cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Data-Adaptive Target Parameters

What factors are most important in predicting coronary heart disease? Heart disease is the leading cause of death and serious injury in the United States. To address this question we turn to the Framingham Heart Study, which was designed to investigate the health factors associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) at a time when cardiovascular disease was becoming increasingly prevalent. Starting in 1948, the prospective cohort study began monitoring a population of 5209 men and women, ages 30–62, in Framingham, Massachusetts. Those subjects received extensive medical examinations and lifestyle interviews every 2 years that provide longitudinal measurements that can be compared to outcome status. The data has been analyzed in countless observational studies and resulted in risk score equations used widely to assess risk of coronary heart disease. In our case, we conduct a comparison analysis to Wilson et al. (1998) using the data-adaptive variable importance approach described in this chapter.
Mapping Intrachannel Diffusive Dynamics of Interacting Molecules onto a Two-Site Model: Crossover in Flux Concentration Dependence.

This study focuses on how interactions of solute molecules affect the concentration dependence of their flux through narrow membrane channels. It is assumed that the molecules cannot bypass each other because of their hard-core repulsion. In addition, other short- and long-range solute–solute interactions are included into consideration. These interactions make it impossible to develop an analytical theory for the flux in the framework of a diffusion model of solute dynamics in the channel. To overcome this difficulty, we course-grain the diffusion model by mapping it onto a two-site one, where the rate constants describing the solute dynamics are expressed in terms of the parameters of the initial diffusion model. This allows us (i) to find an analytical solution for the flux as a function of the solute concentration and (ii) to characterize the solute–solute interactions by two dimensionless parameters. Such a characterization proves to be very informative as it results in a clear classification of the ...
Allowable stress in the SSC beam tube during a quench

The purpose of this article is to compute the helium pressure required to distort the beam tube beyond its elastic limit when a maximum equatorial Lorentz pressure P{sub m} is applied. There are two reasons that we talk about the elastic limit here instead of the crushing of the beam tube. First, the computation is much simpler because Hooke's law can be applied approximately. Second, slightly beyond the elastic limit of most materials comes the yield point, beyond which the material becomes plastic and would be permanently deformed. Thus it is convenient and conservative to stay below the elastic limit. Since the yield points of materials are more easily obtained from tables than the elastic limits, we will take the yield point as the approximate elastic limit in our discussions below. 7 refs., 11 figs.
Tipping Behavior as a Semiotic Process

In this paper I draw attention to semiotic aspects of the tipping custom, i.e., to patterns of interpretation associated with the giving and receiving of gratuities. The transfer of money tips, of Trinkgeld, pourboire, to waiters, taxi-drivers, beauticians, etc., may of course be viewed simply as economic-utilitarian transactions, whether they be classified as gifts or as due payments or as something in between. But money in general, in the words of the sociologist Talcott Parsons, can be treated as “a very highly specialized language,” economic transactions as “types of conversations,” the circulation of money as “the sending of messages.” To the anthropologist Levi-Strauss, economics is part of an integrated science of communication, dealing with the exchange of commodities, just as linguistics deals with the exchange of (verbal) messages and social anthropology with the exchange of mates. The exchange of commodities and money, Umberto Eco explains, can be considered a semiotic phenomenon because in the exchange the use value of the goods is transformed into their exchange value, which involves a process of signification or symbolization. Along this same line of thinking, Roman Jakobson has called for the investigation of the symbolic aspects of economic transactions as one of the most worthy tasks of applied semiotics.1 What is true of economic transactions in general is true, I am sure, of the tipping custom to a much greater extent; for, as I hope to show, gratuities allude not only to the use value of services performed, but, more importantly, they are manipulated to affirm or affect a whole network of social relationships.
CALMODULIN AS A MEDIATOR OF CALCIUM ACTIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of calmodulin as a mediator of calcium actions. The extensive role of Ca2+ in cellular regulation has long been recognized, but there were few clues as to how it exerted its diverse functions. Evidence accumulated indicates that many of the Ca2+ effects are mediated through calmodulin—a calcium-binding protein ubiquitous in all eukaryotes examined. One method to measure calmodulin is based on the stimulation of a Ca2+-dependent phosphodiesterase under specified conditions. Phosphodiesterase has been widely used because the enzyme was the first responsive system to be studied and it can be prepared easily in bulk. Bovine brain contains several calmodulin-binding proteins that are capable of competing with phosphodiesterase for calmodulin. All calmodulin-responsive enzymes are potential competitors in the enzyme assay, and the presence of any of these proteins in a tissue extract could cause an underestimation of calmodulin. The interference of calmodulin binding protein on the assay of calmodulin by the phosphodiesterase system can be circumvented by radioimmunoassay, which is based on the recognition of antigenic determinants.
Deployment and Performance of the Nasa D3R During the Ice-Pop 2018 Field Campaign in South Korea

