cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential for Improved Intelligence Quotient Using Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Compared With Conventional 3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation for Whole-Ventricular Radiation in Children

Purpose To compare volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) in the treatment of localized intracranial germinoma. We modeled the effect of the dosimetric differences on intelligence quotient (IQ). Method and Materials Ten children with intracranial germinomas were used for planning. The prescription doses were 23.4 Gy to the ventricles followed by 21.6 Gy to the tumor located in the pineal region. For each child, a 3D-CRT and full arc VMAT was generated. Coverage of the target was assessed by computing a conformity index and heterogeneity index. We also generated VMAT plans with explicit temporal lobe sparing and with smaller ventricular margin expansions. Mean dose to the temporal lobe was used to estimate IQ 5 years after completion of radiation, using a patient age of 10 years. Results Compared with the 3D-CRT plan, VMAT improved conformality (conformity index 1.10 vs 1.85), with slightly higher heterogeneity (heterogeneity index 1.09 vs 1.06). The averaged mean doses for left and right temporal lobes were 31.3 and 31.7 Gy, respectively, for VMAT plans and 37.7 and 37.6 Gy for 3D-CRT plans. This difference in mean temporal lobe dose resulted in an estimated IQ difference of 3.1 points at 5 years after radiation therapy. When the temporal lobes were explicitly included in the VMAT optimization, the mean temporal lobe dose was reduced 5.6-5.7 Gy, resulting in an estimated IQ difference of an additional 3 points. Reducing the ventricular margin from 1.5 cm to 0.5 cm decreased mean temporal lobe dose 11.4-13.1 Gy, corresponding to an estimated increase in IQ of 7 points. Conclusion For treatment of children with intracranial pure germinomas, VMAT compared with 3D-CRT provides increased conformality and reduces doses to normal tissue. This may result in improvements in IQ in these children.
Entertainment and Communications Technology in the Home: A Historic Analysis of Organic and Inorganic Design Systems

The purpose of this study was first to examine the changes in use of organic and inorganic design systems for entertainment and communications technology in the home from 1918 through 1987. Comparisons were then made between these results and the changes in the sociolcultural factors of furnishing styles, equipment saturations, and attitudes towards technology. A content analysis of House and Garden magazines from 1918 to 1987 was used to carry out this reserch. Changes in style mix of technology and room furnishings, seating arrangements, and concealment of the technology were analyzed. The research indicated that both organic and inorganic systems were simultaneously in use during the 70-year period, but the emphasis became more organic by 1987. Organic and inorganic system scores were influenced largely by changes in furnishing styles and equipment saturation. Suggestions are given for ways to include organic and inorganic design solutions in interior design classes.
The role of social comparison in students’ perceptions of ability: An enriched view of academic motivation in middle school students

Abstract This study addressed notions derived from a model by Tesser, Campbell, and Smith (1984) of self-concept and how it is influenced by social relationships. We were interested in whether the self-evaluation maintenance model (SEM) would allow us to investigate more directly the value component in expectancy–value models of achievement motivation. Using distinctions often made about different motivational orientations, we discovered a three-way interaction between level of mastery orientation (high or low), relevance of math (high or low), and target of rating (self or 7th grade friend) on students’ perception of ability in math. Thus, the SEM model was supported but only for students reporting a low mastery orientation. For them, those who reported math as highly relevant estimated their own ability as significantly higher than their friend’s, whereas those reporting math as less relevant showed no difference in estimates of ability between self or friend. For high mastery oriented students, no differences were found.
Diagnosis and Surgical Management for Primary Hyperaldosteronism

The evaluation of primary hyperaldosteronism presents a challenge to endocrinologists, radiologists, and urologic surgeons. A multidisciplinary approach with biochemical screening and radiologic evaluation is essential in order to assess the nature and function of hypersecreting adrenal glands. Furthermore, it is of great importance to identify individuals that are morbidly affected by aldosterone hypersecretion. Traditionally, open adrenalectomy was the preferred option for these patients. More recently, laparoscopic adrenalectomy has offered a minimally invasive approach, with its resultant advantages of improved perioperative parameters. Herein we describe the evaluation and surgical management for patients with a suspected diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism.
A simple statistical model and association rule filtering for classification

