cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synergism of Tebufenozide in Resistant and Susceptible Strains of Obliquebanded Leafroller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Resistance to New Insecticides

Cross-resistance of the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), to tebufenozide was reported from laboratory studies before it had been used in commercial orchards in New York State. Bioassays with obliquebanded leafroller larvae from tebufenozide and organophosphate susceptible and resistant colonies were conducted with chlorfenapyr, emamectin benzoate, fenoxycarb, fipronil, spinosad, and tebufenozide to determine if cross-resistance was present before these new insecticides were introduced into commercial orchards. Resistance ratios ranged from 1.1 to 3.2 for all insecticides except tebufenozide (12.8). Significant differences between susceptible and resistant colonies were found with emamectin benzoate, fenoxycarb, and fipronil. The effect of the metabolic synergists piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and diethyl maleate (DEM) on tebufenozide toxicity was examined to determine mechanisms for obliquebanded leafroller resistance to tebufenozide and potential mechanisms for other new insecticides. At a concentration of 20 ppm, PBO and DEM significantly synergized the toxicity of tebufenozide in resistant and susceptible colonies (three- to fourfold). Obliquebanded leafrollers may be resistant to new insecticides with distinct modes of action even if these compounds have not been previously used in commercial orchards.
The Road We are Traveling

On this occasion it seems wise to take a leaf from Wassily W. Leontief's book as President of the American Economic Association. He discussed a problem of his organization. His presidential address was a plea for economists to limit their creation of models, especially those difficult of empirical testing, and to test some of those susceptible of verification. My remarks will also deal with a problem, one in the Economic History Association, how it came about, and what we might do about it.
Predicting Unintentional Weight Loss in Elderly Residents of Long-Term Care

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: The study will determine the relationship between weight loss and gender, age, reasons for assessment, caloric intake,eating and mental functions, and nutritional approaches among the long-term care elderly. The study identified charts of geriatric residents over 60 years of age from a long-term care setting who were experiencing unintentional weight loss, and related these losses to possible causes using selected indicators from the Minimum Data Set (MDS)HCFA. Charts of 194 residents were reviewed; 48 residents who had marginal or significant weight losses and age (80 years) were used as the subjects for the study. A pre-designed questionnaire composed of demographic information and selected indicators hypothesized as predictors for weight loss was used. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to describe the variables. The chi-square (p≤ .05) was used to determine the relationship between the dependent variable, weight loss, with other indicators. Of the 11 criteria evaluated two were marginally significant: eating support (p=.08) and cognition (p=.07);one was statistically significant:dining location, in room dining (p=.03).The 3 criteria were closely associated with unintentional weight loss. This study identified indicators associated with weight loss for long-term care residents. Residents without cognition deviations, dining privately in the room without support seemed more likely to lose weight. Recent studies have found similar relationships between cognition, self-feeding defecits, and malnutrition. More study is needed to plan interventions to prevent and detect weight loss as cognition and functional status diminishes.
Cross-covariance functions for multivariate random fields based on latent dimensions

SUMMARY The problem of constructing valid parametric cross-covariance functions is challenging. We propose a simple methodology, based on latent dimensions and existing covariance models for univariate random fields, to develop flexible, interpretable and computationally feasible classes of cross-covariance functions in closed form. We focus on spatio-temporal cross-covariance functions that can be nonseparable, asymmetric and can have different covariance structures, for instance different smoothness parameters, in each component. We discuss estimation of these models and perform a small simulation study to demonstrate our approach. We illustrate our methodology on a trivariate spatio-temporal pollution dataset from California and demonstrate that our cross-covariance performs better than other competing models.
The GIST of Targeted Therapy for Malignant Melanoma

The high response rates to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib in KIT-mutated gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) has led to a paradigm shift in cancer treatment. In a parallel fashion, the field of melanoma is shifting with the utilization of targeted therapy to treat BRAF-mutated melanoma. We reviewed published literature in PubMed on GIST and melanoma, with a focus on both past and current clinical trials. The data presented centers on imatinib, vemurafenib, and most recently dabrafenib, targeting KIT and BRAF mutations and their outcomes in GIST and melanoma. The BRAFV600E melanoma mutation, like the KIT exon 11 mutation in GIST, has the highest response to therapy. High response rates with inhibition of KIT in GIST have not been recapitulated in KIT-mutated melanoma. Median time to resistance to targeted agents occurs in ~7 months with BRAF inhibitors and 2 years for imatinib in GIST. In GIST, the development of secondary mutations leads to resistance; however, there have been no similar gatekeeper mutations found in melanoma. Although surgery remains an important component of the treatment of early GIST and melanoma, surgeons will need to continue to define the thresholds and timing for operation in the setting of metastatic disease with improved targeted therapies. Combination treatment strategies may result in more successful clinical outcomes in the management of melanoma in the future.
In situ Ca2+ titration in the fluorometric study of intracellular Ca2+ binding.