The international collaborative experiment held during the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics and Paralympic winter games (ICE-POP 2018) is a large field campaign in which science instruments from across the world were brought together. This campaign aims to give a better understating of the dependence of precipitation on terrain features and improve the meteorological models for such complex terrain features such as in South Korea. The NASA dual-frequency, dual-polarization, Doppler radar (D3R) which operates in Ku and Ka frequency bands is a key instrument in this campaign for measurements of snow. This paper gives a overview of the deployment and performance of the D3R during the ICE-POP campaign and sample observations will be presented.
Total Syntheses of the Cytotoxic Marine Natural Product, Aplysiapyranoid C1

The first total syntheses of the cytotoxic marine natural product, aplysiapyranoid C, 1c, are reported. The Wittig reaction of 4-methyl-3-pentenyltriphenylphosphorane with the THP ether of hydroxyacetone gave in 88% yield the Z-alkene 4 which was hydrolyzed to the alcohol 5 in 72% yield. Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of 5 afforded the epoxy alcohol 6 in 91% yield and 81% ee. Opening of the epoxide of 6 with ammonium chloride in DMSO gave in 76% yield the chloro diol 7 which was converted to the primary TBS ether 8 in 95% yield. Opening of the epoxy alcohol 6 with HCl and Ti(OiPr)4 afforded the desired chloro diol 7 as the minor product along with the rearranged chloromethyl diol 9. This compound is presumably formed by opening of the protonated epoxide to give a butenyl cation which rearranges to the cyclopropylcarbinyl cation and is then trapped by chloride ion at the unsubstituted cyclopropyl carbon, regenerating the alkene. Cyclization of the TBS ether 8 with tetrabromocyclohexadienone (TBCO) afford...
Competition and price among brand-name drugs in the same class: A systematic review of the evidence.

Background Some experts have proposed combating rising drug prices by promoting brand–brand competition, a situation that is supposed to arise when multiple US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved brand-name products in the same class are indicated for the same condition. However, numerous reports exist of price increases following the introduction of brand-name competition, suggesting that it may not be effective. We performed a systematic literature review of the peer-reviewed health policy and economics literature to better understand the interplay between new drug entry and intraclass drug prices. Methods and findings We searched PubMed and EconLit for original studies on brand–brand competition in the US market published in English between January 1990 and April 2019. We performed a qualitative synthesis of each study’s data, recording its primary objective, methodology, and results. We found 10 empirical investigations, with 1 study each on antihypertensives, anti-infectives, central nervous system stimulants for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, disease-modifying therapies for multiple sclerosis, histamine-2 (H2) blockers, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors; 2 studies on cancer medications; and 2 studies on all marketed or new drugs. None of the studies reported that brand–brand competition lowers list prices of existing drugs within a class. The findings of 2 studies suggest that such competition may help restrain how new drug prices are set. Other studies found evidence that brand–brand competition was mediated by the relative quality of competing drugs and the extent to which they are marketed, with safer or more effective new drugs and greater marketing associated with higher intraclass list prices. Our investigation was limited by the studies’ use of list rather than net prices and the age of some of the data. Conclusions Our findings suggest that policies to promote brand–brand competition in the US pharmaceutical market, such as accelerating approval of non-first-in-class drugs, will likely not result in lower drug list prices absent additional structural reforms.
Electron accumulation and charge neutrality level at the Eu/EuO interface

Using a combination of density functional theory and in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we study the atomic and electronic structure of the Eu/EuO interface. Calculations predict that electrons transfer from Eu metal into EuO and induce an unexpected downward band bending at the interface. Accounting for spectral broadening and attenuation of the signal from subsurface layers, the calculated layer-resolved total density of states agrees well with experimental x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the valence-band region. The total $4f$ spectrum contains contributions from both Eu and EuO, with the latter component significantly broadened as a result of band bending. This bending and charge transfer originate from Eu Fermi-level pinning at the EuO charge neutrality level, which has been suggested to be located above the conduction-band bottom [Phys. Rev. B 86, 205310 (2012)].
How Technology Has Changed What It Means to Think Mathematically

For thousands of years, mastering numerical and symbolic calculation techniques was essential to be able to do mathematics. By 1990, that requirement was eliminated by the introduction of digital technologies that can perform any formal procedure. Those technologies revolutionized mathematical praxis. For the professionals, doing and using mathematics today is a very different experience from any time in the past. This chapter describes how today’s mathematicians go about their daily work, and looks at the challenges of changing educational practice to prepare today’s students to enter this new mathematical world.
“The Path of Dictatorship”: The Erosion of Democracy and Capitalism in Late Nineteenth-Century Mexico and Colombia

The first erosion of democracy in Latin America did not occur in the twentieth-century, but, rather, the nineteenth. I will argue that in Mexico and Colombia a vibrant, democratic political culture...
Feedback-Assisted Wavefront Shaping for Monitoring Chemical Reactions Inside Opaque Media

