cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aquatic and terrestrial mesocosms in amphibian ecotoxicology

Aquatic and terrestrial mesocosms have been used successfully to examine ecological and ecotoxicological questions with amphibians. Mesocosms represent a bridge between the laboratory and the natural world, and allow for experimental research on factors that influence amphibian populations and communities. In this manuscript, we review the current literature utilizing mesocosms for ecotoxicology, evaluate the role that mesocosm studies could play in ecotoxicology, and suggest future research directions. Mesocosms are advantageous relative to other experimental systems because treatments are easily replicated, multiple environmental factors can be manipulated, food webs can be established, direct and indirect effects can be examined, and contamination effects can be evaluated. This allows for the examination of contaminant effects on multiple trophic and taxonomic levels in an ecologically relevant context. Standard guidelines for mesocosm testing with amphibians should be created to aid new researchers, make studies more comparable, and facilitate risk assessment.
Psychiatric Hospital Treatment of Children with Autism and Serious Behavioral Disturbance

Children with autism spectrum disorder are psychiatrically hospitalized much more frequently than children in the general population. Hospitalization occurs primarily because of externalizing behaviors and is associated with behavioral disturbance, impaired emotion regulation, and psychiatric comorbidity. Additionally, a lack of practitioner and/or administrator training and experience with this population poses risks for denial of care by third-party payers or treatment facilities, inadequate treatment, extended lengths of stay, and poor outcomes. Evidence and best practices for the inpatient psychiatric care of this population are presented. Specialized treatment programs universally rely on multidisciplinary approaches, including behaviorally informed interventions.
Characterization of a tamoxifen-tethered single-walled carbon nanotube conjugate by using NMR spectroscopy

We report the synthesis and characterization of a tamoxifen-tethered single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) conjugate, in which tamoxifen is covalently attached to the single-walled carbon nanotube via oxidation and esterification reactions for the first time. The functionalized SWCNT derivative was characterized by using spectroscopic techniques: IR, UV–vis, Raman, and 1H NMR Spectroscopy. The attachment of the drug tamoxifen to SWCNTs is analogous to the gold conjugate, which provided an endocrine treatment for breast cancer.
Sex role as a mediator of achievement in task performance

Participants in a test of the influence of sex role on performance in a masculine task were 96 male and female undergraduates. Subject sex, norm (challenging or not challenging), and experimenter (male, female, or no experimenter present) were varied in a 2×2×3 design. When challenged, subjects worked more successfully in the presence of a female than before a male or with no experimenter present. Results support the hypothesis that the arousal of achieving tendencies may depend in part on the importance and conspicuousness of role cues. Implications for industrial performance and for future research are discussed.
What are the residual stresses doing in our blood vessels

We show that the residual strain and stress in the blood vessels are not zero, and that the zero-stress state of a blood vessel consists of open-sector segments whose opening angles vary along the longitudinal axis of the vessel. When the homeostatic state of the blood vessel is changed, e.g., by a sudden hypertession, the opening angle will change. The time constant of the opening angle change is a few hours (e.g., in the pulmonary artery) or a few days (e.g., in the aorta). From a kinematic point of view, a change of opening angle is a bending of the blood vessel wall, which is caused by a nonuniformly distributed residual strain. From a mechanics point of view, changes of blood pressure and residual strain cause change of stress in the blood vessel wall. Correlating the stress with the change of residual strain yields a fundamental biological law relating the rate of growth or resorption of tissue with the stress in the tissue. Thus, residual stresses are related to the remodeling of the blood vessel wall. Our blood vessel remodels itself when stress changes. The stress-growth law provides a biomechanical foundation for tissue engineering.
Pseudorandom numbers for mini- and microcomputers : A generalized feedback shift register algorithm

The advantages of the generalized feedback shift register pseudorandom number algorithm over all other pseudorandom number generators are described. These advantages are: (1) It produces multidimensional pseudorandom numbers; (2) it has arbitrarily long period, independent of word size of the computer on which it is implemented; (3) it is faster than other pseudorandom number generators; (4) the “same” floating-point pseudorandom number sequence is obtained on any machine; that is, the high-order mantissa bits of each pseudorandom number agree on all machines: examples are given for IBM 360, SPERRY-RAND-UNIVAC 1108, CONTROL DATA 6000, and HEWLETT-PACKARD 2100 series computers; and (5) it can be coded in compiler languages (is portable). This pseudorandom number generator is ideal for mini- and microcomputers, since only two additions and an exclusive-or are needed for its execution.
Ionophore A23187 can mimick the changes in membrane permeability that occur during acetylcholine-stimulation of pancreatic acinar secretion.

