cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can pretreatment computed tomography findings predict local control in T3 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx treated with radiotherapy alone

Abstract Purpose: To determine if pretreatment computed tomography findings can predict local control in T3 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx treated with radiotherapy alone. Methods and Materials: Twenty-nine patients with previously untreated T3 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx were treated for cure with radiotherapy alone; all had a minimum 2-year follow-up. High-quality pretreatment computed tomography scans were retrospectively reviewed by a single head and neck radiologist for tumor involvement of various anatomic subsites within the larynx, and total tumor volumes were calculated for 18 of the most recent patients using a computer digitizer. A tumor score was calculated and assigned to each primary lesion depending on the extent of laryngeal spread. Results: A significant decrease in the local control rate was observed for cancers involving the face of the arytenoid (11 of 20 [55%] vs. 9 of 9 [100%]; p = .02), or the paraglottic space at the false vocal cord level (7 of 16 [44%] vs. 13 of 13 [100%]; p ≠ p = .01). Total tumor volume also significantly correlated with the rate of tumor control. For tumors measuring 3.5 cm 3 or less, local control was achieved in 11 of 12 patients (92%), whereas for tumors greater than 3.5 cm 3 , local control was achieved in 2 of 6 patients (33%) ( p = .02). Conclusion: Pretreatment computed tomography scans can contribute significantly to the treatment decision for patients with T3 glottic carcinoma and can define a subset of patients with an excellent chance of being cured with preservation of a functional larynx after treatment with radiotherapy alone.
Modeling large regions in proteins: applications to loops, termini, and folding.

Template-based methods for predicting protein structure provide models for a significant portion of the protein but often contain insertions or chain ends (InsEnds) of indeterminate conformation. The local structure prediction ''problem'' entails modeling the InsEnds onto the rest of the protein. A well-known limit involves predicting loops of � 12 residues in crystal structures. However, InsEnds may contain as many as ~50 amino acids, and the template-based model of the protein itself may be imperfect. To address these challenges, we present a free modeling method for predicting the local structure of loops and large InsEnds in both crystal structures and template- based models. The approach uses single amino acid torsional angle ''pivot'' moves of the protein backbone with a Cb level representation. Nevertheless, our accuracy for loops is comparable to existing methods. We also apply a more stringent test, the blind structure prediction and refinement categories of the CASP9 tournament, where we improve the quality of several homology based models by modeling InsEnds as long as 45 amino acids, sizes generally inaccessible to existing loop prediction methods. Our approach ranks as one of the best in the CASP9 refinement category that involves improving template-based models so that they can function as molecular replacement models to solve the phase problem for crystallographic structure determination.
Initial investigations into joint source/channel video coding for nonstationary channels with adaptable residual vector quantization

An adaptable joint source/channel coding system based on residual vector quantization (RVQ) is being developed for channels with nonstationary noise characteristics. The system consists of a residual vector quantizer that uses different numbers of stages for different input vectors. The variable rate RVQ used in this adaptable system is designed with a new design process. This design process generates, in general, different encoder and decoder codebooks. The encoder codebooks provide computationally efficient sequential search tree structures, and the decoder codebooks satisfy conditions necessary for joint optimality. >
Levels of Logic in a Problem

Chapters 3, 4 & 5 are devoted to illustrate the process of PROBLEM DEFINITION AND FORMULATION Chapter 3 -- LEVELS OF LOGIC IN A PROBLEM--covers the process of inquiry to examine how the meaning and significance of PROBLEMS change with logic level and how decisions become metadecisions CHAPTER 4--COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS. A HIERARCHY FOR KNOWLEDGE AND MEANING ACQUISITION--describes how decision makers use cognitive functions to enhance the understanding and meaning of problems they confront Chapter 5 -- THE USE OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS TO DEFINE AND FORMULATE A PROBLEM--covers the process of inquiry to examine how the meaning and significance of PROBLEMS change with the application of various cognitive functions. This process is illustrated with sample cases
THE MARXIAN MACRO‐ECONOMIC MODEL: EXTENSION FROM TWO DEPARTMENTS

SUMMARY In its aggregative aspects, the Marxian System involves two sectors or departments. Department I produces capital goods while Department II produces consumer goods (plus capital instruments specialized to their production). Some subsequent writers, following Bortkiewicz, have added a third department producing luxuries particularly metallic money. The writer has previously shown that the two-sector Marxian model is transformable into a balanced Walrasian general-equilibrium one, with a few functional relations interpreted as implicit in Marx, and a number of other relations treated as technically given, after the fashion of modern ‘linear economics’. In the present essay, the argument is generalized to the case where the two departments are further subdivided into n and m sectors respectively. The main substantive change turns out to be the addition of many more structural constants, which are taken as technically given. The second part of the essay returns to the two-department level of aggregation and develops a diagrammatic representation of Marxian dynamics. Some Marxian writers stress the falling rate of profit, others the tendency toward overproduction, as the primary force for capitalist stagnation or breakdown. This presentation is among the minority which seeks to combine the two in a ‘dilemma’ model.
An agent-based simulation of extirpation of Ceratitis capitata applied to invasions in California.

