cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An application of propensity score matching using claims data.

Background Confounding by indication is a common problem in pharmacoepidemiology, where predictors of treatment also have prognostic value for the outcome of interest. The tools available to the epidemiologist that can be used to mitigate the effects of confounding by indication often have limits with respect to the number of variables that can be simultaneously incorporated as components of the confounding. This constraint becomes particularly apparent in the context of a rich data source (such as administrative claims data), applied to the study of an outcome that occurs infrequently. In such settings, there will typically be many more variables available for control as potential confounders than traditional epidemiologic techniques will allow. Methods One tool that can indirectly permit control of a large number of variables is the propensity score approach. This paper illustrates the application of the propensity score to a study conducted in an administrative database, and raises critical issues to be addressed in such an analysis. In this example, the effect of statin therapy on the occurrence of myocardial infarction was examined, and numerous potential confounders of this association were adjusted simultaneously using a propensity score to form matched cohorts of statin initiators and non-initiators. Results The incidence of myocardial infarction observed in the statin treated cohort was lower than the incidence in the untreated cohort, and the magnitude of this effect was consistent with results from randomized placebo controlled clinical trials of statin therapy. Conclusions This example illustrates how confounding by indication can be mitigated by the propensity score matching technique. Concerns remain over the generalizability of estimates obtained from such a study, and how to know when propensity scores are removing bias, since apparent balance between compared groups on measured variables could leave variables not included in the propensity score unbalanced and lead to confounded effect estimates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Restriction site and genetic map of Cucurbita pepo chloroplast DNA.

A detailed restriction map of squash chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was constructed with five restriction endonuclease, SalI, PvuII, BglI, SacII, and PstI. The cleavage sites were mapped by sequential digestion of cpDNA using low-gelling temperature agarose. The restriction map shows that squash cpDNA is an approximately 153 kilobase (kb) circle with a large inverted repeat sequence of 23.3 kb, separated by a large (83.7 kb) and a small (22.7 kb) single copy region. Genes for a number of chloroplast polypeptides were localized on the map by hybridizing the cpDNA restriction fragments to heterologous gene-specific probes from tobacco, pea, tomato, maize, and spinach chloroplasts. The gene locations and organization of squash cpDNA are highly conserved and similar to chloroplast genomes of tomato, pepper, and Ginkgo.
Photothermoelastic analysis of stresses in multiconnected flat circular rings

Described in this paper is an interesting application of photothermoelastic-stress-analysis techniques. The experiment required the simulation of several unusual prototype thermal conditions induced in a flat, circular, multiconnected ring. A check on the technique employed was provided by comparing experimental vs. theoretical stress profiles across a section of a doubly-connected ring.
The state of cartilage regeneration: current and future technologies.

It is clear that mature human articular cartilage does not have the innate ability to regenerate. Due to this, much effort has been put forth to work on bestowing this ability. While early data focused on more basic outcomes such as percentage of defect fill, the tissue formed was a “cartilage scar” or “hyaline-like” tissue. Even with more advanced technologies, it is clear that no current procedure is able to reconstitute the native structure and function of true hyaline cartilage. As research advancement has somewhat plateaued in this regard, it is crucial that future work focuses on a multifactorial approach, treating the joint as an organ system. The purpose of this review is to update readers on the most recent literature and controversies surrounding articular cartilage regeneration. Specific focus will be placed on current technologies available in the USA and the basic science to support them.
Co-inoculation of tumorigenic rat prostate mesenchymal cells with non-tumorigenic epithelial cells results in the development of carcinosarcoma in syngeneic and athymic animals.

Co-inoculation of NbF-I and NbE-I s.c. into either adult male syngeneic rats or athymic nude mice induced the development of tumors that resembled carcinosarcoma on histopathologic evaluation. These tumors were composed of a mixture of adenocarcinoma and fibrosarcoma and were induced by the mixtures of NbF-I and NbE-I cells at a ratio ranging from 0.001 to 3.2; inoculation of NbF-I alone resulted in the development of fibrosarcoma. Flow-cytometric analysis showed that the epithelial cells subcloned from the carcinosarcoma had a DNA profile like that of their parental cell line and remained non-tumorigenic. When co-inoculated with the tumorigenic fibroblasts in syngeneic hosts, however, the subcloned epithelial cells again formed carcinosarcomas. Our results indicate that cell fusion between epithelial cells and fibroblasts is an unlikely explanation for tumorigenicity. We propose that prostatic fibroblasts exert a directive influence on their adjacent epithelial cells through a paracrine mechanism that determines epithelial growth and tumorigenicity in vivo.
Catalytic and allosteric mechanism of AMP nucleosidase from primary, beta-secondary, and multiple heavy atom kinetic isotope effects.

