cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of hypothyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, and adrenal insufficiency following proton and photon radiotherapy in children with medulloblastoma

Endocrine deficiencies are common following Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) in children with brain tumors, but empirical data comparing outcomes following proton (PRT) and photon radiation therapy (XRT) are limited. This retrospective chart review compared the incidence of hypothyroidism, Growth hormone deficiency (GHD), and Adrenal insufficiency (AI) in patients with medulloblastoma treated with XRT and PRT between 1997 and 2016. All patients received CSI and had routine endocrine screening labs to evaluate for thyroid dysfunction, GHD, and AI. We used proportional hazards regression to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing the development of hypothyroidism, AI, and GHD between radiation modalities, adjusting for age at diagnosis, sex, race/ethnicity, and CSI dose. We identified 118 patients with medulloblastoma who were followed for a median of 5.6 years from the end of radiotherapy. Thirty-five (31%) patients developed hypothyroidism, 71 (66%) GHD, and 20 (18%) AI. Compared to PRT, XRT was associated with a higher incidence of primary hypothyroidism (28% vs. 6%; HR = 4.61, 95% CI 1.2–17.7, p = 0.03). Central hypothyroidism, GHD, and AI incidence rates were similar between the groups. Primary hypothyroidism occurs less often after PRT CSI, compared to XRT CSI. This suggests that the thyroid and pituitary glands receive less radiation after spine and posterior fossa boost RT, respectively, using PRT.
Art Arbitrage - Violations of the Law of One Price Created by Fine Art Auctions

Although fine art is becoming increasingly popular as investment, its price determination is relatively opaque. This paper expands upon the work of Pesando (1993) and Pesando and Shum (2007) concerning the law of one price in the art auction industry. By examining the sale history of silkscreen prints from Andy Warhol’s 1970 series Flowers, this paper controls for the physical characteristics of particular artwork and seeks to determine the likelihood of sale and price differentials created by specific auction environments. This paper further examines the extent to which auction houses take into account these auction environments when setting presale price estimates, as well as how correlated these estimates are to the final realized price of a work. The results suggest that significant factors impacting likelihood of sale and final realized price for a work include the average price of the total sale it was included in—indicative of spillover effects from other works in the sale. The results also suggest that on some level, auction houses set presale estimates strategically, based on factors aside from market trends and the inherent quality and condition of the work. Larger, more established houses are likely more strategic at setting estimates—valuing lower to increase the probability of sale.
Effects of anaerobic digestion and aerobic treatment on the reduction of gaseous emissions from dairy manure storages.

Effects of anaerobic digestion and aerobic treatment on the reduction of gaseous emissions from dairy manure storages were evaluated in this study. Screened dairy manure containing 3.5% volatile solids (VS) was either anaerobically digested or aerobically treated prior to storage in air-tight vessels. Anaerobic digestion was carried out using a mesophilic anaerobic sequencing batch reactor operated at a hydraulic retention time of 20 days and an organic loading rate (OLR) of 1 gVS/L/day. Aerobic treatment was achieved using an aerobic reactor operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10 days and an OLR of 2 gVS/(L·d). The treated manure was put into the storage on a daily basis for a period of 180 days. All the gases produced during this period were captured and analyzed for methane, carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Untreated manure was stored and analyzed in the same way as the treated manure and used as a control for comparison. The results show that low amounts of gases were produced during the first 84 days of storage in both treated and untreated manure, but increased significantly after this time point. The generally expected positive impacts of anaerobic and aerobic treatment on the reductions of methane and VOCs were confirmed in this study. However, the effects of anaerobic and aerobic treatment varied over the time of storage, especially for VOCs. The results of this study indicate that to achieve significant reductions in VOC emission the storage time of anaerobic digester or aerobic reactor effluent should be limited to no more than 100 days. Key words: anaerobic digestion, aerobic treatment, methane, volatile organic compounds, dairy manure DOI: 10.3965/j.issn.1934-6344.2008.02.015-020 Citation: Ruihong Zhang, Jeffery A. McGarvey, Yanguo Ma, Frank M. Mitloehner. Effects of anaerobic digestion and aerobic treatment on the reduction of gaseous emissions from dairy manure storages. Int J Agric & Biol Eng. 2008; 1(2): 15
WE‐EF‐204‐01: Pre‐Clinical Imaging for Co‐Clinical Trials

As molecular biology breakthroughs in understanding cancers and other diseases, hundreds of new drugs wait testing. In the last decade, mouse models have been evolved to better mimic human diseases genetically and biologically. These reliable mouse models allow us to determine which genetic elements, pathways and mutations impact on therapy. The co-clinical trial strategy is to conduct a human clinical trial for a therapeutic drug and test it in mouse models at the same time. This strategy has the potential to accelerate the drug testing process and identify the patient population that will respond to the drug. Imaging plays an important role in co-clinical trials. In this symposium, four speakers will discuss advancements and issues in pre-clinical imaging, murine models, imaging hardware and software, and funding opportunities in co-clinical trials. Learning Objectives: 1. Multi-modality pre-clinical imaging hardware and software, and new technologies (e.g., hyperpolarized MRI) 2. Selection of animal models from physiological and genetic perspectives with examples in colon, pancreatic and lung cancers 3. NCI funding opportunities
Based on a True Story