Acetylcholine (ACh) released from vagal terminals increases the permeability of the pancreatic acinar membrane to Na+ and Ca2+ ions. In this report, we compare the induced changes in intracellular Na+ and Ca2+ electrode potentials (ENa and ECa) due to ACh-stimulation of acini with those observed during stimulation with the calcium ionophore, A23187, which mimicks the action of ACh on pancreatic secretion. Stimulation with ACh concentrations varying from 10−8 to 10−5 M and with A23187 concentrations of 10−6 and 10−5 M caused parallel increases in cytosolic Ca2+ and Na+ ([Ca]i, [Na]i). The magnitude of the increases in [Ca]i and [Na]i due to A23187-stimulation further indicate that when presented with a calcium challenge the acinar cells continue to regulate [Ca]i close to physiological levels and suggest that the observed increases in ionized calcium could reflect much larger increases in complexed Ca2+. ACh-stimulation following removal of either extracellular Na+ or Ca2+ ions, eliminated the intracellular increases found when the removed ions is present, but did not affect the increases usually found with the other ion. The independence of the permeability changes to either the presence of Ca2+ or Na+ indicates the ACh-induced currents carried by Na+ and Ca2+ are also independent. The selective translocation of Na+ and Ca2+ during acetylcholine-stimulation in a manner analogous to the changes observed when ionophore A23187 was used as stimulus, indicates the ability of the activated acinar membrane to function as an ionophore.
The β Subunit Increases the Ca2+ Sensitivity of Large Conductance Ca2+-activated Potassium Channels by Retaining the Gating in the Bursting States

Coexpression of the β subunit (KV,Caβ) with the α subunit of mammalian large conductance Ca2+- activated K+ (BK) channels greatly increases the apparent Ca2+ sensitivity of the channel. Using single-channel analysis to investigate the mechanism for this increase, we found that the β subunit increased open probability (Po) by increasing burst duration 20–100-fold, while having little effect on the durations of the gaps (closed intervals) between bursts or on the numbers of detected open and closed states entered during gating. The effect of the β subunit was not equivalent to raising intracellular Ca2+ in the absence of the beta subunit, suggesting that the β subunit does not act by increasing all the Ca2+ binding rates proportionally. The β subunit also inhibited transitions to subconductance levels. It is the retention of the BK channel in the bursting states by the β subunit that increases the apparent Ca2+ sensitivity of the channel. In the presence of the β subunit, each burst of openings is greatly amplified in duration through increases in both the numbers of openings per burst and in the mean open times. Native BK channels from cultured rat skeletal muscle were found to have bursting kinetics similar to channels expressed from alpha subunits alone.
The Numerical Ranges of Automorphic Composition Operators

Abstract We investigate the shape of the numerical range for composition operators induced on the Hardy space H 2 by conformal automorphisms of the unit disc. We show that usually, but not always, such operators have numerical ranges whose closures are discs centered at the origin. Surprising open questions arise from our investigation.
When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405–1433

A hundred years before Columbus and his fellow Europeans began making their way to the New World, fleets of giant Chinese junks commanded by the eunuch admiral Zheng He and filled with the empire's finest porcelains, lacquerware, and silk ventured to the edge of the world's `four corners.' It was a time of exploration and conquest, but it ended in a retrenchment so complete that less than a century later, it was a crime to go to sea in a multimasted ship. In When China Ruled the Seas, Louise Levathes takes a fascinating and unprecedented look at this dynamic period in China's enigmatic history, focusing on China's rise as a naval power that literally could have ruled the world and at its precipitious plunge into isolation when a new emperor ascended the Dragon Throne. During the brief period from 1405 to 1433, seven epic expeditions brought China's `treasure ships' across the China Seas and the Indian Ocean, from Taiwan to the spice islands of Indonesia and the Malabar coast of India, on to the rich ports of the Persian Gulf and down the African coast, China's `El Dorado', and perhaps even to Australia, three hundred years before Captain Cook was credited with its discovery. With over 300 ships - some measuring as much as 400 feet long and 160 feet wide, with upwards of nine masts and twelve sails, and combined crews sometimes numbering over 28,000 men - the emperor Zhu Di's fantastic fleet was a virtual floating city, a naval expression of his Forbidden City in Beijing. The largest wooden boats ever built, these extraordinary ships were the most technically superior vessels in the world with innovations such as balanced rudders and bulwarked compartments that predated European ships by centuries. For thirty years foreign goods, medicines, geographic knowledge, and cultural insights flowed into China at an extraordinary rate, and China extended its sphere of political power and influence throughout the Indian Ocean. Half the world was in China's grasp, and the rest could easily have been, had the emperor so wished. But instead, China turned inward, as suceeding emperors forbade overseas travel and stopped all building and repair of oceangoing junks. Disobedient merchants and seamen were killed, and within a hundred years the greatest navy the world had ever known willed itself into extinction. The period of China's greatest outward expansion was followed by the period of its greatest isolation. Drawing on eye-witness accounts, official Ming histories, and African, Arab, and Indian sources, many translated for the first time, Levathes brings readers inside China's most illustrious scientific and technological era. She sheds new light on the historical and cultural context in ghich this great civilization thrived, as well as the perception of other cultures toward this little understood empire at the time. Beautifully illustrated and engagingly written, When China Ruled the Seas is the fullest picture yet of the early Ming Dynasty - the last flowering of Chinese culture before the Manchu invasions.
Nonlinear gravity–capillary waves with forcing and dissipation

