cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automated calculation of point A coordinates for CT-based high-dose-rate brachytherapy of cervical cancer

PURPOSE The goal is to develop a stand-alone application, which automatically and consistently computes the coordinates of the dose calculation point recommended by the American Brachytherapy Society (i.e., point A) based solely on the implanted applicator geometry for cervical cancer brachytherapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS The application calculates point A coordinates from the source dwell geometries in the computed tomography (CT) scans, and outputs the 3D coordinates in the left and right directions. The algorithm was tested on 34 CT scans of 7 patients treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy using tandem and ovoid applicators. A single experienced user retrospectively and manually inserted point A into each CT scan, whose coordinates were used as the "gold standard" for all comparisons. The gold standard was subtracted from the automatically calculated points, a second manual placement by the same experienced user, and the clinically used point coordinates inserted by multiple planners. Coordinate differences and corresponding variances were compared using nonparametric tests. RESULTS Automatically calculated, manually placed, and clinically used points agree with the gold standard to < 1 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, respectively. When compared to the gold standard, the average and standard deviation of the 3D coordinate differences were 0.35 ± 0.14 mm from automatically calculated points, 0.38 ± 0.21 mm from the second manual placement, and 0.71 ± 0.44 mm from the clinically used point coordinates. Both the mean and standard deviations of the 3D coordinate differences were statistically significantly different from the gold standard, when point A was placed by multiple users (p < 0.05) but not when placed repeatedly by a single user or when calculated automatically. There were no statistical differences in doses, which agree to within 1-2% on average for all three groups. CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrates that the automated algorithm calculates point A coordinates consistently, while reducing inter-user variability. Point placement using the algorithm expedites the planning process and minimizes associated potential human errors.
A review of Agent Orange and its associated oncologic risk of genitourinary cancers

Agent Orange is an herbicide sprayed widely in Vietnam that is linked to a variety of malignancies in as early as 1991.Since then, there has been concern for, and subsequent interest in studying, the potential connection between Agent Orange and other malignancies. In the past 2 decades, there have been significant changes in the opinion of the National Academy of Science regarding Agent Orange and certain genitourinary malignancies. Herein, we review the literature regarding the potential link between Agent Orange and various urological cancers, including prostate, bladder, testicular, and renal cancers.
Core Column Prediction for Alignments

In a computed multiple sequence alignment, the coreness of a column is the fraction of its substitutions that are in so-called core columns of the unknown reference alignment of the sequences, where the core columns of the reference alignment are those that are reliably correct. In the absence of knowing the reference alignment, the coreness of a column can only be estimated. This chapter describes the first method for estimating column coreness for protein multiple sequence alignments.
The Construction and Comparison of Finite Difference Analogs of Some Finite Element Schemes

0. Summary. Three subjects are considered in this paper. First, the notion of the resolving power of approximation methods, i.e. the number of intervals (or function values) per wavelength necessary to attain a preassigned error when approximating a given frequency, permits the evaluation of the relative efficiency of three types of spatial differencing used in setting up differential-difference equations for the 1-periodic parabolic problem ut = uxx. The three types of high-order spatial schemes considered are (explicit) centered differencing, the super-convergent smooth spline-Galerkin schemes discovered by Thomee, and the very high-order implicit schemes (Mehrstellenverfahren) which generalize Numerov's method. Seven time discretizations are introduced, namely Euler, backward-Euler, duFort-Frankel, 2nd order explicit, trapezoidal, Calahan-Zlamal, and 4th order Pade. The computational work necessary to solve each full discretization is minimized, for given error requirements, by balancing the number of intervals per wavelength against the number of time intervals per eth-life. The resulting data is used to compare the relative efficiency of these finite element and finite difference methods. Secondly, some corresponding results for the hyperbolic problem ut = ux are briefly reviewed. Finally, as Numerov-trapezoidal differencing turns out to be almost optimal for the heat equation, a tridiagonal implicit difference formula which extends Numerov differencing to the general 2nd order linear differential operator in one space dimension is presented. The technique used in deriving this scheme inspires certain difference analogs of some finite element schemes. It also leads to a curious modification of the diamond difference scheme for ut = ux. This “alternating kite” scheme has O(Δ2 + Δx3) truncation error with no more computational work than the diamond scheme itself.
Physically Variable Compliance in Running

This paper explores the role and utility of variable compliance in running behaviors. While it is well understood in the literature that leg compliance plays an important role in running locomotion, our conjecture is that mechanically adjustable leg compliance improves the efficiency and robustness of a running system. We claim that variable compliance can serve as an effective means for gait regulation, and can enable energy efficient locomotion over a wide range of terrains and speeds. We draw inspiration from a number of observations in biomechanics, and use qualitative arguments and a simulation of our variable compliance actuator to support the underlying ideas.
Meteorology, Dynamic (Troposphere)