1 I. Fixation on Memory 2 II. Fear of Forgetting 3 III. For Posterity 4 IV. Memories Into Physical Objects 6 V. Childhood Memories Made 8 1. Matriarchy Blocks 2. Alice the Alligator 3. Patriarchal Chair 4. Multitasking 5. Chocolate Cake 6. Tuba VI. Storytelling Props 13 VII. Historical Progression in Graduate School 15 VIII. Process 20 IX. Where My Work Fits in the Art World 21 Works Cited 27 Appendix of Memories Made 28 1. Mixmaster 2. Cookie Utensils 3. Baking Triumvirate 4. Round Table 5. Rumble Seat 6. Butterhorn Rolls 7. Empty Bookcases 8. Playschool Recorder 9. M&Ms and Marshmallows
Modification of ligand binding to membranes by a soluble acceptor. Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein attenuates 3H-imipramine binding to cerebral membranes.

Abstract The effect of individual plasma proteins on the binding of 3 H-imipramine ( 3 H-IMI) was investigated, using rat cerebral membranes as the binding site source. Addition of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (aAGLP) to an incubation medium containing 4 nm 3 H-IMI resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of 3 H-IMI binding, with an IC 50 value of 0.53 μM. Albumin (0.7 mM) and gamma globulin (3 μM) had no apparent effect. Scatchard analyses of 3 H-IMI binding in the presence and absence of 0.5 μm aAGLP revealed that the inhibition of 3 H-IMI binding was associated with an increased K d , with no appreciable change in B max . The inhibitory action of platelet-free plasma (PFP) on 3 H-IMI binding to cerebral membranes was eliminated after treatment of PFP with specific antibodies to aAGLP. It is suggested that the inhibition of 3 H-IMI binding to cerebral membranes by PFP is due, at least partially, to the presence of aAGLP in the plasma. The observed inhibitory effect is consistent with a competition for the ligand between the membrane binding site and the soluble protein acceptor. These findings may explain the serum effect confounding radioreceptor assays of various drugs.
Parallel Algorithms for Solving Certain Classes of Linear Recurrences

This paper presents two new time and/or processor bounds for solving certain classes of linear recurrences. The first result provides a parallel algorithm for solving Xi=aiXi−1+di for 1≤i≤n in 210gn units of time using only 3/4n processors. The second results relate to solving Xi=Xi−1+Xi−2+di for 1≤i≤n. It is shown that Xi's can be computed in at most 310gn units of time using 5/4n processors. In the special case when di=0 for all i, it is shown that Xi's (the first n-Fibonacci numbers) can be computed in parallel in 210gn-1 units of time using only n/2 processors. These time and processor bounds compare very favourably with the previously known results for these problems.
Pull-Out Mechanism in Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

The bond between steel fibers and portland cement matrices is a critical factor in determining the strength properties of fiber-reinforced concrete structural elements. The influence of the following three major parameters on the pull-out behavior of fibers was studied: the angle of orientation of the fibers with the loading direction, the number of fibers being simultaneously pulled out from the same area, and the efficiency of random orientation. It is shown that: (1)The pull-out load of a randomly oriented fiber is not lower than that of an aligned fiber; (2)the pull-out capacity of a group of randomly oriented fibers decreases drastically when the number of fibers pulling out from the same area increases; and (3)the efficiency of fiber orientation after matrix cracking is substantially higher than efficiency factors derived from the theoretical elastic considerations. These results seem to explain why the addition to a concrete matrix of fibers with highly improved bond properties does not often lead to an equivalent improvement in the composite properties.
Welfare Reform in Mississippi: TANF Policy and its Implications

Introduction 1108 I. A Brief History of Welfare Reform 1109 II. TANF Policies 1115 A. Welfare to Work 1115 1. Accountability of Contractors 1117 2. Welfare Recipients as Employees 1118 3. Livable Wage 1120 4. Education 1123 III. Challenges in Mississippi: Problems and Criticisms of TANF Policy 1123 A. Single Mothers 1123 B. Livable Wage in Mississippi 1124 C. Education in Mississippi 1125 IV. Recommended Changes 1126 Conclusion 1128
Molecular insights into acetylcholine receptor structure and function revealed by mutations causing congenital myasthenic syndromes

Publisher Summary This chapter provides molecular insights into acetylcholine receptor structure and function revealed by mutations causing congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS). The investigation of CMS proceeds from a generic clinical diagnosis to defining the morphologic and electrophysiologic phenotype. If these studies point to a candidate gene whose sequence is known, then mutation analysis becomes feasible. In addition, if a mutation in a relevant protein is identified, then appropriate expression studies are designed. A generic clinical diagnosis of a CMS is based on the history of myasthenic symptoms from birth or early childhood, similarly affected relatives, a decremental electromyographic (EMG) response of the compound muscle fiber action potential on low-frequency (2–3 Hz) stimulation, and a negative test for anti-AChR antibodies. Some CMS cases, however, are sporadic or present in later life and the decremental EMG response may not be present in all muscles or at all times. Conventional microelectrode studies on muscle specimens excised from origin to insertion readily reveal whether the defect of neuromuscular transmission is presynaptic, synaptic, or postsynaptic and define the factors that impair the safety margin of neuromuscular transmission.
The Dream of Ascent and the Noise of Earth: Paradoxical Inclinations in Euripides’s Bacchae, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and Stevens’s “Of Modern Poetry”