We utilize feedback-assisted wavefront shaping to monitor the fluorescence and Raman spectra of molecular crystals inside opaque media as they undergo chemical reactions. This technique has applications in the study of explosives and novel propellants.
Defining Equations of Blowup Algebras

This is the content of four lectures on Rees rings and their defining equations delivered at the CIME workshop Recent developments in Commutative Algebra held at Levico Terme (Trento), Italy on July 1–5, 2019. The Rees ring and the special fiber ring of an ideal arise in the process of blowing up a variety along a subvariety. Rees rings and special fiber rings also describe, respectively, the graphs and the images of rational maps between projective spaces. A difficult open problem in commutative algebra, algebraic geometry, elimination theory, and geometric modeling is to determine explicitly the equations defining graphs and images of rational maps. In these lectures we will discuss this topic in several situations.
Retrieving Entities from Knowledge Graphs without Knowing Much: On Learning Generalizable Patterns and Indexing

Querying and extracting potentially a large number of entities that are the user’s intention is a challenging problem for knowledge graphs. The conventional query mechanism of subgraph pattern matching would not work well as the user in general does not know the graph pattern to search for. Moreover, there may not be a single subgraph pattern that fits all the intended entities. Using keywords also may not be a viable approach, as it is very difficult to come up with the right set of keywords, and the results are often very diverse and overwhelming. We propose a novel approach that does not require users to know much about the knowledge graph but only simple keywords about the desired entities. We retrieve a sample of matches and learn the entity context patterns as what we call the subgraph sketch signatures. We provide clustered patterns for the user to prune. Moreover, we devise a novel index to finally perform efficient entity retrieval over the whole knowledge graph.
Monitoring Secretive Startups

This article examines the mechanisms used by venture capitalists (VCs) to monitor their investments in startups that use trade secrets to protect their intellectual property (IP). First, we confirm that, after startups are afforded stronger trade secrets protection by the adoption of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), they reduce their reliance on patents. Next, we investigate how VCs respond, finding that they decrease both the duration of financing rounds and the overall amount invested per round, especially for startups located the furthest distance away. Finally, we consider how these collective changes affect the exiting process, finding that the likelihood of a successful exit through either an initial public offering (IPO) or merger or acquisition (M&A) is unchanged, but that, within successful M&A exits, the likelihood that the acquirer is private increases. Overall, our findings suggest that VCs work harder to monitor startups that use trade secrets and that this increased effort is necessary to maintain similar likelihoods of successful exiting.
Molecular identification of a volume-regulated chloride channel

A volume-regulated chloride current ( I Cl.vol) is ubiquitously present in mammalian cells, and is required for the regulation of electrical activity, cell volume, intracellular pH, immunological responses, cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the molecule responsible for I Cl.vol has yet to be determined1,2,3. Although three putative chloride channel proteins expressed from cloned genes (P-glycoprotein4, p I Cln (ref. 5) and ClC-2 (ref. 6)) have been proposed to be the molecular equivalent of I Cl.vol, neither P-glycoprotein nor p I Cln is thought to be a chloride channel or part thereof7,8, and the properties of expressed ClC-2 channels differ from native I Cl.vol (refs. 3, 6). Here we report that functional expression in NIH/3T3 cells of a cardiac clone of another member of the ClC family, ClC-3, results in a large basally active chloride conductance, which is strongly modulated by cell volume and exhibits many properties identical to those of I Cl.vol in native cells1,2,3,9,10,11,12,13. A mutation of asparagine to lysine at position 579 at the end of the transmembrane domains of ClC-3 abolishes the outward rectification and changes the anion selectivity from I− > Cl− to Cl− > I− but leaves swelling activation intact. Because ClC-3 is a channel protein belonging to a large gene family of chloride channels3,14, these results indicate that ClC-3 encodes I Cl.vol in many native mammalian cells.
Clinical Supervisors' Countertransference Reactions Toward Older Clients

Abstract This article will describe a method that has been effective in helping supervisors identify countertransference reactions in themselves. It offers clinical supervisors a way to identify their own countertransference when supervising students, interns and professional staff who are working with older adults. This technique can be utilized in a variety of work settings such as hospitals, long-term care settings, mental health clinics, multi-purpose centers for older adults and private practice.
Magnetic nanoparticles and nanocomposites for remote controlled therapies

This review highlights the state-of-the-art in the application of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and their composites for remote controlled therapies. Novel macro- to nano-scale systems that utilize remote controlled drug release due to actuation of MNPs by static or alternating magnetic fields and magnetic field guidance of MNPs for drug delivery applications are summarized. Recent advances in controlled energy release for thermal therapy and nanoscale energy therapy are addressed as well. Additionally, studies that utilize MNP-based thermal therapy in combination with other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation to enhance the efficacy of the conventional treatment are discussed.
ABSORPTION OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL SERUM FACTOR BY STAPHYLOCOCCI