We present an agent-based simulation (ABS) of Ceratitis capitata (“Medfly”) developed for estimating the time to extirpation of this pest in areas where quarantines and eradication treatments were immediately imposed. We use the ABS, implemented in the program MED-FOES, to study seven different outbreaks that occurred in Southern California from 2008 to 2010. Results are compared with the length of intervention and quarantine imposed by the State, based on a linear developmental model (thermal unit accumulation, or “degree-day”). MED-FOES is a useful tool for invasive species managers as it incorporates more information from the known biology of the Medfly, and includes the important feature of being demographically explicit, providing significant improvements over simple degree-day calculations. While there was general agreement between the length of quarantine by degree-day and the time to extirpation indicated by MED-FOES, the ABS suggests that the margin of safety varies among cases and that in two cases the quarantine may have been excessively long. We also examined changes in the number of individuals over time in MED-FOES and conducted a sensitivity analysis for one of the outbreaks to explore the role of various input parameters on simulation outcomes. While our implementation of the ABS in this work is motivated by C. capitata and takes extirpation as a postulate, the simulation is very flexible and can be used to study a variety of questions on the invasion biology of pest insects and methods proposed to manage or eradicate such species.
AUDIT INTO THE APPROPRIATENESS OF AGE RELATED DOSE BANDED PARACETAMOL FOR DISCHARGE

Aim To audit whether dose banded paracetamol provides adequate clinical dosing in light of increases in average age based weights of children. Method All patients discharged with paracetamol over a two week period were included in the study. The standard is to discharge all patients requiring paracetamol suspension with ‘as per bottle’ recommendations as these follow MHRA approved dose banding.1 Those requiring tablets receive a dose of 15 mg/kg rounded to the nearest half a tablet up to a maximum of 1 g per dose. The aim is for all patients to receive therapeutic dosing. Therapeutic dosing was defined as a dose of 40 mg–75 mg/kg/day, based on regular use of BNFc recommended doses of 10–20 mg/kg/dose2 with a revision of the maximum daily dose to 75 mg/kg/day due to toxic thresholds for chronic administration.2 3 As a secondary measure patients were assessed against a total daily dose of below 150 mg/kg/day which Toxbase defines as may cause serious toxicity.3 Results Within two weeks 104 patients were supplied paracetamol, 98 patients received suspension and six tablets. All patients discharged on tablets received therapeutic dosing. 83% (81/98) of patients discharged on paracetamol suspension received therapeutic dosing with dose banding, 11% (11/98) received 75 mg/kg/day. No patients received a dose which would be associated with a risk of severe toxicity (>150 mg/kg/day). Of the patients who received a dose greater than 75 mg/kg/day all these fell into the 6 months 2 year category and 75% of patients between 3–6 months received sub-therapeutic doses. Conclusion Dose banding analgesia ‘as per the bottle’ provides convenient and consistent dosing advice for patients and carers but does not always provide accurate enough dosing for patients leaving hospital. Some patients receiving dose banded paracetamol may have received little benefit from therapy and a number of patients would have triggered a referral to hospital with possible paracetamol toxicity, the risk of which increases with prolonged courses. Patients particularly at risk of non-optimal dosing were those below two years old and between six and 12 years. We would strongly recommend a large outcome study to see if theory and practice are in line with each other, as converting to mg/kg dosing brings its own risks into practice.
FDA Approval Summary: Temsirolimus as Treatment for Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

This report summarizes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s approval of temsirolimus (Torisel®), on May 30, 2007, for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Information provided includes regulatory history, study design, study results, and literature review. A multicenter, three-arm, randomized, open-label study was conducted in previously untreated patients with poor-prognosis, advanced RCC. The study objectives were to compare overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate, and safety in patients receiving interferon (IFN)-α versus those receiving temsirolimus alone or in combination with IFN-α. In the second planned interim analysis of the intent-to-treat population (n = 626), there was a statistically significant longer OS time in the temsirolimus (25 mg) arm than in the IFN-α arm (median, 10.9 months versus 7.3 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; p = .0078). The combination of temsirolimus (15 mg) and IFN-α did not lead to a significant difference in OS compared with IFN-α alone. There was also a statistically significant longer PFS time for the temsirolimus (25 mg) arm than for the IFN-α arm (median, 5.5 months versus 3.1 months; HR, 0.66, p = .0001). Common adverse reactions reported in patients receiving temsirolimus were rash, asthenia, and mucositis. Common laboratory abnormalities were anemia, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. Serious but rare cases of interstitial lung disease, bowel perforation, and acute renal failure were observed. Temsirolimus has demonstrated superiority in terms of OS and PFS over IFN-α and provides an additional treatment option for patients with advanced RCC.
Implementation of ASK-OFDM Exploiting the Property of Symmetry