Imaging with Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dye has provided a wealth of insight into the dynamics of cellular Ca2+ signaling. The spatiotemporal evolution of intracellular free Ca2+ observed in imaging experiments is shaped by binding and unbinding to cytoplasmic Ca2+ buffers, as well as the fluorescent indicator used for imaging. These factors must be taken into account in the interpretation of Ca2+ imaging data, and can be exploited to investigate endogenous Ca2+ buffer properties. Here we extended the use of Ca2+ fluorometry in the characterization of Ca2+ binding molecules within cells, building on a method of titration of intracellular Ca2+ binding sites in situ with measured amounts of Ca2+ entering through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. We developed a systematic procedure for fitting fluorescence data acquired during a series of voltage steps to models with multiple Ca2+ binding sites. The method was tested on simulated data, and then applied to 2-photon fluorescence imaging data from rat posterior pituitary nerve terminals patch clamp-loaded with the Ca2+ indicator fluo-8. Focusing on data sets well described by a single endogenous Ca2+ buffer and dye, this method yielded estimates of the endogenous buffer concentration and Kd, the dye Kd, and the fraction of Ca2+ inaccessible cellular volume. The in situ Kd of fluo-8 thus obtained was indistinguishable from that measured in vitro. This method of calibrating Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dyes in situ has significant advantages over previous methods. Our analysis of Ca2+ titration fluorometric data makes more effective use of the experimental data, and provides a rigorous treatment of multivariate errors and multiple Ca2+ binding species. This method offers a versatile approach to the study of endogenous Ca2+ binding molecules in their physiological milieu.
SU‐D‐103‐03: Converting Size Specific Dose Estimate (SSDE) to Patient Specific Organ Dosimetry: Application to a Pediatric Population

Purpose: Develop a methodology to convert size specific dose estimate (SSDE) to pediatric patient specific organ dosimetry. Methods: Each thoracic and abdominal‐pelvic organ within a family of four anthropomorphic phantoms (ATOM, CIRS) developed to emulate a wide range of pediatric patient body habitus was measured for absolute dose using MOSFET dosimeters; e.g., a series of 884 measurements were made in 21 different organs spanning the thorax of an anthropomorphic phantom developed to emulate a 10 yr patient. A Scout scan was performed for each phantom wherein the phantoms thoracic and abdominal‐pelvic effective diameters were calculated pursuant to the AAPM Report 204 methodology. The phantoms effective diameter was matched with a pediatric patient population average effective diameter, and imaged according to that patient populations weight based CT scan parameters; thus, normalizing CTDIvol between phantom and representative patient populations. A correction factor was developed for each phantoms organ dose as it related to the phantoms calculated SSDE (both thoracic and abdominal‐pelvic). The SSDE‐to‐Absolute dose correction factors were then applied to an IRB approved patient cohort of 492 patients (7.6 ± 5.4 yrs; range 2 mo to 28 yrs and mean weight was 35 ± 33 kg; range 4–147 kg) to convert patient specific SSDE to organ dose. Results: Organ dose linearly correlated with patient effective diameter with an average R2 of 0.96. In general, chest organ doses were greater than the chest SSDE by 10–40%, the abdomen organ doses were greater than the abdomen SSDE by 10–20%, but organ doses in the pelvis were lower by 0–20%. Conclusion: Correction factors were established to convert SSDE to absolute organ dose. Organ dose values linearly correlated with patient size. SSDE, when calculated based on Report 204, generally underestimates actual patient chest and abdomen organ dosimetry from 10–40%, but overestimates pelvic organ dose by 0–20%.
Generalized theory of impact ionization in multilayered semiconductor structures

Abstract We present a general theory of impact ionization in superlattice avalanche photodiode (APD) devices particularly for those structures in which the carriers obtain no net energy gain from the superlattice itself, the quantum well and undoped channeling APD. It is found that two mechanisms operate to enhance the electron ionization rate. The sudden large increase in kinetic energy derived from crossing a heterobarrier increases the probability of semiballistic impact ionization. Simultaneously, the carriers are heated by the field while within the AlGaAs layer, such that upon re-entry into the GaAs layer the distribution is hotter than before. Carrier heating by the field is particularly important when the field is applied parallel to the layers as in the undoped channeling APD.
Numerical analysis of continuous unsteady flow in open channels

In this paper is presented a simplified method of solving Massau's equations of characteristics for unsteady flow having a continuous surface profile. This method eliminates much of the trial-and-error process formerly required.
Modeling the influence of Peromyscus leucopus body mass, sex, and habitat on immature Dermacentor variabilis burden

