of resistance to the polyether antibiotic anticoccidials has not been encountered in chicken coccidia.
Comparison of effects of direct-acting DNA methylating and ethylating agents on inducible gene expression in vivo.

Our laboratory is interested in whether chemical carcinogen-induced DNA damage is non-randomly distributed in the genome, i.e., "targeted," at the level of individual genes. As one means of investigating this, we have examined whether carcinogen treatment differentially alters the expression of specific genes in vivo. In this study, we have compared the effects of four direct-acting simple alkylating agents (methyl methanesulfonate, ethyl methanesulfonate, methylnitrosourea, and ethylnitrosourea) on the steady-state mRNA expression of a model inducible gene, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), using the chick embryo as a simple in vivo test system. We observed no effect of any of these four carcinogens on the steady-state mRNA expression of the constitutively expressed beta-actin, transferrin, or albumin genes in chick embryo liver following a single dose of carcinogen. In contrast, these same treatments significantly altered both the basal and inducible expression of the glucocorticoid-inducible PEPCK gene. These results support the hypothesis that inducible gene expression is a target for the effects of chemical carcinogens in vivo. In addition, the direction, magnitude, and time course of these effects were agent-specific. Qualitative and quantitative differences in effects between the methylating and ethylating agents and between the methanesulfonates and nitrosoureas were correlated with differences in their specific patterns of DNA adduct formation, suggesting that different DNA lesions have different effects on inducible gene expression.
Haloperidol overdose during pregnancy.

Background Suicide attempts during pregnancy are rare. Over-the-counter and psychotropic medications are most commonly used. Although intentional overdose of haloperidol has been reported in nonpregnant adults, it has not, to our knowledge, been reported previously during pregnancy. In this case of suicide attempt by haloperidol overdose, maternal and fetal responses were studied extensively. Case Intentional ingestion of 300 mg haloperidol by a pregnant woman at 34 weeks' gestation caused maternal unresponsiveness, an extrapyramidal reaction, temporary fetal akinesia, and a nonreactive nonstress test. The mother recovered in 48 hours. The fetus did not reach a biophysical profile score of ten until 5 days after presentation. Conclusion Haloperidol overdose during pregnancy causes a maternal extrapyramidal reaction, temporary fetal akinesia, and prolonged fetal neuromuscular depression.
Characterization of the interphase in glass sphere reinforced polymers

Abstract In this study glass spheres were treated with an aminoalkyl-functional silane to promote adhesion, a methyltrimethoxysilane to reduce adhesion, and an amine terminated butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber to alter the interphase properties, and then embedded in an epoxy matrix. Tensile testing, optical microscopy, finite element, and micromechanics analysis were used to compare the effect of the different surface conditions on local elastic fields around a spherical glass inclusion imbedded in an epoxy matrix. It was observed that the angle, which a shear band makes with the direction of applied load is approximately 45° but in this case initiated at a polar angle of approximately 27°. Thus failure is not purely due to shear. These observations agree with the analytical observations presented in this paper. The location and direction of the point of where the maximum shear stress is located with respect to the direction of the applied load varies with the level of adhesion. This study showed that the best adhesion promoter for the ‘soda-lime glass’ solid spheres in the epoxy/mPDA system is aminoalkyl-functional silane. The alkyl silane can be used to totally eliminate adhesion.
How I Became White While Punching de Tar Baby

AbstractDrawing on critical whiteness studies, I examine a performance I did over 25 years ago in high school, in which I told a story at an awards program. I interpret my performance as later-day blackface minstrelsy—one without blackface, but with a black folktale and with ways of speaking and moving that my audience recognized as “black.” I build up my interpretation in three layers: the first treats my performance as grounded in a rural sensibility and closeness to the land; the second explores how white working folk created a black “other” who embodied what they longed for and despised; and the third recovers the (surprisingly) hopeful early moves of blackface minstrelsy—moves later abandoned, perverted, in the pursuit of money and respectability. In contrast to typical renderings of white racial identity in educational theory and research, the conception developed here assumes that the social production of white identity involves more than race and that a profound ambivalence exists at the core of w...
Transcending ‘Ordinary Times Rules’ in Environmental Health: The Critical Challenge for Medical Anthropology

Climate change, in complex interaction with multiple other anthropogenic ecocrises, has thrust us into extraordinary times in which conventional business-as-usual social rules must be transcended i...
Financial and alternative choices in personal transportation habits