A method to implement OFDM using amplitude shift keying (ASK) for subcarrier modulation is presented in this paper. Because ASK is used, the signal of each symbol in the time domain is conjugate-symmetric. This property is exploited such that only half of the numbers of each symbol sequence are transmitted. The generated baseband signal can be a complex or a real signal. ASK-OFDM has similar bandwidth efficiency and the same error rate performance in an AWGN channel as in a QAM-OFDM. Compared with QAM-OFDM, ASK-OFDM provides a method of distributing signal energy more evenly in the frequency band. In other words, ASK-OFDM signal possesses better frequency diversity than QAM-OFDM signal.
The NASA high energy solar physics (HESP) mission for the next solar maximum

Abstract The NASA High Energy Solar Physics (HESP) mission offers the opportunity for major breakthroughs in our understanding of the fundamental energy release and particle acceleration processes at the core of the solar flare problem. HESP's primary strawman instrument, the High Energy Imaging Spectrometer (HEISPEC), will provide X-ray and γ-ray imaging spectroscopy, i.e., high-resolution spectroscopy at each spatial point in the image. It has the following unique capabilities; (1) high-resolution (∼keV) spectroscopy from 2 keV - 20 MeV to resolve flare gamma-ray lines and sharp features in the continuum; (2) hard X-ray imaging with 2″ angular resolution and tens of millisecond temporal resolution, commensurate with the travel and stopping distances and times for the accelerated electrons; (3) gamma-ray imaging with 4″–8″ resolution with the capability of imaging in specific lines or continuum regions; (4) moderate resolution imaging of energetic (20 MeV to ∼1 GeV) gamma-rays and neutrons. Additional strawman instruments include a Bragg crystal spectrometer for diagnostic information and a soft X-ray/XUV/UV imager to map the flare coronal magnetic field and plasma structure. The HESP mission also includes extensive ground-based observational and supporting theory programs. Presently HESP is planned for a FY 1995 new start and late 1999 launch, in time for the next solar activity maximum.
Humanitarianism Sacrificed: Integration's False Promise

In recent years, there have been concerted efforts to ensure that the different components of the international response to crisis-affected countries, whether conducted under the banner of the United Nations or not, are integrated in pursuit of a stated goal of comprehensive, durable, and just resolution of conflict. This includes a drive to purposefully make humanitarian assistance to victims, one of the principal forms of outside involvement in crisis situations, supportive of the “international community's” political ambition. The implication of the coherence agenda is that meeting lifesaving needs is too limited in scope, and that the principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independence that have typically characterized humanitarian action should be set aside in order to harness aid to the “higher” goals of peace, security, and development.
Impacts of precipitation variability on plant species and community water stress in a temperate deciduous forest in the central US

Abstract Variations in precipitation regimes can shift ecosystem structure and function by altering frequency, severity and timing of plant water stress. There is a need for predictively understanding impacts of precipitation regimes on plant water stress in relation to species water use strategies. Here we first formulated two complementary, physiologically-linked measures of precipitation variability (PV)—Precipitation Variability Index (PVI) and Average Recurrence Interval of Effective Precipitation (ARIEP). We then used nine-year continuous measurements of Predawn Leaf Water Potential Integral (PLWPI) in a central US forest to relate PVI and ARIEP to actual plant water availability and comparative water stress responses of six species with different capacities to regulate their internal water status. We found that PVI and ARIEP explained nearly all inter-annual variations in PLWPI for all species as well as for the community scaled from species measurements. The six species investigated showed differential sensitivities to variations in precipitation regimes. Their sensitivities were reflected more in the responses to PVI and ARIEP than to the mean precipitation rate. Further, they exhibited tradeoffs between responses to low and high PV. Finally, PVI and ARIEP were closely correlated with temporal integrals of positive temperature anomalies and vapor pressure deficit. We suggest that the comparative responses of plant species to PV are part of species-specific water use strategies in a plant community facing the uncertainty of fluctuating precipitation regimes. PVI and ARIEP should be adopted as key indices to quantify physiological drought and the ecological impacts of precipitation regimes in a changing climate.
Which Aspects of Social Support Are Associated With Which Cognitive Abilities for Which People

Objectives To assess the relations between 11 aspects of social support and five cognitive abilities (vocabulary, reasoning, spatial visualization, memory, and speed of processing) and to determine whether these relations between social support and cognition are moderated by age or sex. Method A sample of 2,613 individuals between the ages of 18 and 99 years completed a battery of cognitive tests and a questionnaire assessing aspects of social support. A measure of general intelligence was computed using principal components analysis. Multiple regressions were used to evaluate whether each aspect of support and/or its interactions with age or sex predicted each cognitive ability and g. Results Several aspects of social support were significantly related to all five cognitive abilities and to g. When g was included as a predictor, there were few relations with specific cognitive abilities. Age and sex did not moderate any of the relations. Discussion These results suggest that contact with family and friends, emotional and informational support, anticipated support, and negative interactions are related to cognition, whereas satisfaction with and tangible support were not. In addition, these aspects of support were primarily related to g, with the exception of family contact. Social support- cognition relations are comparable across the life span and the sexes.
The Rcs regulon in Proteus mirabilis : implications for motility, biofilm formation, and virulence