Dynamic Meteorology investigates the motion of the atmosphere and the physical laws that govern that motion. The goals of dynamic meteorology are twofold: to understand the various types and patterns of atmospheric motion and to provide a basis for quantitative prediction of atmospheric phenomena. Various approximations are formulated and applied, based on observed phenomena. Throughout the article, the emphasis is on large-scale dynamics, focusing on the lowest 85% of the atmosphere (the troposphere) in which the temperature decreases with height nearly everywhere.
Torsina Immunoreactivity in Normal and Dyti Brain

A mutation of the DYT1 gene, which codes for torsinA, has been identified as the cause of one form of autosomal-dominantly inherited dystonia. We used a recently-developed polyclonal antibody to examine torsinA immunohistochemistry in the brain of a patient with generalised DYT1 dystonia and in several cases of non-DYT1 dystonia. We found no evidence of alterations of torsinA immunoreactivity at thse light microscopic level, specifically no cytoplasmic aggregations nor co-localisation of torsinA immunoreactivity with a marker for endoplasmic reticulum. These findings contrast with results of recent cell culture studies of torsinA. Electron microscopic examination of patus monkey brain immunolabelled for torsinA confirmed the presence of torsinA in the neuronal nucleus, in nerve terminals and also in axons. TorsinA may play a universal role throughout the brain, with the DYT1 mutation interfering with the function of a specific subset of neurons, which is not reflected in alterations in immunohistochemistry at the light microscope level.
Quantitative prediction of the aged state of Ni-base superalloys using PCA and tensor regression

Abstract The microstructure of Ni-base superalloy components evolves and degrades during the operation of gas turbines. Since the remaining life depends on the degradation, it is highly desirable to have a quantitative descriptor of the aged state of the microstructure that can be linked to the operating conditions. In this paper, data analytics algorithms are used to develop such relationships. High-throughput aging experiments were performed to generate a dataset comprising multiple aged microstructure images. The digital images of the γ/γ′ phase are used as an indicator of the aged state and statistically evaluated using 2-point spatial correlation functions. To reduce the high-dimensional structural information so that a quantitative linkage can be made between aging conditions and the aged state, two algorithms were considered. The first algorithm involves two steps, first using conventional principal component analysis (PCA) to provide a lower dimension descriptor of the microstructure and then regression analysis to generate the linkage. The second algorithm, called tensor regression (TR), is a novel algorithm that merges the dimensionality reduction and model construction step into a single step. The output of the TR model is directly the statistical descriptors of the microstructure rather than the PC scores, thereby reducing the amount of information loss. Even though PCA provides an effective tool for visualization and classification of data, the model built based on the TR algorithm is shown to have stronger prediction capability.
Taxonomic diversity, origin, and conservation status of Bermuda killifishes (Fundulus) based on mitochondrial cytochrome b phylogenies

Sequence variation in the mitochondrialCytochrome b (Cytb) gene was assayed infour of six extant Bermuda killifishpopulations, representing two endemic species,to test taxonomic and phylogenetic hypothesesand reconstruct colonization history. Twodivergent (4.6%) haplotypes were detected; oneis identical to the Georgia 2c haplotype ofF. heteroclitus and is fixed in threeeastern populations: Lover's Lake (F.relictus), Mangrove Lake (F. bermudae),and Walsingham Pond. The second is fixed andrestricted to a western population, Evan'sPond. Likelihood and parsimony cytochrome btrees recognize a Bermuda Fundulus / F. heteroclitus clade in which the Evan's Pondhaplotype is basal. Phylogenies and haplotypedivergence indicate at least two Bermudacolonizations, the more recent involvingtransfer of the Georgia 2c haplotype. Enforcing Bermuda killifish monophyly, aspredicted from a single colonization event,does not increase tree length significantly;i.e., the trees also are consistent with asingle colonization. However, divergencebetween the Evan's Pond haplotype and the F. bermudae / F. relictus / Georgia 2chaplotype (4.6%) far exceeds the maximumdivergence among all F. heteroclitus,F. bermudae, and F. heteroclitushaplotypes (1.2%) and argues for independentcolonizations. Alternatively, recentintroduction of F. heteroclitus couldaccount for occurrence of the GA2c haplotype inBermuda but does not explain the presence ofthe genetically divergent Evans' Pondhaplotype. Cytb sequences areuninformative of the taxonomic status ofBermuda endemics, F. bermudae and F.relictus, but support recognition of theEvan's Pond population as an evolutionarilysignificant unit within the F. heteroclitus group.
Primary and Secondary Prevention of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal of malignancies with 5-year survival of only 8%. A number of reasons account for the high fatality rate including few known modifiable risk factors, no effective screening tools, and lack of early diagnostic symptoms. Therefore, in this review, we aim to summarize existing evidence from major studies concerning (1) risk factors for risk assessment and risk stratification, and (2) screening modalities and early detection markers to better understand the ways to prevent pancreatic cancer or identify it at earlier stages. Improvements in primary and secondary prevention of pancreatic cancer are critical to reduce the morbidity and mortality of this deadly disease. We searched the published literature and identified studies of pancreatic cancer risk published prior to September 30, 2018, with an emphasis on manuscripts publicized during the last 5–10 years. Known and suspected risk factors include familial and genetic risk, smoking, obesity, alcohol, poor diet including sugary sweetened beverages, diabetes, and periodontal disease. Recent advances have identified potential early detection markers (e.g., ctDNA, circulating cancer cells, metabolites, and miRNA). Currently, pancreatic cancer has few known and suspected risk factors, and risk assessment tools have limited utility given their modest discriminatory power. Although emerging evidence suggests blood-based biomarkers may be useful as early detection markers, findings need to be confirmed in prospective studies. Due to the rarity of disease, future studies should consider a two-tiered approach in which risk assessment is used to identify high-risk individuals for screening, and then effective imaging and biomarkers in pathways known to affect pancreatic cancer risk are employed; these combination approaches may reduce false positives and mortality compared with just risk assessment or screening alone.
Seismic Performance of a New Connection Detail in an SDCL Steel Bridge System