An empirical study was conducted of employed professionals, representative of the marketing and financial services industry located within the metropolitan section of Pittsburgh, PA, resulting in 191 useable questionnaires. The thrust was to investigate the degree of seriousness on the part of working professionals' promoting new initiatives, such as public transportation and purchasing hybrid vehicles, to mitigate gasoline prices via their perceptions of the importance of selected economic, political, and personal transportation preferences, and its relationship to Customer Relationship Management (CRM). It was found through multivariate analysis that the influence of selected financial incentives can be quite powerful, especially by the use of employer-based and supported transportation programming. In general, such employer-supported programmes were very well received in changing employee behaviour for those would were so privileged, which may lead to a happier and more productive workforce.
Anorexia Nervosa Among Children and Adolescents

This update on anorexia nervosa among children and adolescents focuses on the current diagnostic criteria for the disorder, its history, epidemiology, and etiology. Consideration is given to the required medical evaluation and differential diagnosis. The medical complications, morbidity, and mortality that may ensue are described, and the corresponding pathophysiology explained. The review concludes with information on treatment and prognosis and a proposal on the appropriate role for the pediatrician in the management of anorexia nervosa.
Comparison of Enterococcus quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis results from fresh and marine waters on two real-time instruments

Abstract The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be recommending a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method targeting Enterococcus spp. as an option for monitoring recreational beach water quality. A practical consideration for implementation of this and other qPCR methods is whether the results are comparable on different PCR instruments. In this study, quantitative estimates of Enterococcus densities from marine and freshwater samples were determined by the qPCR method from cycle threshold ( Ct ) measurements obtained on Applied Biosystems StepOnePlus and Cepheid SmartCycler instruments. Three variations of a comparative Ct model, differing in their sources of calibration data, were used in the estimations. Both traditional and Bayesian statistical modeling approaches were examined in the instrument comparisons. The traditional analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach indicated no significant differences ( p > 0.05) between mean density estimates from the instruments in two of the three model variations. The Bayesian approach indicated that the 95% Bayesian credible intervals of density estimates from the instruments overlapped in all models; however, the uncertainty of the estimates varied depending on the model. These results support the interchangeable use of the two instruments in the method and also illustrate the importance of defining the source of calibration data used in the comparative Ct model.
Modeling spatiotemporal boundary formation.

Abstract Spatiotemporal boundary formation (SBF) refers to perception of continuous contours, shape, and global motion from sequential transformations of widely separated surface elements. How such minimal information in SBF can produce whole forms and the nature of the computational processes involved remain mysterious. Formally, it has been shown that orientations and motion directions of local edge fragments can be recovered from small sets of element changes (Shipley & Kellman, (1997). Vision Research , 37 , 1281–1293). Little experimental work has examined SBF in simple situations, however, and no model has been able to predict human SBF performance. We measured orientation discrimination thresholds in simple SBF displays for thin, oriented bars as a function of element density, number of element transformations, and frame duration. Thresholds decreased with increasing density and number of transformations, and increased with frame duration. An ideal observer model implemented to give trial-by-trial responses in the same orientation discrimination task exceeded human performance. In a second group of experiments, we measured human precision in detecting inputs to the model (spatial, temporal, and angular inter-element separation). A model that modified the ideal observer by added encoding imprecision for these parameters, directly obtained from Exp. 2, and that included two integration constraints obtained from previous research, closely fit human SBF data with no additional free parameters. These results provide the first empirical support for an early stage in shape formation in SBF based on the recovery of local edge fragments from spatiotemporally sparse element transformation events.
Nuclear control of cell movement in amoebae: Nuclear transplantation study

Abstract Nuclei of amoebae, both homologous and heterologous, were transplanted by a simple method to restore the lost, normal motility of anucleate cells. A nucleus that had been exposed to the external medium and lost its reproductive function, was able to restore the cell motility. The results supported the view that the nucleus controls cell movement by mechanisms other than those of controlling cell reproduction.
Binding of ferric heme by the recombinant globin from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

The product of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 gene slr2097 is a 123 amino acid polypeptide chain belonging to the truncated hemoglobin family. Recombinant, ferric heme-reconstituted ...
The synovial sarcoma translocation protein SYT-SSX2 recruits beta-catenin to the nucleus and associates with it in an active complex.