We present a study of nonlinear gravity–capillary waves with surface forcing and viscous dissipation. Based on a viscous boundary layer approximation near the water surface, the theory permits the efficient calculation of steady gravity–capillary waves with parasitic capillary ripples. To balance the viscous dissipation and thus achieve steady solutions, wind forcing is applied by adding a surface pressure distribution. For a given wavelength the properties of the solutions depend upon two independent parameters: the amplitude of the dominant wave and the amplitude of the pressure forcing. We find two main classes of waves for relatively weak forcing: Class 1 and Class 2. (A third class of solution requires strong forcing and is qualitatively different.) For Class 1 waves the maximum surface pressure occurs near the wave trough, while for Class 2 it is near the crest. The Class 1 waves are associated with Miles' (1957, 1959) mechanism of wind-wave generation, while the Class 2 waves may be related to instabilities of the subsurface shear current. For both classes of waves, steady solutions are possible only for forcing amplitudes greater than a certain threshold. We demonstrate how parasitic capillary ripples affect the dissipative and dispersive properties of the solutions. In particular, there may be a significant deviation from the linear phase speed for gravity–capillary waves. Also, wave damping is strongly enhanced by the parasitic capillaries (by as much as two orders of magnitude when compared to the case with no capillary waves). Preliminary experimental results from a wind-wave channel give good agreement with the theory. We find a sharp cut-off in the wavenumber spectra of the solutions which is similar to that observed in laboratory measurements of short gravity–capillary waves. Finally, for large wave amplitudes we find a sharp corner in the wave profile which may separate an overhanging wave crest from a train of parasitic capillaries.
Effect of video server topology on contingency capacity requirements

Video servers need to assign a fixed set of resources to each video stream in order to guarantee on-time delivery of the video data. If a server has insufficient resources to guarantee the delivery, it must reject the stream request rather than slowing down all existing streams. Large scale video servers are being built as clusters of smaller components, so as to be economical, scalable, and highly available. This paper uses a blocking model developed for telephone systems to evaluate video server cluster topologies. The goal is to achieve high utilization of the components and low per-stream cost combined with low blocking probability and high user satisfaction. The analysis shows substantial economies of scale achieved by larger server images. Simple distributed server architectures can result in partitioning of resources with low achievable resource utilization. By comparing achievable resource utilization of partitioned and monolithic servers, we quantify the cost of partitioning. Next, we present an architecture for a distributed server system that avoids resource partitioning and results in highly efficient server clusters. Finally, we show how, in these server clusters, further optimizations can be achieved through caching and batching of video streams.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Age of the law's end Falun Gong and the cultivation of modernity in post-Maoist China

This article examines the rise and fall of the Falun Gong movement in China and its subsequent rebirth abroad. To make sense of Falun Gong requires situating the movement within the social context of post-Maoist China and its appearance at a time when the space of everyday life was, and continues to be, radically transformed by market forces in the name of, paradoxically, ‘scientific Marxism’. After examining the central role a reified view of science plays in the cosmology of Falun Gong, I turn to two central paradoxes: first, how the Chinese Communist Party's suppression of Falun Gong has itself been grounded in the Party's own reification of science, and second, how what began as a micro-level response to global forces has been sustained in exile by these very same forces.
Circadian disrupting exposures and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Shift work, short sleep duration, employment as a flight attendant, and exposure to light at night, all potential causes of circadian disruption, have been inconsistently associated with breast cancer (BrCA) risk. The aim of this meta-analysis is to quantitatively evaluate the combined and independent effects of exposure to different sources of circadian disruption on BrCA risk in women. Relevant studies published through January 2014 were identified by searching the PubMed database. The pooled relative risks (RRs) and corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using fixed- or random effects models as indicated by heterogeneity tests. Generalized least squares trend test was used to assess dose–response relationships. A total of 28 studies, 15 on shift work, 7 on short sleep duration, 3 on flight attendants, and 6 on light at night were included in the analysis. The combined analysis suggested a significantly positive association between circadian disruption and BrCA risk (RR = 1.14; 95 % CI 1.08–1.21). Separate analyses showed that the RR for BrCA was 1.19 (95 % CI 1.08–1.32) for shift work, 1.120 (95 % CI 1.119–1.121) for exposure to light at night, 1.56 (95 % CI 1.10–2.21) for employment as a flight attendant, and 0.96 (95 % CI 0.86–1.06) for short sleep duration. A dose–response analysis showed that each 10-year increment of shift work was associated with 16 % higher risk of BrCA (95 % CI 1.06–1.27) based on selected case–control studies. No significant dose–response effects of exposure to light at night and sleep deficiency were found on BrCA risk. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that circadian disruption is associated with an increased BrCA risk in women. This association varied by specific sources of circadian disrupting exposures, and a dose–response relationship remains uncertain. Therefore, future rigorous prospective studies are needed to confirm these relationships.
Implementation and impact of ICD-10 (Part II).