AbstractThe simple for dead load and continuous for live load (SDCL) steel bridge system has proven to be economical for nonseismic application. Although the system has been used in different metho...
Commanding Military Power : Organizing for Victory and Defeat on the Battlefield

Commanding Military Power offers a new explanation of why some armed forces are stronger than others. Ryan Grauer advances a 'command structure theory' which combines insights from organization theory, international relations, and security studies literatures to provide a unique perspective on military power. Specifically, armed forces organized to facilitate swift and accurate perception of and response to battlefield developments will cope better with war's inherent uncertainty, use resources effectively, and, quite often, win. Case studies of battles from the Russo-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War and Korean War, based on new archival research, underscore the argument, showing that even smaller and materially weaker militaries can fight effectively against and defeat larger and better endowed adversaries when they are organizationally prepared to manage uncertainty. That organization often matters more than numbers and specific tools of war has crucial implications for both contemporary and future thinking about and efforts to improve martial strength.
Martensitic twin boundary migration as a source of irreversible slip in shape memory alloys

Abstract The mechanistic origin of fatigue in Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) is addressed using atomistic simulations. A causal explanation is proposed for the known agreement between the fatigue-activated slip system and the martensitic twinning system. As a model system, the Type II twin boundary (TB) in NiTi B19′ martensite phase is analyzed. TEM-based models have established the presence of disconnections on the TB. Topological models establish the TB migration to depend on the motion of twinning partials on these disconnections. A disconnection is setup within a Molecular Statics (MS) framework. A twinning partial is positioned on it by enforcing continuum displacement fields external to a prescribed core of atoms which is subsequently relaxed under governance of the interatomic potential. The displacement fields are calculated from the anisotropic Eshelby-Stroh formalism and enforced in a non-Cauchy-Born adherent manner to obtain the right core structulre. TB migration is simulated as a motion of this disconnection under applied load. In the presence of a barrier to this motion, a dislocation reaction occurs where a stacking fault emits at the TB while returning a residual negated partial. The emissary fault partial is proposed as a precursor to the resulting slip observed in reverse-transformed austenite.
Examining Rural Environmental Injustice: An Analysis of Ruralness, Class, Race, and Gender On the Presence of Landfills Across the United States

Landfills are linked to major forms of environmental harms, such as water contamination, production of greenhouse gases, and accumulation of toxins in human and natural systems. The presence of hazardous waste landfills has been shown to be co-located in rural communities, particularly in poor communities of color. This analysis examines the key relationships between the presence of 93% of all landfills other than hazardous—construction and demolotion (C&D), industrial, and municipal—and social inequality, a question as yet unexamined in the academic literature. Analyzing secondary data compiled into a unique dataset, the author examines associations among ruralness, race, class, gender, disaster occurrences, and the presence of a non-hazardous waste landfill across the 48 contiguous United States. Findings suggest that similar to research on hazardous waste landfills, nonhazardous waste landfills are more likely to occur in counties with higher percentages of poverty and people of color. Furthermore, using the USDA RuralUrban Continuum, more urban areas have a ten times greater likelihood of hosting a hazardous waste landfill compared to the most rural areas. Results further indicate that counties with a greater percentage of single female-headed households in poverty have greater odds that a landfill will be present. Findings indicate the importance of investigating multiple landfill types. Keywords: amenity migration, community making, rural community development
A note about ‘on replenishment schedule for deteriorating items with time-proportional demand’