Localization of β-catenin in the cell is a key determinant in its decision to function as a critical mediator of cell adhesion at the surface or a transcription activator in the nucleus. SYT-SSX2 is the fusion product of the chromosomal translocation, t(X;18)(p11.2;q11.2), which occurs in synovial sarcoma, a soft tissue tumor. SYT-SSX2 is known to associate with chromatin remodeling complexes and is proposed to be involved in controlling gene expression. We report that SYT-SSX2 plays a direct role in β-catenin regulation. When expressed in mammalian cells, SYT-SSX2-induced β-catenin recruitment to the nucleus. Interestingly, known target genes of canonical Wnt were not activated as a result of SYT-SSX2 expression, nor was the nuclear localization of β-catenin due to one of the signaling pathways normally implicated in this event. β-Catenin accumulation in the nucleus led to the formation of a transcriptionally active nuclear complex that contained SYT-SSX2 and β-catenin. More importantly, depletion of SYT-SSX2 in primary synovial sarcoma cells resulted in loss of nuclear β-catenin signal and a significant decrease in its signaling activity. These results unravel a novel pathway in the control of β-catenin cellular transport and strongly suggest that SYT-SSX2 contributes to tumor development, in part through β-catenin signaling.
Preparation and Characterization of Nonpolar Fluorinated Carbosilane Dendrimers by APcI Mass Spectrometry and Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

The following highly fluorinated nonpolar dendrimers were obtained in high yields from multiple hydrosilylation reactions between core hydride terminated carbosilane dendrimers and allyl-1,1-dihydrotrifluoroethyl ether or allyl-1,1-dihydroheptadecafluorononyl ether through divergent synthetic routes: Si[CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}SiMe{sub 2}(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OCH{sub 2}CF{sub 3})]{sub 4} (7), Si{l{underscore}brace}CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}SiMe[CH{sub 2}{l{underscore}brace}CH{sub 2}SiMe(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OCH{sub 2}CF{sub 3}){sub 2}]{sub 2}{r{underscore}brace}{sub 4} (8), Si[CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}Si(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OCH{sub 2}C{sub 8}F{sub 17}){sub 3}]{sub 4} (9), Si[CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}SiMe{sub 2}(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OCH{sub 2}C{sub 8}F{sub 17})]{sub 4} (10), and Si{l{underscore}brace}CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}Si[CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}Si(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}OCH{sub 2}C{sub 8}F{sub 17}){sub 3}]{sub 3}{r{underscore}brace}{sub 4} (11). These compounds were characterized by elemental and spectroscopic analyses. Valuable mass spectral data were obtained by using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APcI). The fluorinated dendrimer molecule and the nonfluorinated core scatter X-ray light differently and present unique slopes on the Guinier Plot of data from small-angle X-ray light scattering (SAXS) in hexafluorobenzene. Glass transition temperatures (T{sub g}) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) of the dendrimers were determined.
Hyperlipidemia in the Elderly

People are now living longer, largely because of a combination of falling rates of fertility and mortality, thus producing a greater proportion of older people in society. Thirty times more centenarians were alive in 2000 than in 1900, and the population growth in the elderly segment of society is expected to continue at an exponential rate. Vascular disease is responsible for more than a quarter of all deaths worldwide. More than 80% of individuals who die of coronary heart disease are older than 65 years. Although a myocardial infarction may be perceived as fatal, heart attacks do not always lead to death but to conditions such as congestive heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and angina, which greatly impact quality of life. These issues are only a few that must be contemplated when considering the clinical and economic effects of preventive therapies in the elderly population.
Predictive medicine. XV. Epilogue.

: The authors summarize their 15 articles in this series on predictive medicine. Present health evaluation programs are disease-oriented rather than health-oriented. Health statistics usually are reported in terms of mortality and morbidity rates. Little space is given to nonspecific ailments which may be the forerunners of chronic disease. The purpose of a predictive medicine program is to anticipate and prevent disease rather than merely to identify and treat it. Conventional medicine is not coping with the problems. The interesting results, as well as the limitations of this series of studies, are discussed. The strategy is justified, but the tactics need further investigation.
Conducting polymer diffraction gratings on gold surfaces created by microcontact printing and electropolymerization at submicron length scales.