The overall role of the Rcs phosphorelay in Proteus mirabilis is largely unknown. Previous work had demonstrated that the Rcs phosphorelay represses the flhDC operon and activates the minCDE cell division inhibition system. To identify additional cellular functions regulated by the Rcs phosphorelay, an analysis of RNA-seq data was undertaken. In this report, the results of the RNA-sequencing are discussed with an emphasis on the predicted roles of the Rcs phosphorelay in swarmer cell differentiation, motility, biofilm formation, and virulence. RcsB is shown to activate genes important for differentiation and fimbriae formation, while repressing the expression of genes important for motility and virulence. Additionally, to follow up on the RNA-Seq data, we demonstrate that an rcsB mutant is deficient in its ability to form biofilm and exhibits enhanced virulence in a Galleria mellonella waxworm model. Overall, these results indicate the Rcs regulon in P. mirabilis extends beyond flagellar genes to include those involved in biofilm formation and virulence. Furthermore, the information presented in this study may provide clues to additional roles of the Rcs phosphorelay in other members of the Enterobacteriaceae.
294. Antirefluxplastik durch hintere Semiantroplicatio bei der oberen Magenresektion (Kardiaresektion)

Nach erfolgter oberer Magenresektion wird im medialen Anteil der Vorderwand des zweireihig verschlossenen aboralen Magenanteiles eine termino-laterale Oesophagogastrostomie angelegt. Der laterale obere Anteil des Magenstumpfes wird hinter den Magen bzw. Oesophagus geschlagen und vernaht. Dadurch wird eine Stufenbildung mit Luftkissen zwischen terminalem Oesophagus und Magenanteil erzeugt, die einem gastroesophagealen Reflux vorbeugt. Seit 197711 Operationen. Eine Refluxoesophagitis wurde weder klinisch, rontgenologisch noch bioptisch nachgewiesen.
A Quantitative Analysis of Woodpecker Drumming

The drumming patterns of 11 species of California woodpeckers were analyzed to determine if this long-distance signal is species-specific. Analyses for differences in the drum signal by sex, region, and playback initiation was performed on 5 of the 11 species. Nuttall's Woodpecker (Picoides nuttallii), White-headed Woodpecker (P. albolarvatus), Downy Woodpecker (P. pubescens), and Hairy Woodpecker (P. villosus) showed no significant difference in the drum signal for the above categories. Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus) showed a significant difference in region and sex. Species discrimination showed signal overlap between Nuttall's and White-headed Woodpeckers, and between Hairy and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers (P. scalaris), and also between Northern Flicker and Hairy, Nuttall's, and White-headed Woodpeckers. Signal analysis of only syntopic species decreased misclassification and posterior probability error rates indicating syntopic, but not allotopic, signal specificity. Stepwise discrimination indicated cadence as the predominant variable for separation of species. Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers were not reciprocally misclassified, nor were Nuttall's and Ladder-backed, indicating drumming is a diagnostic indicator between these phenotypically similar species. We hypothesize that modulation of the drum in sapsucker species could minimize signal equivocation between syntopic woodpecker species with a matching introductory cadence. Signal equivocation between Northern Flickers and syntopic species is postulated as a possible selective pressure favoring the diagnostic long call prevalent in the species, rather than drumming.
Further studies on elastase-like esterases in human leukocyte granules.

Summary1. Human peripheral blood leukocyte granules contain a neutral esterase which hydrolyzes t-BOC-l-alanine p-nitrophenol, a synthetic substrate of elastase. The alanine p-nitrophenyl esterase was identified following isoelectric focusing of granule proteins in acrylamide gel and sucrose density-gradient systems. The enzyme proved highly basic, focusing at pH 9.4 in acrylamide gel and at pH 10.8 in the sucrose gradient.2. At pH 8.0, preparations of human leukocyte granules also actively hydrolyzed N-acetyl-l-alanyl-l-alanyl-l-alanine methyl ester, a second highly specific elastase substrate, releasing 1 mole of acid/mole of substrate. In this reaction, the activity of 10 μg of crude granule extract protein corresponded to that of 1 μg of crystalline pancreatic elastase.3. Products of hydrolysis of both esters; namely, t-BOC-l-alanine and N-acetyl-l-alanyl-l-alanyl-l-alanine, were shown to inhibit the digestion of denatured hemoglobin at neutral pH by granule extract suggesting that part of the neutral...
Evaluation of immune responses against the parasite Ichthyophthirius multifiliis between channel catfish and hybrid catfish