Adenosine 5'-phosphate was synthesized with specific heavy atom substitutions to permit measurement of V/K kinetic isotope effects for the N-glycohydrolase activity of the allosteric AMP nucleosidase and the acid-catalyzed solvolysis of these compounds. The effects of allosteric activation on the kinetic isotope effects together with the kinetic mechanism of AMP nucleosidase indicate that the kinetic isotope effects are fully expressed. Comparison of individual primary and secondary kinetic isotope effects with combined isotope effects and the isotope effect of the reverse reaction indicated that kinetic isotope effects in AMP nucleosidase arise from a single step in the reaction mechanism. Under these conditions, kinetic isotope effects can be used to interpret transition-state structure for AMP nucleosidase. Kinetic isotope effects, expressed as (V/K(normal isotope)/(V/K(heavy isotope)), were observed with (2'-/sup 2/H)AMP, (9-/sup 15/N)AMP, (1'-/sup 2/H)AMP, and (1'-/sup 14/C)AMP when hydrolyzed by AMP nucleosidase in the absence of MgATP. Addition of MgATP altered the (2'-/sup 2/H)AMP effect and the 1'-/sup 2/H)AMP effect and cause a smaller decrease of the /sup 14/C and /sup 15/N effects. Multiple heavy atom substitutions into AMP caused an increase in observed isotope effects for (1'-/sup 2/H,1'-/sup 14/C)AMP and for (9-/sup 15/N,1'-/sup 14/C)AMP with the enzyme in the absence of ATP.more » The isotope effects indicate that the transition-state complex of AMP nucleosidase is oxycarbonium-like with hindered out-of-plane motion of the C1' hydrogen. In the presence of allosteric activator the bonding to C1' of ribose 5-phosphate in the transition state is unchanged, but the out-of-plane bending of the C1' and C2' hydrogens is further restricted.« less
Evaluation of quantitative real time PCR for the measurement of Helicobacter pylori at low concentrations in drinking water

A rapid DNA extraction and quantitative, real time polymerase chain reaction (QRTPCR) analysis method targeting the ureA gene of Helicobacter pylori was evaluated for the measurement of these organisms on membrane filters at levels that might be expected to be found in drinking water samples. No interference was seen from high levels of background organisms and related, non-target species were detected at approximately 4-5 log(10) lower levels of sensitivity than H. pylori by this assay. A standard curve was generated for the method from analyses of filters containing known numbers of added H. pylori cells. Cell numbers on these filters were determined by staining with a species-specific fluorescent antibody and solid phase cytometry analyses. The mean detection sensitivity of the method was 10 H. pylori cells per filter with a 95% confidence sensitivity of 40 cells and a 95% confidence precision interval of +/-0.57 log(10) based on duplicate analyses of the samples. One liter drinking water samples from several locations in the US were inoculated with the same H. pylori cell suspensions used to generate the standard curve and gave measurements that were consistent with the standard curve suggesting that these sample matrices produced no interference in the method. This method may be useful for the rapid screening of drinking water for H. pylori.
Circadian disruption in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a multifactorial process induced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors and recent evidence has highlighted that circadian disruption and sleep loss contribute to disease pathogenesis. Emerging work in experimental genetic models has provided insight into the mechanistic basis for clock disruption in disease. Indeed, disruption of the clock system perturbs both neuroendocrine pathways within the hypothalamus important in feeding and energetics, in addition to peripheral tissues involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. This review illustrates the impact of molecular clock disruptions at the level of both brain and behavior and peripheral tissues, with a focus on how such dysregulation in turn impacts lipid and glucose homeostasis, inflammation and cardiovascular function. New insight into circadian biology may ultimately lead to improved therapeutics for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in humans.
Depression spectrum disease: description and family study.

Abstract A number of systematic clinical studies point to a specific illness which we will call depression spectrum disease. Such an illness is characterized by the fact that male patients who suffer from this illness usually manifest the symptoms of alcoholism or sociopathy but may appear as depressives. Female patients who suffer from depressive spectrum disease usually have an early onset (before 40) and show the symptoms of depressive illness; however, a proportion of them may present themselves as alcoholics. The argument in favor of the concept of depression spectrum disease is essentially as follows. In studying a group of 259 alcoholic patients, it was clear that they had numerous ill first degree relatives. 1 The ill first degree relatives of both male and female alcoholics had alcoholism or depression more frequently than one would expect by chance alone. The modal illness for female relatives was depression; the modal illness for male relatives was alcoholism. The alcoholic female patients themselves had a primary diagnosis of depression in a quarter of the cases. Studying the problem from another angle, a collection of 100 systematically chosen depressed probands were divided into early and late onset groups. 2 The early onset females showed a great deal of depression in their female relatives and a great deal of alcoholism and sociopathy in their male relatives. The total number of ill relatives was equal for male and female relatives; a deficit in depression in the male relatives was made up for by alcoholism and sociopathy. Late onset depression, and, in particular, the late onset males had little or no sociopathy or alcoholism in their male relatives and had approximately equal numbers of depressives among their male and female first degree relatives. Thus, we believe that the data support two kinds of illnesses in the area of depression, depression spectrum disease and pure depressive disease. Patients with either type of depressive illness rarely have relatives who have manifested a mania, thus separating them from bipolar illness or rigorously defined manic depressive disease. This paper will deal with the presentation of the clinical picture of depression spectrum disease. We will examine clinical symptoms, age of onset, and other variables in a group of depressed first degree relatives (of alcoholic probands) who were systematically interviewed. Further, we will attempt to evaluate some aspects of transmission from parent to child in depression spectrum disease.
Low-Grade Gliomas