Conducting polymer diffraction gratings on Au substrates have been created using microcontact printing of C18-alkanethiols, followed by electropolymerization of either poly(aniline) (PANI) or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). Soft-polymer replicas of simple diffraction grating masters (1200 lines/mm) were used to define the alkanethiol template for polymer growth. Growth of PANI and PEDOT diffraction gratings was followed in real time, through in situ tapping-mode atomic force microscopy, and by monitoring diffraction efficiency (DE) as a function of grating depth. DE increased as grating depth increased, up to a limiting efficiency (13−26%, with white light illumination), defined by the combined optical properties of the grating and the Au substrate, and ultimately limited by the loss of resolution due to coalescence of the polymer films. Grating efficiency is strongly dependent upon the grating depth and the refractive index contrast between the grating material and the surrounding solutions. Bo...
Rotation of Four Small Nitroxide Probes in Supercooled Bulk Water

Using a precise method of least-squares nonlinear electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) line fitting, we have obtained experimental evidence of a decoupling of the rotational motion of four nitroxide spin probes from the viscosity of bulk water at 277 K. This decoupling is about 50 K higher than another such phenomenon observed in interstitial supercooled water of polycrystalline ice by Banerjee et al. (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106 (2009) 11448-11453). Above 277 K the activation energies of the rotation of the probes and water viscosity are very close, while in the supercooled region the activation energies of the probes' rotation are greater than that of the viscosity of water. The rotational correlation times of the probes can be fit well to a power law functionality with a singular temperature. The temperature dependence of the hydrodynamic radii of the probes indicates two distinct dynamical regions, which cross at 277 K.
Integrating Condom Skills Into Family-Centered Prevention: Efficacy of the Strong African American Families–Teen Program

Abstract Purpose The Strong African American Families–Teen (SAAF–T) program, a family-centered preventive intervention that included an optional condom skills unit, was evaluated to determine whether it prevented unprotected intercourse and increased condom efficacy among rural African American adolescents. Ancillary analyses were conducted to identify factors that predicted youth attendance of the condom skills unit. Methods Sixteen-year-old African American youths (N = 502) and their primary caregivers were randomly assigned to SAAF–T (n = 252) or an attention control (n = 250) intervention. SAAF–T families participated in a 5-week family skills training program that included an optional condom skills unit. All families completed in-home pretest, posttest, and long-term follow-up interviews during which adolescents reported on their sexual behavior, condom use, and condom efficacy. Because condom use was addressed only in an optional unit that required caregiver consent, we analyzed efficacy using complier average causal effect analyses. Results Attendance in both SAAF–T and the attention control intervention averaged 4 of 5 sessions; 70% of SAAF–T youth attended the condom skills unit. Complier average causal effect models indicated that SAAF–T was efficacious in reducing unprotected intercourse and increasing condom efficacy among rural African American high school students. Exploratory analyses indicated that religious caregivers were more likely than nonreligious caregivers to have their youth attend the condom skills unit. Conclusions Results suggest that brief condom skills educational modules in the context of a family-centered program are feasible and reduce risk for sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies.
Abelian Subgroups of Finitely Generated Kleinian Groups are Separable

By a Kleinian group we mean a discrete subgroup of PSL(2, [Copf ]). We prove that abelian subgroups of finitely generated Kleinian groups are separable. In other words, if M=ℍ3/Γ is a hyperbolic 3-orbifold, with Γ finitely generated, then abelian subgroups of Γ are separable in Γ.
The sensory stimulus for disjunctive eye movements.

Abstract To study the central mechanisms that compare and correlate information coming in from the two eyes, the limits of the stimulus situations were mapped within which horizontal eye vergence movement are initiated in human observers. Disparate visual configurations may be quite dissimilar in shape and contrast in the two eyes and may even be separated by about 100 msec in time and several degrees in the vertical direction and yet elicit normal horizontal vergence movements. In a subject with midline section of the cerebral commissures, presentation of a visual stimulus in which disparity alone is the cue for vergence is followed by convergence movements only when both disparate stimuli go to one cerebral hemisphere.
Deconstructing Stem Cell Tumorigenicity: A Roadmap to Safe Regenerative Medicine