Associative classification is a predictive modeling technique that constructs a classifier based on class association rules (also known as predictive association rules; PARs). PARs are association rules where the consequence of the rule is a class label. Associative classification has gained substantial research attention because it successfully joins the benefits of association rule mining with classification. These benefits include the inherent ability of association rule mining to extract high-order interactions among the predictors--an ability that many modern classifiers lack--and also the natural interpretability of the individual PARs.Associative classification is not without its caveats. Association rule mining often discovers a combinatorially large number of association rules, eroding the interpretability of the rule set. Extensive effort has been directed towards developing interestingness measures, which filter (predictive) association rules after they have been generated. These interestingness measures, albeit very successful at selecting interesting rules, lack two features that are highly valuable in the context of classification. First, only few of the interestingness measures are rooted in a statistical model. Given the distinction between a training and a test data set in the classification setting, the ability to make statistical inferences about the performance of the predictive classification rules on the test set is highly desirable. Second, the unfiltered set of predictive assocation rules (PARs) are often redundant, we can prove that certain PARs will not be used to construct a classification model given the presence of other PARs.In this paper, we propose a simple statistical model towards making inferences on the test set about the various performance metrics of predictive association rules. We also derive three filtering criteria based on hypothesis testing, which are very selective (reduce the number of PARs to be considered by the classifier by several orders of magnitude), yet do not effect the performance of the classification adversely. In the case, where the classification model is constructed as a logistic model on top of the PARs, we can mathematically prove, that the filtering criteria do not significantly effect the classifier's performance. We also demonstrate empirically on three publicly available data sets that the vast reduction in the number of PARs indeed did not come at the cost of reducing the predictive performance.
Cold Plasma Synthesis of Poly(ethylene glycol)-like Layers on Stainless-Steel Surfaces to Reduce Attachment and Biofilm Formation by Listeria monocytogenes

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-like structures were generated on stainless steel under di(ethylene glycol) vinyl ether (DiEGVE) radio frequency-plasma environments. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated a PEG-like deposition, which was stable to cleaning, sanitizing, and storage for up to 2 mo. Atomic force microscopy and water contact angle analysis indicated that the modified stainless-steel surfaces were less rough and more hydrophilic than the unmodified surfaces. Listeria monocytogenes attachment and biofilm formation on modified surfaces decreased more than 90% compared with the unmodified stainless steel (P < 0.01). DiEGVE cold plasma was demonstrated to be a promising technique to reduce bacterial contamination on surfaces encountered in food-processing environments.
Reduced Midseason Pesticide Program for Control of Scab and Plum Curculio in Peach

Risks to peach production from scab (caused by Cladosporium carpophilum) and plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar), two key pests in the southeastern United States, are high until 2 months past petal fall and then decreases during midseason. This suggests that reduced-input pesticide strategies may effectively control both pests during the latter period. In this study, we evaluated midseason pesticide applications according to an alternate-row middle (ARM) spray program in which sprays were applied only to every other tree row while reducing tractor speed and keeping application intervals unchanged relative to conventional spraying of both sides of the trees. In a 2-year trial in a research orchard, conventional sprays of fungicide (primarily sulfur) and insecticide (primarily phosmet) were applied at 10- to 14-day intervals until first cover, followed by continued conventional sprays of fungicide and insecticide (standard), conventional sprays of one pesticide together with ARM sprays of the other pesticide, or combined ARM sprays of both pesticides. Schedules with midseason ARM sprays of both pesticides also were evaluated in two commercial orchards in 2 years. In all experiments, plots receiving combined ARM sprays were equivalent to the standard in fruit quality and control of scab and plum curculio. Combined ARM spraying resulted in lower environmental nontarget effects (as estimated by the Environmental Impact Quotient) and reduced application time by 25 to 33% for each midseason spray and 12.5 to 18.5% for the entire period from petal fall to the preharvest interval.
A portable allosteric mechanism.

The allosteric mechanism by which the gene expression regulatory protein AraC regulates its DNA-binding activity is shown to be portable by grafting it to β-galactosidase, generating an arabinose-regulated β-galactosidase. A portion of the α-peptide sequence that complements the activity of α-acceptor β-galactosidase was inserted into a nonessential region of the regulatory peptidyl arm of AraC protein. Arabinose, which regulates the position of the arm in AraC protein now regulates the availability of the α-peptide to α-acceptor β-galactosidase, thereby modulating its activity in response to arabinose. Proteins 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Symbol Recognition Produced by Points of Tactile Stimulation: The Illusion of Linear Continuity

Objective To determine whether tactile receptive communication is possible through the use of a mechanical device that produces the phi phenomenon on the body surface. Design Twenty-six subjects (11 blind and 15 sighted participants) were tested with use of a tactile communication device (TCD) that produces an illusion of linear continuity forming numbers on the dorsal aspect of the wrist. Recognition of a number or number set was the goal. Material and Methods A TCD with protruding and vibrating solenoids produced sequentially delivered points of cutaneous stimulation along a pattern resembling numbers and created the illusion of dragging a vibrating stylet to form numbers, similar to what might be felt by testing for graphesthesia. Results Blind subjects recognized numbers with fewer trials than did sighted subjects, although all subjects were able to recognize all the numbers produced by the TCD. Subjects who had been blind since birth and had no prior tactile exposure to numbers were able to draw the numbers after experiencing them delivered by the TCD even though they did not recognize their meaning. Conclusion The phi phenomenon is probably responsible for the illusion of continuous lines in the shape of numbers as produced by the TCD. This tactile illusion could potentially be used for more complex tactile communications such as letters and words.
UE Calibration in MIMO Systems