ABSTRACT: Immature (larvae and nymph) tick burden on rodents is an important determinant of adult tick population size and understanding infectious disease dynamics. The objective of this research was to build a descriptive model for immature Dermacentor variabilis burden on Peromyscus leucopus. Mice were live-trapped on two permanent grids in an old field and an early successional forest every other month between April and October, 2006–2009. Negative binomial regression was used to examine the association between immature D. variabilis burden and the host related variables of host habitat, body mass, and/ or sex. The model containing all three variables had the lowest Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), corrected AIC (AICc), and greatest AICc weight. Immature D. variabilis burden was positively associated with mice with higher body mass, male mice, and those captured in the field habitat. These data are consistent with studies from other tick-rodent systems and suggest that single factor models do not...
Compressive hyperspectral acquisition and endmember unmixing

A new hyperspectral imaging system is constructed based on the idea of compressive sensing (CS). The compressed hyperspectral measurements are acquired and unmixed directly with the proposed algorithm which determines the abundance fractions of endmembers, completely bypassing high-complexity tasks involving the hyperspectral data cube itself. Without the intermediate stage of 3D hyper-cube processing, data reconstruction and unmixing are combined into a single step of much lower complexity. We assume that the involved endmembers' signatures are known and given, from which we then directly compute abundances. We also extend this approach to blind unmixing where endmembers' signatures are not precisely known a priori.
On Triangulations of the 3-Ball and the Solid Torus

Abstract We show that neither the 3-ball nor the solid torus admits a triangulation in which (i) every vertex is on the boundary, and (ii) every tetrahedron has exactly one triangle on the boundary. Such triangulations are relevant to an unresolved conjecture of Perles.
Irreversible autonomic actions by lophotoxin suggest utility as a probe for both C6 and C10 nicotinic receptors

The marine natural product lophotoxin has produced a non-reversible antagonism of parasympathetic and sympathetic functions that are known to be mediated by C6 sub-type nicotinic receptors. Transmission through anuran paravertebral ganglia was eliminated in 20–40 min by 10–30-min treatments with 16–32 μM lophotoxin, in a time course resembling the onset of block of C10 sub-type nicotinic receptors at the neuromuscular junction and in cultured BC3H-1 cells. The action persisted through 16 h of washout. Nerve conduction was unaffected. Somewhat longer treatments (80 min) of in vitro ileal sections resulted in loss of sensitivity to nicotine, but not to acetylcholine, for at least 5 h. These data indicate that lophotoxin can serve as a more universal nicotinic receptor probe than the α-neurotoxins, which may bind to both C6 and C10 sub-types, but block only the C10.
External polarization functions and polarizability calculations for H2

Abstract External polariztion functions, a class of off-atom-center functions, are used to calculate the polarizability of the hydrogen molecule, H 2 . Spherical Gaussians are optimized with respect to exponent and position to maximize the polarizability using the Hylleraas variation on second-order properties approximately. An improvement in calculated polarizabilities for H 2 is found over comparably sized basis sets; preliminary results for the extension of this approach to the larger ethyne system are also presented.
SU‐E‐J‐153: Volumetric and Dosimetric Variations of Post‐Prostatectomy Patients Treated with Radiation Therapy and Endorectal Ballon

Purpose: Post‐prostatectomy patients may be treated with endorectal balloon (ERB) placed during the radiation therapy. The objectives of this tudy are to investigate geometrical variation of organs at risk (OAR) and CTVs (based on RTOG and EORTC guidelines) throughout the course of radiation therapy and their dosimetric impact. Methods: Six consecutive post‐prostatectomy patients enrolled on a prospective IRB approved institutional study were analyzed. Patients underwent CT/MRI simulation and treatment with daily endorectal balloon (ERB). Six T2‐MRI scans were performed during the treatment course. Bladder, rectum and two sets of CTVs according to the RTOG and EORTC guidelines were contoured by physician on each of the weekly MRI scans. The MRI scans were subsequently rigidly fused to the CT simulation images to simulate daily kV‐kV patient alignment. Results: 1. A consistent trend of decreasing bladder volume was found after the first week of treatment and therefore the V65Gy was found to increase after the second week of the treatment.2. The rectal volume with ERB was found to be relatively consistent during the treatment course. Displacements of rectal contours were within 2mm in all directions. The V60Gy<20% (our institutional rectal constraint) varied on average less than 2%.3. We found that the CTV volumes contoured per EORTC guideline exhibits a larger variation than those drawn according to the RTOG guidelines most likely due to the bladder exclusion imposed by it. While the average variation of RTOG based CTV volume was found within 5%, the variation of CTV‐EROTC volumes was more then 10%) (p = 0.06). Conclusions: In post‐prostatectomy patients undergoing radiotherapy with daily ERB had a consistent decrease in the bladder volume during the treatment leading to increased bladder irradiation and changes in the CTV volumes predominantly when EORTC guideline were followed.
In-Gel Derivatization of Proteins for Cysteine-Specific Cleavages and their Analysis by Mass Spectrometry

As a potential tool for proteomics and protein characterization, in-gel cysteine- and arginine-specific cleavage is demonstrated by means of trypsin or endoproteinase Lys-C for six model proteins (...
The role of voxel aspect ratio in determining apparent vascular phase behavior in susceptibility weighted imaging.

Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) uses apparent phase contrast to enhance the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the magnitude image. In theory, the apparent phase will depend on the aspect ratio when both venous blood and parenchyma occupy the same voxel. To demonstrate the maximal expected effect of the external field from a vein, we model the vein as an infinitely long cylinder perpendicular to the main magnetic field. The results show that the apparent phase of a voxel in the image is a function of resolution, vessel size and, to a lesser degree, vessel center within the voxel. The simulations explain why a negative-phase mask has worked in SWI [Haacke EM, Xu Y, Cheng YN, Reichenbach JR, Susceptibility Weighted Imaging, Magn Reson Med 2004;52:612–618] processing of high-resolution images collected in the transverse direction, despite the expected positive-phase behavior for vessels perpendicular to the main field. The predicted phase behavior from the simulations is in good agreement with that observed from human brain datasets.
Spontaneous symmetry breaking in higher dimensional fixed point spaces

We investigate the branching of solutions of equivariant problems where the equivariant branching lemma does not apply, because the relevant subgroup ∑ has a 2 dimensional fixed point space. First we look at a case where ∑ is a maximal isotropy subgroup, then we consider the case where it is a submaximal isotropy subgroup.
Gestation and placentation in two new world opossums: Didelphis virginiana and Monodelphis domestica

Estrus, gestation, and placentation were studied in the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and the gray short-tailed oppossum (Monodelphis domestica), representatives of the prototypic, New World marsupial family Didelphidae. Didelphis is a large (3,000 g), pouched opossum that exhibits a 28-day estrous cycle, spontaneous estrus and ovulation, and a high ovulation rate (60 ova per cycle). Monodelphis is a small (100 g), pouchless opossum with male-induced estrus and ovulation and a moderate ovulation rate (12 ova per cycle). Implantation occurs on day 10 of the 13-day gestation period in Didelphis and on day 12 of the 15-day gestation in Monodelphis. Gestation and placentation, including the ultrastructural features of trophoblastic apposition to the uterine mucosa, are very similar in Didelphis and Monodelphis. Differences, such as a larger increase in uterine volume and a more highly folded endometrium following implantation in Monodelphis are minor. They appear to be related to the smaller maternal body size and the relatively larger uterine load of embryos in Monodelphis. Because body size is one of the major variables among New World marsupials, the descriptions of gestation and placentation presented here for Didelphis and Monodelphis, provide a basis for comparison in future studies of didelphid marsupials. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Formation of acid-labile phosphate by isolated mammalian nuclei.

Abstract Nuclei of rat spleen and liver isolated in a 0.25 M sucrose medium, and by a modified Chauveau procedure, were investigated for their ability to increase the level of acidsoluble, acid-labile P at the expense of endogenous P i . No evidence has been obtained that liver nuclei possess such a capacity, although small increases in acid-labile P, accompanied either by an increase or by no change in P i , have been observed upon prolonged incubation of nuclei. However, such nuclei have been found to exhibit an increase in acid-soluble, acidlabile P upon addition of exogenous P i . This process has been found to proceed quite swiftly at 0 °C. and to be unaffected by DNP or 0.5 M HClO 4 . At this time the nature of the process is equivocal. It may be due to one, or a combination, of the following: release of bound, preformed acid-labile P from within the nucleus; binding of added P i by one or more nuclear constituents; actual covalent linkage of P i to an acceptor by some as yet unknown phosphorylation system within the nucleus. The system is undergoing further investigation.
Use of extended pattern technique for initial prostate biopsy.

ABSTRACTPurpose: An extended prostate biopsy schema has been advocated at initial prostate biopsy to decrease the rate of false-negative cancer cases. However, critics have raised concerns that this may lead to the greater detection of clinically insignificant cancers. We examined the impact of using an extended pattern schema on cancer detection and also on the finding of smaller and clinically insignificant cancer.Materials and Methods: Clinical data, including patient age, race, prebiopsy prostate specific antigen (PSA), digital rectal examination, prostate volume, number of needle cores and biopsy findings were abstracted from the medical records of all patients who underwent prostate biopsy in a 5-year period. Extended pattern prostate biopsy was defined as more than 10 cores. Clinically insignificant cancer was defined as a maximal tumor dimension of 1.0 cm or less, Gleason sum 6 or less and organ confined disease at radical prostatectomy. Adjusted regression models were developed to assess the inde...
Dimorphic male brains and alternative reproductive tactics in a vocalizing fish

