cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When to combine group judgments and when not to in the analytic hierarchy process: A new method

In paired comparisons, the individuals in a number of groups giving their judgments are examined for agreement among themselves. Statistical methods are applied to see whether these groups are significantly different in giving their judgments or not. When individual judgments are homogeneous, a single matrix is obtained for all of them to obtain a common rank order and weights. Otherwise, separate matrices are estimated for significantly different group judgments. Two numerical examples are given to explain the methodologies developed in the paper.
Effect of Various Oxygenation Conditions and Fluosed-DA on Cytotoxicity and Antitumor Activity of Blemoycin in Mice2

In an attempt to improve the antitumor efficacy of bleomycin, the effects of the oxygen-carrying emulsion Fluosol-DA and increased levels of inspired oxygen were tested in the mouse FSaIIC fibrosarcoma system. The dose-dependent cytotoxicity of bleomycin toward the FSaIIC cells in vitro was significantly decreased under hypoxic conditions, but it increased in a 95% O2-5% CO2 (carbogen) atmosphere as compared with the cytotoxicity of bleomycin in normally oxygenated cells. Investigations on the FSaIIC tumor in vivo also demonstrated that growth delays induced by bleomycin (10 mg/kg ip given on days 6, 10, 13, and 16) were significantly increased when one of the following treatments was given with each bleomycin injection: carbogen breathing for 2 hours (4.7 days), carbogen breathing for 6 hours (5.7 days), and breathing 3 atm of hyperbaric oxygen (6.3 days) versus normal air (3.3 days). When Fluosol-DA (12 mL/kg iv) was administered just before each bleomycin injection, the following growth delays were produced: 4.8 days with air breathing, 14.6 days with carbogen breathing for 2 hours, 14.9 days with carbogen breathing for 6 hours, and 19.7 days with breathing 100% O2 at 3 atm for 1 hour. Excision studies on the FSaIIC tumor also demonstrated that the cytotoxicity increased approximately fivefold when Fluosol-DA and carbogen breathing for 2 hours were combined with a single treatment with 10 mg of bleomycin/kg. In contrast, no measurable bone marrow toxicity was evident with this combined regimen. These results suggest that the use of Fluosol-DA plus carbogen breathing could add substantially to the clinical antitumor effects of bleomycin.
Students' Image of Teachers as Related to Perceived Teaching Effectiveness:

students, the pupils of six student-teachers in classes meeting at the 10 o'clock hour. A teacher-rating scale was also employed to assess students' impressions of the student-teachers' effectiveness. A stepwise mulciple regression analysis was used to test the multivariate relationship between teachers' effectiveness and the three predictor variables. Interpersonal attraction was associated with 42% of the variance in students' evaluations of student-teachers' effectiveness. Although attaining statistical significance, credibility and similarity contributed relatively little to the step-wise model, predicting 5% and 2% of the variance, respectively. The three communication-related variables explained a total variance of 49% in predicting student-teachers' effectiveness as viewed by students. Such results provide confirmation of the importance of communication variables in impression formation. Interpersonal atuacrion, credibility, and similarity apparently operate as subliminal cues in the teacher-evaluation process. Since studies indicate that noncontent stimuli such as these can be manipulated or controlled in any encounter, the findings could be used in teacher-training programs. Data also support continuing research to clarify the exact communication variables in students' perceptions of teachers' effectiveness.
Annular Magnetohydrodynamic Physics for Turbojet Energy Bypass

A methodology is presented to analyze the potential benefits of magnetohydrodynamic energy bypass of a turbojet. The methodology is demonstrated with an analysis of a hypothetical high-flight-Mach-number air-breathing engine. The annular magnetohydrodynamic generator and accelerator ducts that are analyzed rely on nonequilibrium ionization to assess their major design parameters. The analysis is conducted with the one-dimensional, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic equations, which are numerically integrated to determine performance characteristics. The cycle analysis is conducted iteratively with the components of the engine, which include a spike inlet, magnetohydrodynamic generator, standard Brayton cycle turbojet (compressor, combustor, and turbine), and magnetohydrodynamic accelerator. The Mach 7, 30-km-alt flight condition yields an estimated specific thrust (F/m˙a) of 185 N·s/kg at an aggressive 2200 K combustor temperature, where the break-even specific thrust point is at a combustor temperature of...
Neuroprotective strategies targeting apoptotic and necrotic cell death for stroke