The paper describes an antenna path calibration method for (Multiple Input Multiple Output) MIMO systems. In a MIMO system, the RF components used at each transmit/receive antenna path, i.e., uplink versus downlink, do not exhibit similar phase and amplitude responses. Hence, if uplink measurements are used for downlink operations such as beamforming, the incurred distortion results in performance degradation. The proposed scheme relies only on the existing uplink measurements performed by the base-station, and then it provides a feedback to the UE for calibration. It is shown that the overall scheme can be employed for both TDD and FDD systems.
Microbial contamination associated with routine aseptic practice.

Abstract We have studied the rate of fortuitous contamination associated with routine aseptic technique under operational conditions. Stainless steel strips, as simulators of surgical instruments, were contained in sterilized surgical packs and assayed by nursing personnel during surgical and other invasive procedures at three different hospitals. The rates of contamination observed for the 36 investigators ranged from 0% to 11·3%, with an overall rate of 2·7%. Assays conducted in a clean room environment, under conditions approaching industrial sterility standards, showed a contamination rate of 0·16%. We concluded that aseptic practices, as routinely performed without any noticeable breaks or transgressions, do not guarantee sterility. The concept of surgical sterility implies low level, but measurable, microbial contamination.
The pressure is on [computer systems research]

That computing and communication systems are becoming increasingly interdependent is evident in almost every aspect of society. Applications of these integrated systems are also spreading. As this trend continues, it will force the computing community not only to develop revolutionary systems but also to redefine "computer system" and the roles of traditional research disciplines, such as operating systems, architectures, compilers, languages, and networking. Systems research faces an unprecedented challenge. Systems developers are facing a major discontinuity in the scale and nature of both applications and execution environments. Applications are changing from transforming data to directly interacting with humans; they will use hardware and data that span wide area, even global, networks of resources and involve interactions among users as well. Even the architecture of individual processors is uncertain. The authors look at three challenges facing systems research, describe developing solutions, and review remaining obstacles. Using this information, they formulate three clear first steps to addressing the identified challenges: (a) define a new paradigm for systems research; (b) attack problems common to all system development; (c) build a research infrastructure.
Optimum and Suboptimum Detection of Directional Gaussian Signals in an Isotropic Gaussian Noise Field Part I: Likelihood Ratio and Power Detectors

The detection of underwater signals is frequently accomplished by highly directional hydrophone arrays. This paper reviews some of the well-known optimum techniques that are used in processing signals of this type, and compares them to simpler suboptimum methods. It appears that the main effect of optimum detectors is to eliminate the low frequencies where there is substantial correlation between the noise components received by adjacent hydrophones. This effect is easily approximated by simple suboptimum receivers. The question of the detection of modulated noise signals is also considered, but it is concluded that if the background noise level is known precisely, knowledge of the modulation waveshape does not contribute very much to detectability.
Effects of Reducing Judicial Sentencing Discretion

* * * This article uses a nationwide sample of state criminal cases to show the effects of reducing judicial sentencing discretion on disparities across rural-urban, southern-northern, black-white, and poor-nonpoor defendants. Judicial sentencing discretion is defined as the ratio between (1) the range in years within which a judge is allowed to sentence, and (2) the minimum number of years the judge must give when there is no probation. The data do indicate specific differences in sentencing between states of high judicial discretion and those of low judicial discretion, and the relationship of these disparities to discrimination is discussed.
Comparison of Indirect and Direct Methods of Measuring Arterial Blood Pressure

Direct and indirect determinations of blood pressure have been recorded in 70 human subjects. Statistical analysis of the results is presented. A frequent discrepancy between direct and indirect readings is evident with the drift of the latter falling increasingly below the direct measurement as blood pressure rises. The greatest discrepancy is found in the young hypertensive subject and the possible clinical implications of this finding are discussed. An attempt is made to explain some of the factors contributing to the variable error by which auscultatory readings underestimate the true intraarterial pressure.
Legibility of compressed document images at various spatial resolutions

Digital images of business and financial documents are replacing paper and microfilm in numerous applications. System bandwidth limitations usually necessitate data-compression of such images. Another way to decrease the bandwidth requirement for each image is to reduce the spatial resolution of the image, thereby reducing the total number of pixels which must be stored or transmitted. In this paper, the authors investigate the combination of spatial resolution reduction with the evolving ISO/JPEG grayscale image-compression standard. Both resolution reduction and ISO/JPEG data-compression cause distortion of the decompressed image with respect to the original. The system designer has some flexibility in allocating this distortion to each of the processes. The authors have conducted extensive testing to determine the best such allocation. Results of these tests indicate that legibility depends principally on compressed size. In particular, legibility is directly proportional to compressed size. The effects of spatial resolution on legibility are secondary. One such effect is a decrease in legibility with increasing spatial resolution as packet size is held constant at comparatively small values. Taken together, these results argue that the best legibility for document images compressed with the ISO/JPEG draft standard is obtained at the lowest adequate spatial resolution.
Theoretical Limits on Interstellar Magnetic Poles Set by Nearby Magnetic Fields