Channel catfish is a dominant aquaculture species in the USA and has been cultured for several decades. Recently, an increasing number of producers are showing an interest in the culture of hybrid catfish (channel catfish × blue catfish) instead of channel catfish due to its performance traits. The hybrid catfish has been reported to exhibit many commercially desirable characteristics, including faster growth, better feed conversion, low oxygen tolerance and resistance to some diseases. Ciliated protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, commonly referred as Ich, is a serious parasite of freshwater fish and causes heavy economic loss in aquaculture. Chemical treatment of Ich infection is difficult after the parasite penetrates into the fish skin and gills. Vaccination against the parasite is an alternative to chemical treatments since fish that survive an Ich infection acquire immunity against reinfection by the parasite. There is limited information available on the immune protection of hybrid catfish against Ich. In this study, we evaluated immune responses and host protection between channel catfish and hybrid catfish using a cohabitation model. Channel catfish and hybrid catfish were put in the same tanks and subjected to the same treatment, including vaccination methods, parasite challenge concentration, infection duration, water quality, and feeding to evaluate fish immune protection against the parasite, whereby all environmental parameters would be consistent due to experimental animals being housed together in the same tank. Anti-Ich antibody levels were measured by immobilization assay and the immunized channel catfish and hybrid catfish showed a significantly higher anti-Ich antibody (titer > 3800) compared to nonimmunized controls (titer 0.05) on anti-Ich antibody titers, parasite infection level and fish survival rate between immunized channel catfish and hybrid catfish. Therefore, these results indicate that hybrid catfish do develop the same strong immune protection against Ich as its parent channel catfish. The results in this study will help fish farmers to select disease resistant fish to minimize the impact of disease on cultured fish.
Patent Institutions: Shifting Interactions Between Legal Actors

This contribution to the Research Handbook on Economics of Intellectual Property Rights (Vol. 1 Theory) addresses interactions between the principal legal institutions of the U.S. patent system. It considers legal, strategic, and normative perspectives on these interactions as they have evolved over the last 35 years. Early centralization of power by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, newly created in 1982, established a regime dominated by the appellate court's bright-line rules. More recently, aggressive Supreme Court and Congressional intervention have respectively reinvigorated patent law standards and led to significant devolution of power to inferior tribunals, including newly created tribunals like the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeals Board. This new era in institutional interaction creates a host of fresh empirical and normative research questions for scholars. The contribution concludes by outlining a research agenda.
I4AA-Sensitive chloride current contributes to the center light responses of bipolar cells in the tiger salamander retina.

Light-evoked currents in depolarizing and hyperpolarizing bipolar cells (DBCs and HBCs) were recorded under voltage-clamp conditions in living retinal slices of the larval tiger salamander. Respons...
Effect of lysine and threonine supplementation of sorghum gestation diets on nitrogen balance and plasma constituents in first-litter gilts.

Fifteen gravid, crossbred gilts were utilized in an experiment to measure the effect of five isonitrogenous dietary treatments (12% crude protein, sorghum-soybean meal; sorghum; sorghum + lysine; sorghum + threonine; sorghum + lysine + threonine) on N balance, colostrum composition and plasma constituents (protein, urea N and IgG). All gilts were fed a standard corn-soybean meal diet from breeding until switched to the sorghum basal diet, on d 60 of gestation. Treatment diets were imposed at d 70. Nitrogen retention, measured between d 103 and 113 of gestation, was improved (P less than .002) by lysine addition. Nitrogen retention was similar (P greater than .10) for gilts fed either the 12% crude protein, sorghum-soybean meal diet or the lysine + threonine-supplemented diet. Plasma protein levels at farrowing were depressed (P less than .06) in those gilts fed sorghum diets without supplemental lysine and plasma urea N was elevated (P less than .10). Plasma protein and plasma urea N were not affected by threonine supplementation (P greater than .10). In contrast, the depression of plasma IgG was ameliorated (P less than .03) by threonine and unaffected by lysine supplementation. These results confirm the hypothesis that lysine is the first limiting amino acid in sorghum protein for gravid gilts as determined by N retention but indicate that threonine is likely the first limiting amino acid for the production of the specific protein, IgG.
Population Structure and Genotype–Phenotype Associations in a Collection of Oat Landraces and Historic Cultivars