Yotis, William W. (Loyola University, Chicago, Ill.). Absorption of the antibacterial serum factor by staphylococci. J. Bacteriol. 85: 911–917. 1963.—The absorption of antibacterial serum factor by eight bacterial species and one yeast showed good correlation with the sensitivity of the organisms to the serum factor. The serum factor was removed from aqueous solution by coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative strains of staphylococci and Bacillus subtilis , and the oxygen consumption of the bacteria was inhibited by prior exposure to the serum factor. Escherichia coli, Neisseria catarrhalis, Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus megaterium, Mycobacterium phlei , and Saccharomyces cerevisiae failed to absorb the serum factor, and their respiration was not inhibited by prior exposure to 40 mg or more of the serum factor per ml. Staphylococci treated with 0.25 mg per ml of coagulase were almost completely refractory to the antibacterial action of 2 mg of serum factor per ml, and the serum factor was not absorbed. When the staphylococci were first treated with the serum factor, subsequent treatment with coagulase had no effect. Exposure of staphylocci to heat (70 C for 1 hr), 3.6% formaldehyde, 1 n sodium hydroxide, and 1 n hydrochloric acid did not prevent absorption of the serum factor. However, pretreatment with 88% liquefied phenol partially prevented serum factor absorption. The absorption and antibacterial activity of the serum factor were dependent on the concentration, the time and temperature of exposure, and the nature and concentration of salts present.
Table Creation and Table Searching

In this section we present an example that uses generic packages to provide routines to search a table and to retrieve the items stored there. The table, and auxiliary data objects created to help the search, are encapsulated within a package created by instantiating a generic package. They are not accessible except by the routines exported from that package. A program may have several tables that it can search; a package must be instantiated for each table, and the routines which are exported act specifically upon the table within the corresponding package.
Mechanochemical metathesis synthesis and characterization of nano-structured MnV2O6·xH2O (x=2, 4)

Abstract A solid-state metathesis approach for the synthesis of hydrated MnV 2 O 6 · x H 2 O ( x =2, 4) materials driven by mechanochemical activation energy has been demonstrated. The metathesis pathway of forming the desired product is confirmed by the presence of high lattice energy by-product such as NaCl. The structural, optical, and chemical properties of the synthesized materials are examined by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and diffused reflectance measurements in the UV–vis range. The valence state of Mn and V was determined to be +2 and +5, respectively, for the title compounds and the bandgap values determined showed these materials are likely to be semiconductors.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE FIRST FUNGAL ANNEXIN : ANALYSIS OF ANNEXIN GENE DUPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EUKARYOTIC EVOLUTION

Annexin homologues have been found in animals, plants, and distinct protist lineages. We report the identification of the first fungal annexin, encoded by the anx14 gene of the filamentous ascomycete Neurospora crassa. Annexins have a complex evolutionary history and exhibit a large number of gene duplications and gene losses in various taxa, including the complete loss of annexin sequences from another ascomycete, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Surprisingly, the N. crassa annexin homologue is most closely related to the annexin homologue of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, suggesting a phylogenetic link between cellular slime molds and true fungi. Both of these annexin homologues are closely related to the family of annexin homologues present in animals, an observation consistent with the existence of the animal–fungal clade. These data further suggest that the gene duplications that generated the family of annexin sequences present in animals, fungi, and slime molds began prior to the divergence of these taxa.
A software tool for teaching Data Structures

Our Data Structures Course, first taught in 1973, was originally conceived as the keystone course of our computer science curriculum. Our curriculum's original design was influenced by Curriculum '68 and the undergraduate computer science program at Penn State University. However, we had to adapt our program to our small college environment and include a curriculum track with a business emphasis. We felt that regardless of which track in our program a student might follow, theory/systems or business/DP, there must be a strong nucleus common to both tracks. For this reason we concentrated on developing four strong courses that would be given as the freshman and sophomore year component of our curriculum.As part of this, we also saw the need for software tools to support these courses. From this, a structured programming preprocessor evolved. However, as part of this preprocessor we included timing and dynamic storage allocation features. Through a strong emphasis on structured programming that begins with our first computer science course, our second course introduces many discrete structure concepts-queues, stacks, trees, graphs, etc... Our third course is a course in assembler level programming and computer organization. These courses provide a strong foundation for our Data Structures course.
A "Cysteineless" GLUT1 Glucose Transporter Has Normal Function When Expressed in Xenopus Oocytes

To test the role of cysteines in the function of GLUT1 glucose transporter, site-directed mutagenesis was used to replace all six GLUT1 cysteines with serine residues. When the individual and combined Cys-->Ser mutants were expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, zero-trans uptake of 3-O-methylglucose was comparable to that seen in native GLUT1. The "cysteineless" construct also retained the kinetic features of GLUT1, including an asymmetric transport mechanism and similar substrate and inhibitor affinities. Whereas GLUT1 transport was inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents, that of the "cysteineless" construct was not. These results show that cysteines are not required for GLUT1 function or oligomer formation. The "cysteineless" construct may therefore serve as a template for reintroducing cysteines back into GLUT1 at sites useful for testing transporter structure and function.
Sol-gel processing using aminofunctional silanes