It has been a major challenge to develop effective therapeutics for stroke, a leading cause of death and serious debilitation. Intensive research in the past 15 years have implicated many regulators and the related mechanisms by which neuronal cell death is regulated. It is now clear that even a brief ischemic stroke may trigger complex cellular events that lead to both apoptotic and necrotic neuronal cell death in a progressive manner. Although efforts at developing specific chemical inhibitors for validated targets have been successful for in vitro enzymatic assays, the development of some of such inhibitors into human therapy has been often hindered by their in vivo bioavailability profile. Considerations for the ability to chemically target a cellular mechanism in manner compatible with disease targets in vivo might be emphasized early in the development process by putting a priority on identifying key targets that can be effectively targeted chemically. Thorough interrogation of cellular pathways by saturation chemical genetics may provide a novel strategy to identify multiple key molecular entities that can be targeted chemically in order to select a target suitable for the treatment of intended human diseases such as stroke.
Magnetostrictive bending of a cantilevered film-substrate system

Abstract Curvatures produced by magnetization of the film in a system of a magnetic film bonded to a much thicker substrate are calculated for a model of a cantilevered system clamped flat at the clamped end. The curvatures are found by minimizing the total energy of the system, which includes magnetoelastic and elastic energy, with respect to a constant curvature in the length, but a variable curvature in the width that vanishes at the clamped end. Application to a measured system is made and the value of a magnetoelastic coefficient for a clamped system is compared with the value for a free system, when both are calculated from the measured deflections. Criticisms are made of previous erroneous derivations of the curvature of the free system, including one by the author.
Yellow Sugarcane Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) Infestation Duration Effect on Sorghum

Effect of duration of infestation by yellow sugarcane aphid (YSCA), Sipha flava (Forbes), on seedling sorghum was assessed in greenhouse and field trials in 1983 and 1984. Based on percent weekly height increase, small seedling sorghum plants infested when ca. 4 cm tall were stunted but showed some recovery after YSCA were removed after 1 or 2 weeks. Plants infested for 3 weeks were severely affected and never recovered normal growth rates. Plants 8 cm tall when infested and infested for 1, 2, or 3 weeks were less severely stunted than plants 4 cm tall when infested. Plants infested at 21 cm were stunted compared with uninfested plants, but growth rates of infested plants were not affected by infestation duration. In field trials, plant growth and days from planting to 50% flower were more severely affected than yield by increases in YSCA infestation duration.
CO2 laser-induced hot electron effects in n-InSb

Abstract The influence of a 3-μsec wide CO 2 laser pulse on the Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) effect in a 1.4 × 10 15 cm −3 sample of n -InSb has been investigated at a lattice temperature of 1.8 K. During the time the sample is illuminated the SdH amplitudes are found to decrease with increasing laser power. For a peak incident power of about 1 watt, the SdH oscillatory behavior corresponds to that measured at a lattice temperature of 4.6 K for the non-illuminated sample. These results form the first direct and quantitative evidence for electron heating induced by CO 2 laser radiation and permit the evaluation of a phenomenological energy relaxation time.
The category of complete algebraic lattices

Abstract The purpose of this note is to prove the duality of several pairs of categories of complete algebraic lattices, to prove that certain natural categories of join semilattices are equivalent to categories of complete algebraic lattices, and to prove that similar categories of posets are equivalent to categories of distributive complete algebraic lattices whose duals are again algebraic.
Steroid transport, accumulation, and antagonism of P-glycoprotein in multidrug-resistant cells