Low-grade gliomas (LGG) are uncommon central nervous system (CNS) tumors which often present with seizures and few other neurologic signs or symptoms. Multimodality therapy encompassing surgical resection, radiation therapy (RT), and chemotherapy may provide the best disease-free and overall survival (OS). Each of these treatment modalities plays an important role in the treatment of these tumors. The understanding and management of LGG is evolving as randomized clinical trials have begun to address many questions related to the timing and order of each of the available treatments and their individual and combined effects on progression-free survival (PFS) and OS. Currently, an attempt at surgical resection followed by external beam RT is a typical treatment approach, at least in high-risk patients. Observation with serial brain imaging studies or surgical resection or debulking alone may be acceptable options in patients with low-risk tumors. The role of chemotherapy in either group is less clear, but recent studies have indicated that concurrent chemotherapy with radiation improves PFS and may eventually impact OS. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) are currently conducting two large Phase III and Phase II studies, respectively. The studies seek to evaluate the efficacy of radiotherapy and either temozolomide or a combination of procarbazine, vincristine, and lomustine in high-risk LGG patients. Ongoing investigative efforts seek to confirm the predictive value of a number of molecular markers including the loss of chromosomes 1p and 19q and the epigenetic silencing of the methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene. Additional smaller clinical trials seek to establish the role of newer targeted therapies including small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with newly diagnosed and recurrent LGG.
Human eosinophilic peroxidase: biochemical characterization.

Abstract In the present communication, peroxidases from the neutrophil and eosinophil have been compared. The biochemical characteristics of the enzymes were strongly dependent on the method of assay employed. Using four different hydrogen donors, neutrophil and eosinophil peroxidases were found to have different comparative activities. With the hydrogen donor o-dianisidine, both enzymes showed similar activity. Using o-tolidine and guaiacol, eosinophil peroxidase was somewhat more active. There was a dramatic sixfold increase of eosinophil peroxidase above the neutrophil enzyme using p-phenylenediamine as the hydrogen donor. Both enzymes were inactivated by excess H2O2. The pH optimum for eosinophil and neutrophil peroxidases was 5.5 and 7.0 using o-dianisidine and p-phenylenediamine, respectively. Cyanide and azide inhibited both enzymes, the degree of inhibition being dependent on the hydrogen donor used.
The Detection of Unsteady Flow Separation with Bioinspired Hair-Cell Sensors

Biologists hypothesize that thousands of micro-scale hairs found on bat wings function as a network of air-flow sensors as part of a biological feedback flow control loop. In this work, we investigate hair-cell sensors as a means of detecting flow features in an unsteady separating flow over a cylinder. Individual hair-cell sensors were modeled using an EulerBernoulli beam equation forced by the fluid flow. When multiple sensor simulations are combined into an array of hair-cells, the response is shown to detect the onset and span of flow reversal, the upstream movement of the point of zero wall shear-stress, and the formation and growth of eddies near the wall of a cylinder. A linear algebraic hair-cell model, written as a function of the flow velocity, is also derived and shown to capture the same features as the hair-cell array simulation.
New Mothers’ Psychological Experience and Behavioral Interactions with their Infants in the First 12 Months

We examined the psychological dimensions of parents' perceptions of their in- fant children and their own abilities as parents at two observation points in a racially and socio-economically diverse sample of 174 mothers. Parenting perceptions and life circum- stances were hypothesized to predict interactive behavior observed in the home. Baseline assessments were conducted in hospital, within 36 hr of delivery. Follow-up assessments were conducted in their homes when the children were 6 to 12 months old. Of five major psychological constructs studied, only parents' perceptions of children, represented partic- ularly by empathic responsiveness and absence of role-reversal, predicted the quality of behavioral interactions in the home. Perceptions of children were themselves predicted by parents' perceptions of the quality of care they themselves received from their own parents, and by lifestyle stress. Our findings suggest that clinical interventions with parents should include a focus on strengthening reflective capacities with respect to caregiving experiences, and empathic responsiveness to their children.
A multi-site resting state fMRI study on the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations in schizophrenia