Many of the earliest stem cell studies were conducted on cells isolated from tumors rather than from embryos. Of particular interest was research on embryonic carcinoma cells (EC), a type of stem cell derived from teratocarcinoma. The EC research laid the foundation for the later discovery of and subsequent work on embryonic stem cells (ESC). Both ESC isolated from the mouse (mESC) and then later from humans (hESC) shared not only pluripotency with their EC cousins, but also robust tumorigenicity as each readily form teratoma. Surprisingly, decades after the discovery of mESC, the question of what drives ESC to form tumors remains largely an open one. This gap in the field is particularly serious as stem cell tumorigenicity represents the key obstacle to the safe use of stem cell-based regenerative medicine therapies. Although some adult stem cell therapies appear to be safe, they have only a very narrow range of uses in human disease. Our understanding of the tumorigenicity of human induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSC), perhaps the most promising modality for future patient-specific regenerative medicine therapies, is rudimentary. However, IPSC are predicted to possess tumorigenic potential equal to or greater than that of ESC. Here, the links between pluripotency and tumorigenicity are explored. New methods for more accurately testing the tumorigenic potential of IPSC and of other stem cells applicable to regenerative medicine are proposed. Finally, the most promising emerging approaches for overcoming the challenges of stem cell tumorigenicity are highlighted.
WE‐E‐BRB‐07: EPID Based Verification of Delivered Fluence for VMAT with High Angular Resolution

Purpose: In VMAT, the dose rate, MLC position, and gantry angle change simultaneously, it is important they follow their predefined trajectories to ensure correct dose delivery. Our purpose is to develop an efficient VMAT QA strategy using EPID that is capable of quantifying delivery errors per gantry angle. Methods: For the QA procedure, portal images are acquired continuously during VMAT delivery. The plan is modified automatically so that the two most inferior MLC leaf pairs are open at all control points. A custom built phantom is positioned via image guidance to be visible in all projections of the opened leaf pairs, and is used to measure the angular fraction through which each portal image is acquired. Expected values of delivered MU and beginning and ending MLC positions are calculated from the plan using the measured start and stop gantry angles per image. They are used to compute a predicted detector response using the treatment planningsoftware (Portal Dosimetry, Varian). The calculated portal response is further analyzed against the EPIDimages in 3D. We performed the QA procedure for a clinical VMAT 170° arc. Results: The mean gantry angle and angular width of each portal image measured using the phantom was shown to be accurate to within 0.06°±0.14° and 0.59°±0.36°, respectively. Conversely, the angle recorded with each portal image had a larger error of 1.04°±0.84°. QA analysis consisted of projecting the measured and predicted data into 3 planes: leaf motion axis vs. cross leaf axis, leaf motion vs. gantry angle, and cross leaf vs. gantry. In each plane intensities are defined by dose, dose rate, MLC positioning, and gantry angle, thereby allowing verification of all essential machine parameters. Conclusions: Accurate and efficient VMAT QA can be performed using EPID and customized phantom and software that provides verification of all plan parameters.
Renal-hepatic-pancreatic dysplasia: A sibship with skeletal and central nervous system anomalies and NPHP3 mutation

Wereportonfiveconsecutivesibsthreewithfatalrenal-hepaticpancreatic dysplastic (RHPD) syndrome and two pregnancies ending in early abortion. Three of the fetuses reached term and twosurvivedfor15and58days.Theyhaddiffuselycystickidneys withabsenceofthedistalcollectingtubules,hepaticfibrosis,bile duct paucity, and pancreatic fibrosis with irregularly dilated ducts. These findings correspond to many of those reported by Ivemarketal.[Ivemarketal.(1959);ActaPaediatScand48:1‐11] as part of the RHPD syndrome. There are several notable differences in this family: one patient had hypocalvaria and a choroid plexus cyst at the right foramen of Luschka, multiple bone abnormalities including widened growth plates and abnormal developmentofthetrabeculaeoftheribs,“handle-bar”clavicles, wedgedefectsoftheinferiormarginofseveralthoracicvertebrae; the second patient had hypocalvaria and abnormally developed brain with bilateral exposure of the insulae; and a third patient had anencephaly. Mutational analysis of the two who survived beyond post-delivery demonstrated compound heterozygous novel frameshift mutations in the nephronophthisis type 3 gene (NPHP3). 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Thrust Augmentation and Vortex Ring Evolution in a Fully-Pulsed Jet