The interstellar magnetic field limits the monopole flux to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}16}$ pole ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and gives the average monopole energy ${10}^{11}$ GeV. They can be detected nonrelativistically only if their mass is \ensuremath{\gtrsim} ${10}^{11}$ GeV/${\mathit{c}}^{2}$ and, being produced at $E{10}^{22}$ GeV, require ${10}^{21}$ g ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ matter for ionization loss to make them nonrelativistic. Massive monopoles can only be primordial or cosmologically produced. Low-mass monopoles trapped in dust grains and released in the atmosphere are possible.
Effects of food deprivation on goal-directed behavior, spontaneous locomotion, and c-Fos immunoreactivity in the amygdala

Previous work in our laboratory has shown that food deprivation and food presentation produce different patterns of neuronal activity (as measured by c-Fos immunoreactivity) in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of rats. Since the amygdala has been implicated in both motivational and reinforcement processes and has neuronal connections to both the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, it was of interest to assess amygdaloid c-Fos immunoreactivity during similar manipulations of food deprivation and presentation. In the current study, c-Fos counts in both basolateral and central amygdalar nuclei were observed to increase in rats 12- and 36-h food deprived (relative to 0-h controls)-an effect reversed by the presentation of either a small or large meal (2.5 or 20g of food). In another experiment, rats working on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement exhibited elevated break-points as a function of food deprivation, a result consistent with the view that the feeding manipulations increased the subjects' level of motivation. In contrast, food deprivation reduced the spontaneous locomotor activity of rats, presumably as a result of an inherent energy-conservation strategy when no food is readily available. These data suggest that the state of food deprivation is associated with: (a) enhanced behavioral output only when food is attainable (increased goal-directed behavior, but decreased spontaneous activity), and (b) increased synaptic engagement in neuronal circuits involved in affective valuation and related decision-making (increased c-Fos counts in the amygdala).
Central cardiovascular effects of baclofen in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract This study was conducted to investigate the effects of centrally administered baclofen on blood pressure and heart rate in conscious spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Administration of baclofen (1.0 μg/kg) into the lateral cerebral ventricle (icv) produced an increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) in both SHR and WKY rats. The increase in MAP was significantly lower in SHR (13 ± 3 mmHg) when compared with WKY (27 ± 5 mmHg). The changes in heart rate (HR) were variable, from no change to a very small increase and did not differ significantly between SHR and WKY rats. The ability of baclofen to interfere with baroreceptor reflexes was also tested in separate experiments. In SHR, icv injection of baclofen (1.0 μg/kg) significantly suppressed the pressor response and bradycardia evoked by phenylephrine 3.0 μg/kg iv, whereas in WKY, the pressor and HR responses to similar injections of phenylephrine were not affected by icv baclofen. Similarly, baclofen treatment modified hypotensive response and reflex tachycardia induced by nitroprusside (10.0 μg/kg) iv in SHR but not in WKY rats. Administration of sympathetic ganglionic blocker hexamethonium (HEX; 25 mg/kg) iv produced an equivalent decrease in MAP between SHR and WKY following icv injection of baclofen (1.0 μg/kg). These results suggest that6 the effects of baclofen on the baroreceptor reflexes in SHR may not be mediated by a change in peripheral sympathetic tone.
The use of algorithms to predict surface seawater dimethyl sulphide concentrations in the SE Pacific, a region of steep gradients in primary productivity, biomass and mixed layer depth

Abstract. Dimethyl sulphide (DMS) is an important precursor of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), particularly in the remote marine atmosphere. The SE Pacific is consistently covered with a persistent stratocumulus layer that increases the albedo over this large area. It is not certain whether the source of CCN to these clouds is natural and oceanic or anthropogenic and terrestrial. This unknown currently limits our ability to reliably model either the cloud behaviour or the oceanic heat budget of the region. In order to better constrain the marine source of CCN, it is necessary to have an improved understanding of the sea-air flux of DMS. Of the factors that govern the magnitude of this flux, the greatest unknown is the surface seawater DMS concentration. In the study area, there is a paucity of such data, although previous measurements suggest that the concentration can be substantially variable. In order to overcome such data scarcity, a number of climatologies and algorithms have been devised in the last decade to predict seawater DMS. Here we test some of these in the SE Pacific by comparing predictions with measurements of surface seawater made during the Vamos Ocean-Cloud-Atmosphere-Land Study Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx) in October and November of 2008. We conclude that none of the existing algorithms reproduce local variability in seawater DMS in this region very well. From these findings, we recommend the best algorithm choice for the SE Pacific and suggest lines of investigation for future work.
Optically actuated all optical mechanical switch