Background. This multi-site study compares resting state fMRI amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) between patients with schizophrenia (SZ) and healthy controls (HC). Methods. Eyes-closed resting fMRI scans (5:38 minutes; n=306, 146 SZ) were collected from 6 Siemens 3T scanners and one GE 3T scanner. Imaging data were pre-processed using an SPM pipeline. Power in the low frequency band (0.01 to 0.08 Hz) was calculated both for the original pre-processed data as well as for the pre-processed data after regressing out the six rigid-body motion parameters, mean white matter and CSF signals. Both original and regressed ALFF and fALFF measures were modeled with site, diagnosis, age, and diagnosis × age interactions. Results. Regressing out motion and non-gray matter signals significantly decreased fALFF throughout the brain as well as ALFF in the cortical edge, but significantly increased ALFF in subcortical regions. Regression had little effect on site, age, and diagnosis effects on ALFF, other than to reduce diagnosis effects in subcortical regions. There were significant effects of site across the brain in all the analyses, largely due to vendor differences. HC showed greater ALFF in the occipital, posterior parietal, and superior temporal lobe, while SZ showed smaller clusters of greater ALFF in the frontal and temporal/insular regions as well as in the caudate, putamen, and hippocampus. HC showed greater fALFF compared with SZ in all regions, though subcortical differences were only significant for original fALFF. Conclusions. SZ show greater eyes-closed resting state low frequency power in frontal cortex, and less power in posterior lobes than do HC; fALFF, however, is lower in SZ than HC throughout the cortex. These effects are robust to multi-site variability. Regressing out physiological noise signals significantly affects both total and fractional ALFF measures, but does not affect the pattern of case/control differences.
Anhydrous Polyproline Helices and Globules

Ion mobility/time-of-flight methods and molecular modeling calculations have been used to examine the conformations of a range of polymer lengths and charge states of polyproline peptides, [Pron + zH]z+ (n = 3−56; z = 1−6). Ions formed from 1-propanol solutions {[Pron + H]+ (n = 5−11) and [Pron + 2H]2+ (n = 10−22)} favor extended forms of the classical polyproline I helix. In these conformers, all proline residues are in the cis configuration, and protonation at the N-terminus allows hydrogen bonds to be formed with backbone carbonyl groups of the second and third proline residues in each polymer. Protonation of this all-cis form at the N-terminus also stabilizes the helix macrodipole. Singly charged ions formed from aqueous solutions favor globular and hairpin-like conformers that contain both cis- and trans-proline residues. Higher charge state ions (z = 3−6) formed from aqueous solutions favor relatively extended conformations, although these are not as extended as the polyproline II structural limit. ...
Relation between orbital binding energies and ionicities in alkali and alkaline earth flourides

Abstract The differences between the ionization potentials and binding energies for M q + ( np 6 ), F − (1 s 2 ), andF − (2 p 6 ) orbital electrons, adjusted for the electrostatic self-potentials, in alkali and alkaline earth fluorides have been correlated with ionicites derived from the indices of refraction through optical dispersion theory of Phillips and van Vechten. The differences are linear in ionicities and are related to the covalent energies and the polarizabilities. The gap between the valence band and the Fermi level, determined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, has been compared with the energy in the Phillips-van Vechten model. Whereas the former is a measure of the thermal activation energy for conduction, the latter is determined essentially by the valence electron density, the molar volume, and the polarizability.
The Continuous Recording of Central Venous Pressure Changes from an Arm Vein

With the subject in the right lateral decubitus position, changes of central venous pressure can be recorded accurately and conveniently from a vein in the antecubital fossa of the dependent arm. Theoretically the hydrostatic, pressure transforms the venous bed between the heart and the site of puncture into uninterrupted wide channels with relatively low distensibility. Simultaneous recordings of pressure by the method described and by catheterization of the central veins showed that induced changes of central venous pressure were identically recorded from both sites. The mean pressure gradient between the peripheral and central veins was 35 mm. of water.
Stabilization of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Nrdp1 by the deubiquitinating enzyme USP8

Nrdp1 is a RING finger-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase that physically interacts with and regulates steady-state cellular levels of the ErbB3 and ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinases and has been implicated in the degradation of the inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein BRUCE. Here we demonstrate that the Nrdp1 protein undergoes efficient proteasome-dependent degradation and that mutations in its RING finger domain that disrupt ubiquitin ligase activity enhance stability. These observations suggest that Nrdp1 self-ubiquitination and stability could play an important role in regulating the activity of this protein. Using affinity chromatography, we identified the deubiquitinating enzyme USP8 (also called Ubpy) as a protein that physically interacts with Nrdp1. Nrdp1 and USP8 could be coimmunoprecipitated, and in transfected cells USP8 specifically bound to Nrdp1 but not cbl, a RING finger E3 ligase involved in ligand-stimulated epidermal growth factor receptor down-regulation. The USP8 rhodanese and catalytic domains mediated Nrdp1 binding. USP8 markedly enhanced the stability of Nrdp1, and a point mutant that disrupts USP8 catalytic activity destabilized endogenous Nrdp1. Our results indicate that Nrdp1 is a specific target for the USP8 deubiquitinating enzyme and are consistent with a model where USP8 augments Nrdp1 activity by mediating its stabilization.
Relationships between ocean bottom noise and the environment