In the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model for exponentially deteriorating items, the inventory deterioration rate is proportional to the inventory level, which leads to an exponentially decreasing...
The Marginalization of State Crime in Introductory Textbooks on Criminology

This article reviews how introductory textbooks on criminology, geared toward the American market, have disproportionately ignored the subject matter of state crime. The authors present both qualit...
Assessment of quinone outside inhibitor sensitivity and frogeye leaf spot race of Cercospora sojina in Georgia soybean

Frogeye leaf spot (FLS), caused by the fungal pathogen Cercospora sojina K. Hara, is a foliar disease of soybean (Glycine max L. [Merr.]) responsible for yield reductions throughout the major soybe...
HER2 testing in breast cancers: comparison of assays and interpretation using ASCO/CAP 2013 and 2018 guidelines

HER2 overexpression and gene amplification are routinely tested by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), respectively. In addition, HER2 mRNA expression is also tested by the Oncotype DX assay. Discordance between laboratories among the different assays remains a problem. To improve the routine HER2 reporting, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) updated their guidelines in 2018. Our study will compare concordance of HER2 status by IHC and FISH using ASCO/CAP 2013 and 2018 guidelines with Oncotype DX. We retrospectively reviewed 657 estrogen receptor positive primary breast cancer cases with available Oncotype DX tests between 2011 and 2018. Medical records were reviewed for HER2 results by IHC, FISH, and Oncotype DX. The HER2 results by different assays and between 2013 and 2018 guidelines were compared. Of the 657 cases, 280 were tested by IHC, FISH, and Oncotype DX. HER2-equivocal cases by IHC 2013 guidelines were all negative (67/67, 100%) by FISH 2018 guidelines and by Oncotype DX. HER2-equivocal cases by FISH 2013 guidelines were all negative (16/16, 100%) by FISH 2018 guidelines, while 15/16 (93.8%) negative and 1/16 (6.2%) equivocal by Oncotype DX. The HER2-equivocal and HER2-negative groups were similar in age, gender, histology, grade, and Ki67 score. HER2 concordance was highest between Oncotype DX (99.6%) and FISH per 2018 guidelines. This suggests that the ASCO/CAP 2018 guidelines improved the accurate stratification of HER2-equivocal cases.
Hyper-Management: Neoliberal Expansions of Purpose and Leadership:

Recent decades have witnessed a discursive expansion of calls for abstract and charismatic management beyond the systematic administration of concrete settings—hyper-management. A first dimension o...
The Challenge of Climate Change Adaptation: Learning from National Planning Efforts in Britain, China, and the USA

This article examines projected climate impacts and national planning efforts in three major countries: the USA, UK and China. The three countries are in varying stages of planning for climate adaptation. Planning frameworks in all three countries suffer from a lack of spe- cificity and urgency. To address this situation, the article recommends two measures. The first is the use of scenario planning, including consideration of high-impact scenarios, to address the downside risks of climate change. Planning in the UK has begun to make use of scenario analysis, although in a less comprehensive manner, while the USA had an earlier experiment in the use of the worst-case scen- ario as a planning tool. The second recommendation is to identify and prioritise impacts on vulnerable populations such as the elderly, the poor and coastal communities. This recommendation has roots in the US planning proposals, but also resonates with international human rights law.
We made the road for walking and now we must run: Paulo Freire, the Black Radical Tradition, and the inroads to make beyond racial capitalism

This essay places Paulo Freire in dialogue with a Black Radical Tradition (BRT) in three distinct yet interrelated ways. First, the paper situates the significance of Cedric’s Robinson’s articulati...
Brain MRI findings in COVID-19 patients with PRES: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Numerous case reports and case series have described brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with concurrent posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). Purpose We aim to compile and analyze brain MRI findings in patients with COVID-19 disease and PRES. Methods PubMed and Embase were searched on April 5th, 2021 using the terms “COVID-19”, “PRES”, “SARS-CoV-2” for peer-reviewed publications describing brain MRI findings in patients 21 years of age or older with evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and PRES. Results Twenty manuscripts were included in the analysis, which included descriptions of 30 patients. The average age was 57 years old. Twenty-four patients (80%) required mechanical ventilation. On brain MRI examinations, 15 (50%) and 7 (23%) of patients exhibited superimposed foci of hemorrhage and restricted diffusion respectively. Conclusions PRES is a potential neurological complication of COVID-19 related disease. COVID-19 patients with PRES may exhibit similar to mildly greater rates of superimposed hemorrhage compared to non-COVID-19 PRES patients.
Passive non-participation versus strategic defection in a collective risk social dilemma