Clear gels have been made from TEOS and the aminofunctional silane under acid-catalyzed conditions and light scattering of the gels has been related to pH and the concentration of fluoride ions in the sol as well as the amount of the aminosilane used. We have succeeded in preparing a series of gels containing Ni2+ or Cu2+ ions immobilized by chelation either before or after the gel formation. Aerogels made from these gels in particular, doped by the method of impregnation, have had a homogeneous microstructure on the scale of only a few nanometers.
The Lower Visual Search Efficiency for Conjunctions Is Due to Noise and not Serial Attentional Processing

Models of human visual processing start with an initial stage with parallel independent processing of different physical attributes or features (e.g., color, orientation, motion). A second stage in these models is a temporally serial mechanism (visual attention) that combines or binds information across feature dimensions. Evidence for this serial mechanism is based on experimental results for visual search. I conducted a study of visual search accuracy that carefully controlled for low-level effects: physical similarity of target and distractor, element eccentricity, and eye movements. The larger set-size effects in visual search accuracy for briefly flashed conjunction displays, compared with feature displays, are quantitatively predicted by a simple model in which each feature dimension is processed independently with inherent neural noise and information is combined linearly across feature dimensions. The data are not predicted by a temporally serial mechanism or by a hybrid model with temporally seri...
“Institutions and Economic Performance: The Use and Abuse of Culture in New Institutional Economics”: A Response to Heydemann

Applications of institutional analysis to the explanation of economic performance come in many flavors. Some economists have made use of an economics-oriented flavor in treating culture as one component of that analysis. Steven Heydemann uses a more political flavor of institutional analysis to argue that two of these economists, Douglass North and Avner Greif, have overly simplified and homogenized the concept of culture and the way in which it affects economic performance. He goes on to identify several instances in both the economic history and contemporary experience of the Middle East where he claims that such over-simplification has led to shortcomings in the analysis. This paper suggests that while some of Heydemann’s claims have merit, several others are exaggerated.
Epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor protect dopaminergic neurons from glutamate toxicity in culture.

: In this report we characterize the toxicity of the excitatory amino acid l-glutamate with respect to dopaminergic neurons cultured from embryonic rat mesencephalon. We also demonstrate that two growth factors, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), can protect these neurons from damage. Micromolar concentrations of l-glutamate, as well as agonists that specifically activate N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors, are all toxic to dopamine neurons in a concentration-dependent manner, as reflected by decreases in high-affinity dopamine uptake and confirmed by decreases in numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive neurons. Although the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione could attenuate the effects of quisqualate, treatment with this antagonist could not eliminate the effects of glutamate itself. Similarly, (±)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid was effective against NMDA toxicity but could not protect cells from quisqualate toxicity. Thus, each type of receptor could mediate neurotoxicity independently of the other. The presence of EGF or bFGF in the culture medium conferred a relative resistance of dopaminergic neurons to glutamate and quisqualate neurotoxicity by increased glutamate transport. However, treatment of the cultures with l-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid, an inhibitor of glutamate transport, attenuated but did not eliminate the protective effects of both growth factors against glutamate toxicity. When cultures were incubated with conditioned medium from growth factor-treated cultures, neuroprotection was also achieved. These results suggest that both EGF and bFGF can protect neurons from neurotoxicity in culture by increasing the capacity of the culture for glutamate uptake as well as by the secretion of soluble factors into the medium.
Cosmic radiation induced software electrical resets in ICDs during air travel.

C T c r . ntroduction osmic radiation is a well-known cause of single-event psets (SEU) on disruption to electrical circuits in electronic evices. It most commonly occurs and is reported for deices such as laptop computers, cell phones, and personal igital assistants. We report 3 patients with implantable ardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) who experienced SEUs uring air travel that may be attributed to exposure to osmic radiation while on commercial airline flights. These ases highlight the significant impact of SEUs on ICDs and atient clinical outcomes and the need for further recogniion and study of this problem. Cosmic radiation was discovered by the Nobel Laureate ictor Hess in 1912. While studying radioactivity, he disovered the source of radioactive particles showering down hrough the earth’s atmosphere as cosmic radiation. Cosmic adiation originates from the sun, other stars, and catalysms in outer space, some having occurred millions of ears ago, and is made up of protons, electrons, and neurons. At sea level, cosmic radiation contributes 13% of the atural background radiation. There are 4 predominant factors contributing to cosmic adiation. (1) Altitude: the earth’s atmosphere shields osmic radiation. At higher altitude the shield decreases, herefore the density of cosmic radiation increases. At flying ltitude, cosmic radiation is 100 times greater than at sea evel (Figure 1). (2) Latitude: the earth’s magnetic field eflects cosmic radiation. Shielding cosmic rays is greatest t the equator and decreases at the outer poles. Cosmic adiation at either the north or the south pole is twice as reat as at the equator. (3) Solar activity: the sun’s activity ycles every 11 years, with periods of high and low activity. uring a quiet solar year (2007), large amounts of cosmic adiation shower down through the atmosphere. (4) Solar roton events: these are large, explosive ejections of harged particles. This increased ejection of solar energy
A direct bootstrapping technique and its application to a novel goodness of fit test