According to multiple reports, progesterone is not transported by P-glycoprotein (Pgp), which mediates multidrug resistance through active drug efflux. However, progesterone has been shown to block Pgp- mediated efflux of other drugs. To extend these observations and to examine the effect of modulating Pgp phosphorylation, the accumulation of progesterone and 14 other steroids in untreated and calphostin C-treated multidrug-resistant human colon carcinoma SW620 Ad300 cells was compared to the accumulation in parental SW620 cells. However, the accumlation of more hydrophilic steroids was reduced by as much as 50%. Progesterone and progesterone-like compounds, however were potent inhibitors of Pgp-mediated vinblastine efflux; increased antagonism correlated with increased steroid hydrophobicity. Treatment with calphostin C, a PKC inhibitor which decreases Pgp phosphorylation, increased progesterone efflux, modulated Pgp antagonism by steroids, and inhibited photoaffinity labeling of Pgp by progesterone. These results extend previous observations that Pgp can mediate the transport of, and be antagonized by, a variety of steroids and that these properties vary with both steroid's hydrophobicity and the phosphorylated state of Pgp.
Analytical investigation of stick-slip motions in coupled brake-driveline systems

In this paper, we investigate the brake creep-groan problem by formulating the issues in terms of two dynamic sub-systems that are coupled at the friction interface, and thus, experience stick-slip motions. Thorough examination of the nature of discontinuous solutions using numerical methods is a useful prelude to analytical studies. We examine such dynamics through parametric studies for magnitude and rate of brake release, where the vehicle is initially at rest and under low constant drive torque. Dependency on the initial conditions and solution flow before reaching the orbit will thus be illustrated. Four types of motions (one steady sliding and three stick-slip) are found based on extensive studies. Our formulation and analysis should lead to a better understanding of the brake groan phenomenon and systems coupled by interfacial friction.
Pharmacokinetic considerations for the use of newer antifungal agents

Endogenous commensal yeast and saprophytic molds remain important causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Treatment options for patients with serious fungal infections have improved over the past decade with the introduction of a novel class of antifungals that target the fungal cell wall (echinocandins) and a new generation of broader-spectrum triazoles (voriconazole, posaconazole). Although these newer therapies provide a number of important advantages in terms of spectrum and safety, their efficacy in some patients can be compromised by limited penetration into some sites of infection or by variable serum concentrations. Hence, pharmacokinetic considerations have become increasingly important for the effective use of these newer antifungals. This article provides a brief overview of the pharmacology and important pharmacokinetic considerations of systemic antifungal therapies, with special focus on newer triazoles and echinocandins.
The Supreme Court Speaks — Not Assisted Suicide but a Constitutional Right to Palliative Care

The Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that there is no constitutional right to physician-assisted suicide.1,2 Unexpectedly, however, the Court did much more than simply uphold the New York and Wa...
Mobilising corporate resources to disasters: a comparative analysis of major initiatives

As major disasters have had increasing impacts around the world in recent years, corporations have increasingly mobilised resources in support of disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts undertaken by governmental and nongovernmental organisations. But how and why exactly do corporations increasingly mobilise resources to disasters? Organisational researchers continue to lack basic descriptive data as well as theoretical frameworks to respond to these basic questions. This paper responds to this need by presenting descriptive research findings regarding a series of programmes designed to mobilise corporate resources to disasters. We conduct a first-order analysis of these data, and then reflect on the findings in light of existing theories of Corporate Social Performance (CSP), resilience and intangible assets. Based on these reflections, we develop a new theory that frames the mobilisation of corporate resources to disasters as a strategic attempt to develop interdependent resilience as a common intangible asset.
EHD2, EHD3, and EHD4 Encode Novel Members of a Highly Conserved Family of EH Domain-Containing Proteins