Empirical evidence suggests that non-participation underlies a variety of social dilemmas. In collective risk social dilemmas (CRSD), non-participation is viewed as strategic defection—a selfish behavior that increases individual utility at the cost of the group. We conducted a hybrid laboratory-then-online experiment to examine if non-participation in a CRSD may be fundamentally different from the act of strategic defection. We confirmed that non-participation is a problem in a social dilemma. When participation is required, a randomly formed group of subjects was virtually certain to reach the loss prevention threshold (0.999 probability). On the other hand, when an empirically realistic non-participation option was introduced, the probability of reaching the goal by a randomly formed group decreased to 0.599. We also found evidence that the profile of a typical non-participant does not fit the profile of a strategic defector. Non-participants in the experiment were highly cooperative when they had to m...
The Ah Locus: A Review

The Ah locus was first described as a difference among inbred strains of mice when challenged with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Schmid et al (1) noted that when 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene was applied to the skin of C57BL/6J they developed skin ulceration, while AKR/J did not. Nebert et al (2) noted that intraperitoneal administration of 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) induced hepatic cytochrome P-450IA1 and the associated monooxygenase activity—aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) in C57BL/6 mice but not in DBA/2 mice. In crosses and backcrosses between these strains, the trait of aromatic hydrocarbon responsiveness (hence the Ah locus) is inherited in a simple autosomal dominant mode.
The Role of Leisure Participation in Prison: A Report from Consumers.

The role of sport in prison life is examined using questionnaire data from a survey of 1770 inmates of a state prison system. These inmates were asked questions concerning the extent of participati...
Results of explosively-driven isentropic compression experiments (HEPP-ICE)

Summary form only given. Using the Los Alamos high explosive pulsed power (HEPP) system, isentropic equation of state (EOS) data may be obtained for a wide range of materials. Current pulses with risetimes of /spl sim/500 ns and current densities exceeding 400 MA/m, create continuous magnetic loading of samples at megabar pressures. We will summarize the technique and the problems that had to be overcome to perform the HEPP-ICE experiments at these pressures. We will then present our EOS results obtained with the conventional Lagrangian analysis and the Hayes' "Backward" integration method, and compare the data with the published principal isentrope of OFHC copper.
Health Care Reform and the Special Needs of Children

Health care reform may well address many of the needs of children and adolescents, offering greater emphasis on prevention and providing insurance to the large number of US children currently uninsured. Yet key public health and community health service programs essential to the well being of children and adolescents have gained little attention in the current national health care reform debates. Most discussions focus on insurance and cost containment and fail to address other systemic barriers to health care. Insurance alone will not solve the health problems faced by children and adolescents. SPECIAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS Addressing the health risks that children and adolescents face requires combining public and private efforts and community-oriented and personal care services.
Radiative forcing caused by rocket engine emissions

Space transportation plays an important and growing role in Earth's economic system. Rockets uniquely emit gases and particles directly into the middle and upper atmosphere where exhaust from hundreds of launches accumulates, changing atmospheric radiation patterns. The instantaneous radiative forcing (RF) caused by major rocket engine emissions CO2, H2O, black carbon (BC), and Al2O3 (alumina) is estimated. Rocket CO2 and H2O emissions do not produce significant RF. BC and alumina emissions, under some scenarios, have the potential to produce significant RF. Absorption of solar flux by BC is likely the main RF source from rocket launches. In a new finding, alumina particles, previously thought to cool the Earth by scattering solar flux back to space, absorb outgoing terrestrial longwave radiation, resulting in net positive RF. With the caveat that BC and alumina microphysics are poorly constrained, we find that the present-day RF from rocket launches equals 16 ± 8 mW m−2. The relative contributions from BC, alumina, and H2O are 70%, 28%, and 2%. respectively. The pace of rocket launches is predicted to grow and space transport RF could become comparable to global aviation RF in coming decades. Improved understanding of rocket emission RF requires more sophisticated modeling and improved data describing particle microphysics.
Topological Vector Spaces

Vector spaces will be considered as vector spaces over ℂ unless something else is specified. The symbols Hom(X, Y) resp. Sur(X, Y) will be reserved for sets of continuous homomorphisms resp. surjective homomor-phisms; End(X) is the set of continuous endomorphisms and Aut(E) is the set of continuous automorphisms (bijective and bicontinuous endomorphisms).
On aggregation of max-product transitive valued binary relations

An aggregation procedure assigns a group preference to each finite family of individual preferences. It is usually required that the group preference satisfy some general conditions. One of the most commonly accepted conditions is the Pareto property. A special class of individual preferences represented by valued binary relations on the relevant finite set of alternatives is considered. Two extreme cases of valued binary relations satisfying the Pareto property in the class of all max-product transitive valued binary relations are completely characterized by their properties. >
System Size Dependence of Azimuthal Correlations in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions

Systematic comparisons of jet pair correlations obtained in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=$200 GeV are presented. The measured jet-pair distributions for both systems, show strong modification of the away-side jet. For the same number of participating nucleons, the modification does not show a strong dependence on the collision system. It is suggested that such comparisons can provide important constraints for models which predict specific path length dependent jet modification effects.
Job embeddedness: a concept analysis.