BACKGROUND The transition from the International Classification of Disease-9(th) clinical modification to the new ICD-10 was all set to occur on 1 October 2015. The American Medical Association has previously been successful in delaying the transition by over 10 years and has been able to further postpone its introduction to 2015. The new system will overcome many of the limitations present in the older version, thus paving the way to more accurate capture of clinical information. METHODS The benefits of the new ICD-10 system include improved quality of care, potential cost savings, reduction of unpaid claims, and improved tracking of healthcare data. The areas where challenges will be evident include planning and implementation, the cost to transition, a shortage of qualified coders, training and education of the healthcare workforce, and a loss of productivity when this occurs. The impacts include substantial costs to the healthcare system, but the projected long-term savings and benefits will be significant. Improved fraud detection, accurate data entry, ability to analyze cost benefits with procedures, and enhanced quality outcome measures are the most significant beneficial factors with this change. RESULTS The present Current Procedural Terminology and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System code sets will be used for reporting ambulatory procedures in the same manner as they have been. ICD-10-PCS will replace ICD-9 procedure codes for inpatient hospital services. The ICD-10-CM will replace the clinical code sets. Our article will focus on the challenges to execution of an ICD change and strategies to minimize risk while transitioning to the new system. CONCLUSION With the implementation deadline gradually approaching, spine surgery practices that include multidisciplinary health specialists have to anticipate and prepare for the ICD change in order to mitigate risk. Education and communication is the key to this process in spine practices.
Potential of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone in HIV-Associated Adipose Redistribution Syndrome

HIV infection recently has been complicated by the emergence of a rare metabolic dysmorphic disorder characterised by fat atrophy, redistribution and accumulation in the setting of hyperlipidaemia and, on occasion, hyperglycaemia. The disorder, sometimes referred to as HIV-associated Adipose Redistribution Syndrome (HARS), has a prevalence rate of about 50 to 60% and seems temporally related to the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy, especially the usage of protease inhibitors. Various studies also implicate the nucleoside analogues stavudine, didanosine and lamivudine in the pathogenesis of HARS, especially fat atrophy. It is uncertain whether the changes described in HARS represent a single syndrome or a group of related syndromes. Reports have noted differences between morphologic and metabolic changes. More recently, it has been suggested that fat atrophy and fat accumulation may also be separate entities. There are several potential pathogenic theories for HARS that implicate both protease inhibitors and nucleoside analogues as causative agents. However, long term HIV infection rather than any specific agent or class of agent may be the source. Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is a mammalian cell-derived product, which has been useful in a variety of human disorders ranging from pituitary dwarfism to septic shock. It has anabolic, immunological and metabolic properties that restore normal functioning to many aberrant disease pathways. The lipolytic properties of rhGH have been especially beneficial in the diminution of localised fat accumulation in the dorsocervical area (buffalo humps) and truncal region. This has been observed in various reports where rhGH has been administered at doses of 5 to 6 mg/day in patients with HARS for periods ranging from 3 months to >2 years. Relapses after discontinuation of rhGH occurred in most patients. Adverse effects included carpal tunnel syndrome, facial swelling, arthralgias and myalgias and worsening or onset of hyperglycaemia. The small uncontrolled studies conducted to date suggest that the most notable effect of rhGH treatment is the reduction of truncal adiposity and buffalo humps and that the agent has little effect on restoring the adiposity of the appendicular muscles, buttocks or face. Although most patients with HARS have associated hyperlipidaemia, rhGH has no notable effect on serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, blood glucose levels can increase and pre-existent diabetes mellitus may worsen. A short term confirmatory placebo-controlled trial in patients with HARS is urgently needed, as are comparative trials using other anabolic agents such as oxandrolone and testosterone.
Visual reasoning instructional software system

Abstract Visual reasoning is an essential skill for an engineer to possess, particularly as computer-aided design tools become more prevalent. In this paper, we describe an innovative interactive multimedia application that provides a student with the tools to build a strong foundation in visual reasoning. The system, called the Visual Reasoning Tutor, exploits the missing view problem as a mechanism to develop the visual reasoning abilities of students. The Visual Reasoning Tutor provides a student with interactive, graphical operations to construct 3-D geometric objects, varying levels of intelligent critiques throughout the solution process, and a graphical user interface which supports multimedia capabilities aimed to enhance the learning process. This paper presents an overview of the system components, a complete sample exercise, and testing results of several prototypes that have been used in the classroom.
A Secure Hybrid P2P Network Mobile Communication Device Design