In Wallace Stevens’ “The Noble Rider and the Sound of Words,” the Platonic dream of ascent toward the Heavens elicits a demurral in the modern spirit. We “recognize” but do not “participate in” the figurative ascent in the Phaedrus, in which the noble soul ascends by means of the “noble ... winged horses ... of the gods ... [ — ] soars upward, and is the ruler of the universe.”2 For us, Stevens says — the poet’s imagination working perhaps like the light of the sun on Icarus’ wings–”the figure becomes antiquated and rustic”; our transit describes an arc downward, to earth: “we droop in our flight and at last settle on the solid ground.” Although the impulse to descend to earth is recurrent and overtly thematic in Stevens’ poetry, it might be observed as recurring suggestively in the plays of Shakespeare and Euripides to be discussed here.
Principles of Modern Technology

Part I. Microelectronics and Computers: 1. The transistor 2. Digital electronics Part II. Communications: 3. The transmission of signals 4. Generation and propagation of electromagnetic waves Part III. Nuclear Energy: 5. Sources of energy 6. Nuclear weapons Part IV. Space Travel: 7. Airplane and rocket flight 8. To the stars Appendices References Index.
Major pancreatic resections for chronic pancreatitis.

Objective.-Indications for major pancreatic resections have been expanded to include complicated chronic pancreatitis (CP). We assessed clinical findings and outcomes and evaluated histology in patients who had major pancreatic resections for CP. We also determined if histologic findings were associated with persistent postoperative pain. Design.-We reviewed charts and slides from 44 patients who underwent major pancreatic resections for CP between 1989 and 1999. Results.-The etiology for disease included alcohol (n = 15), hereditary (n = 5), idiopathic (n = 6), pancreas divisum (n = 3), stricture (n = 2), trauma (n = 2), systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 1), and unknown (n = 10). Patients included 20 men and 24 women; ages ranged from 22 to 76 years. Perioperative mortality and morbidity were 0% and 4.5%, respectively. Persistent pain was present in 25 (57%) of the 44 patients, and pain was encountered more frequently in patients with alcoholic pancreatitis (67%) versus other etiologies (52%), and in those who underwent Whipple/Beger or total resections (68%) versus distal or subtotal pancreatectomy (42%). Metaplastic changes were present in 14 cases, and ductal atypia was seen in 9 cases. No malignancies were found. Acinar necrosis and acute inflammation were seen more often in patients with persistent pain than in those who were pain free (P = .081). Conclusions.-Major pancreatic resection for CP can be performed with low morbidity and mortality. This procedure relieves pain in nearly half the patients. There is a wide spectrum of histopathologic changes seen in CP, including ductal atypia and metaplastic changes. Acute exacerbations of CP identified histologically at the time of surgery and alcohol as etiology for CP may be associated more frequently with intractable pain.
Neue orale Antikoagulanzien in der perioperativen Medizin

Die neuen oralen Antikoagulanzien (NOAK) hemmen direkt den Faktor Xa (Stuart-Prower-Faktor) oder den Faktor IIa (Thrombin). Sie werden zur Thromboseprophylaxe bei elektivem Huft- oder Kniegelenkersatz, zur Therapie der tiefen Venenthrombose und zur Schlaganfallprophylaxe bei Vorhofflimmern als Behandlungsalternative zu den Vitamin-K-Antagonisten eingesetzt. Patienten mit langfristiger NOAK-Einnahme stellen alle Beteiligten in der perioperativen Phase vor medizinisch-logistische Herausforderungen. Bei geplanten Operationen ist zur individuellen Festlegung der perioperativen hamostaseologischen Strategie, insbesondere des optimalen Operationszeitpunkts, die fruhzeitige Vorstellung der Patienten beim Anasthesisten zu fordern. Die zeitliche Dringlichkeit bei „Notoperationen“ muss interdisziplinar gegen das Blutungsrisiko unter NOAK abgewogen werden. Die Bestimmung der Medikamentenspiegel erlaubt hierbei eine Abschatzung der aktuellen Antikoagulation. Ursachlich koagulopathisch bedingte Blutungsnotfalle werden mit Blutprodukten und Gerinnungsfaktorenkonzentraten unspezifisch therapiert.
The birth of an infant decreases group spacing in a zoo-housed lowland gorilla group (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

Changes in group composition can alter the behavior of social animals such as gorillas. Although gorilla births are presumed to affect group spacing patterns, there is relatively little data about how these events affect gorilla group cohesion. We investigated how members of a western lowland gorilla group (n = 6) at Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago, IL, USA) spaced themselves prior to and after the birth of an infant, to investigate changes in group cohesion. Gorillas were housed in an indoor-outdoor enclosure in which access to the outdoors was permitted when temperatures exceeded 5°C. We recorded spatial locations of each group member using 30-min group scans on tablet computers with an electronic map interface, as well as noting their access to outdoor areas. Data from the 4 months following the birth was compared to a control period corresponding to early pregnancy. We measured distances between all possible group dyads for each scan and subsequently calculated a mean distance between all group members. An ANOVA revealed that access to the outdoors had no effect on group spacing (F(1,56) = 0.066, P = 0.799). However, the presence of an infant resulted in a significant reduction in inter-individual distance (F(1,56) = 23.988, P = 0.000), decreasing inter-individual spacing by 12.5%. This information helps characterize the behavioral impact of a new birth on captive gorilla social structure and could potentially inform future management of breeding gorilla groups. Zoo Biol. 33:471–474, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Identification of Cryptococcus neoformans in a routine clinical laboratory.