Brains and types of behavior among sexually mature vertebrates are portrayed as having two phenotypic states: male and female. However, mating systems and the behavioral tactics employed by the two sexes are far more diverse than conveyed by this simple intersexual dichotomy. For example, in many species, sexually mature males may practice one of two alternative mating tactics. Recent studies of a sound-producing teleost fish now show that intrasexual dimorphism of vocal motor phenotypes among males accompanies the intrasexual divergence of types of reproductive behavior. Thus, one group of males, like females and juveniles, lacks the behavioral, neurophysiological and morphological traits typical of the sexually differentiated vocal motor pathway of the second group. The results are an explicit demonstration that for any one species: (1) alternative mating tactics can be paralleled by alternative phenotypes for the neurons that determine tactic-specific types of behavior, and (2) reproductive maturation is not obligatorily linked to the expression of neuronal secondary sex characteristics.
Moored environmental profiler

Variations in the environmental parameters of the ocean cause amplitude and phase fluctuations to be introduced to an acoustic signal propagating in the ocean. To be able to completely understand the nature of these fluctuations, it is necessary to have the capability to sample the environmental parameters of the medium as a function of depth at selected points along the propagation path. To meet this latter requirement, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed a low-cost environmental sampling device which can measure and record selected environmental parameters in the upper portion of the water column.
Effect of static magnetic therapy on recovery from delayed onset muscle soreness

Abstract Objective This study evaluated the effect of static magnetic therapy on the pain and stiffness associated with delayed onset muscle soreness. Therapeutic static magnets are sold worldwide and are claimed to reduce pain and enhance recovery by improving blood supply to body tissues. Although anecdotal stories abound regarding the effectiveness of static magnetic therapy, the research evidence is equivocal. Design A double-blind, placebo-controlled study design. Setting University research laboratory. Participants Twenty (10 males, 10 females) untrained, healthy individuals ages 18–32 participated in the study. Methods Subjects performed two sets of 25 maximal eccentric elbow flexion repetitions on an isokinetic dynamometer to induce muscular soreness. Immediately after the eccentric exercise session, subjects' arms were randomly assigned to either magnetic or placebo treatments, which were administered via an armband. The armbands were worn continually, except during bathing, for the next 7 days. Pain perception, elbow range of motion, maximal isometric strength, and upper arm girth were assessed using a visual analog scale, Leighton flexometer, isokinetic dynamometer, and Gulick tape, respectively. Results A repeated measures group by time ANOVA was used to compare changes between placebo and magnetic treatment. No significant differences between magnetic and placebo control arms were noted for any of the outcome measures. Conclusions Results indicate that static magnetic therapy had no effect on the pain associated with DOMS nor did it speed recovery when compared to a placebo control.
Standard enthalpies of formation of some carbides, silicides, germanides, stannides and borides of terbium determined by high temperature direct synthesis calorimetry

Abstract The standard enthalpies of formation for some terbium alloys in the binary systems TbX (where X = C, Si, Ge, Sn, B) have been determined by direct synthesis calorimetry at 1473 ± 2 K. The following values of ΔH f 0 (kJ (mol atoms) −1 are reported: TbC 2 , −24.6 ± 1.0; TbSi, −80.9 ± 1.8; TbSi 2 , −61.5 ± 2.4; Tb 5 Si 3 , −61.0 ± 2.5; Tb 5 Ge 3 , −81.7 ± 2.7; Tb 5 Sn 3 , −73.1 ± 3.1; TbB 2 , −34.2 ± 1.8. The results are compared with reported calorimetric data for the corresponding compounds of some other lanthanide elements and with predicted values from the semiempirical model of Miedema and coworkers. Systematic comparisons of the enthalpies of formation are presented for the compounds of Tb with elements from groups IIIB and IVB in the periodic table. Possible correlations among the systematic changes in the reduced temperature, the relative molar volume ratios, and the enthalpies of formation as suggested by Gschneidner are also examined.
Functional outcomes and general health status after ulnohumeral arthroplasty for primary degenerative arthritis of the elbow

Ulnohumeral arthroplasty (UHA) is considered a satisfactory surgical treatment option for patients with primary degenerative arthritis of the elbow. Most series have used categoric elbow scoring systems to evaluate the outcome of this procedure. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the outcome of UHA with patient-derived functional and general health status outcome instruments. We evaluated 17 patients (18 elbows) with primary degenerative arthritis of the elbow at a mean of 85 months after UHA. The mean age at the time of surgery was 42 years (range, 26 to 58 years). At the follow-up evaluation, the patients were assessed with a physical examination, outcome assessment tools, and plain radiographs. The mean elbow flexion arc improved by 16° (range, −15° to 60°; P = .012), and the mean forearm rotation arc (supination/pronation) improved by 35° (range, −20° to 90°; P
Large-basis shell model studies of light nuclei with a multivalued G-matrix effective interaction.