Abstract Observations of ocean bottom low-frequency noise and surface environmental data over a period of 27 days in the northern Atlantic during the SAMSON and SWADE experiments reveal how closely related the noise is to meteorological conditions. Double-frequency microseisms produced by nonlinear interactions of storm-induced surface gravity waves are especially evident in the frequency band 0.16 to 0.3 Hz and show a high variability in both amplitude and peak frequencies. Bifurcated at times, the peak that characterizes the microseism band contains local and distant or “teleseismic” components, which are generated at different locations. Weather and storm fetch appear to be the major contributions to the size and shape of microseism spectra. Storm development on the sea surface is associated with progressively lower microseism frequencies along with a concurrent increase in amplitude. The single-frequency microseism peak is a continuous feature and is observed to portray the same time-dependent spectral characteristics as the portion of the double-frequency peak associated with distant storms. Coherence studies confirm that both peaks (single and teleseismic double) originate at a distant source. These peaks are generated at roughly the same location with some storm component over the coastline.
Remade in America: Transplanting and Transforming Japanese Management Systems

The article presents a review of the book “Remade in America: Transplanting and Transforming Japanese Management Systems,” edited by Jeffrey K. Liker, W. Mark Fruin and Paul S. Adler.
Tunneled buccal mucosa tube grafts for repair of proximal hypospadias.

Purpose: Buccal mucosa is the favored graft material for patients with long urethral defects and a paucity of skin. Since 2007, we have used the novel tunneled buccal mucosa tube graft urethroplasty technique in these patients. We describe this operative technique and report our surgical and functional outcomes.Materials and Methods: Between 2007 and 2013, 37 males with proximal hypospadias underwent tunneled buccal mucosa tube graft urethroplasty. After the penile shaft was optimized at a prior stage a free buccal graft was tubularized and tunneled under the intact ventral shaft skin and into the glans. We retrospectively reviewed all charts to report our results. We assessed uroflowmetry and bladder ultrasound for post-void residual urine.Results: The overall complications rate in 34 patients with more than 1-year followup was 32% (11), including fistula in 5, proximal stricture in 4 and meatal stenosis in 2. In the first 10 patients a total of 7 complications (70%) developed but there were only 4 compl...
High-anisotropy nanocluster films for high-density perpendicular recording

This paper reports results on the synthesis and magnetic properties of L1/sub 0/:X nanocomposite films, where L1/sub 0/=FePt, CoPt, and X=C, Ag, etc. Two fabrication methods are discussed: nonepitaxial growth of oriented perpendicular media, and monodispersed nanoparticle-assembled films grown with a gas-aggregation source. The magnetic properties are controllable through variations in the nanocluster properties and nanostructure. The films show promise for development as recording media at extremely high areal densities.
Cooling load differences between radiant and air systems

Abstract Unlike the case of air systems where the cooling load is purely convective, the cooling load for radiant systems consists of both convective and radiant components. The objectives of this simulation study were to investigate whether the same design cooling load calculation methods can be used for radiant and air systems by studying the magnitude of the cooling load differences between the two systems over a range of design configurations. Simulation results show that (1) zone level 24-h total cooling energy of radiant systems can be 5–15% higher than air systems due to higher conduction load through the envelope; (2) peak cooling rate at the radiant cooled surface can be 7–35% higher than air system for zones without solar load. This difference can increase up to 85% for floor system in zones with solar load; (3) the peak cooling rate differences originate from: (a) radiant cooling surface(s) reduce radiant heat gain accumulation in the building mass; (b) only part of the convective heat gain becomes instantaneous cooling load. As a result, tools using response factor methods such as radiant time series method for cooling load calculations are not appropriate for radiant system design.
Accuracy of the Phonocardiogram in Assessing Severity of Aortic and Pulmonic Stenosis

A critical evaluation was made of the reliability of three easily obtainable phonocardiographic criteria in the estimation of ventricular peak pressure in congenital pulmonic and aortic valvular stenosis. In 50 patients with pulmonic stenosis the Q-ejection click interval showed a significant inverse relationship to peak pressure (r=–0.77, p<0.001), while no significant relationship existed in aortic stenosis (r = 0.40, p<0.5). The timing of the peak magnitude of the murmur again related significantly to the right ventricular pressure (r = 0.72, p < 0.001) and with the log of pulmonary valve area (r=–0.72, p <0.001). In contrast no significant relationships existed in aortic stenosis. The degree of splitting also reflected the severity of right ventricular hypertension (r = 0.84, p <0.001), while this measurement in aortic stenosis proved quite variable and did not reflect ventricular peak pressure. The significance of a combination of these criteria in predicting the severity of right ventricular hyperte...
Monitor unit calculation for intensity modulated photon field