As speeds in communications, sensing, and computation increase rapidly, fast switching mechanisms are essential. Since optical signal processing has distinct advantages over electromechanical or magnetic processing due to its reliability in harsh environments, optical switching techniques have received much attention for addressing these applications. Because of the complexity of optical switching mechanisms, often one must trade off one or more of the five basic parameters: throughput/rejection efficiency, actuation power, cost, speed, and size. We discuss a novel approach based on MEMS for optical switching that could optimize all five parameters simultaneously. In addition, since this is an optically actuated optical switch, nonconductors can also be actuated, such as ultrahigh resonant frequency diamond MEMS waveguides. With this approach, we can take advantage of photons over electrons due to the use of two-way conductors, cross conductors, ultrahigh bandwidth and multiwavelength operation. Even though there are many other optical switch designs, this microdevice is unique for being an all-optical device.
Spectral reflectance from a soybean canopy exposed to elevated CO2 and O3

By affecting the physiology and structure of plant canopies, increasing atmospheric CO2 and O3 influence the capacity of agroecosystems to capture light and convert that light energy into biomass, ultimately affecting productivity and yield. The objective of this study was to determine if established remote sensing indices could detect the direct and interactive effects of elevated CO2 and elevated O3 on the leaf area, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic capacity of a soybean canopy growing under field conditions. Large plots of soybean (Glycine max) were exposed to ambient air (;380 mmol CO2 mol 21 ), elevated CO2 (;550 mmol mol 21 ), elevated O3 (1.23 ambient), and combined elevated CO2 plus elevated O3 at the soybean free air gas concentration enrichment (SoyFACE) experiment. Canopy reflectance was measured weekly and the following indices were calculated from reflectance data: near infrared/red (NIR/red), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), canopy chlorophyll content index (chl. index), and photochemical reflectance index (PRI). Leaf area index (LAI) also was measured weekly. NIR/red and LAI were linearly correlated throughout the growing season; however, NDVI and LAI were correlated only up to LAI values of ;3. Season-wide analysis demonstrated that elevated CO2 significantly increased NIR/red, PRI, and chl. index, indicating a stimulation of LAI and photosynthetic carbon assimilation, as well as delayed senescence; however, analysis of individual dates resolved fewer statistically significant effects of elevated CO2. Exposure to elevated O3 decreased LAI throughout the growing season. Although NIR/red showed the same trend, the effect of O3 on NIR/red was not statistically significant. Season-wide analysis showed significant effects of O3 on PRI; however, analysis of individual dates revealed that this effect was only statistically significant on two dates. Elevated O3 had minimal effects on the total canopy chlorophyll index. PRI appeared to be more sensitive to decreased photosynthetic capacity of the canopy as a whole compared with previously published single leaf gas exchange measurements at SoyFACE, possibly because PRI integrates the reflectance signal of older leaves with accumulated O3 damage and healthy young, upper canopy leaves, enabling detection of significant decreases in photosynthetic carbon assimilation which have not been detected in previous studies which measured gas exchange of upper canopy leaves. When the canopy was exposed to elevated CO2 and O3 simultaneously, the deleterious effects of elevated O3 were diminished. Reflectance data, while less sensitive than direct measurements of physiological/ structural parameters, corroborate direct measurements of LAI and photosynthetic gas exchange made during the same season, as well as results from previous years at SoyFACE, demonstrating that these indices accurately represent structural and physiological effects of changing tropospheric chemistry on soybean growing in a field setting.
Interpolating wavelet scheme toward global modeling of microwave circuits

We use an interpolating wavelet scheme to solve the nonlinear partial differential equations that characterize the behavior of semiconductor devices. We apply this method to a typical field effect transistor. The I-V characteristics are obtained and the accuracy is compared with the basic finite difference scheme. An error of 2% is obtained with 90% reduction in the number of unknowns at steady state. This is the first step toward a unified numerical technique that uses wavelets to solve Maxwell's equations and the semiconductor equations for global modeling of high-frequency circuits.
Designing for high-level test generation