Large-basis shell model studies of low-lying excitations in light nuclei from $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ to $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ have been performed with a multivalued G-matrix effective interaction, as recently suggested by Haxton et al. Calculations were performed relative to the vacuum (``no core'') using very large, separable model spaces containing all excitations with unperturbed energies up to 8\ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\Omega}. Using G matrices derived from a new Nijmegen potential, we achieve a very satisfactory description of these excitations.
Learning to rank results in relational keyword search

Keyword search within databases has become a hot topic within the research community as databases store increasing amounts of information. Users require an effective method to retrieve information from these databases without learning complex query languages (viz. SQL). Despite the recent research interest, performance and search effectiveness have not received equal attention, and scoring functions in particular have become increasingly complex while providing only modest benefits with regards to the quality of search results. An analysis of the factors appearing in existing scoring functions suggests that some factors previously deemed critical to search effectiveness are at best loosely correlated with relevance. We consider a number of these different scoring factors and use machine learning to create a new scoring function that provides significantly better results than existing approaches. We simplify our scoring function by systematically removing the factors with the lowest weight and show that this version still outperforms the previous state-of-the-art in this area.
Developing Ethical Standards for Responsible Research: Why? Form? Functions? Process? Outcomes?

Any profession that is considering the development of ethical standards should give serious attention to the intended purposes of such standards, what form they should take, what functions they will serve, how the process for developing them should be organized, what outcomes are sought, and what values are central to the mission and performance of the profession. The profession serves as a normative reference group for individual practitioners and through ethical standards clarifies, for both its members and outsiders, the norms that ought to govern professional behavior. Such standards may be aspirational, educational, or regulatory, and may perform many functions, nine of which are discussed. The process of developing standards is assessed because of the role it plays in gaining consensus on professional values and ethical norms. Finally, several outcomes likely to increase the value and utility of ethical standards are identified.
Selective initial state criteria to enhance convergance rate of Q-Learning algotithm in power system stability application

In this paper, a modified Q-Learning algorithm is proposed to enhance the convergence speed of the conventional algorithm to reach a near optimal policy. This is achieved by using selective initial state criteria (SISC) instead of choosing initial state randomly in each episode. The proposed method is implemented to control power system stabilizers to enhance power system stability. The validity of modified Q-Learning has been tested on a 2 area, 4 machines power system.
Intracellular Acidification Reversibly Reduces Endocytosis at the Neuromuscular Junction

The close spatial and temporal coupling of endocytosis and exocytosis in nerve terminals has made it difficult to elucidate the mechanisms and the regulation of endocytosis per se. Despite significant advances in our knowledge of the molecules involved in endocytosis, it has not yet been possible to selectively manipulate endocytosis in nerve terminals. We report that the substitution of propionate for chloride in the saline bathing a lizard neuromuscular junction reduces internal pH and reversibly blocks activity-dependent endocytosis. When intraterminal pH is reduced by ∼0.7 pH units, the uptake of FM1-43 in nerve terminals, but not activity-dependent destaining, is reduced. Normalization of intracellular pH by removing the propionate, raising extracellular pH, or adding ammonium chloride immediately restores FM1-43 uptake. Electron microscopy indicates that intracellular acidification reversibly reduces activity-dependent endocytosis in nerve terminals, because depolarization in propionate saline leads to a depletion of vesicles and the appearance of large intramembraneous infoldings.
Who learns what from the new human-computer interaction: enlarging the perspective

A new human-computer interaction (HCI) in which narrow-form interaction with devices more seamlessly serves broader-form interaction among people and organizations, especially over the Web, marks an important phase of the information revolution of recent decades. Four forms of broad computer-mediated interaction are identified: informational, cooperational, transactional, and social. Who learns what from the new HCI varies significantly across forms. In addition to the parties to the interactions, third parties that facilitate them learn too, amplifying the overall process. The perspective of the new HCI provides a promising foundation for guiding and potentially uniting future information systems research.
Model of Nitrogen Source Allocations and Transformations Using Stable Nitrogen Isotopes

Stream restoration for water quality and nutrient management relies on effective assessment methods that measure the before-and-after improvement of water quality, or lack thereof, from implementation. We present a water quality and nutrient modeling tool for potential use in such applications. The model is applicable to low-gradient streams and watersheds with agricultural and urban land use such as those found in the Ohio River Basin, which tend to have relatively high DIN inputs to the stream channel and a need for water quality restoration. The model is unique in that it makes use of nitrogen stable isotopes for constraining the nutrient budget; and we model rates of nutrient removal by the streambed associated with restorative measures. A mass balance nutrient model that simulates the nitrogen cycle, e.g. uptake rates, nitrification, denitrification and ammonification, is coupled with a nitrogen isotope mass balance model, and associated Rayleigh fractionations, for transported sediments and streamwater DIN. We formulate and then apply the model for the South Elkhorn Creek, a stream in Kentucky, USA impacted by both urban and agriculture land-uses, which has undergone restoration in recent years. The stable nitrogen isotopic signature of sediment (δ 15 NSed) was measured to verify the model. Preliminary results of the study highlight that the fate of the benthic sediments dominate the isotopic signature with δ 15 NSed being highly dependent on the streamwater DIN isotopic signature (δ 15 NDIN) and fractionation associated with uptake and denitrification processes. Preliminary sensitivity analysis shows that the isotopic signature is extremely sensitive to uptake and denitrification rates highlighting its effectiveness to assess if nitrogen is being fully removed from the stream system. Model estimates show that the system efficiently removed ammonium from the streamwater during all seasons. The model advancement of coupling the isotope fate model with the un-mixing model provides a potentially powerful tool to constrain the nitrogen budget for watersheds with comparable characteristics. However, testing is needed in restoration projects, which are part of our on-going research.
Gerontology Found Me Gaining Understanding of Advanced Practice Nurses in Geriatrics