We prove general theorems that characterize situations in which we could have asymptotic closeness between the original statistics H"n and its bootstrap version H"n^*, without stipulating the existence of weak limits. As one possible application we introduce a novel goodness of fit test based on the modification of Total Variation metric. This new statistic is more sensitive than the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic, it applies to higher dimensions, and it does not converge weakly; but we show that it can be bootstrapped.
Characteristics of nuclear and fossil energy wastes

The radionuclides and toxic metals in transuranic, low-level radioactive coal combustion, and coal conversion wastes are summarized. These wastes also contain a variety of organic compounds, some of which can support indigenous microbial activity resulting in solubilization or stabilization of toxic metals and radionuclides.
Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Sippenstruktur der Gattung Coronilla L

Es wird eine umfangreiche systematische Bearbeitung der Gattung Coronilla vorgelegt. Als Ausgangspunkt dienten die Publikationen von Uhrova (1935) und Zoz (1970). Unter Einbeziehung dieser Untersuchungen und neu gewonnener Erkenntnisse werden die Differenzierungsmerkmale der Gattung auf morphologisch-anatomischem, zytologischem und geografischem Gebiet dargestellt. Daruberhinaus werden die Sameninhaltsstoffanalysen (Komissarenko & Zoz 1970) in die Bearbeitung einbezogen. Fur alle Arten auser C. securidaca L. werden Arealkarten vorgelegt. Es wird eine neue Gliederung der Gattung vorgeschlagen; die vermutlichen phylogenetischen Beziehungen der Sippen sowie ihre Chorogenese werden interpretiert. Ein Bestimmungsschlussel wird gegeben. In the present study is given a complete systematical revision of the genus Coronilla L. The base are the publications of Uhrova (1935) and Zoz (1970). In regard to these studies and to own observations the morphological-anatomical, cytological and geographical characters of differentiation are represented. Further on the analyses of seed compounds (Komissarenko, Zoz 1970) are considered in this revision. Maps of areas for all species without C. securidaca L. are represented. A new classification of the genus is proposed; the supposed phylogenetical relations of the taxa and their chorogenesis are interpreted. A key for determination is given.
Time to draw breath: asthma-susceptibility genes are identified.

The prevalence of complex genetic immune disorders, such as asthma, arthritis and diabetes, has escalated in recent decades. Despite the formidable challenges posed by the identification of susceptibility genes in complex genetic disorders such as these, several groups have now progressed from broad linkage regions to the identification of several positional candidate asthma genes. The insights into disease mechanisms that these recent discoveries might allow will inform the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of asthma and will pave the way for the identification of genes that underlie a diverse array of immunologically mediated disorders.
SU‐GG‐T‐380: Treatment Time Reduction for Proton Modulated Scanning Beams Using a Ridge Filter

Purpose:Proton modulated beam scanning has the potential to significantly reduce dose to normal tissue, especially proximal to the target. However, the relatively long delivery time creates intrafractional motion uncertainty and limits the number of patients who could potentially benefit. To address this problem, a device that reduces the number of required energy layers by spreading the beam longitudinally has been designed. Materials and Methods: Using Geant4 code developed for scanning beam commissioning, a device was modeled within IBA's universal nozzle. Through Monte Carlo results, the shape, material, and location of the device were optimized for distal falloff preservation, dose uniformity, and minimized lateral spreading. Monte Carlo data was then used to commission a commercial treatment planning system. Results: The final design of the device resembled a bar ridge filter. The design is mostly air to preserve distal falloff. A low density plastic was selected for reduced neutron production and large‐angle scatter compared to higher Z materials. The ridge filter was positioned at 50 cm from the isocenter for clinical feasibility, although lateral penumbra decreases at closer distances. Commissioning the test system showed calculated dose delivered to a sphere (d=1.5cm) with the device remained within 3% when compared to an unobstructed beam while the number of energy layers decreased from 14 to 5. Because time switching between energy layers is a major contribution to the overall time, this reduction could approximately double treatment speed. Conclusion: Through Monte Carlo simulations, a device has been designed that significantly reduces the number of energy levels required for modulated beam scanning. The device could potentially increase treatment speed, which would decrease intrafractional motion margins and expand the number of patients being treated.
Power and caring.

Nassi's (1978) article argues that mental health professionals, through their control of services, are more responsive to their own than to community needs. She suggests that more direct control of CMHC policy and practices by residents would make professionals more accountable to those being served. Who controls the bureaucracy is important, but the key problems with CMHCs, as with other human services, is that they have taken over most functions of caring. If we really want to get helping services back into the hands of the community, then we need to assist people to strengthen informal social care-giving arrangements. The arrangements would use professionals as informational consulting resources, not as helpers or problem solvers, except as a last resort.
Arachidonic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine modulate excitatory transmitter amino acid release from the rat cerebral cortex.