Purpose The current study examines the concept of job embeddedness (JE) and the implications for nurse retention. Source The published literature and model cases use the method developed by Walker and Avant. Conclusions The concept of JE and its relationship to nurse retention demonstrates recognition of the importance of community factors as well as organizational factors in the role of nurse retention.
Operations Research for Freight Train Routing and Scheduling

This article describes the service design activities that plan and implement the rail freight operating plan. Elements of strategic service design include the setting of train frequency, the routing of cars among trains, and the consolidation of cars, called blocking. At the operational level, trains are dispatched either according to train paths configured in advance, called timetables, or according to priority rules. We describe the North American and European practice along with selected modeling and problem solving methodologies appropriate for each of the operating conditions described. Keywords: freight railways; scheduling; timetabling; routing
Stochastic reactive transport in porous media: higher-order closures

Abstract An Eulerian moment expansion through σvN (σv2 is the velocity variance) is developed for reactive chemical transport in heterogeneous porous media with linear non-equilibrium sorption. Both the hydraulic conductivity and sorption partition coefficients are treated as spatial random variables to account for physical and chemical heterogeneities. The theory provides a self-consistent recursive solution to the closure problem associated with Eulerian methods. The closed form of the mean concentration up to O(σv4) (or second order in terms of σv2) is explicitly expressed in spatial-Fourier and temporal-Laplace space and numerically inverted to real space via FFT. The second-order transport solution is combined with a first-order solution to the flow equation and used to calculate the mean concentration as well as the spatial moments. The calculated second-order and first-order results are compared with Monte Carlo simulated results. The results demonstrate that the first-order solution is equivalent to a non-local reactive transport theory. The second-order correction to the reactive transport solution slightly decreases the second longitudinal moment, but significantly increases the second transverse moment and decreases the skewness of the plume. The comparison among the first-order, second-order and Monte Carlo simulated results also reveals that the Monte Carlo simulated second longitudinal moment is closer to the second-order corrected longitudinal moment, but the Monte Carlo simulated second transverse moment is much closer to the first-order solution. Moreover, the second-order correction significantly increases the fourth moments, especially in the transverse direction.
The Role of Imams in American Muslim Health: Perspectives of Muslim Community Leaders in Southeast Michigan

American Muslims are a diverse and growing population, numbering nearly 200,000 in Southeast Michigan. Little empirical work exists on the influence of Islam upon the healthcare behaviors of American Muslims, and there is to date limited research on the roles that imams, Muslim religious leaders, play in the health of this community. Utilizing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model through collaboration with four key community organizations, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 community leaders and explored their perceptions about the roles imams play in community health. Respondents identified four central roles for imams in healthcare: (1) encouraging healthy behaviors through scripture-based messages in sermons; (2) performing religious rituals around life events and illnesses; (3) advocating for Muslim patients and delivering cultural sensitivity training in hospitals; and (4) assisting in healthcare decisions for Muslims. Our analysis also suggests several challenges for imams stemming from medical uncertainty and ethical conflicts. Imams play key roles in framing concepts of health and disease and encouraging healthy lifestyles outside of the healthcare system, as well as advocating for Muslim patient needs and aiding in healthcare decisions within the hospital. Healthcare partnerships with these religious leaders and their institutions may be an important means to enhance the health of American Muslims.
A quantitative analysis of the spatial organization of the vestibulo-ocular reflexes in lateral- and frontal-eyed animals--II. Neuronal networks underlying vestibulo-oculomotor coordination.