Population structure and genetic architecture of phenotypic traits in oat (Avena sativa L.) remain relatively under-researched compared to other small grain species. This study explores the historic context of current elite germplasm, including phenotypic and genetic characterization, with a particular focus on identifying under-utilized areas. A diverse panel of cultivated oat accessions was assembled from the USDA National Small Grains Collection to represent a gene pool relatively unaffected by twentieth century breeding activity and unlikely to have been included in recent molecular studies. The panel was genotyped using an oat iSelect 6K beadchip SNP array. The final dataset included 759 unique individuals and 2,715 polymorphic markers. Some population structure was apparent, with the first three principal components accounting for 38.8% of variation and 73% of individuals belonging to one of three clusters. One cluster with high genetic distinctness appears to have been largely overlooked in twentieth century breeding. Classification and phenotype data provided by the Germplasm Resources Information Network were evaluated for their relationship to population structure. Of the structuring variables evaluated, improvement status (cultivar or landrace) was relatively unimportant, indicating that landraces and cultivars included in the panel were all sampled from a similar underlying population. Instead, lemma color and region of origin showed the strongest explanatory power. An exploratory association mapping study of the panel using a subset of 2,588 mapped markers generated novel indications of genomic regions associated with awn frequency, kernels per spikelet, lemma color, and panicle type. Further results supported previous findings of loci associated with barley yellow dwarf virus tolerance, crown rust (caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) resistance, days to anthesis, and growth habit (winter/spring). In addition, two novel loci were identified for crown rust resistance.
Plant Test Systems for Detection of Chemical Mutagens

In Vol. 2 of this series Ehrenberg(1) reviewed several aspects of chemical mutagenesis in higher plants. He described the reaction of plant cells to numerous chemical mutagens and three of the major plant test systems used for detecting mutations and chromosome aberrations.
The Self-normalized Asymptotic Results for Linear Processes

The linear process is a tool for studying stationary time series. One can have a better understanding of many important time series by studying the corresponding linear processes. The strength of dependence and the tail properties of time series built upon linear processes can be expressed in terms of the linear process itself through the innovations and their weights. In this paper we survey recent developments on some asymptotics of linear processes. These asymptotics include central limit theorem, functional central limit theorem and their self-normalized forms.
The right ventricle: interaction with the pulmonary circulation

The primary role of the right ventricle (RV) is to deliver all the blood it receives per beat into the pulmonary circulation without causing right atrial pressure to rise. To the extent that it also does not impede left ventricular (LV) filling, cardiac output responsiveness to increased metabolic demand is optimized. Since cardiac output is a function of metabolic demand of the body, during stress and exercise states the flow to the RV can vary widely. Also, instantaneous venous return varies widely for a constant cardiac output as ventilatory efforts alter the dynamic pressure gradient for venous return. Normally, blood flow varies with minimal changes in pulmonary arterial pressure. Similarly, RV filling normally occurs with minimal increases in right atrial pressure. When pulmonary vascular reserve is compromised RV ejection may also be compromised, increasing right atrial pressure and limiting maximal cardiac output. Acute increases in RV outflow resistance, as may occur with acute pulmonary embolism, will cause acute RV dilation and, by ventricular interdependence, markedly decreased LV diastolic compliance, rapidly spiraling to acute cardiogenic shock and death. Treatments include reversing the causes of pulmonary hypertension and sustaining mean arterial pressure higher than pulmonary artery pressure to maximal RV coronary blood flow. Chronic pulmonary hypertension induces progressive RV hypertrophy to match RV contractility to the increased pulmonary arterial elastance. Once fully developed, RV hypertrophy is associated with a sustained increase in right atrial pressure, impaired LV filling, and decreased exercise tolerance. Treatment focuses on pharmacologic therapies to selectively reduce pulmonary vasomotor tone and diuretics to minimize excessive RV dilation. Owning to the irreversible nature of most forms of pulmonary hypertension, when the pulmonary arterial elastance greatly exceeds the adaptive increase in RV systolic elastance, due to RV dilation, progressive pulmonary vascular obliteration, or both, end stage cor pulmonale ensues. If associated with cardiogenic shock, it can effectively be treated only by artificial ventricular support or lung transplantation. Knowing how the RV adapts to these stresses, its sign posts, and treatment options will greatly improve the bedside clinician’s ability to diagnose and treat RV dysfunction.
Surgical management of patients with metastatic breast cancer

Metastatic breast cancer can be a difficult problem to manage surgically as the sole mode of treatment. In certain cases, surgical management is the initial treatment of choice, such as sentinel lymph node mapping and nodal dissections for locoregional control. Other situations, such as metastatic breast cancer to solid organs, such as the brain, liver, and lung, are dictated by individual patient characteristics and the overall clinical situation. Clearly, surgery has become a part of the broader management schema in treating patients with metastatic breast cancer, with developing technologies, such as stereotactic radiosurgery, greatly enhancing our ability to treat such patients. Surgery is a single, but important, tool that should be combined with other modes of therapy, such as hormonal therapy and radiation therapy, to optimize treatment strategies and patient outcomes. There remains a fair amount of controversy as to the clinical significance of micrometastatic disease within the lymph nodes and bone marrow, a relevant topic that is actively being examined by clinicians and researchers from around the world. Regardless, the role of surgery for patients with metastatic breast cancer has become a central part of the multidisciplinary care of such patients, with this review providing an overview of the various aspects of surgical management of metastatic disease.
A Revision of the phalangium Species Complex of the Ant Genus Aphaenogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)