Abstract The involvement of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) products in ischemia-evoked release of excitatory neurotransmitter amino acids (EAAs) from the cerebral cortex was studied in a four vessel occlusion rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. In comparison with untreated animals, arachidonic acid (AA; 5 × 10−7 M to 5 × 10−5 M) significantly reduced the ischemia-evoked efflux of glutamate and aspartate into cortical superfusates. Direct application of lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC; 55.4 μg/ml) to the cerebral cortex of non-ischemic animals resulted in a significant increase in glutamate levels. These results indicate that the immediate products of PLA2 action on plasma membrane phospholipids can either enhance or inhibit excitotoxic amino acid release following cerebral ischemia. The effect of AA is likely to be a result of its ability to inhibit PLA2; that of LysoPC, a consequence of its detergent action.
Nuclear matrix protein (NRP/B) modulates the nuclear factor (Erythroid-derived 2)-related 2 (NRF2)-dependent oxidative stress response.

Reactive molecules have diverse effects on cells and contribute to several pathological conditions. Cells have evolved complex protective systems to neutralize these molecules and restore redox homeostasis. Previously, we showed that association of nuclear factor (NF)-erythroid-derived 2 (E2)-related factor 2 (NRF2) with the nuclear matrix protein NRP/B was essential for the transcriptional activity of NRF2 target genes in tumor cells. The present study demonstrates the molecular mechanism by which NRP/B, via NRF2, modulates the transcriptional activity of antioxidant response element (ARE)-driven genes. NRP/B is localized in the nucleus of primary brain tissue and human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells. Treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) enhances the nuclear colocalization of NRF2 and NRP/B and induces heme oxygenase 1 (HO1). Treatment of NRP/B or NRF2 knockdowns with H2O2 induced apoptosis. Co-expression of NRF2 with members of the Kelch protein family, NRP/B, MAYVEN, or MAYVEN-related protein 2 (MRP2), revealed that the NRF2-NRP/B complex is important for the transcriptional activity of ARE-driven genes HO1 and NAD(P)H:quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). NRP/B interaction with Nrf2 was mapped to NRF2 ECH homology 4 (Neh4)/Neh5 regions of NRF2. NRP/B mutations that resulted in low binding affinity to NRF2 were unable to activate NRF2-modulated transcriptional activity of the ARE-driven genes, HO1 and NQO1. Thus, the interaction of NRP/B with the Neh4/Neh5 domains of NRF2 is indispensable for activation of NRF2-mediated ARE-driven antioxidant and detoxifying genes that confer cellular defense against oxidative stress-induced damage.
Breakdown of Volume Scaling in Auger Recombination in CdSe/CdS Heteronanocrystals: The Role of the Core-Shell Interface

Spatial confinement of electronic excitations in semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) results in a significant enhancement of nonradiative Auger recombination (AR), such that AR processes can easily dominate the decay of multiexcitons. AR is especially detrimental to lasing applications of NCs, as optical gain in these structures explicitly relies on emission from multiexciton states. In standard NCs, AR rates scale linearly with inverse NC volume. Here, we investigate multiexciton dynamics in hetero-NCs composed of CdSe cores and CdS shells of tunable thickness. We observe a dramatic decrease in the AR rates at the initial stage of shell growth, which cannot be explained by traditional volume scaling alone. Rather, fluorescence-line-narrowing studies indicate that the suppression of AR correlates with the formation of an alloy layer at the core−shell interface suggesting that this effect derives primarily from the “smoothing” of the confinement potential associated with interfacial alloying. These data highl...
Early detection of recurrent prostate cancer with an ultrasensitive chemiluminescent prostate-specific antigen assay

Objectives Treatment failure after radical prostatectomy is most commonly heralded by an increase in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to detectable levels. We evaluated the clinical utility of an ultrasensitive chemiluminescent PSA assay. Methods We evaluated the assay in banked sera obtained from 170 men after radical prostatectomy. Controls consisted of 142 females, 29 men who had undergone cystoprostatectomy without evidence of prostate cancer, and 25 men without evidence of recurrent disease at least 5 years after prostatectomy for organ-confined disease. Lead time to diagnosis of recurrence was based on comparisons with the IMx or Tandem E assays using a cutoff of 0.1 ng/mL (100 pg/mL). Results The biologic level of detection of this assay is 8 pg/mL. Serum PSA levels were undetectable in 82.4% of females, 86.2% of the cystoprostatectomy patients, and 96% of the radical prostatectomy controls. After radical prostatectomy, PSA levels were undetectable at last check in 104 of 168 (61.9%) men. In the 24 men with prostate cancer recurrence, the enhanced sensitivity of 8 pg/mL provided a mean lead time based on conservative calculations of 12.7 to 22.5 months over conventional assays. Thirty-four of the 41 men with detectable PSA levels and no evidence of disease recurrence had PSA levels of 30 pg/mL or less. Conclusions PSA levels are undetectable in most men who do not have recurrence of disease after radical prostatectomy. Low but detectable serum PSA levels less than or equal to 30 pg/mL can be produced by nonmalignant sources of PSA. PSA assays with enhanced sensitivity can detect recurrent prostate cancer with significant lead time over conventional assays.
Influence of Refractance Window evaporation on quality of juices from small fruits