A pressing issue in intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is the verification of the monitor unit (MU) calculation of the planning system using an independent procedure. Because of the intensity modulation and the dynamic nature of the delivery process, the problem becomes much more involved than that in conventional radiation therapy. In this work, a closed formula for MU calculation in IMRT is derived. The formalism is quite general and independent of the specific form of leaf sequence algorithm or delivery machine. The dose at an arbitrary spatial point (either on the central axis or off-axis) is expressed as a summation of the contributions from all the beamlets. The dose from each individual beamlet can be calculated using a variety of methods, as simple as a Clarkson type of approach or as complex as Monte Carlo simulation. The method is demonstrated using a simple scatter-summation. Some specific issues related to the clinical implementation of the formalism, such as effect of skin contour variation, off-axis dose calculation, effect of tissue density inhomogeneity, and the verification in the low dose region, are discussed. In addition, the implementation of the technique with different delivery schemes (step-and-shoot, sliding-window, ...) is addressed. The approach is illustrated by a simplified example and several CORVUS (NOMOS corporation, Sewickley, PA) treatment plans. The results indicate that it is robust and suitable for IMRT MU verification.
Performance Issues in Cloud Computing for Cyber-physical Applications

A focus of the paper is on the performance of cloud computing servers in cyber-physical systems (CPS) applications that aggregate data over large spatial regions over long spans of time. Examples of such CPS applications include those that: sense and respond to change in the environment such as forest fires or mud slides, help utilities such as water management districts monitor water quality and flow, and traffic management systems. This paper evaluates the benefits of architectures based on Cloud computing systems for such CPS applications. We use earthquake detection as a concrete example for this application class. The focus of the paper is on the performance of Platform-as-a-Service systems. The paper described the relative advantages of different types of services in the next few sections.
Range Expansion in Southern Florida of the Introduced Spotted Tilapia, with Comments on its Environmental Impress

The Spotted Tilapia, Tilapia mariae , apparently introduced to Dade County, Florida, between 1972 and 1974, has expanded its range dramatically. This exotic fish is now established in three counties (Broward, Collier, and Dade) in canals and lakes in an area encompassing approximately 2,000 km 2 .
Correlation of cytogenetic analysis and loss of heterozygosity studies in human diffuse astrocytomas and mixed oligo-astrocytomas.

The aims of this study were to correlate cytogenetic studies and molecular genetic loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analyses in human astrocytomas and mixed oligo-astrocytomas, and to locate putative tumor suppressor genes on chromosome 10. Paired blood and tumor samples from 53 patients were analyzed. The tumors included 45 diffuse astrocytomas (39 grade 4, 4 grade 3, and 2 grade 2), 1 astroblastoma, and 7 mixed oligo-astrocytomas (2 grade 4,4 grade 3, and 1 grade 2). By cytogenetic analyses the most common numeric chromosome abnormalities were +7, −10, −13, −14, −17, +19, −22, and −Y. The most common structural abnormalities involved chromosome arms 1p, 1q, 5p, and 9p. By LOH and dosage analysis the most common molecular genetic abnormalities were of chromosome arms 5p, 6p, 7q, 9p, 10p, 10q, 13q, 14q, 17p, and 19p. When the results of all methods were combined, the most commonly abnormal chromosomes were, in descending frequency, 10, Y, 17, 7, 13, and 9. In 80 percent of cases the cytogenetic and molecular genetic studies were concordant. LOH studies were more sensitive in detecting loss of genetic material than cytogenetic analyses and accounted for 60% of the discordant results. When there were structural abnormalities, such as translocations or inversions, cytogenetic analysis was more sensitive in detecting an abnormality than molecular genetic studies. In addition to the 24 tumors which appeared to lose an entire copy of chromosome 10, there were 10 tumors with molecular genetic or cytogenetic evidence of loss of only a portion of chromosome 10. The genetic analyses of these tumors suggest that there are 2 regions on chromosome 10 that may contain potential tumor suppressor genes. One lies distal to locus D10S22 from 10q22 to 10qter, and the other lies proximal to locus TSTI on the 10q arm near the centromere or on the 10p arm. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Generalized Amyloidosis in Rhesus Monkeys