The time-averaged thrust of an incompressible fully pulsed jet containing a period of no flow between pulses is studied experimentally as a function of pulsing duty cycle Sr_L and the ratio of the ejected slug length (per pulse) to the jet diameter L/D. The parameter ranges investigated were 2≤L/D≤6 and 0.1≤Sr_L≤0.98. Significant thrust augmentation by pulsing was observed over the entire parameter range tested, both in terms of thrust compared to an equivalent steady jet with identical mass flux, denoted F_(SJ) >1, and in terms of thrust compared to an equivalent intermittent jet where vortex ring formation by pulsation was ignored, denoted F_(IJ) >1. F_(SJ) as high as 1.90 (90% thrust augmentation) was observed for the smaller L/D as Sr_L approached 1.0 (with larger F_(SJ) at lower Sr_L). The F_(IJ) results, which directly measured overpressure at the nozzle exit plane developed during vortex ring formation as the mechanism responsible for thrust augmentation, showed reduced augmentation at large L/D and Sr_L. The L/D dependence of F_(IJ) parallels single-pulse (Sr_L =0) results previously studied by the authors. The Sr_L dependence of F_(IJ) was linked to the interaction of forming vortex rings with vorticity from preceding pulses using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) measurements of the vorticity field. DPIV also revealed that the vortex rings tended to wander off axis and disintegrate as Sr_L became sufficiently large.
Effects of rapid digitalization on total and regional myocardial performance in patients with coronary artery disease

In order to evaluate the effects of rapid digitalization on LV volumes, ejection fraction, and asynergy, 21 patients without heart failure were studied with a combination of hemodynamic and angiographic techniques before and after administration of intravenous ouabain (0.007 mg./Kg.). Seven patients had no CAD and served as normal (control) subjects (Group I), while 14 patients had extensive coronary disease (Group II). All pre-ouabain parameters were within the normal limits in Group I. After ouabain infusion, all indices of LV contractility: dP/dt, VCF, and ejection fraction rose significantly in the normal group, while LV filling pressure and end-diastolic volume remained unchanged. The baseline hemodynamic and volumetric values for Group II patients corresponded closely to their normal (Group I) counterparts, and exhibited similar changes after ouabain administration. Eight patients in Group II also had regional disorders of LV contractility, delineated by 23 abnormal hemiaxes of shortening. After ouabain, 15 out of 23 asynergic segments (65 per cent) improved, seven remained unchanged, and one worsened. It is therefore concluded that rapid digitalization not only enhances LV performance in normal subjects and in patients with CAD, but can also markedly reduce the extent of LV asynergy.
Fabrication of a high anisotropy nanoscale patterned magnetic recording medium for data storage applications

An approach to fabrication of a patterned magnetic recording medium for next generation data storage systems is presented. (Co/Pd)n magnetic multilayers are evaluated as candidates for patterned medium materials for their high and easily controllable magnetic anisotropy. The multilayer films deposited on a Ta seed layer enable high intergranular exchange coupling—an essential feature of a patterned magnetic recording medium. The quality of (Co/Pd)n superlattices was optimized via deposition conditions and monitored using low-angle x-ray diffraction. An estimated in-plane (hard-axis) magnetization saturation field in excess of 40 000 Oe was observed. Vertical (easy-axis) hysteresis loops for as-deposited continuous magnetic multilayers exhibited a low coercivity of 930 Oe, indicating highly uniform (magnetically) films with weak domain wall pinning. Ion-beam proximity lithography was used to pattern magnetic multilayers into 43 nm islands on a 135 nm pitch. Following patterning, easy-axis coercivity increased nearly 15-fold to 12.7 kOe.
Improving your creative potential without awareness: Overinclusive thinking training

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of overinclusive thinking training (OTT) on creativity improvement. In Experiment 1, 40 undergraduates were randomly assigned to the OTT group or the control group. After the training, the participants were required to complete categorization tasks. The results show that the OTT enhanced participants’ ability to engage in overinclusive thinking. In Experiment 2, 42 undergraduates were randomly assigned to the OTT group or the control group. After the training, the participants were required to complete the Creative Thinking Test. The results show that the performance of the OTT group regarding fluency and originality was higher than that of the control group. In Experiment 3, 56 undergraduates were randomly assigned to three groups: the control group, the long-distance semantic OTT group, or the short-distance semantic OTT group. After the training, the participants were required to solve insight problems. The results show that the performance of the long-distance semantic OTT group in insight problem solving was superior to that of the short-distance semantic OTT and the control group. In Experiment 4, 50 undergraduates were randomly assigned to the OTT group or the control group. The Creative Thinking Test was performed 7 days after training. The results show that the training effect on originality remained; however, no training effect was observed on either fluency or flexibility.
C-Reactive Protein Stimulates Myeloperoxidase Release from Polymorphonuclear Cells and Monocytes: Implications for Acute Coronary Syndromes