ABSTRACT Discriminate analysis and canonical correlation analysis were used to separate the Aphaenogaster phalangium species complex into 5 species of tropical New World ants: A. araneoides Emery, A. brevicollis Forel, A. inermis Forel (=Aphaenogaster araneoides var. nitidiventris new synonymy), Aphaenogaster (Deromyrma) araneoides var. canalis new synonymy), A. mexicana (Pergande) and A. phalangium Emery. This complex is easily recognized as a long necked group of Aphaenogaster found primarily in tropical forests. Aphaenogaster araneoides, distributed from El Salvador to Panama, can be recognized by the relatively elongated neck, lack of erect hairs on the dorsum of the posterior femur, and in that the sculpture of the head is similar to that of the dorsum of the first tergum of the gaster. Aphaenogaster brevicollis, known only from northern Panama, is a robust, relatively large species with a short neck. Aphaenogaster inermis is a smaller species found from Nicaragua south into Colombia, with numerous s...
Design of a 16-bit real time stack processor in FPGA

The basic structure and features of a 16-bit real time stack processor is introduced. The design and implementation method of the 16-bit stack processor is presented in the paper. The behavioral description and state machine description is applied to program design using VHDL. The 16-bit real time stack processor implemented by Spartan-II XC2S200 FPGA chip, and is successfully adopted in frequency spectrum controller system of MRI
Design of a Compact Actuation and Control System for Flexible Medical Robots

Flexible medical robots can improve surgical procedures by decreasing invasiveness and increasing accessibility within the body. Using preoperative images, these robots can be designed to optimize a procedure for a particular patient. To minimize invasiveness and maximize biocompatibility, the actuation units of flexible medical robots should be placed fully outside the patient's body. In this letter, we present a novel, compact, lightweight, modular actuation, and control system for driving a class of these flexible robots, known as concentric tube robots. A key feature of the design is the use of three-dimensional printed waffle gears to enable compact control of two degrees of freedom within each module. We measure the precision and accuracy of a single actuation module and demonstrate the ability of an integrated set of three actuation modules to control six degrees of freedom. The integrated system drives a three-tube concentric tube robot to reach a final tip position that is on average less than 2 mm from a given target. In addition, we show a handheld manifestation of the device and present its potential applications.
Reducing graphene device variability with yttrium sacrificial layers

Graphene technology has made great strides since the material was isolated more than a decade ago. However, despite improvements in growth quality and numerous “hero” devices, challenges of uniformity remain, restricting the large-scale development of graphene-based technologies. Here, we investigate and reduce the variability of graphene transistors by studying the effects of contact metals (with and without a Ti layer), resist, and yttrium (Y) sacrificial layers during the fabrication of hundreds of devices. We find that with optical photolithography, residual resist and process contamination are unavoidable, ultimately limiting the device performance and yield. However, using Y sacrificial layers to isolate the graphene from processing conditions improves the yield (from 73% to 97%), the average device performance (three-fold increase of mobility and 58% lower contact resistance), and the device-to-device variability (standard deviation of Dirac voltage reduced by 20%). In contrast to other sacrificial...
Primary fibroblasts from CSPα mutation carriers recapitulate hallmarks of the adult onset neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis

Mutations in the co- chaperone protein, CSPα, cause an autosomal dominant, adult-neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (AD-ANCL). The current understanding of CSPα function exclusively at the synapse fails to explain the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP) dysfunction in cells from AD-ANCL patients. Here, we demonstrate unexpectedly that primary dermal fibroblasts from pre-symptomatic mutation carriers recapitulate in vitro features found in the brains of AD-ANCL patients including auto-fluorescent storage material (AFSM) accumulation, CSPα aggregates, increased levels of lysosomal proteins and lysosome enzyme activities. AFSM accumulation correlates with CSPα aggregation and both are susceptible to pharmacological modulation of ALP function. In addition, we demonstrate that endogenous CSPα is present in the lysosome-enriched fractions and co-localizes with lysosome markers in soma, neurites and synaptic boutons. Overexpression of CSPα wild-type (WT) decreases lysotracker signal, secreted lysosomal enzymes and SNAP23-mediated lysosome exocytosis. CSPα WT, mutant and aggregated CSPα are degraded mainly by the ALP but this disease-causing mutation exhibits a faster rate of degradation. Co-expression of both WT and mutant CSPα cause a block in the fusion of autophagosomes/lysosomes. Our data suggest that aggregation‐dependent perturbation of ALP function is a relevant pathogenic mechanism for AD-ANCL and supports the use of AFSM or CSPα aggregation as biomarkers for drug screening purposes.
A sequence approach to case outcome detection

We describe a system to detect the outcome of U.S. Federal District Court cases based on PACER electronic dockets. We study the text processing components of the system and develop two model architectures in order to detect the outcome of a case per party (e.g., dismissed by Court or Verdict for Plaintiff). We conclude that modeling cases as a linear-chain graphical model (i.e., Conditional Random Field (CRF)) offers significantly better performance than modeling the case entry-by-entry (i.e., Logistic Regression (LR)). We in particular show that a first-order modeling of the CRF significantly outperforms the factorized model for the CRF architecture.
Ocean container shipping