Exon trapping from a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC 78138) mapping to the 19q13.3 glioma tumor suppressor candidate region yielded two exons that recognized a 3.6-kb transcript on Northern blot. Screening of a human fetal brain cDNA library with these exons identified three novel genes, designated EHD2, EHD3, and EHD4, which are homologous to the recently characterized human EHD1 (testilin/HPAST) and its mouse homolog Ehd1, as well as to homologs in Drosophila (Past1) and Caenorhabditis elegans. Alignment of the predicted peptide sequences revealed striking similarities, with multiple conserved regions that include a nucleotide-binding consensus site at the N-terminus, a bipartite nuclear localization signal, and an eps15 homology (EH) protein-binding domain with an EF-hand motif at the C-terminus. The genes are specifically expressed, with EHD2 highly expressed in heart, EHD3 in brain and heart, and EHD4 in heart and pancreas. EHD2 was confirmed to originate from BAC 78138 at 19q13.3; radiation hybrid mapping localized EHD3 and EHD4 to 2p21 and 15q11.1, respectively; EHD1 has been previously mapped to 11q13. The three EHD1 paralogs therefore represent novel members of a family of human EH domain-containing proteins that may play a role in endocytosis and signaling. Mutation analysis of the five coding exons of EHD2 in gliomas failed to detect any tumor-specific alterations, thus indicating that EHD2 is an unlikely candidate for the 19q tumor suppressor gene.
Dominant source regions of the Earth's “hum” are coastal

[1] Hum beam power observations using the USArray EarthScope transportable array, combined with infragravity wave observations, show that the dominant source area of the Earth’s hum over the 120–400 s period band during winter months is the Pacific coast of North America, with the western coast of Europe a secondary source region. Correlation of hum with model ocean wave heights indicates that the Pacific coast of Central America is an important hum source region when impacted by austral storm waves. Hum is excited by relatively local infragravity wave forcing as ocean swell propagates along coasts, with no indication of significant deep-ocean hum generation. Citation: Bromirski, P. D., and P. Gerstoft (2009), Dominant source regions of the Earth’s ‘‘hum’’ are coastal, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L13303, doi:10.1029/2009GL038903.
Interaction of Anionic Compounds with Gelatin I: Binding Studies

Even though gelatin is the most widely used polymeric excipient in pharmaceutical products, scant attention has been paid to its interaction with small organic molecules. The present work deals with the interaction of gelatin and four monosulfonated or monocarboxylated azo dyes having hydrocarbon moieties of different sizes. These dyes were used as models for anionic drugs, which make up a significant percentage of all new drugs. Most binding studies used ultrafiltration to separate free from bound dye, followed by spectrophotometric dye assays. One binding study was based on the shift in pH when a dye was added to gelatin solutions. All binding isotherms consisted of two linear segments. The initial segments, which start at the origin, represent the partitioning of the dyes between the dissolved gelatin and the aqueous buffer solution. They changed abruptly to horizontal plateaus, which represent the binding limit. Increases in pH from 5.00 to 7.00 reduced the binding of the sulfonated dyes but increased the binding of the carboxylated dye. At pH ⩽ 7.00, where even the carboxylic acid groups are fully ionized, the carboxylated dye and its sulfonated analog were bound to gelatin to the same extent. The binding of all dyes decreased with increasing temperature (i.e., the standard enthalpy of binding was negative), with a change of the solvent medium from water to 0.15 M ammonium acetate, and with decreasing size of the hydrocarbon moieties of the dyes. The binding of the dyes to gelatin was always reversible and the standard entropy change associated with it was negative. At the experimental conditions chosen, particularly pH values at least 1.9 units below the isoionic point of the gelatin of 8.9, electrostatic attraction between the dye anions and the basic sites of gelatin was the major binding force. Hydrophobic effects played a secondary but perceptible role, causing the dyes with the largest hydrocarbon moieties to be bound the most strongly and extensively to the gelatin.
Augmentation of the hexose monophosphate shunt in leukemic lymphocytes after plasma fractionation