Recent work has shown that test generation complexity and test set size can be reduced by high-level analysis that exploits the natural design hierarchy found in digital circuits. A design modification approach aimed at facilitating high-level testing by enhancing circuit regularity is proposed. This approach can improve the testability of a broad class of useful array- and tree-like circuits, including counters, decoders, and arithmetic logic units (ALUs). This is demonstrated for the specific case of decoders and decoding trees, where the test set size is reduced from O(2/sup n/) to O(n). A systematic design technique called level separation (LS) is presented for generalized tree circuits, which are useful for fast implementation of arithmetic functions like addition and multiplication. Design for testability (DFT) and hierarchical test generation are shown to reduce the test size from O(n) to O(log/sub 2/ n) for such circuits. A case study of a 16-b four-function ALU is presented to illustrate the utility of the LS method. >
Molecular Analysis of the SCARECROW Gene in Maize Reveals a Common Basis for Radial Patterning in Diverse Meristems

Maize and Arabidopsis root apical meristems differ in several aspects of their radial organization and ontogeny. Despite the large evolutionary distance and differences in root radial patterning, analysis of the putative maize ortholog of the Arabidopsis patterning gene SCARECROW (SCR) revealed expression localized to the endodermis, which is similar to its expression in Arabidopsis. Expression in maize extends through the quiescent center, a population of mitotically inactive cells formerly thought to be undifferentiated and to lack radial pattern information. Zea mays SCARECROW (ZmSCR), the putative maize SCR ortholog, was used as a molecular marker to investigate radial patterning during regeneration of the root tip after either whole or partial excision. Analysis of the dynamic expression pattern of ZmSCR as well as other markers indicates the involvement of positional information as a primary determinant in regeneration of the root radial pattern.
Embolic protection devices and the Penumbra 054 catheter: utility in tandem occlusions in acute ischemic stroke

Background Tandem proximal and distal occlusions in the setting of an acute stroke are therapeutic challenges. Treating either lesion first has its respective shortcomings. An approach is described which may lessen the probability of distal embolic events during emergency carotid angioplasty and stenting during an acute stroke, and simplify access to both a distal and proximal lesion. Clinical presentation A 58-year-old man presented with waxing and waning neurological examination with an NIH Stroke Scale varying from 4 to 21. CT angiography demonstrated a left internal carotid artery occlusion at its origin and a left middle cerebral artery occlusion. The CT scan failed to demonstrate significant ischemic changes so the patient was brought to angiography for treatment under conscious sedation. Intervention Triaxial access into the distal middle cerebral artery was achieved followed by brief aspiration and clot maceration by opening the vessel completely. An embolic protection device was deployed through the intermediate catheter which was subsequently removed. Stenting and angioplasty were then performed, followed by removal of the embolic protection device which had visibly trapped debris. Conclusion Embolic protection devices may have a role in the emergency treatment of proximal occlusions in the setting of an acute ischemic stroke. Safe deployment through an occluded vessel may be assisted by use of an intermediate catheter. The Penumbra 054 catheter may be used both to aspirate the distal thrombus and to house the embolic protection device as it is advanced past a proximal occlusion.
MicroRNA-328 Negatively Regulates the Expression of Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2) in Human Cancer Cells

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) is a molecular determinant of pharmacokinetic properties of many drugs in humans. To understand post-transcriptional regulation of ABCG2 and the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in drug disposition, we found that microRNA-328 (miR-328) might readily target the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of ABCG2 when considering target-site accessibility. We then noted 1) an inverse relation between the levels of miR-328 and ABCG2 in MCF-7 and MCF-7/MX100 breast cancer cells and 2) that miR-328 levels could be rescued in MCF-7/MX100 cells by transfection with miR-328 plasmid. Luciferase reporter assays showed that ABCG2 3′-UTR-luciferase activity was decreased more than 50% in MCF-7/MX100 cells after transfection with miR-328 plasmid, the activity was increased over 100% in MCF-7 cells transfected with a miR-328 antagomir, and disruption of miR-328 response element within ABCG2 3′-UTR led to a 3-fold increase in luciferase activity. Furthermore, the level of ABCG2 protein was down-regulated when miR-328 was over-expressed, and the level was up-regulated when miR-328 was inhibited by selective antagomir. Altered ABCG2 protein expression was associated with significantly declined or elevated levels of ABCG2 3′-UTR and coding sequence mRNAs, suggesting possible involvement of the mechanism of mRNA cleavage. Finally, miR-328-directed down-regulation of ABCG2 expression in MCF-7/MX100 cells resulted in an increased mitoxantrone sensitivity, as manifested by a significantly lower IC50 value (2.46 ± 1.64 μM) compared with the control (151 ± 32 μM). Together, these findings suggest that miR-328 targets ABCG2 3′-UTR and, consequently, controls ABCG2 protein expression and influences drug disposition in human breast cancer cells.
Large-scale brain systems in ADHD: beyond the prefrontal–striatal model