Eight taxonomic tests were compared for their ability to distinguishCryptococcus neoformans from the non-pathogenic species ofCryptococcus. Eight isolates ofCryptococcus were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection and 43 isolates were obtained directly from human and natural sources. The tests which appeared to be most valuable to the routine diagnostic laboratory were growth at 37° C, characteristic growth on Guizotia seed agar and virulence for mice.
Development of a microscale emission factor model for particulate matter for predicting real-time motor vehicle emissions.

Abstract The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Exposure Research Laboratory is pursuing a project to improve the methodology for modeling human exposure to motor vehicle emissions. The overall project goal is to develop improved methods for modeling the source through the air pathway to human exposure in significant exposure micro-environments. Current particulate matter (PM) emission models, particle emission factor model (used in the United States, except California) and motor vehicle emission factor model (used in California only), are suitable only for county-scale modeling and emission inventories. There is a need to develop a site-specific real-time emission factor model for PM emissions to support human exposure studies near roadways. A microscale emission factor model for predicting site-specific real-time motor vehicle PM (MicroFacPM) emissions for total suspended PM, PM less than 10 µm aerodynamic diameter, and PM less than 2.5 µm aerodynamic diameter has been developed. The algori...
A Phase I, open label, dose ranging trial of intravenous bolus zoledronic acid, a novel bisphosphonate, in cancer patients with metastatic bone disease.

BACKGROUND Bone metastases typically are associated with osteolytic bone destruction, resulting in bone pain, pathologic fractures, spinal cord compression, and hypercalcemia. Bisphosphonates are potent inhibitors of normal and pathologic bone resorption and represent a significant therapeutic improvement in the management of patients with lytic bone metastases. Zoledronic acid is a new-generation, highly potent, nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate that to the authors knowledge is the most potent inhibitor of bone resorption currently in clinical trials. The objectives of the current study were to assess the safety and tolerability of increasing doses of zoledronic acid and to determine its activity with respect to reducing biochemical markers of bone resorption in cancer patients with bone metastases. METHODS Forty-four cancer patients with bone metastases or primary bone lesions were enrolled sequentially into 1 of 5 fixed ascending-dose treatment groups. Each patient received a single intravenous bolus injection of 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 mg of zoledronic acid over 30–60 seconds. Patients were monitored for 8 weeks for the evaluation of clinical findings, adverse events, vital signs, electrocardiograms, markers of bone resorption, and urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase. RESULTS Zoledronic acid was safe and well tolerated at all dose levels tested. Commonly reported adverse events included bone pain, fever, anorexia, constipation, and nausea, which were experienced by a similar proportion of patients in each treatment group. Seven patients reported serious adverse events, none of which appeared to be related to the study drug. Zoledronic acid effectively suppressed biochemical markers of bone resorption, including the highly specific markers N-telopeptide and deoxypyridinoline, for up to 8 weeks in the 2–16-mg dose groups and for a shorter duration in the 1-mg group. CONCLUSIONS In the current study, zoledronic acid was safe and well tolerated and demonstrated potent inhibition of bone resorption. The authors believe it may improve the treatment of metastatic bone disease. Cancer 2001;91:144–54. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
The massification of education in Hong Kong: Effects on the equality of opportunity, 1981-1991

Hong Kong's commitment to free schooling in the 1970s led to a massification of its formerly elite education system. Analysis of census data reveals that, consequently, family background and gender...
Induction of abnormal cell division in Euglena gracilis by glutamic diethyl ester.

SYNOPSIS. Glutamic diethyl ester inhibited the growth of Euglena gracilis and induced abnormal cell division. A variety of amino acid esters inhibited growth in both Euglena and Astasia, but only glutamic diethyl ester and, to a lesser extent, glutamic dimethyl ester, interfered with cell division, and only in Euglena. Glutamic acid potentiated the growth inhibitory effect of glutamic diethyl ester but antagonized the formation of aberrant division forms. The mitotic process appeared to proceed normally thru the stages of formation of the reservoir, gullet and flagellum, but cytokinesis stopped during the unwinding process which leads to the separation of the daughter cells, thus leading to the formation of doublets. Doublets could then continue their life cycles, forming triplets or quadruplets and, occasionally, octuplets.
Anaplastic signet ring cell carcinoma arising in gastrocystoplasty