Necropsy materials from 5 7 cases of generalized amyloidosis in rhesus monkeys were reviewed. Clinically, animals with the disease were characterized by cachexia with muscle wasting, recurrent diarrhea, and arthritis. Gross lesions included hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, chronic/active colitis, fibrous strictures of the cecocolic junction, osteoarthritis, and generalized muscle atrophy. Histologic examination revealed minimal to severe deposits of amyloid in the small intestine (loo%), spleen (93%), large intestine (67%), liver (40%), lymph nodes (710/0), stomach and/or adrenal gland (32%). More amyloid was deposited in the spleen, liver, and small intestine than in other organs. Shigella sp. were isolated from feces in 23% of the cases and 84% had histologic evidence of colitis. Other findings indicated that 100% of the animals had lung mites, 25% had strictures of the cecocolic junction, and 40% had osteoarthritis. Thirty percent of the cases occurred in animals 10 months to 5 years of age, 10% in ages 6 to 10 years, and 60% in animals greater than 10 years old. Amyloidosis is a naturally occurring condition in man and many species of animals. It was originally divided into primary and secondary forms based on the presence or absence of prior clinical disease with additional familial and isolated forms. Recently, a new classification system has been suggested based on the type of protein deposited.'O Primary amyloidosis, des- ignated AL, is associated with conditions such as plas- ma cell dyscrasias, myeloma, and reticulum cell sar- comas where amyloid is composed of segments of light chain regions of immunoglobulins.I9 Secondary, or AA, amyloid is thought to be related to serum amyloid-A protein (SAA), produced in the liver and released into the bloodstream during the acute phase of generalized inflammatory reactions, various malignancies, and in familial Mediterranean fever.4.5JoJ9.26 Serum amyloid-A is converted to AA and deposited in a variety of tissues in situations where amyloidosis develops. 18,31,32 The remaining classes are associated with endocrine, fa- milial or age related conditions and each has a specific type of amyloid protein unrelated to AL or AA.I9 Generalized amyloidosis has been reported in sev- eral species of nonhuman primates in association with a variety of disease~.~,~.~~J ~,~O Reports of AA amyloid in rhesus monkeys have been infrequent and usually involved only a few animal~.~,~J~J~ In all instances, enterocolitis and/or arthritis were accompanying in- flammatory processes. A recent review of gastrointes- tinal diseases in primates supports this finding in that a few macaques with colitis also had intestinal amyloid deposits. I7 Specific causes for naturally occurring amy- loid deposition in nonhuman primates have not been clearly established. This report describes the clinical history, gross le- sions, light microscopic changes, and laboratory data associated with 57 cases of generalized amyloidosis in a large colony of rhesus monkeys.
Imaging Cytosolic NADH-NAD+ Redox State with a Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Biosensor

NADH is a key metabolic cofactor whose sensitive and specific detection in the cytosol of live cells has been difficult. We constructed a fluorescent biosensor of the cytosolic NADH-NAD(+) redox state by combining a circularly permuted GFP T-Sapphire with a bacterial NADH-binding protein, Rex. Although the initial construct reported [NADH] × [H(+)] / [NAD(+)], its pH sensitivity was eliminated by mutagenesis. The engineered biosensor Peredox reports cytosolic NADH:NAD(+) ratios and can be calibrated with exogenous lactate and pyruvate. We demonstrated its utility in several cultured and primary cell types. We found that glycolysis opposed the lactate dehydrogenase equilibrium to produce a reduced cytosolic NADH-NAD(+) redox state. We also observed different redox states in primary mouse astrocytes and neurons, consistent with hypothesized metabolic differences. Furthermore, using high-content image analysis, we monitored NADH responses to PI3K pathway inhibition in hundreds of live cells. As an NADH reporter, Peredox should enable better understanding of bioenergetics.
The Sensitivity of Simulated Storm Structure, Intensity, and Precipitation Efficiency to Environmental Temperature

Prior parameter space studies of simulated deep convection are extended to embrace shifts in the environmental temperature. Within the context of the parameter space study design, shifts in this environmental temperature are roughly equivalent to changes in the ambient precipitable water (PW). Two series of simulations are conducted: one in a warm environmental regime that is associated with approximately 60 mm of precipitable water, and another with temperatures 8°C cooler, so that PW is reduced to roughly 30 mm. The sets of simulations include tests of the impact of changes in the buoyancy and shear profile shapes and of changes in mixed- and moist layer depths, all of which have been shown to be important in prior work. Simulations discussed here also feature values of surface-based pseudoadiabatic convective available potential energy (CAPE) of 800, 2000, or 3200 J kg 1 , and a single semicircular hodograph having a radius of 12 m s 1 , but with variable vertical shear. The simulations reveal a consistent trend toward stronger peak updraft speeds for the cooler temperature (reduced PW) cases, when the other environmental parameters are held constant. Roughly comparable increases in updraft speeds are noted for all combinations of mixed- and moist layer depths. These increases in updraft strength evidently result from both the reduction of condensate loading aloft and the lower altitudes at which the latent heat release by freezing and deposition commences in the cooler, low-PW environments. As expected, maximum storm precipitation rates tend to diminish as PW is decreased, but only slightly, and by amounts not proportionate to the decrease in PW. The low-PW cases thus actually feature larger environment-relative precipitation efficiency than do the high-PW cases. In addition, more hail reaches the surface in the low-PW cases because of reduced melting in the cooler environments. Although these experiments were designed to feature specified amounts of pseudoadiabatic CAPE, it appears that reversible CAPE provides a more accurate prediction of updraft strength, at least for the storms discussed here.
A Populist Sociology