Abstract The neuronal connectivity underlying the vestibulo-ocular reflexes in cat and rabbit was evaluated in the light of quantitative data of the spatial orientation on semicircular canals and extraocular muscles. Neuronal connectivity was calculated using a matrix-analysis of the sensory and motor periphery. and of the brain stem pathways connecting semicircular canals and extraocular muscles. Two cases of vestibulo-ocular reflex compensation were considered. In the first case, vestibulo-oculor reflex compensation was assumed to he isotropic, i.e. the vestibulo-ocular reflex gain is the same for all directions of rotation. In the second case, the vestibulo-oculor reflex gain was assumed to he anisotropic with the “torsional” gain smaller than the “horizontal” and “vertical” gains. The theoretical calculation predicts that besides the principal vestibulo-ocular reflex pathways (classical three-neuron-arc connectivity). several accessory connections (other than principal connections, regardless of the synapses involved) exist which are characteristic for each species. These accessory connections were compared to physiological and anatomical data. In the cat theoretical connections for an isotropic vestibulo-ocular reflex gain agree with pathways observed experimentally, of which the most characteristic are excitatory connections to the superior rectus and inhibitory connections to the inferior rectus muscle from both of the anterior canals, and a mirror image pattern of connections from the posterior canals. In the rabbit experimentally obtained data and calculated connections rarely agree. However, for an anisotropic gain we lind a higher rate of coincidence between experimental and theoretical connections. Our evaluation indicates, that accessory vestibulo-ocular reflex pathways serve to compensate for the incongruence between semicircular canal and extraocular muscle planes, at least in the cat. Available experimental data suggest an important role of a special subclass of accessory pathways via axon collaterals of principal projections (three-neuron-arc nature). With certain restrictions, the presented method of calculation promises to he a useful tool for a quantitative analysis of the vestibulo-ocular reflex.
Improving Peptide Identification Sensitivity in Shotgun Proteomics by Stratification of Search Space

Because of its high specificity, trypsin is the enzyme of choice in shotgun proteomics. Nonetheless, several publications do report the identification of semitryptic and nontryptic peptides. Many of these peptides are thought to be signaling peptides or to have formed during sample preparation. It is known that only a small fraction of tandem mass spectra from a trypsin-digested protein mixture can be confidently matched to tryptic peptides. If other possibilities such as post-translational modifications and single-amino acid polymorphisms are ignored, this suggests that many unidentified spectra originate from semitryptic and nontryptic peptides. To include them in database searches, however, may not improve overall peptide identification because of the possible sensitivity reduction from search space expansion. To circumvent this issue for E-value-based search methods, we have designed a scheme that categorizes qualified peptides (i.e., peptides whose differences in molecular weight from the parent ion ...
Reactions of coordinated propargyl and allene ligands in cyclopentadienyliron dicarbonyl complexes

Abstract Reactions of η5-C5H5Fe(CO)2CH2CCR (R  CH3, C6H5, and CH2Fe(CO)2(η5-C5H5)) with HBF4 in acetic anhydride yield [η5-C5H5Fe(CO)2(η2CH2CCHR)]+BF−4. The resultant cationic iron-η2-allene complexes react with a wide range of nucleophiles (Nu) to give the following types of behavior: (a) addition of Nu to carbon-1 of the η2-allene fragment (with NaBH4, (C2H5)2NH, and P(C6H5)3, inter alia), (b) addition of Nu to carbon-2 of the η2-allene fragment (with NaOCH3), (c) addition of Nu to the carbonyl carbon (with NaOC2H5), (d) deprotonation of the iron-η2-allene cation to the parent propargylic complex (with N(C2H5)3), and (e) nonselective reactions to yield a mixture of products (with CH3Li). Of these, the most common is behavior (a); together with the protonation of η5-C5H5Fe(CO)2CH2CCR it stimulates the two-step (3 + 2) cycloaddition reactions between electrophilic molecules and these iron-propargyl complexes.
Ureterosigmoidostomy Associated Signet Ring Colon Cancer Presenting as Hip Pain

Purpose We present a case of a young male with a history of ureterosigmoidostomy who presented with hip pain, the subsequent workup of which revealed metastatic bone lesions from a primary sigmoid signet ring cell adenocarcinoma.
Evaluation of two soybean meals fed to yellow perch (Perca flavescens)

Aquaculture of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) has been increasing, yet there have been few nutritional studies and no evaluations of alternative protein sources in diets. Solvent-extracted, dehulled soybean meal (SBM) and expelled-extruded soybean meal (exSBM) were fed to yellow perch to evaluate their effectiveness in replacing dietary fish meal (FM) in isonitrogenous practical feed formulations. Both soy ingredients were incorporated in graded amounts from 100 to 730 g kg−1 of the diet. Feed consumption, weight gain, feed efficiency (FE) and survival were significantly affected by type of soy ingredient, concentration and the interaction of the two main effects. Consumption was significantly lower in fish fed diets containing 400, 600 and 730 g kg−1 compared to fish fed diets containing lower concentrations. Weight gain was significantly lower in fish fed diets containing 600 g kg−1 and FE significantly lower in fish fed diets containing 500 g kg−1 compared to fish fed the control diet or lower concentrations of soy ingredients. Most fatty acid concentrations were affected by feeding exSBM compared to fish fed the control diet, but long chain fatty acids remained at relatively high concentrations. Based on feed consumption, weight gain and FE data, yellow perch are able to effectively utilize both soy ingredients in practical diets. A conservative recommendation of 300 g kg−1 diet appears appropriate for growout diets.
Comparison of Propagator Decomposition in Seismic Imaging by Wavelets, Wavelet-Packets, and Local Harmonics