Abstract This investigation demonstrates that the plasma of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia contains a chromatographically separable, high molecular weight protein which restricts the activity of the leukemic lymphocyte's hexose monophosphate (HMP) shunt. When leukemic lymphocytes were suspended in plasma fraction III-buffer mixtures, rather than in their own whole plasma buffer combinations, glucose utilization through the pentose phosphate pathway resembled that of the normal lymphocyte. Such derepression of the HMP shunt may permit this pathway to supply ribose and NADPH in adequate amounts for polyribonucleotide synthesis and reduction, respectively, thus permitting the leukemic lymphocyte to participate more effectively in host defense.
Unified and scalable learning in multimedia information retrieval

Statistical-learning approaches such as unsupervised learning, supervised learning, active learning, and reinforcement learning have generally been separately studied and applied to solve application problems. In this talk, I will present our recent work on a unified learning paradigm (ULP). ULP is motivated by how human being acquires knowledge: we learn by being taught (supervised learning), by self-study (unsupervised learning), by asking questions (active learning), and by being examined for the ability to generalize (reinforcement learning). I will present our recent ICML and KDD work on ULP, which can substantially reduce the amount of required training data. I will also present our proposed algorithmic and data processing techniques for speeding up kernel-based learning (ICML, KDD, SIAM, and MM) for multimedia information retrieval. Finally, I will touch basis on my work at Google that relates to the multimedia community.
Race and comorbid factors predict nonalcoholic fatty liver disease histopathology in severely obese patients

Abstract Purpose Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common and potentially serious form of chronic liver disease. Although NAFLD is known to be associated with obesity and some comorbid conditions, less is known about the severity of NAFLD among different racial groups. Methods We prospectively studied 237 consecutive morbidly obese patients presenting for bariatric surgery. All patients underwent intraoperative liver biopsy and chart review. After excluding subjects who reported alcohol use (n = 37) or who had missing biopsy data (n = 11), 189 patients were available for analysis. Clinical and laboratory associations with each of the histological components of NAFLD were assessed using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results The mean age was 43.1 years, 84% were female, and 13% were African American. It was found that 88% had steatosis, including 35% with moderate to severe steatosis (> 33% of hepatocytes involved). Of these patients, 67% had inflammation, 46% had fibrosis, and 45% met Brunt's criteria for NASH. Compared with Caucasians and after adjustment, African Americans had significantly lower odds of severe hepatic pathology, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.1 ( P = .02) for the presence of moderate or severe steatosis, 0.2 for inflammation ( P = .006), 0.3 for fibrosis ( P = .05), and 0.2 for NASH ( P = .02). In addition, participants with one or more features of the metabolic syndrome (ie, diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia) or elevated aminotransferase levels had significantly higher odds of severe hepatic histopathology. Conclusion Among obese patients presenting for bariatric surgery, NAFLD is more common in Caucasians, patients with features of the metabolic syndrome, and those with elevated aminotransferase levels.
A One-Factor Multivariate Time Series Model of Metropolitan Wage Rates

Abstract The paper formulates and estimates a single-factor multivariate time series model. The model is a dynamic generalization of the multiple indicator (or factor analysis) model. It is shown to be a special case of the general state space model and can be estimated by maximum likelihood methods using the Kalman filter algorithm. The model is used to obtain estimates of the unobserved metropolitan wage rate for Los Angeles, based on observations of sectoral wages within the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hypothesis tests, model diagnostics, and out-of-sample forecasts are used to evaluate the model.
A Study of Glycine Toxicity

Abstract GLYCINE has been previously observed to produce toxic effects when fed to hens in large amounts (Patton and Palmer, 1936). Although literature on the mammalian metabolism of amino acids is voluminous, there is relatively much less regarding the chemistry of avian metabolism (uric acid type), and nothing has been found in the literature to explain this toxic action satisfactorily. Although the feeding of such large amounts of an amino acid never occurs in practice, it was believed that a chemical study of this toxicogenic action might be worth while as an addition to the knowledge of avian nitrogen metabolism. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE During many trials it was observed that the hen was able to dispose of the products formed from glycine without difficulty, until the level of ingestion reached a certain point. One gram per day was fed for a month without symptoms of toxicity, whereas 4 grams per day caused . . .
Microstructure and mechanical properties of commercial, bronze-bond, diamond-abrasive tool materials