Wireless Networkinfrastructure has Developed Rapidly with the Popularity of Personal Mobiledevices. Userscan Use Mobile Devices to Roam the Wireless Network Environment Conductingtransactions such as Sending Messages and Accessing the Internet. Networkcommunication has Become a Lifestyle Necessity. the Application of Information Technologyproducts also Brings IT Security Issues. the Wireless Network Environment Makesmessages Susceptible to Eavesdropping and Data Tampering Attacks. in Addition,the Mobile Device Computation Ability Presents Power Limiting Issues. Therefore,achieving Efficiency and Security Requirements is more Difficult in Mobiledevice Data Transfer over a Wireless Network Compared with a Hard-Wiredcomputer Network. Insecurity Issues Abound in Peer to Peer (P2P) Networks.Conducting Identity Authentication Recognized Certified Legal Membership Andperforming Message Delivery and Shared Information are Critical Issues. Theidentity (ID) Authentication and Certification for this Type of Network Hasbecome an Important Issue. the Paperpresents a Secure Communication Method Using Self-Certified Sign-Cryption Witha Blind Signature Scheme Based on Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) Forhybrid P2P Networks. Theoreticalanalysis Shows Better Secure Identification-and-Authentication Features.
Three Components of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty: An Exploratory Analysis of the Effects of Aggregation:

Duncan's 1972 instrument was completed by 118 Project Managers to investigate perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU). Factor analysis indicates significant loadings on three factors corresponding to Milliken 's (1987) state, effect, and response uncertainty. Measures of project manager performance were found to be differentially associ-ated with total PEU and its disaggregated components of state, effect, and response uncertainty.
Prenatal dexamethasone exposure in rats : effects of dose, age at exposure, and drug-induced hypophagia on malformations and fetal organ weights

Abstract Glucocorticoids cause stunting and cleft palate in rodents. The aim of this study is to identify fetal organs and developmental periods sensitive to stunting induced by maternal exposure to dexamethasone (DEX). DEX (0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg) or saline was given sc to pregnant CD albino rats on Gestation Days (GD) 9–14 or 14–19. On GD 20 dams were euthanized. Fetuses were weighed and examined for cleft palate. Eight fetuses/litter were randomly selected, and weights were obtained. Fetal skeletons were examined for abnormalities, and long bone measurements were taken. A dose-related decrease in maternal and fetal body weights occurred at both exposure periods. Developmental stage-specific malformations were noted in the high-dose group on GD 9–14 (cleft plate) and on GD 14–19 (wavy ribs). A dose-response in stunting occurred in all organs except cerebellum in at least one exposure period. Across both exposure periods the brain, heart, testes, and long bones were relatively resistant to DEX. Sensitive organs included thymus, spleen, adrenals, lungs, liver, and kidneys. DEX substantially reduced maternal food intake and increased water intake in some dams. Pair-feeding experiments suggested that the hypophagic effect of DEX was not responsible for the noted malformations and had little impact on growth stunting. The present findings have identified fetal organs, skeletal regions, and developmental periods sensitive to DEX exposure.
Nonpalpable occult testis tumor

We present a case study of a patient with seminoma who had normal testicles on palpation. Testicular ultrasound is the technique of choice to locate occult nonpalpable testis lesions. We recommend its use in the search for the source of any retroperitoneal mass of undetermined origin.
NCAA ``Point Shaving'' as an Artifact of the Regression Effect and the Lack of Tie Games

Wolfers concluded that point shaving may occur in 6% of NCAA Division I basketball games involving a team favored by more than 12 points. His analysis is flawed on two counts. First, a regression effect is introduced when the definition of a strong favorite is based on the betting market's estimate of the winning margin. Second, the effect that a lack of tie games has on the resulting distribution of game outcomes relative to the Vegas spread is mistaken as a shift in the distribution because of point shaving. When combined, the regression effect and the lack of ties generate the observed data patterns. Numerical analysis indicates that even if the betting market makes unbiased estimates of the winning margin, an error with a standard deviation of 1.35 points is sufficient to generate the observed data pattern.
Unnecessary irradiation of the normal larynx

Over the years, we have observed numerous examples of unnecessary laryngeal irradiation during review of scientific papers and textbook chapters (4, 5) and in the evaluation of patients irradiated at other institutions. The senior author (R.R.M.) has observed that many physicians sitting for the oral boards in radiation oncology are trained to unnecessarily irradiate the larynx in order to treat various head and neck cancers. The candidates report that they are taught to use large lateral portals, even though they have read or heard about techniques that spare the larynx and parts of the pharynx and spinal cord. Unnecessary laryngeal irradiation is defined as the inclusion of the larynx within the irradiation portals used to treat a primary tumor of the head and neck (usually oropharynx, nasopharynx, or oral cavity) when the larynx is uninvolved by the cancer. Unnecessary laryngeal irradiation also entails unnecessary irradiation of the hypopharynx, an additional length of spinal cord, cervical esophagus, and trachea (Fig. 1). The larynx often receives a higher dose of irradiation and at a higher dose per fraction than the primary tumor (Fig. 1). Primary cancers of the oropharynx, nasopharynx, and oral cavity rarely spread to the larynx; it is usually unnecessary to include the entire larynx in the irradiation portals to obtain an adequate (2 cm) margin on the primary tumor. The touted advantages of the parallel opposed large lateral portal technique include (a) avoidance of a field junction over clinically positive upper neck nodes, which may result in underdosage or overdosage at the junction line, and (b) a lower risk of radiation myelitis due to field overlap at the junction between the parallel opposed portals and the low neck field. Both of these concerns are unfounded. It is difficult to know the precise dose distribution at the matchline since all three portals contribute to the matchline dose; there is probably an area of slight overtreatment rather than underdosage (Fig. 2). At any rate, we have not observed nodal recurrences related to placement of the matchline over a clinically positive neck node. In patients with moderately advanced or advanced neck disease, neck dissection often follows irradiation to improve neck control rates. The risk of myelitis would, if anything, be somewhat higher in the technique shown in Figure I, because that technique includes a greater length of spinal cord in the high-dose treatment volume.
SU-E-T-596: Axillary Nodes Radiotherapy Boost Field Dosimetric Impact Study: Oblique Field and Field Optimization in 3D Conventional Breast Cancer Radiation Treatment