Abstract A new type of evaporator (Refractance Window ® (RW) evaporator) has been developed that operates at atmospheric conditions and uses thermal energy from hot water to concentrate foods. The influence of product temperature and dissolved solids on vitamin C in blueberry juice and color of cranberry juice was evaluated in this new evaporation method in comparison with conventional falling film multi-effect evaporators. During RW evaporation, vitamin C in blueberry juice was reduced by 32% and 48% with product temperatures at 55.5 and 59.0 °C, respectively. Concentration of the same juice from single strength to 65°Brix in an industrial falling film evaporator operating at 68 °C reduced vitamin C content by 70.1%. The color of cranberry juice, defined by the hue angle, was not significantly different between the concentrates from the RW and falling film evaporation methods. Further investigation is needed for complete insights into the mechanism for vitamin C loss in RW evaporation.
Older women and breast cancer screening: research synthesis.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To identify the most beneficial ways to support older women as they make screening decisions using a systematic, epidemiologic, narrative review of research regarding benefits and burdens of breast cancer screening and treatment. DATA SOURCES Medical and nursing research databases emphasizing women aged 60 and older. DATA SYNTHESIS Older women can tolerate screening and treatment, yet they are underserved. The most frequently cited reason to explain this phenomenon is declining health status associated with aging. Research evidence does not support this claim. No evidence clearly describes relationships among health status, aging, and less screening or less aggressive treatment. CONCLUSIONS Older women experience varied health problems. However, indications that they are less able than their younger counterparts to tolerate screening or treatment for breast cancer do not exist. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Further research in all aspects of breast cancer care in older women is required to define and describe risks and benefits of screening within a context of aging and changing health. Nurses should discuss the risks and benefits of screening with older women.
Effect of initial fault geometry on the development of fixed-hinge, fault-propagation folds

Abstract This paper describes how a model of fixed-hinge, basement-involved, fault-propagation folds may be adapted to apply to thin-skinned thrust faults to generate footwall synclines. Fixed-hinge, fault-propagation folding assumes that the fold-axial surfaces diverge upwards, fold hinges are fixed in the rock, the fault propagated through the forelimb, thickness changes occur in the forelimb and the forelimb progressively rotates with increasing displacement on the underlying fault. The original model for fixed-hinge, fault-propagation folds was developed for the case of a planar fault in basement with a tip line that was at the interface between basement and the overlying sedimentary cover rocks. The two geometries applicable to thin-skinned thrusts are for the cases where a fixed-hinge fault-propagation fold develops above an initial bedding-parallel detachment, and an initial fault ramp of constant dip which flattens down-dip into a bedding-parallel detachment.
Truncation of the Carboxyl-terminal Region of the Rat Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)/PTH-related Peptide Receptor Enhances PTH Stimulation of Adenylyl Cyclase but Not Phospholipase C

The functional role of the rat parathyroid hormone(PTH)/PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) receptor's carboxyl-terminal region was characterized by comparing the binding and signaling properties of receptors that have 78 and 111 amino acid deletions (R513 and R480, respectively), with those of the 591-amino acid wild-type (WT) receptor. R480 and R513 have 4- and 1.5-fold lower apparent Kd values for rat PTH-(1-34) (rPTH), compared with the WT receptor (WT, 1.81 ± 0.19 nM; R513, 1.24 ± 0.12 nM; R480, 0.48 ± 0.05 nM, mean ± S.E.). PTH (100 nM)-stimulated cAMP accumulation and polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis both correlated positively with receptor expression. However, whereas PTH-stimulated polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis was indistinguishable among WT and either truncated mutant at comparable levels of expressed receptors, maximal PTH-stimulated cAMP accumulation was 4-6- and 2-3-fold higher in cells expressing R480 and R513, respectively. Furthermore, pretreatment of COS-7 cells with 100 ng/ml of pertussis toxin (PTX) enhanced PTH-stimulated cAMP accumulation in cells expressing the WT receptor, but failed to do so in cells expressing either R480 or R513. Thus, sequences in the PTH/PTHrP receptor's carboxyl-terminal tail lower the affinity of the WT receptor for agonist; directly interact with, or indirectly facilitate the interaction of the receptor with a PTX-sensitive G protein that inhibits adenylyl cyclase; and decrease the efficacy with which the receptor interacts with Gs.