Augmentation cystoplasty operations using segments of gastrointestinal tract are often necessary in neurogenic low-compliance bladders. Patients are usually rehabilitated with an increase in storage volume and normalization of the reduced compliance. However, gut mucosa-related early and late complications are not very uncommon. Malignancy, although rare, is known to occur after enterocystoplasty, but only one such case has been reported for gastrocystoplasty, a single patient who developed urothelial carcinoma. We describe what we believe to be the first case of signet ring cell carcinoma developing after gastrocystoplasty.
Ideas for fast and cheap object capture

This paper is a preliminary description of three technologies for use in scanning and printing. There aren't a lot of experimental data here, unfortunately, because the ideas are new. They came out of a current effort to build a pocket-sized, battery-operated, non-contact 3D input device. The concept of this pocket 3D scanner is to allow someone to take simultaneous range and intensity images of a 10-50 cm diameter area in half a second, store a hundred or so of them, then play them back into a PC IR pot for OCR, printing, archival storage, or further processing. Such areas include flat or crinkled paper, hands and faces, machined parts, textures, and many others. Besides their use in input devices, these technologies could greatly improve the performance of low-end printers, at very low cost. None of these techniques is yet at a high state of development. The first is a scanning technique that should allow increasing pixel rates by a factor of 10 or more without significant additional optical or mechanical complexity; the second is an extremely fast focus actuator that should reduce the field flatness and accuracy requirements of the scan lens and scanner assembly, by allowing fast focus correction even within a scan line; an the third is a 'mass customizing' wavefront aberration correction method for producing very high quality laser beams from low quality optics, without requiring any hand work.
Vibrational spectra and structural parameters of some XNCO and XOCN (X = H, F, Cl, Br) molecules

Abstract Ab initio calculations with full electron correlation by the perturbation method to second order and hybrid density functional theory calculations by the B3LYP method utilizing the 6-31G(d), 6-311+G(d, p), and 6-311+G(2d, 2p) basis sets have been carried out for the XNCO and XOCN (X = H, F, Cl, Br) molecules. From these calculations, force constants, vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, Raman activities, depolarization ratios, and structural parameters have been determined and compared to the experimental quantities when available. By combining previously reported rotational constants for HNCO, ClNCO and BrNCO with the ab initio MP2/6-311+G(d, p) predicted structural values, adjusted r0 parameters have been obtained. The r0 values for BrNCO are: r(Br N) = 1.857(5); r(N C) = 1.228(5); r(C O) = 1.161(5) A; BrNC = 117.5(5) and NCO = 172.3(5)°. For ClNCO the determined r0 parameters are in excellent agreement with the previously determine rs values, whereas those for HNCO the HNC angle is larger with a value of 126.3(5)° compared to the previous reported value of 123.9(17)°. However, considering the relatively large uncertainty in the value given initially the two results are in near agreement. Structural parameters are also estimated for FNCO and XOCN (X = H, F, Cl, Br). The centrifugal distortion constants have been calculated and are compared to the experimentally (XNCO: X = H, Cl, Br) determined values. Predicted values for the barriers of linearity are given for both the XNCO (X = H, F, Cl, Br) molecules and the results were compared to the corresponding isothiocyanate molecules. The predicted frequencies for the fundamentals of the XNCO molecules compare favorably to the experimental values but some of the predicted intensities differ significantly from those in the observed spectra. The two OCN bends for HOCN have been assigned and the frequencies for the two corresponding fundamentals of DOCN are predicted.
Increased Risk of Atrial Fibrillation with Attenuated Activity of P21-Activated Kinase

The mechanisms underlying atrial fibrillation (AF) are not fully understood. In a canine model of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) we determined that the p21-activated kinase1 (Pak1) was down-regulated compared to animals in sinus rhythm. The down-regulation was mimicked in an in-vitro model of AF (atrial myocytes + Angiotensin II (AngII: 1μM, 24 h) leading us to hypothesize that attenuated Pak1 activity enhances atrial arrhythmic activity. ECG recordings in WT and Pak1-KO mice performed under control conditions and during stimulation with AngII or Carbachol (CCh: 150 ng/g) revealed spontaneous atrial arrhythmic events in Pak1-KO mice. In field stimulated isolated atrial myocytes (AM) an increased number of delayed after-depolarizations was determined (DADs WT: 14%; Pak1-KO: 39% of cells). AMs with attenuated Pak1 activity (Pak1-KO or WT + IPA3 : 10μM) exhibited an exaggerated increase in AngII induced ROS production (DCF, ΔF/F0: WT(ctl) 1.33±0.07, WT(IPA3) 1.77±0.04 , Pak1-KO 1.77±0.08 ) that was attenuated in the presence of the NOX2 inhibitor apocynin (100 μM). The exaggerated AngII induced increase in Ca transient amplitude (ΔF/F0: WT(ctl) 2.6±0.2, WT(AngII) 3.4±0.4, Pak1-KO(ctl) 2.7±0.3, Pak1-KO(AngII) 4.1±0.4; p < 0.05) was also suppressed by NOX2 inhibition despite the fact that the increase in Ca depended on its release from inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate sensitive stores (2-APB: 2μM). Pak1 stimulation in WT cells by FTY720 (200 nM) attenuated the AngII induced ROS production as well as the increase in Ca transients.In conclusion, attenuated Pak1 activity in atrial tissue increases the likelihood of AF. Pak1 stimulation attenuates NOX2 dependent ROS production and the subsequent facilitation of IP3R mediated Ca release.
Limitations of Photoacoustic Measurement of Burn Depth