Purpose: To evaluate dosimetric impact of two axillary nodes (AX) boost techniques: (1) posterior-oblique optimized field boost (POB), (2) traditional posterior-anterior boost (PAB) with field optimization (O-PAB), for a postmastectomy breast patient with positive axillary lymph nodes. Methods: Five patients, 3 left and 2 right chest walls, were included in this study. All patients were simulated in 5mm CT slice thickness. Supraclavicular (SC) and level I/II/III AX were contoured based on the RTOG atlas guideline. Five treatment plans, (1) tangential chest wall, (2) oblique SC including AX, (3) PAB, O-PAB and POB, were created for each patient. Three plan sums (PS) were generated by sum one of (3) plan with plan (1) and (2). The field optimization was done through PS dose distribution, which included a field adjustment, a fractional dose, a calculation location and a gantry angle selection for POB. A dosimetric impact was evaluated by comparing a SC and AX coverage, a PS maximum dose, an irradiated area percentage volume received dose over 105% prescription dose (V105), an ipsi-laterial mean lung dose (MLD), an ipsi-laterial mean humeral head dose (MHHD), a mean heart dose (MHD) (for left case only) and their DVH amount these three technique. Results: O_PAB, POB and PAB dosimetric results showed that there was no significant different on SC and AX coverage (p>0.43) and MHD (p>0.16). The benefit of sparing lung irradiation from PAB to O-PAB to POB was significant (p<0.004). PAB showed a highest PS maximum dose (p<0.005), V105 (p<0.023) and MLD (compared with OPAB, p=0.055). MHHD showed very sensitive to the patient arm positioning and anatomy. O-PAB convinced a lower MHHD than PAB (p=0.03). Conclusion: 3D CT contouring plays main role in accuracy radiotherapy. Dosimetric advantage of POB and O-PAB was observed for a better normal tissue irradiation sparing.
2-Dimensional echocardiographic appearance of complete left-sided juxtaposition of the atrial appendages

Abstract This report describes the 2-dimensional (2-D) echocardiographic appearance of left-sided juxtaposition of the atrial appendages (JAA). From January 1, 1978, to June 30, 1979, 2 Infants had the diagnosis of left-sided JAA at autopsy. Both patients had previously been examined by subxiphoid 2-D echpcardlography. On review of these studies, the septum secundum was found to be oriented posteriorly in the transverse view of the atria. From July 1979 to June 1981, prospective evaluation of all infants for the presence of this finding revealed 2 more patients. Left-sided JAA was confirmed at surgery in 1 case and by selective right atrial angiography in the other. The diagnosis of left-sided JAA has important implications for both atrial baffle operations and for the Fontan procedure.
On-line combuster performance optimization

A strategy for optimizing the performance of a combustor with respect ot volumetric heat release (increase) and pressure fluctuations (decrease) has been developed. This strategy utilized actuation and sensing techniques that simultaneoulsy control and measure volumetric heat release and pressure fluctuations. Combustor performance is explicitly defined in terms of a cost function that is a weighted combination of the mean volumetric heat release and the rms pressure fluctuation level. The control strategy performs an online minimization of the cost function by continuously seeking the optimal combination of static actuator settings and subsequently maintaining cost at a minimum when the combustor is subject to unknown inlet condition changes. The adaptivity of the strategy has been experimentally tested with unknown inlet condition changes such as flow disturbances, changes in equivalence ratio, and changes in inlet condition changes, and to be effective at finding the new optimal actuator settings that reminimize the cost function for large and small inlet condition changes.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nonuniqueness for the vanishing viscosity solution with fixed initial condition in a nonstrictly hyperbolic system of conservation laws