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has long been thought to reflect dysfunction of prefrontal–striatal circuitry, with involvement of other circuits largely ignored. Recent advances in systems neuroscience-based approaches to brain dysfunction have facilitated the development of models of ADHD pathophysiology that encompass a number of different large-scale resting-state networks. Here we review progress in delineating large-scale neural systems and illustrate their relevance to ADHD. We relate frontoparietal, dorsal attentional, motor, visual and default networks to the ADHD functional and structural literature. Insights emerging from mapping intrinsic brain connectivity networks provide a potentially mechanistic framework for an understanding of aspects of ADHD such as neuropsychological and behavioral inconsistency, and the possible role of primary visual cortex in attentional dysfunction in the disorder.
Advances in objective estimation of perceived speech quality

We present two techniques that can be used to enhance objective estimators of perceived speech quality. Frame normalization and frame-energy plane partitioning are described and applied to a log-spectral-error-based estimator. The resulting estimators are compared with each other and with two established estimators. This is done through correlation with MOS values from 17 formal subjective tests. We find that the proposed techniques significantly improve the log-spectral-error-based estimator.
The uniform stabilization of a full von Karman system with nonlinear boundary feedback

A full von Karman system accounting for in-plane acceleration and describing the transient deformations of a thin, elastic plate subject to edge loading is considered. The energy dissipation is introduced via the nonlinear velocity feedback acting on a part of the edge of the plate. This paper aims to derive the uniform energy decay rates valid for the model without the above mentioned restrictions. In particular, it is shown that a simple, monotone nonlinear feedback (without the tangential derivatives of the horizontal displacement) provides the uniform decay rates for the energy, in the absence of geometric hypotheses imposed on the controlled part of the boundary. This is accomplished by establishing, among other things, "sharp" regularity results valid for the boundary traces of solutions corresponding to this nonlinear model and by employing a Holmgren type uniqueness result proved by Isakov (1997) for the dynamical systems of elasticity which are overdetermined on the boundary.
Stabilizing Biomacromolecules in Nontoxic Nano-Structured Materials

Increases in the use of protein-based pharmaceuticals require the development of cost-effective methods of storage and transport of sensitive biomolecules. In this article, we review the general problems of protein stabilization, aspects specific to antibodies, and a proposed method for protecting proteins based on nanostructured hydrogels. This review is not intended to be comprehensive, but instead to provide the reader with specific examples that capture some of the key challenges and opportunities of the field. (JALA 2010;15:136–44)
Generation of variants of a motor act in a modular and hierarchical motor network.

Summary Background : Most motor systems can generate a variety of behaviors, including categorically different behaviors and variants of a single motor act within the same behavioral category. Previous work indicated that many pattern-generating interneuronal networks may have a modular organization and that distinct categories of behaviors can be generated through flexible combinations of a small number of modules or building blocks. However, it is unclear whether and how a small number of modules could possibly generate a large number of variants of one behavior. Results : We show that the modular feeding motor network of Aplysia mediates variations in protraction duration in biting-like programs. Two descending commands are active during biting behavior and trigger biting-like responses in a semiintact preparation. In the isolated CNS, when activated alone, the two commands produce biting-like programs of either long or short protraction duration by acting specifically on two modules that have opposite effects on protraction duration. More importantly, when coactivated at different frequencies, the two commands produce biting programs with an intermediate protraction duration. Conclusions : It was previously hypothesized that behavioral variants may be produced by combining different activity levels of multiple descending commands. Our data provide direct evidence for such a scheme and show how it is implemented in a modularly organized network. Thus, within a modular and hierarchical architecture, in addition to generating different categories of behavior, a small number of modules also efficiently implements variants of a single behavior.
Choice-Process Satisfaction: The Influence of Attribute Alignability and Option Limitation

This research investigates how choice-process satisfaction is influenced by limitation of choice option and by the types of features used to represent the options. Studies of choice satisfaction have focused on how satisfied the decision maker feels about the choice that has been made and have overlooked the importance of the process through which the decision maker makes a choice, i.e., choice-process satisfaction. We show that the comparability of choice options through alignable features increases choice-process satisfaction, whereas option limitation (i.e., making one option unavailable from a set of equally attractive options) decreases choice-process satisfaction. Further, this decrease in satisfaction, relative to all options being available, occurs for people who are given a set of options in which the difference features are alignable (i.e., differences of a corresponding dimension) but not for people who are given a set of options in which the difference features are nonalignable (i.e., differences of unique dimensions). We propose that alignable differences are easier to compare and have more weight in people’s attribute processing, and thus give rise to a perception of a greater amount of information about the option set that is relevant for choice.
Reducing Sodium Intake to Prevent Stroke Time for Action, Not Hesitation