Kirchhoff migration operator is a highly oscillatory integral operator. In our primary work (Wu and Yang, 1997), it has been shown that the matrix representation of Kirchhoff migration operator for homogeneous background in space-frequency domain is a dense matrix, while the compressed operator in beamlet-frequency domain, which is the wavelet decomposition of the Kirchhoff migration operator, is a highly sparse matrix. Using the compressed matrix for imaging (beamlet migration), we can retain the wide effective aperture of a full-aperture operator, and hence achieve higher resolution and image quality with reduced computational cost. However, as well known, wavelets work best for zero-frequency stationary signals. But, for the Kirchhoff migration operator, it is both space-varying in the near-field region and high-frequency stationary in the far-field zone. Therefore, wavelets are not very efficient for this kind of operator. In this research, we first summarize the results of maximum sparsity adapted wavelet-packet transform (MSAWPT) for the decomposition and compression of Kirchhoff migrator (Wang and Wu, 1998), and then further study the decomposition and compression of Kirchhoff migration operator by local harmonics (i.e., local cosines/sines). It was found in (Wang and Wu, 1998) that the MSAWPT can generate a more efficient representation for the imaging operator than the standard discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and the compression capability of MSAWPT is much greater than that of DWT. In this paper, we also observed that for low frequency operator, the compression capability of uniform local cosine bases is equivalent to that of standard wavelets and is weaker than that of adapted wavelet-packets; while, for high frequency operator, uniform local cosine bases are more powerful than both the standard wavelets and adapted wavelet-packets. Furthermore, for local cosine transform, a good parameter setting (i.e., type and smoothness of the bell function, edge extension, overlapping radius, folding style, and window size) can generate a higher compression ratio.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diagnosis and Management of Diffuse Lung Disease in Children

Diffuse lung disease [DLD] in children comprises a group of heterogeneous, rare disorders. Despite the rarity of these diseases there has been a considerable increase in our knowledge of DLD in children including their diagnosis and management. Diagnosis of these diseases requires a detailed history and physical examination, diagnostic imaging, pulmonary function testing, selected and directed laboratory testing, bronchoalveolar lavage and in most cases an open lung biopsy. Once a diagnosis is made, treatment is centred on supportive care including nutritional and supplemental oxygen therapy when needed. Medications including corticosteroids and other immunomodulatory medications are often used. Lung transplantation has been used for final treatment in some cases of DLD. Formation of research collaborations will continue to further our understanding of these diseases.
Testing Of Trapezoidal Integration With Damping For The Solution Of Power Transient Problems

A variation of trapezoidal integration (called trapezoidal integration with damping) for the solution of dynamic equations is described and tested. This method has several advantages over ordinary trapezoidal integration for the simulation of transients in power systems. The method is compared to ordinary trapezoidal integration, backward Euler and Gear 2nd order. The comparison is based upon local truncation error and upon performance of each method as a differentiator. The method is tested using a transmission line model response to a voltage step function, and the response of a HYDC converter with its controllers. Trapezoidal integration with damping is free from numerical problems, even when used as a differentiator; it provides a ready means for obtaining the "average behavior" of a simulator; it is fully compatible with trapezoidal; and it is very accurate.
COMPRESSIBLE 1D EULER EQUATIONS WITH LARGE DATA: A CASE STUDY

Consider 1D flow of a compressible, ideal, and polytropic gas on a bounded interval in Lagrangian variables. We study the Cauchy problem when the initial data consist of four constant states that yield two contact waves bounding an interval of lower density, together with an admissible shock between them. To render the solution tractable for direct calculations, we also impose absorbing boundary conditions, at fixed locations (in Lagrangian coordinates) to the left and to the right of the two contacts. By estimating the wave strengths in shock–contact interactions, we show that the resulting flow is defined for all times. In particular, the pressure, density, particle velocities, and shock speeds are all uniformly bounded in time. We also record a scaling invariance of the system and comment on its relevance to large data solutions of the Euler system.
Renal cyst pseudoenhancement at 16- and 64-dector row MDCT.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the presence of renal cyst pseudoenhancement at 16- and 64-row multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in patients. Methods MDCT images from 90 patients with renal cysts >1 cm in diameter ( n =122) were retrospectively analyzed for the presence and predictors of cyst pseudoenhancement. Results Fifty-three percent of cysts 1–2 cm demonstrated pseudoenhancement (ranged from 11 to 35 HU). Cyst pseudoenhancement was more pronounced when imaged with 64-row CTs compared to 16-row CT. Cyst size, postcontrast renal parenchymal density, and number of scanner detector rows were independent predictors of pseudoenhancement. Conclusion Pseudoenhancement occurs most frequently in patients with renal cysts