Abstract Ocean container shipping is the ocean transportation of cargo in a standardized container. Global trade transported in containers increased from 100 million metric tons in 1980 to 1.7 billion metric tons in 2015. This growth is not only attributable to the technology used in container shipping, but also to government investments and international trade policies. Ocean container shipping has resulted in the creation of intermodal transportation and the technically advanced container port. By the mid-1980s, containerships from Asian ports might stop at a US West Coast Port and have its East Coast destined cargo loaded on a double-stack train for transport to the US East Coast as opposed to all-water service via the Panama Canal. Ocean container shipping has revolutionized the ocean transportation of general cargo. By the late 1990s, container shipping lines experienced financial difficulties. The lines responded by investing in larger containerships, undertaking mergers and acquisitions, and forming alliances.
Personal Jurisdiction in a Global World: A Comment on the Supreme Court’s Recent Decisions in Goodyear Dunlop Tires and Nicastro

Last June the Supreme Court decided two momentous personal jurisdiction cases: one, Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operations v. Brown, limited general jurisdiction to its rightful narrow role as a way to establish state court jurisdiction, while the other, J. McIntyre Machinery, Ltd. v. Nicastro, barely staved off a second attempt to narrow “stream of commerce” as a vehicle for jurisdiction. Although both cases made those valuable contributions to doctrine, they both denied a court in the United States to United States citizens who sued foreign defendants for torts, effectively leaving the plaintiffs without remedies for the allegedly negligent acts of the defendants. Goodyear Dunlop Tires involved an accident outside the United States, while Nicastro arose from an injury in New Jersey. With globalization bringing increased international business and travel, there is sure to be a significant increase in injuries suffered by U.S. by citizens as a result of the negligent activities of foreign businesses and a resultant increase in the type of litigation involved in the two new cases. This article critiques both cases and then examines whether non-citizens are protected by constitutional personal jurisdiction rights. Outside the context of personal jurisdiction, the Supreme Court has held since the nineteenth century that the scope of constitutional protections varies depending on two factors: whether a party is a citizen of the United States or a foreign national and whether a non-citizen resides in the United States or abroad. Without any real consideration, the Supreme Court in Goodyear Dunlop Tires and Nicastro applied the same personal jurisdiction law to non-citizen, non-resident defendants as it applies to defendants who are U.S. citizens. This article argues that non-resident, non-citizens defendants are not protected by the constitutional personal jurisdiction law developed in domestic litigation. Freed from constitutional constraints, the Supreme Court has the ability to fashion a new law of personal jurisdiction for foreign defendants better suited for the tort claims of U.S. citizens, taking into account the interests of the U.S. plaintiffs. The article provides a foundation for developing a new law of personal jurisdiction for foreign defendants.
The Release of Acetylcholine and Gaba by Neurons of the Rabbit Retina

It has been known for a decade that the rabbit retina contains neurons that synthesize acetylcholine and neurons that synthesize GABA. Until recently, it was thought that they were separate groups of cells. However, several laboratories have now reported that the cholinergic neurons also contain GABA (Vaney & Young, 1988; Kosaka et al, 1988; Brecha et al, 1988; see also Agardh & Ehinger, 1983). If these cells release both an excitatory and an inhibitory neurotransmitter, sophisticated physiological mechanisms become possible. At the least, one can imagine excitation and inhibition of postsynaptic cells simultaneously resulting from their activation. Before proceeding far with such speculations, however, it seemed worthwhile to ask a simpler question: are the two neurotransmitters released together or separately? One can imagine a situation in which acetylcholine and GABA are released by a single cellular mechanism, in which case they would be secreted exactly in parallel. On the other hand, the two neurotransmitters could quite plausibly be released by different mechanisms, or from different sites within the the cell, so that they respond to different physiological inputs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Risk Assessment Guidelines:

This paper has been reviewed by the Office of Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. In 1983, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (U.S. NAS) proposed a framework for the processes of risk assessment and risk management in government agencies (U.S. NAS, 1983). Using the U.S. NAS scheme as an organizing principle, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) published guidelines pertaining to risk assessment in five areas: estimating exposures, chemical mixtures, mutagenicity, suspect developmental toxicity and carcinogenicity. These guidelines were developed to promote high technical quality and consistent practice of risk assessment Agencywide. This paper will discuss the historical development of the guidelines and their role in the work performed by the Agency. Each of the five (5) guidelines is outlined and anticipated revisions discussed. Related assessment activities and new subject areas are also presented.
Hypothalamus: Anterior Pituitary Gland

Prior to 1940 very few definitive studies were done concerning the effects of narcotic analgesics on endocrine function. In general most of the early reports dealt with either the toxicity of morphine following extirpation or administration of endocrine tissue or morphological changes in endocrine organs after administration of the drug. These data are thoroughly reviewed by Krueger et al.(1)