Bronze-matrix, diamond-particle composites are commonly employed as tool materials in grinding applications, in particular for precision grinding of optical materials. However, while tool selection and performance is often rationalized in terms of changes in tool “modulus/stiffness” or “hardness,” neither the range and variability of the mechanical properties nor the fundamental microstructural parameters controlling them are well understood. This has hindered quality control and prevented the accumulation of the industrial property-performance data essential to the development of improved tool materials and processes. In this study, bronze-bond diamond-abrasive composite tool materials, with systematic differences in their diamond sizes and concentrations, were obtained from different commercial vendors, characterized mechanically and microstructurally, and the results statistically analyzed. Microstructurally, a size dependent diamond distribution and relatively high levels of porosity (~10 vol%) were observed. The mechanical properties exhibited a high degree of variability, with statistically significant differences occurring based on the vendor and diamond concentration, but not diamond size. Porosity was shown to be the key microstructural parameter controlling mechanical properties. Porosity depended on vendor, diamond size, and diamond concentration, but large, nonsystematic variations were also observed, indicating that it is not consistently controlled in current commercial materials. Finally, the porosity and mechanical properties were shown to correlate strongly with ultrasonic wave speed over a wide range of tool materials, demonstrating a practical nondestructive method for tool characterization.
Resolution of glycoproteins by affinity-based reversed micellar extraction and separation

Affinity-based reversed micellar extraction and separation (ARMES) has proven effective in separating glycoproteins from nonglycosylated proteins from natural sources. The ability of ARMES to resolve closely related glycoproteins is of paramount importance if ARMES is to be used in glycoform resolution. It is demonstrated that ARMES can resolve the structurally similar soybean peroxidase (SBP; MW 37 kDa, pI 4.1) and α 1 -acid glycoprotein (AGP; MW 43 kDa, pI 3.7), both of which have affinity for Concanavalin A (Con A) (the affinity ligand). SBP was almost exclusively extracted at pH 8 and above, with a separation factor greater than 50 (resolution ∼ 20), far better than was possible using Con A affinity chromatography (R∼ 0.25, separation factor ∼ 2). Model calculations suggest that differences in affinity measured by an equilibrium-building assay cannot account for the favorable extraction of SBP over AGP at higher pH. Hydrophobic interactions and/or charge shielding appear to affect partitioning of the lectin - glycoprotein complexes and add greatly to the selectivity of extraction in ARMES, especially at higher pH values.
Hybrid scalar-vector method for the analysis of electrically large finite aperiodic diffractive optical elements

In this paper we present a hybrid diffraction model that uses a scalar-based approximation over those regions of the boundary that satisfy the scalar criteria and a vector-based solution over those that do not. In analyzing diffractive optical elements (DOEs) it is necessary to use a vector- based model when the feature sizes within the DOE profile approach the scale of the illumination wavelength. However, in many instances only certain regions of a profile contain such small scale features. In these cases it is inefficient to perform a vector-based analysis over the entire profile. Therefore, we have developed a method that allows for the concatenation of scalar- and vector-based solutions. This is achieved by simply assigning the surface field values according to the scalar approximation over those regions of the profile that satisfy the scalar criteria, and using the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD) to determine the surface fields over those regions that contain small scale features. In combination these methods create a surface profile that can be propagated to any plane, or region, of interest. In the course of our paper we will discuss the formulations of scalar diffraction theory and the FDTD, in addition to the method for propagating the concatenated boundary fields.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Experiments on ion cyclotron damping at the deuterium fourth harmonic in DIII-D