Sociologist and union activist Monte Bute debunks creme de la creme sociology and its caste system of lords and commoners. He defends the profession’s peasantry with a lucid and persuasive represen...
Anthropology and Voice

Voice is both a set of sonic, material, and literary practices shaped by culturally and historically specific moments and a category invoked in discourse about personal agency, communication and representation, and political power. This review focuses on scholarship produced since the 1990s in a variety of fields, addressing the status of the voice within Euro-Western modernity, voice as sound and embodied practice, technological mediation, and voicing. It then turns to the ways in which anthropology and related fields have framed the relationship between voice and identity, status, subjectivity, and publics. The review suggests that attending to voice in its multiple registers gives particular insight into the intimate, affective, and material/embodied dimensions of cultural life and sociopolitical identity. Questions of voice are implicated in many issues of concern to contemporary anthropology and can lend theoretical acuity to broader concepts of more general concern to social theory as well.
LINKAGES BETWEEN CROP INSURANCE AND PRE-HARVEST HEDGING

The impact pre-harvest hedging and crop insurance strategies have on expected revenue and associated risk as well as how producers’ risk attitudes affect optimal strategies was analyzed for Kansas wheat farms. No insurance, Catastrophic (CAT), Actual Production History (APH), and Crop Revenue Coverage (CRC) were considered. Average revenue was similar across alternatives, but APH and CRC resulted in the least income variability. Risk reduction effects of hedging were small and the advantage of CRC over APH decreases as hedging increases. This historical study provides useful information; however, if future market conditions differ significantly from the past, optimal strategies may change.
Factors Influencing the Inflation of Task Performance Ratings for Workers With Disabilities and Contextual Performance Ratings for Their Coworkers.

Contrary to many myths regarding their potential performance, workers with disabilities generally receive performance ratings similar to their nondisabled coworkers. However, their ratings possibly may be inflated above their actual performance levels. In a laboratory experiment, we constrained the performance of a worker with a disability to an extremely low level and assessed the effects of helping behavior, presence and type of disability in the worker, and the perceived attributions of controllability of the disability on task performance ratings for the workers with disabilities and on contextual performance ratings for their coworkers. We found that the perception that a worker is not responsible for the onset of a disability and that having any disability, regardless of type, artificially inflates task performance ratings. We also found inflated contextual performance ratings for coworkers who work with persons who are perceived as being responsible for the onset of their own disability.
Type-Specific Detection of Echovirus 30 Isolates Using Degenerate Reverse Transcriptase PCR Primers

Following an approach used to specifically identify polioviruses and enterovirus 71, we have developed reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR primers containing mixed-base residues or deoxyinosine at positions of codon degeneracy. These primers permit specific RT-PCR amplification of echovirus 30 (E30) sequences by targeting sites that encode conserved amino acid motifs within the major capsid protein, VP1. All 221 E30 strains tested, isolated in 16 countries over a 44-year period, yielded the predicted 158-bp PCR product. No specific products were obtained by PCR assays containing templates from any of the other 63 EV serotypes. Inosine-containing degenerate primers may be widely applicable to the identification of echovirus serotypes by PCR.
Foraging Patterns of Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) on Goldenrod Gall Insects, a Potentially Important Winter Food Resource

Abstract We document the use of goldenrod (Solidago spp.) gall insects by eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) as a winter food resource. We also examined the foraging patterns of gray squirrels on these gall insects by presenting goldenrod gall feeders at ten sites around Hamilton, New York, during the winters of 1996–1997 and 1997–1998. We predicted that squirrels would attack larger-than-average galls among those presented because larger galls are more likely to contain the larger fly larvae (Eurosta solidaginis), rather than the smaller parasitoid (Eurytoma gigantea) or nothing at all. Squirrels attacked galls at least once at 6 of the 10 sites where gall feeders were maintained. Galls at feeders were attacked from 11 February to 17 April, and the number of separate attacks on galls at a particular site ranged from 1 to 17. We detected no evidence that squirrels preferentially attacked galls of a particular size class (small, medium, large). There was no indication that squirrels attacked inc...
Opinion: To feed the world in 2050 will require a global revolution

Achieving universal food security is a staggering challenge, especially in a world with an expanding population, accelerating consumption, and many signals of a deteriorating global environment (1). Some claim that population size and growth are irrelevant, and that the solution is a more equitable distribution of income, wealth, and available food. In this view, future food security is attainable, even if the global population grows to 10 billion or more over the course of this century. To others, biophysical constraints on how much food can be produced, combined with the size and growth of the human population, imply there soon may not be enough to go around, even with equitable distribution.