The burden of stroke is enormous and increasing. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, stroke is the second leading cause of mortality and the third leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide.1 In the United States, stroke is the second leading cause of mortality and the seventh leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years.2 Although standardized rates of stroke seem to be decreasing somewhat, the absolute number of strokes, both ischemic and hemorrhagic, have increased during the past 2 decades.3 Importantly, most strokes occur in low- and middle-income countries, which are poorly equipped to deal with the vast medical, economic, and societal consequences of strokes. The relationship of blood pressure (BP) with stroke is direct and progressive throughout the range of usual BP, starting at a level of ≈115/75 mm Hg.4 It has been estimated that elevated BP accounts for 54% of stroke and 47% of coronary heart disease events.5 It is noteworthy that about half of these events occur in persons without hypertension. Prevention of stroke in this setting will require nonpharmacological approaches, given that such persons are not candidates for antihypertensive drug therapy. Excess salt (sodium chloride) intake has a major role in the pathogenesis of elevated BP.6 Supportive evidence comes from animal studies, observational studies, trials, and meta-analyses. To date, >50 clinical trials have evaluated the effects of sodium reduction on BP in adults. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of trials testing the effects of sodium intake on BP concluded that lowering sodium intake reduces BP in adults and children and that most people will likely benefit from reducing sodium intake.7 Although most studies on the health effects of sodium have been done in Western countries, several key studies have been done in Africa and Asia, where the burden of …
NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS FOR IRIDIUM, PALLADIUM AND SILVER IN PLATINUM.

A sensitive procedure for the simultaneous determination of trace levels of iridium, palladium and silver in a platinum stock, by thermal-neutron activation analysis utilizing gamma-ray spectrometry, was developed. The radiochemical-separation scheme involved an elution of the chloro complexes of iridium and silver, and subsequently palladium, through a strongly-basic anion-exchange resin, followed by further chemical-separation methods. The ion-exchange method served to greatly reduce the hazard from radiations emitted by the bulk of the activities in the matrix. Activities of 13.5-hr109Pd, 74.2-d192Ir and 255-d110m Ag were monitored by accumulation of pulses from a 3-in diam. NaI(T1) crystal detector. Further discrimination was attained by resolution of decay curves. The procedure provided analyses for a platinum stock of 0.015±0.0021 ppm Ir; 0.028±0.0043 ppm Pd and 2.4±0.27 ppm Ag.
Functional heterogeneity of PAX5 chimeras reveals insight for leukemia development.

PAX5, a transcription factor pivotal for B-cell commitment and maintenance, is one of the most frequent targets of somatic mutations in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A number of PAX5 rearrangements result in the expression of in-frame fusion genes encoding chimeric proteins, which at the N-terminus consistently retain the PAX5 DNA-binding paired domain fused to the C-terminal domains of a markedly heterogeneous group of fusion partners. PAX5 fusion proteins are thought to function as aberrant transcription factors, which antagonize wild-type PAX5 activity. To gain mechanistic insight into the role of PAX5 fusion proteins in leukemogenesis, the biochemical and functional properties of uncharacterized fusions: PAX5–DACH1, PAX5–DACH2, PAX5–ETV6, PAX5–HIPK1, and PAX5–POM121 were ascertained. Independent of the subcellular distribution of the wild-type partner proteins, ectopic expression of all PAX5 fusion proteins showed a predominant nuclear localization, and by chromatin immunoprecipitation all of the chimeric proteins exhibited binding to endogenous PAX5 target sequences. Furthermore, consistent with the presence of potential oligomerization motifs provided by the partner proteins, the self-interaction capability of several fusion proteins was confirmed. Remarkably, a subset of the PAX5 fusion proteins conferred CD79A promoter activity; however, in contrast with wild-type PAX5, the fusion proteins were unable to induce Cd79a transcription in a murine plasmacytoma cell line. These data show that leukemia-associated PAX5 fusion proteins share some dominating characteristics such as nuclear localization and DNA binding but also show distinctive features. Implications: This comparative study of multiple PAX5 fusion proteins demonstrates both common and unique properties, which likely dictate their function and impact on leukemia development. Mol Cancer Res; 12(4); 595–606. ©2014 AACR.
The Scandinavian Origins of the Social Interpretation of the Welfare State

If a question can be mal posee, surely an interpretation can be mal etendue. This has been the fate of the social interpretation of the welfare state. The cousin of social theories of bourgeois revolution, the social interpretation of the welfare state is part of a broader conception of the course of modern European history that until recently has laid claim to the status of a standard. The social interpretation sees the welfare states of certain countries as a victory for the working class and confirmation of the ability of its political representatives on the Left to use universalist, egalitarian, solidaristic measures of social policy on behalf of the least advantaged. Because the poor and the working class were groups that overlapped during the initial development of the welfare state, social policy was linked with the worker's needs. Faced with the ever-present probability of immiseration, the proletariat championed the cause of all needy and developed more pronounced sentiments of solidarity than other classes. Where it achieved sufficient power, the privileged classes were forced to consent to measures that apportioned the cost of risks among all, helping those buffeted by fate and social injustice at the expense of those docked in safe berths.