Absorption of fast Alfven waves by the energetic ions of an injected beam is evaluated in the DIII-D tokamak. Ion cyclotron resonance absorption at the fourth harmonic of the deuteron cyclotron frequency is observed with deuterium neutral beam injection (f = 60 MHz, B{sub T} = 1.9 T). Enhanced D-D neutron rates are evidence of absorption at the Doppler-shifted cyclotron resonance. Characteristics of global energy confinement provide further proof of substantial beam acceleration by the rf. In many cases, the accelerated deuterons cause temporary stabilization of the sawtooth (monster sawteeth), at relatively low rf power levels of {approximately}1 MW.
The seal and the rose : erotic exchanges in Guillaume de Dole

Analyse comparee des motifs de la rose et du sceau dans le roman de Jean Renart, objets de negociation et d'echange
Organ sample generator for expected treatment dose construction and adaptive inverse planning optimization.

Purpose: To create an organ sample generator (OSG) for expected treatment dose construction and adaptive inverse planning optimization. The OSG generates random samples of organs of interest from a distribution obeying the patient specific organ variation probability density function (PDF) during the course of adaptive radiotherapy. Methods: Principle component analysis (PCA) and a time-varying least-squares regression (LSR) method were used on patient specific geometric variations of organs of interest manifested on multiple daily volumetric images obtained during the treatment course. The construction of the OSG includes the determination of eigenvectors of the organ variation using PCA, and the determination of the corresponding coefficients using time-varying LSR. The coefficients can be either random variables or random functions of the elapsed treatment days depending on the characteristics of organ variation as a stationary or a nonstationary random process. The LSR method with time-varying weighting parameters was applied to the precollected daily volumetric images to determine the function form of the coefficients. Eleven h and n cancer patients with 30 daily cone beam CT images each were included in the evaluation of the OSG. The evaluation was performed using a total of 18 organs of interest, including 15 organs at risk and 3more » targets. Results: Geometric variations of organs of interest during h and n cancer radiotherapy can be represented using the first 3 {approx} 4 eigenvectors. These eigenvectors were variable during treatment, and need to be updated using new daily images obtained during the treatment course. The OSG generates random samples of organs of interest from the estimated organ variation PDF of the individual. The accuracy of the estimated PDF can be improved recursively using extra daily image feedback during the treatment course. The average deviations in the estimation of the mean and standard deviation of the organ variation PDF for h and n cancer radiotherapy were less than 2 and 1 mm, respectively, for most organs after the second week of treatment. After the first three weeks of treatment, the mean discrepancy of the dose estimation accuracy was within 1% for most of organs, the corresponding standard deviation was within 2.5% for parotids, the brain stem and the cochleae, and within 1% for other organs. Conclusions: A patient specific OSG is feasible and can be used to generate random samples of organs of interest for the expected treatment dose construction and adaptive inverse planning. The accuracy of the OSG can be improved continuously and recursively during the adaptive treatment course using daily volumetric image feedback.« less
Biochemical, cellular and developmental characterization of a temperature-sensitive mutant of nicotiana tabacum and its second site revertant

Abstract We have analyzed a temperature-sensitive mutant, ts4 , of Nicotiana tabacum, together with its newly isolated second revertant, Rt1 , both in cell culture and as a regenerated plant. Cells of the temperature-sensitive mutant will grow only below 30°C, whereas the revertant can grow at temperatures above that but not at those as high as will wild-type cells. Enzyme assays of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and nitrate reductase showed that ts4 had substantial increases and decreases, respectively. The revertant resembled ts4 for these activities. The decrease in nitrate reductase is associated with resistance of ts4 to a pulse of chlorate that kills wild-type. Amino acid and polyamine analyses showed that ornithine levels rise in ts4 during 24 hr at the high temperature, while spermine and spermidine levels fall. The ts4 mutant has low levels of ornithine decarboxylase activity and s-adenosyl-methionine decarboxylase activity, whereas the revertant has restored levels of only ornithine decarboxylase. This is the only enzyme activity in which Rt1 resembles wild-type more than it resembles ts4 , suggesting that it is the site of metabolic alteration of the mutation. In regenerated plants, ts4 has a low chlorophyll content, while the revertant has a fully restored chlorophyll content. Flowers on the revertant plant are both male and female sterile, with the male sterility associated with anthers converted into petals. The correlations among these ts4 and Rt1 alterations demonstrate novel regulatory interactions between nitrate reductase and the two decarboxylase enzymes, and also suggest that we have partially unravelled the molecular basis for a particular developmental endpoint.
Calculation of pKa in Proteins with the MM_SCP