Examining the meanings of the experiences of advanced practice nurses (APNs) who chose to work with older adults and why they continue to work with this population was the focus of this hermeneutic qualitative research study. Twelve geriatric APNs currently practicing in two South Central states were interviewed using an open-ended interview guide. Using Gadamerian hermeneutics, the researchers identified Gerontology Found Me as the significant expression that reflected the fundamental meaning of the experience as a whole. Four themes emerged that further described the meanings of the participants' personal, educational, and professional experiences: Becoming a Gerontology Nurse, Being a Gerontology Nurse, Belonging to Gerontology, and Bringing Others to Gerontology. This study concluded that APNs' personal and professional experiences were more influential than educational experiences to become geriatric nurses, and having these personal and professional experiences of being in relationship with older individuals further contributed to their choice of gerontology.
Optimal efficiency controller for synchronous reluctance flywheel drive

This paper presents an approach to achieve optimal efficiency over a range of power and rotational speed for a synchronous reluctance motor/alternator drive, to be used in a flywheel energy storage system. Synchronous reluctance machines have distinct advantages over permanent magnet machines in flywheel applications with respect to cost and reliability. A stator-flux-oriented torque control scheme is used to control the motor/alternator. For a given speed and torque, power losses in the machine are a function of only the stator flux magnitude. The optimal flux value can then be found using a one-dimensional optimization algorithm, such as the method of sequential quadratic interpolations. Optimal flux values for the machine are determined using an experimental setup that accurately determines losses in the motor/drive system. This work is part of a broader project at the University of California at Berkeley to develop flywheel energy storage systems. In particular, high-speed synchronous reluctance machines have been designed and built for flywheel applications. Experimental results obtained from the test setup show the validity of the controller and the optimization algorithm.
The Composition and Market Qualities of Butter when Corn Silage is Fed with Cottonseed Meal

Summary The results of the experiment reported in this paper may be summarized as follows: 1.The feeding of 3 to 5 pounds of cottonseed meal with a liberal ration of corn silage caused just as pronounced an oily flavor and as much increased hardness in the butter as when the same quantities of cottonseed meal were fed with hay alone. In neither case, however, were the market qualities of the butter impaired sufficiently to detract from its market value. 2.The use of corn silage as roughage tended to counteract the increased heat resistance of butter which accompanies the feeding of cottonseed meal. 3.The feeding of cottonseed meal materially retarded the rate of deterioration of butter kept at 8 to 12°C. This effect was secured when the cottonseed meal was fed with corn silage as well as when it was fed with hay. 4.The liberal use of corn silage in a ration counteracted all the effects which 5 pounds of cottonseed meal usually exerts upon the chemical constants of butter fat in that the addition of the cottonseed meal to a ration containing a liberal amount of corn silage was without effect upon the fat constants. A slight increase in melting point, however, accompanied the feeding of the cottonseed meal.
Improving server application performance via pure TCP ACK receive optimization

Network stack performance is critical to server scalability and user-perceived application experience. Perpacket overhead is a major bottleneck in scaling network I/O. While much effort is expended on reducing perpacket overhead for data-carrying packets, small control packets such as pure TCP ACKs have received relatively scarce attention. In this paper, we show that ACK receive processing can consume up to 20% cycles in server applications. We propose a simple kernel-level optimization which reduces this overhead through fewer memory allocations and a simplified code path. Using this technique, we demonstrate cycles savings of 15% in a Web application, and 33% throughput improvement in reliable multicast.
Preliminary analysis of microsatellite markers derived from sugarcane expressed sequence tags (ESTs)

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in the sugarcane (Saccharum spp) database (SUCEST) were electronically searched and 402 microsatellites identified. Various dinucleotide and trinucleotide simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs were found, with these being more frequently observed in ESTs obtained from flower cDNA libraries. PCR primers were designed for 20 of these SSRs and were tested on eight sugarcane genotypes, the sequences of these primers and a list of known sugarcane genes containing SSR motifs being presented in this paper. Polymorphisms were evident both at the cultivar level and between Saccharum species. These results show that EST-derived SSRs in Saccharum species are useful because they are polymorphic and transferable. The large number of microsatellites that will eventually be available from the SUCEST database (containing 295,000 submitted reads) will have many potential applications in linkage mapping and the planning of crosses.
Robust adaptive controller for triaxial angular velocity sensor