Noninvasive burn depth measurements would allow clinicians to manage burn injury better and improve treatment outcomes. Additionally, knowledge of the burn depth would allow surgeons to excise thermally damaged tissue without harming the underlying healthy tissue which is the source of epithelial cells important for proper healing response. We propose a photoacoustic method for inducing acoustic waves in burns. We used an Nd:YAG laser coupled to an optical fiber probe to deliver laser light to burn injury. Subsequent acoustic wave analysis results in burn depth profiling. We test ex vivo pig skin and optical diffusion theory to extrapolate these measurements to determine the maximum depth determined by this probe. We found that our probe can determine burn depths up to 2.8 mm. We propose changes to extend this depth to about 5 mm, the full thickness of human skin.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Spontaneous nocardial brain abscess in a juvenile rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)

Background A juvenile rhesus macaque presented with blindness, ataxia, and head tilt. Methods Postmortem gross and microscopic examination, histochemical staining and bacterial culture were performed. Results Nocardia sp. was identified as the etiologic agent of a primary pneumonia with secondary cerebral abscessation. Conclusions Nocardiosis should be a differential diagnosis for patients with neurologic disease.
MO-FF-A1-06: The Impact of Source Dwell Position Uncertainty on CT-Based Brachytherapy Plan for Cervical Cancer

Purpose: In CT based high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, the longitudinal catheter tip position can be easily mis‐localized because of several reasons. These include the coarse image scanning thickness, artifact of applicators, use of ovoids shield and digitizing uncertainty during planning. With the use of anatomic structures of planning CT, this project investigates the 3D dosimetric impact when source dwell positions deviate from the true positions. Method and Materials: Five cervical cancer patients treated with intracavity HDR brachytherapy using tandem and ovoids applicators were included in this study. For each patient, we acquired CT and made clinic plan based on ICRU 38 protocol. Retrospectively, we contoured the bladder and rectum wall and replaned patients considering the scenarios of source positions shifted 5mm. For each patient we compared five plans: original clinical plan, seed positions of all three applicators shifted forward or backward and seed positions of two ovoids shifted forward or backward. Seven dosimetric endpoints are used in comparisons and they are total treatment time, ICRU bladder/rectum point dose, and 1cc/5cc bladder/rectum maximal dose.Results: The DVHs of two forward plans, all shifted or only ovoids shifted, show similar trends. Similar result was observed from two backward shifted plans. Forward shifted and backward shifted plans deviate from the original plan, but in opposite way, and the direction of deviation is structure dependent. For 1cc bladder wall maximum dose, the mean of forward plans is −3.9±3.0% and backward plans is 5.7±4.6% different from the original plan. For 1cc rectum wall maximum dose, the mean of forward plans is 14.6±6.3% and backward plans is −6.3±3.2% different from the original plan. Conclusion: Source position accuracy is a critical factor for the high quality of brachytherapytreatment planning. A 5mm discrepancy could have great impact on the dosimetric endpoints of normal structures.
Development of kitten hippocampal neurons.

Abstract Cells in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of kittens were studied using an in vitro slice preparation. Good quality intracellular records were obtained from over 100 cells from kittens 2 days to 4 weeks of age. Cell resistance was high in 2-day-old animals and decreased over the following 4 weeks. Both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic potentials were seen in all animals. EPSPs were only weakly effective in triggering spikes in the youngest kittens, but were greatly potentiated by repetitive stimulation at 3–10/sec; IPSPs caused a potent blockade of cell discharge in even the youngest preparations. Stimulation of the orthodromic input pathway led to a complex series of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic events which was no seen in the adult. In the 2- and 4-week-old kittens, a cell type with physiological properties different from the predominant pyramidal cell began to appear in recordings from the CA1 region. Technical difficulties inherent in in vivo recordings from neonatal animals were considerably less with the in vitro technique. Careful developmental studies may now be pursued in the slice at the single cell synaptic level.
Birth characteristics and schizotypy: Evidence of a potential “second hit”

Schizophrenia is associated with a modest increase in winter births as well as increased odds of being born in more densely populated and midrange latitude regions. It is unclear the degree to which these findings hold for individuals with schizotypy, defined in terms of the personality organization that is a potential precursor to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. This issue is important for understanding whether birth factors contribute to general schizophrenia vulnerability or whether they reflect a secondary "hit" that increases the likelihood of psychosis onset in vulnerable individuals. The present project examined season of birth, birthplace population and birth location in a large group of young adults from the southeastern United States. Individuals with extreme schizotypy scores did not differ from those without schizotypy in season of birth, birthplace latitude or population. However, 60% of individuals within the schizotypy group who reported a diagnosis of schizophrenia or prior hospitalization were born during winter months; a dramatic difference from other individuals within the schizotypy group. We also found that individuals with negative/schizoid traits showed a birthplace population less than half that of other individuals with schizotypy. Season of birth appears to be a "second hit" that is related to expression of psychopathology onset in vulnerable individuals. This finding, and the unexpected inverse relationship between birthplace population and negative/schizoid traits, is discussed.
Chromosomal DNA contains the gene coding for Salmonella enterotoxin