We consider the Riemann problem for a system of two decoupled, nonstrictly hyperbolic, Burgers-like conservation equations with added artificial viscosity. We analytically establish two different vanishing viscosity limits for the solution of this system, which correspond to the two cases where one of the viscosities vanishes much faster than the other. This is done without altering the initial condition as is necessary with travelling wave methods. Numerical evidence is then provided to show that when the two viscosities vanish at the same rate, the solution converges to a limit that lies strictly between the two previously established limits. Finally, we use control theory to explain the mechanism behind this nonuniqueness behavior, which indicates other systems of nonstrictly hyperbolic conservation laws where nonuniqueness will occur.
Influence of Vaccination-Challenge Interval on the Protective Efficacy of Bacille Calmette-Guérin Against Low-Virulence Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The influence of vaccination-infection interval on protection induced by bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) was studied in an animal model of experimental airborne tuberculosis. Guinea pigs were simultaneously skin-tested with mammalian tuberculin and intracellularin and vaccinated with BCG-Copenhagen (strain no. 1331). At weekly intervals thereafter, groups of animals were infected by the respiratory route with about five viable units of a recently isolated strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis of low virulence. The animals were necropsied six weeks after challenge, and tubercle bacilli recovered from primary lung lesions, primary lesion-free lung lobes, and spleens were counted. Protection was defined as a significant reduction in the number of bacilli recovered from the tissues of vaccinated as compared with unvaccinated animals. The data obtained for two of the three tissues indicated that BCG-Copenhagen induced a significant level of protection against this low-virulence strain of M. tuberculosis.
Transition stress and configuration interaction for diatomic molecules ag

Abstract The concept of transition stress for diatomic molecules is generalized to the configuration interaction (CI) level, and the concepts of configuration stress and state stress are defined. The state stress is the weighted linear combination of configuration stresses. It is demonstrated for diatomic molecules that using a hard-polarized basis yields accurate ab initio values for the orbital stress and that a stress analysis of mixed states at the CI level is possible. A sufficient criterion for the stability of electronic states of diatomic molecules with respect to dissociation is proposed. Electronic states are shown to be unstable if they have a transition stress greater than a critical value that depends on the stress relaxation constant, the bond length for the ground state, and the sum of nonbonded radii of the atoms.
Function of extracellular loop 2 in rhodopsin: glutamic acid 181 modulates stability and absorption wavelength of metarhodopsin II.

The second extracellular loop of rhodopsin folds back into the membrane-embedded domain of the receptor to form part of the binding pocket for the 11-cis-retinylidene chromophore. A carboxylic acid side chain from this loop, Glu181, points toward the center of the retinal polyene chain. We studied the role of Glu181 in bovine rhodopsin by characterizing a set of site-directed mutants. Sixteen of the 19 single-site mutants expressed and bound 11-cis-retinal to form pigments. The λmax value of mutant pigment E181Q showed a significant spectral red shift to 508 nm only in the absence of NaCl. Other substitutions did not significantly affect the spectral features of the mutant pigments in the dark. Thus, Glu181 does not contribute significantly to spectral tuning of the ground state of rhodopsin. The most likely interpretation of these data is that Glu181 is protonated and uncharged in the dark state of rhodopsin. The Glu181 mutants displayed significantly increased reactivity toward hydroxylamine in the dark. The mutants formed metarhodopsin II-like photoproducts upon illumination but many of the photoproducts displayed shifted λmax values. In addition, the metarhodopsin II-like photoproducts of the mutant pigments had significant alterations in their decay rates. The increased reactivity of the mutants to hydroxylamine supports the notion that the second extracellular loop prevents solvent access to the chromophore-binding pocket. In addition, Glu181 strongly affects the environment of the retinylidene Schiff base in the active metarhodopsin II photoproduct.
Missed signals: The effect of ACT college-readiness measures on post-secondary decisions

In the face of shrinking government budgets and a growing need to train a high-skilled labor force, policymakers have become increasingly interested in cost-effective measures that induce more students to apply to and enroll in college. In this paper, we use a regression discontinuity design to identify the causal effect of students receiving information about their own college-readiness after taking the ACT on their subsequent college enrollment decisions. Using data from Colorado, where all high school students are required to take the ACT, we find that students who receive information that they are college-ready are no more likely to attend college than those that do not receive this information. We discuss possible reasons for these findings.
How do we achieve optimal cardiovascular risk reduction

Optimizing coronary heart disease (CHD) risk reduction requires the application of clinical evidence to patient care, as well as the refinement of risk assessment. Clinical evidence indicates that most patients are not treated to optimal low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals. Despite the efficacy of statin therapy in reducing the incidence of CHD, many treated patients still experience CHD events. Targeting other lipid factors such as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides may augment the risk reduction achieved by lowering LDL cholesterol. Refined global risk assessment can lead to more accurate determinations of absolute risk and to the identification both of high-risk patients needing aggressive intervention and intermediate-risk patients who appear to be at low risk. Previous global risk assessment measures failed to identify a substantial proportion of primary prevention patients who would benefit from therapy. However, revised guidelines issued by the National Cholesterol Education Program introduce new criteria for more precise risk assessment and advocate use of the Framingham scoring system to calculate absolute risk. Although intensified treatment is recommended for high-risk patients, cost considerations may limit drug therapy for some lower-risk individuals.
High performance p-type thermoelectric oxide based on NiO