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP), the prototypic marker of inflammation, is present in atherosclerotic plaques and appears to promote atherogenesis. Also, CRP has been localized to monocytes and tissue macrophages, which are present in the necrotic core of lesions prone to plaque rupture. Leukocyte-derived myeloperoxidase (MPO), primarily hosted in human polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs), has also been shown to be present in human atherosclerotic lesions. Because MPO and CRP concentrations are increased in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and predict poor outcomes, we tested the effect of CRP on MPO release from PMNs and monocytes. Methods: We treated human PMNs and monocytes with CRP (25 and 50 mg/L for 6 h) and measured MPO release as total mass and activity in culture supernatants. We also measured nitro-tyrosinylation (NO2-Tyr) of LDL as an indicator of biological activity of CRP-mediated MPO release. Furthermore, we explored the effect of human CRP on MPO release in the rat sterile pouch model. Results: CRP treatment significantly increased release of MPO (both mass and activity) from human PMNs as well as monocytes ( P < 0.05) and caused NO2-Tyr of LDL. Human CRP injection in rats resulted in increased concentrations of MPO in pouch exudates ( P < 0.05), thus confirming our in vitro data. Conclusions: CRP stimulates MPO release both in vitro and in vivo, providing further cogent data for the proinflammatory effect of CRP. These results might further support the role of CRP in ACS.
Common practices and problems related to artificially rearing calves: An ethological analysis

Abstract Conventional methods of artificially rearing calves prevent performance of many of the behaviors comprising the bovine ethogram. Research has identified positive correlations between the degree of behavioral deprivation and physiological responses indicative of chronic stress, increased disease incidence and behavioral anomalies. Although calves maintained in groups with sufficient space to perform all of the bovine fixed action patterns exhibit fewer behavioral and physiological indices of stress, they are nonetheless subject to other management problems. Recent developments in management/feeding systems show promise in reducing some of the problems associated with minimally-restrictive environments.
A Multifrequency Radar System for Detecting Humans and Characterizing Human Activities for Short-Range Through-Wall and Long-Range Foliage Penetration Applications

A multifrequency radar system for detecting humans and classifying their activities at short and long ranges is described. The short-range radar system operates within the S-Band frequency range for through-wall applications at distances of up to 3 m. It utilizes two separate waveforms which are selected via switching: a wide-band noise waveform or a continuous single tone. The long-range radar system operating in the W-Band millimeter-wave frequency range performs at distances of up to about 100 m in free space and up to about 30 m through light foliage. It employs a composite multimodal signal consisting of two waveforms, a wide-band noise waveform and an embedded single tone, which are summed and transmitted simultaneously. Matched filtering of the received and transmitted noise signals is performed to detect targets with high-range resolution, whereas the received single tone signal is used for the Doppler analysis. Doppler measurements are used to distinguish between different human movements and gestures using the characteristic micro-Doppler signals. Our measurements establish the ability of this system to detect and range humans and distinguish between different human movements at different ranges.
Intravascular Optical Imaging Technology for Investigating the Coronary Artery

There is an ever-increasing demand for new imaging methods that can provide additional information about the coronary wall to better characterize and stratify high-risk plaques, and to guide interventional and pharmacologic management of patients with coronary artery disease. While there are a number of imaging modalities that facilitate the assessment of coronary artery pathology, this review paper focuses on intravascular optical imaging modalities that provide information on the microstructural, compositional, biochemical, biomechanical, and molecular features of coronary lesions and stents. The optical imaging modalities discussed include angioscopy, optical coherence tomography, polarization sensitive-optical coherence tomography, laser speckle imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy, time-resolved laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging. Given the wealth of information that these techniques can provide, optical imaging modalities are poised to play an increasingly significant role in the evaluation of the coronary artery in the future.