This report examines the genetic basis for Salmonella enterotoxin production. The examination was conducted using an internal XbaI/HincII sequence of plasmid pJM17 encoding cholera toxin as a gene probe (ctxAB). This gene probe detected some sequence homology with the total as well as digested chromosomal DNA fragments from Salmonella strains under reduced stringent conditions in dot-blot and Southern-blot hybridization experiments. Our hybridization analysis results suggested that the enterotoxin (ent) gene of Salmonella resides on chromosomal DNA and that the Salmonella ent operon might be duplicated on the Salmonella chromosome.
Factorial dimensions and correlates of blood, injury, injection and related medical fears : Cross validation of the Medical Fear Survey

The Medical Fear Survey (MFS) and its companion scale, the Medical Avoidance Survey (MAS) were factor analyzed and the factor analysis was cross validated in sample of 934 participants. Seven reliable factors were derived from the MFS which cover the domain of blood, injury, and injection fears and phobias. These factors were entered into a discriminate analysis to predict blood injury-related fainting. The single factor, "fear of injections and blood draws" accounted for the majority of the MFS prediction of fainting, correctly classifying 72% of the fainters and 47% of non-fainters. The factors were examined in composite and individually in relation to gender and fainting. Overall, females and fainters scored significantly higher on the MFS although there was some variability. Implications for assessment and conceptualization of blood, injury, injection fears and phobias are discussed.
Effect of hydrogen on dislocation locking in niobium

Abstract The strain-aging tendencies of as-received commercial purity arc-melted Nb and hydrogenated Nb from the same heat were investigated using yield point return and dynamic modulus measurements to study the aging process. Comparison of activation energies for strain aging with those for interstitial diffusion revealed that hydrogen could be responsible for dislocation locking in niobium. In order to obtain a measure of the degree of dislocation locking as a function of hydrogen content, the lower yield stress of electron beam melted Nb (both as-received and hydrogen-charged) was measured, as a function of grain diameter, using a constant strain rate and test temperature. In the equation, σ y = σ i + k y d − built1 2 , the parameter σ i was found to be relatively insensitive to hydrogen content, and the parameter, k y , a measure of the locking strength, was found to increase with increasing hydrogen content.
African American children's reports of depressed mood, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation and later suicide attempts.

th grade caregiver report of family demographic characteristics, and the participants’ report at age 19–20 of suicide attempts. Depressed mood proved the most consistent predictor of adolescent/young adult attempts in our logistic regression analyses of the data from the population as a whole and among females. The relationship between depressed mood and suicide attempts in males was in the expected direction, but was not statistically significant. Teacher-reported youth aggressive behavior did prove to be a significant predictor of attempts in 4 th and 5 th grade for the population as a whole, but not in our analyses by gender. The relationships between family demographic characteristics and attempts failed to reach statistical significance, but were, generally, in the expected direction. The study revealed that African American children’s self-reports of depressed mood as early as grade 4 may prove useful in predicting adolescent/young adult suicide attempts, particularly among females. Neither family demographics nor teacherreported child aggressive behavior proved equal to child self-reported depressive symptoms in predicting later suicide attempts.
The system sulfur monochloride-tetraethylammonium chloride☆

Abstract The phase diagram for the system sulfur monochloride-tetraethylammonium chloride has been worked out for salt mole fractions (N) from zero to ∼0·5, thermal analysis and other techniques being used. An interesting feature of the system is the occurrence of two immiscible liquid phases between about N = 0·01 and N = 0·17 (at 25°). A pressure-composition study of the same system was also made from N = 0·23 to N = 0·95. No evidence of salt-solvent adduct formation was found in the case of either study.
Characterization of and compensation for the nonstationarity of spike shapes during physiological recordings

Abstract In a typical neurophysiological recording, the shape of the voltage trace due to an action potential depends, among other things, on the mutual geometry of the tissue and the electrode, and on the overall health of the preparation. These parameters change throughout the duration of the experiment, typically continuously and slowly, with occasional abrupt jumps. Here we propose a method to characterize such slow drifts by the estimation of a one-dimensional curved manifold, embedded in the large-dimensional space of spike shapes, along which the data cluster. We model each event as the closest point on this manifold, which is the maximum-likelihood expectation of its spike shape, and a residual, which can be analyzed subsequently. We apply the method to both intra- and extracellular recordings.
Bar Loaded Waveguide for Accelerator Service

A bar loaded or jungle gym waveguide for accelerator service is discussed. The results of measurements are given and a high power prototype model is described. Results show that this type of structure is unsuitable for superconducting applications.
Interim monitoring of cost dynamics for publicly supported energy technologies