This paper presents a new sliding mode adaptive controller for MEMS triaxial angular sensors device that is able to detect rotation in three orthogonal axes, using a single vibrating mass. An adaptive sliding mode controller with proportional and integral sliding surface is developed and the stability of the closed-loop system can be guaranteed with the proposed adaptive sliding mode control strategy. The proposed adaptive sliding mode controller updates estimates of all stiffness error, damping and input rotation parameters in real time, removing the need for any offline calibration stages. To enable all unknown parameter estimates to converge to their true values, the necessary model trajectory is shown to be a three-dimensional Lissajous pattern. The numerical simulation for MEMS gyroscope triaxial angular sensor is investigated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive sliding mode control scheme.
Pterin Pigments Amplify Iridescent Ultraviolet Signal in Males of the Orange Sulphur Butterfly, Colias Eurytheme

Animal colouration is typically the product of nanostructures that reflect or scatter light and pigments that absorb it. The interplay between these colour-producing mechanisms may influence the efficacy and potential information content of colour signals, but this notion has received little empirical attention. Wing scales in the male orange sulphur butterfly (Colias eurytheme) possess ridges with lamellae that produce a brilliant iridescent ultraviolet (UV) reflectance via thin-film interference. Curiously, these same scales contain pterin pigments that strongly absorb wavelengths below 550 nm. Given that male UV reflectance functions as a sexual signal in C. eurytheme, it is paradoxical that pigments in the wing scales are highly UV absorbing. We present spectrophotometric analyses of the wings before and after pterin removal that show that pterins both depress the amplitude of UV iridescence and suppress a diffuse UV reflectance that emanates from the scales. This latter effect enhances the directionality and spectral purity of the iridescence, and increases the signal's chromaticity and potential signal content. Our findings also suggest that pterins amplify the contrast between iridescent UV reflectance and scale background colour as a male's wings move during flight.
Optimizing the detection of bidirectional block across the flutter isthmus for patients with typical isthmus-dependent atrial flutter

The purpose of this study was to show that multipolar electrographic recordings along the subeustachian isthmus (SI) can better differentiate slow conduction from complete isthmus block after atrial flutter ablation, leading to a lower incidence of recurrent atrial flutter (Afl). Despite the presence of various techniques to identify bidirectional conduction block (BDB) after isthmus ablation for typical Afl, several studies, including a report from a national registry, suggest that radiofrequency ablation is still associated with a 15% recurrence rate. Thus, techniques that can distinguish slow conduction from complete isthmus block have the potential for reducing long-term recurrences. We evaluated patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation for typical isthmus-dependent Afl. Patients were separated into 2 groups. Group A underwent assessment of BDB with conventional methods. In group B, BDB was assessed by placing a multipolar catheter along the floor of the SI, pacing adjacent to the line of radiofrequency application, and assessing electrographic activation on either side. One hundred thirty-one cases of Afl ablation were analyzed (86 in group A, 45 in group B). Over a mean follow-up period of 17 months, recurrence rates of Afl were 16.5% in group A and 4.3% in group B (p = 0.043). Thus, assessment of BDB by placement of a multipolar catheter across the SI after ablation of typical Afl is associated with a significant reduction in long-term recurrence of Afl.
MRI appearance of mesenchymal tumors of the uterus.

Abstract Purpose Uterine leiomyomas are the most common uterine neoplasms. Statistically, a uterine mass with unusual imaging features is more likely to represent a leiomyoma than other uncommon uterine mesenchymal neoplasms such as leiomyosarcoma or endometrial stromal tumors. Several prior studies have attempted to identify objective imaging characteristics that differentiate these entities. The purpose of this study was to test these criteria on our patient population. Methods and materials This retrospective study was approved by the institutional Human Investigations Committee and was performed in compliance with HIPAA regulations. Four patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma, two with stromal tumors of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP), one with endometrial stromal sarcoma, and two with mixed endometrial stromal and smooth muscle tumors were included in the study. Seventeen additional control cases of leiomyomas were selected as controls. Cases were blindly evaluated by two experienced readers. Objective criteria included T1 and T2 signal characteristics, enhancement pattern, the presence of cystic changes, and ill defined margins. Subjective criteria included individual reader gestalt. All cases had pathologic correlation. Results None of the objective criteria were associated with the presence or absence of uterine mesenchymal neoplasm. Ill defined margins came closest to having statistical significance (p = 0.06). Reader gestalt was statistically associated with the presence of mesenchymal neoplasm for one of our readers (p = 0.02) but not for the other (p = 0.07). Conclusion We found poor accuracy for objective imaging criteria in distinguishing leiomyomas with atypical imaging features from more clinically significant uterine mesenchymal neoplasms.