Thermoelectric (TE) properties of NiO substituted by Na and Li were investigated at high temperature region. The Na-substituted NiO showed relatively low conductivity and high thermopower, compared to the Li-doped NiO. To increase the conductivity, additional Li doping on the Na0.05Ni0.95O was carried out, resulting in the increase in the power factor as high as 3.3×10−4 W/K2 m at 1260 K. Because of its rater high thermal conductivity, the ZT value of the Li-doped Na0.05Ni0.95O was similar level to that of the Li-doped NiO, but its temperature dependence was improved.
Cog1p Plays a Central Role in the Organization of the Yeast Conserved Oligomeric Golgi Complex

The conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex is an evolutionarily conserved peripheral membrane oligomeric protein complex that is involved in intra-Golgi protein trafficking. The COG complex is composed of eight subunits that are located in two lobes; Lobe A contains COG1–4, and Lobe B is composed of COG5–8. Both in vivo and in vitro protein-protein interaction techniques were applied to characterize interactions between individual COG subunits. In vitro assays revealed binary interactions between Cog2p and Cog3p, Cog2p and Cog4p, and Cog6p and Cog8p and a strong interaction between Cog5p and Cog7p. The two-hybrid assay confirmed these findings and revealed that Cog1p interacted with subunits from both lobes of the complex. Antibodies to COG subunits were utilized to determine the protein levels and membrane association of COG subunits in yeast Δcog1–8 mutants. As a result, we created a model of the protein-protein interactions within the yeast COG complex and proposed that Cog1p is a bridging subunit between the two COG lobes. In support of this hypothesis, we have demonstrated that Cog1p is required for the stable association between two COG subcomplexes.
Carbonyls in oxidizing fat. X. Quantitative differences in individual aldehydes isolated from autoxidized lard by mild methods of extraction.

Major aldehydes characteristic of the oxidation of the unsaturated fatty acids present in lard differed somewhat in proportions isolated by the mild methods of separation. This indicated an extra sensitivity of specific fatty acid primary oxidation products to conditions, and some deviation from the normal in the breakdown caused by the methods. Linolenate primary oxidation products showed the greatest sensitivity to separation conditions and the stage of oxidation. The mild methods differed in the amounts of individual aldehydes separated to a degree dependent on the stage of oxidation. These results favor the Girard T method for the isolation of free aldehydes from autoxidized lard.
Experimental Study of Jet Flow Impingement Within a Rod Bundle Using PIV Technique

In this investigation Particle Image Velocimetry technique was implemented to a matched refractive index facility which was placed in a rectangular channel of L:1016 mm×W:76.2 mm×H:76.2 mm. Water was pumped into either one or both of the inlet jets which were entering the channel’s top wall with several different Reynolds numbers. The instantaneous and time-resolved velocity fields were successfully obtained from which several flow characteristics such as vorticity, turbulence instabilities and Reynolds stresses can be calculated.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Comparative mating success of smaller male-phase and larger male-role euhermaphrodite-phase shrimp, Lysmata wurdemanni (Caridea: Hippolytidae)

The protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite shrimp Lysmata wurdemanni (Gibbes 1850) has a pure searching mating system, i.e., males are continually searching for receptive females and copulation is brief. To examine whether size-based advantage in male–male competition occurs and whether the mating ability of male-phase (M) shrimp equals that of euhermaphrodite-phase shrimp serving as males (Em), mating performance, including mating frequency and precopulatory behavior, of M and Em shrimp was compared using two M:Em ratios. Two experiments were carried out from March 2004 to August 2004 at Florida Institute of Technology’s Vero Beach Marine Laboratory using laboratory-cultured shrimp that originated from Port Aransas, TX, USA. In the two experiments, one parturial euhermaphrodite-phase shrimp acting as a female (Ef) was maintained with one M and two Em shrimp (one with and one without an egg mass), and two M and two Em shrimp, respectively. The M shrimp used were always smaller than the Em shrimp. Experiment 1 showed that there was no significant difference in mating ability between Em with and without egg mass. In both experiments, the M shrimp gained mating partners more frequently than the Em shrimp did. In the experiment with two M and two Em shrimp, mating frequencies of the small M and large M shrimp were similar. Precopulatory behaviors of the M shrimp were more active than those of the Em shrimp. Mating between the small M and larger Ef shrimp was sometimes successful even when the size difference was 20.0 mm total length (TL). Mating between a larger M shrimp and smaller Ef shrimp sometimes failed when the size difference was only 13.0 mm TL. Mating frequency of M shrimp over that of Em shrimp with Ef shrimp increased significantly with increasing density and operational sex ratio. The advantage of M over Em shrimp in obtaining mating partners is probably a result of sexual selection and adaptation, and may partially explain the observed delayed sex change in some L. wurdemanni, i.e., some male-phase shrimp grow very large and never become hermaphrodites.