The combination of substantial public funding of nascent energy technologies and recent increases in the costs of those that have been most heavily supported has raised questions about whether policy makers should sustain, alter, enhance, or terminate such programs. This paper uses experience curves for photovoltaics (PV) and wind to (1) estimate ranges of costs for these public programs and (2) introduce new ways of evaluating recent cost dynamics. For both technology cases, the estimated costs of the subsidies required to reach targets are sensitive to the choice of time period on which cost projections are based. The variation in the discounted social cost of subsidies exceeds an order of magnitude. Vigilance is required to avoid the very expensive outcomes contained within these distributions of social costs. Two measures of the significance of recent deviations are introduced. Both indicate that wind costs are within the expected range of prior forecasts but that PV costs are not. The magnitude of the public funds involved in these programs heightens the need for better analytical tools with which to monitor and evaluate cost dynamics.
Zoning of magmas by viscosity in volcanic conduits

ONE clue to the relations between different magmas may be found in the spatial relationships of the products of igneous activity. Much attention has focused on chemical zonation in the products of large ignimbrite-forming eruptions. Such deposits typically exhibit a mafic-over-silicic zonation which is interpreted as an inversion of a silicic-over-mafic layering in the source magma chamber (see, for example, ref. 1). In contrast, lava flows exhibit a silicic-over-mafic zonation, opposite to that expected. Such flows are apparently fed from conduits having a core–annular zonation, in which thin mafic margins enclose a silicic core. We argue here that this zonation develops by viscosity segregation during the simultaneous flow of two distinct magmas in the conduit. This process, rather than the pre-eruption configuration of magmas, may control the zonation pattern of eruption products when two magmas are transported simultaneously.
The Glasma, photons and the implications of anisotropy

Abstract We introduce distribution functions for quarks and gluons in the Glasma and discuss how they satisfy various relationships of statistical physics. We use these distributions to compute photon production in the early stages of heavy ion collisions. Photon rates satisfy geometric scaling, that is, the emission rate per unit area scales as a function of the saturation momenta divided by the transverse momentum of the photon. Photon distributions from the Glasma are steeper than those computed in the Thermalized Quark Gluon Plasma (TQGP). Both the delayed equilibration of the Glasma and a possible anisotropy in the pressure lead to slower expansion and mean times of photon emission of fixed energy are increased. This delayed emission might allow for larger photon elliptic flow.
Meyer Schapiro’s ‘Road not Taken’: San Millán de la Cogolla and Resistance to the Roman Rite

Meyer Schapiro’s landmark article, ‘From Mozarabic to Romanesque at Silos’, advanced the notion that visual evidence for resistance to the newly adopted Roman rite (Council of Burgos, 1080) could be found in the art and architecture of the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. This article suggests that Schapiro’s inquiry could have been more successfully pursued at the Riojan monastery of San Millan de la Cogolla, the only site where written evidence for this resistance is preserved. This study considers the Arca of San Felices and its Romanesque ivories (c. 1090) in the context of sweeping political and religious changes that threatened the cult of Emilian, the monastery’s patron saint, who was venerated in the Old Hispanic rite and whose remains were translated to their own deluxe shrine earlier in the century. That efforts were again marshalled to promote Felix, an obscure local hermit who was once Emilian’s teacher, are presented here as a form of resistance to the imposition of the Roman rite.
The environmental toxicant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin disrupts morphogenesis of the rat pre-implantation embryo.

Environmental toxicants, whose actions are often mediated through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway, pose risks to the health and well-being of exposed species, including humans. Of particular concern are exposures during the earliest stages of development that while failing to abrogate embryogenesis, may have long term effects on newborns or adults. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal exposure to the AhR-specific ligand 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the development of rat pre-implantation embryos with respect to nuclear and cytoskeletal architecture and cell lineage allocation. We performed a systematic 3 dimensional (3D) confocal microscopy analysis of rat pre-implantation embryos following maternal exposure to environmentally relevant doses of TCDD. Both chronic (50 ng/kg/wk for 3 months) and acute (50 ng/kg and 1 μg/kg at proestrus) maternal TCDD exposure disrupted morphogenesis at the compaction stage (8–16 cell), with defects including monopolar spindle formation, f-actin capping and fragmentation due to aberrant cytokinesis. Additionally, the size, shape and position of nuclei were modified in compaction stage pre-implantation embryos collected from treated animals. Notably, maternal TCDD exposure did not compromise survival to blastocyst, which with the exception of nuclear shape, were morphologically similar to control blastocysts. We have identified the compaction stage of pre-implantation embryogenesis as critically sensitive to the effects of TCDD, while survival to the blastocyst stage is not compromised. To the best of our knowledge this is the first in vivo study to demonstrate a critical window of pre-implantation mammalian development that is vulnerable to disruption by an AhR ligand at environmentally relevant doses.
Climate science: Aerosols and Atlantic aberrations

A cutting-edge global climate model links atmospheric aerosol emissions to temperature variability in the North Atlantic Ocean, suggesting that human activity influences extreme weather events. See Letter p.228 Changes in North Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) have profound impacts on the climate of much of the globe. Multidecadal variability in Atlantic SST has long been thought to be governed by internal ocean dynamics, but here Booth et al. present evidence that human-generated aerosols — predominantly from fossil-fuel and biomass burning — were a prime driver of twentieth-century North Atlantic climate variability. Using a sophisticated Earth system climate model, they show that from 1860 to 2005, anthropogenic aerosol emissions strongly influenced Atlantic multidecadal SST variability and therefore the climate processes and events linked to Atlantic SSTs, such as drought and tropical cyclones.