The accuracy of the Microenvironment Modulated_Screened Coulomb Potential (MM_SCP)1 to predict pKa values for titratable residues in biological macromolecules is analyzed. This self-consistent approach calculates electrostatic energetics using a modified form of the SCP-continuum solvent model2, which is modulated by the hydrophobicity of the local environment around the titratable group. The analysis has been applied to 345 ionizable groups (Asp, Glu, His, Cys, Tyr, Lys, N- and C-termini) in 59 proteins belonging to multiple structural classes. Among these residues, 82% were predicted with errors < 1 unit), although half of residues with large shifts were correctly predicted (error <1 unit). Further analysis showed that the MM_SCP accounts for the pKa shifts of ionizable groups in hydrophobic microenvironment3 and treats interaction energies very well. Most errors originate from steric clashes or improper handling of certain interaction pairs (e.g., ionic H-bonds). A feature in the MM_SCP was used to identify steric clashes between the titratable residue and other parts of the sequence; after local minimization the calculated pKa improved by half a unit in more than half the cases. Other methods to improve the predictions will be discussed, such as optimizing the H-bond network, or using refined reference pKa values4 which improves the root mean square deviations by at least 0.1 unit for 25 proteins.1. Mehler, E.L. and Guarnieri, F., Biophysics J.,1999. 77: p. 3.2. Hassan, S.A., et al. J. Phys. Chem. B,2000. 104: p. 6478.3. Mehler, E.L., et al. PROTEINS: Stru. Func. Genet.,2002. 48: p. 283.4. Thurlkill, R.L., Grimsley, G.R., Scholtz, J.M., and Pace, C.N., Protein Science,2006. 15 p. 1214.
Nile delta: extreme case of sediment entrapment on a delta plain and consequent coastal land loss

Abstract Accelerated erosion of Egypt's Nile delta coast during this century has generally been attributed to construction of two dams at Aswan, entrapment of sediment in Lake Nasser behind the High Dam, and effects of barrages and river control structures on River Nile deposition below Aswan. Also considered important are natural factors, including delta subsidence, rising sea level and strong coastal current processes. This study proposes that more influential in controlling coastal land loss is the near-complete entrapment of modern and reworked Nile sediment on the Nile delta plain. Sediment is primarily retained in an extremely dense network of irrigation and drain channels, and also in wetlands in the northern delta. The increased number of artificial canals, more than 10,000 km of waterway, is a response to Egypt's drive to augment its much-needed agricultural production by perennial irrigation. The drastically reduced amount of sediment now reaching the sea, discharged primarily from lagoon outlets and several canal mouths, is removed by strong, easterly-directed coastal and innermost shelf currents. The Nile delta is an extreme example of a depocenter which has been completely altered by man, from an active prograding delta to a locally eroding coastal plain.
The Census Count: Who Counts? How Do We Count? When Do We Count?

Census data are used in a variety of ways. In the United States, their constitutionally mandated use is apportioning congressional seats in the House of Representatives based on population. After the 1910 Census, Congress fixed the number of seats permanently at 435. This had the inevitable consequence that any subsequent shifts in population would result in some states gaining seats at the expense of other states. It was now a zero-sum game, and, since politicians typically are loath to give up power, the stage was set for potential battles in the future. It is
Isolation and characterization of calmodulin from spinach leaves and in vitro translation mixtures

Abstract Calmodulin, a multifunctional calcium-modulated protein, has been isolated from spinach leaf tissue and from spinach leaf messenger RNA translation products. The translation protein and the spinach leaf protein have been partially characterized and compared to vertebrate calmodulins. Spinach leaf calmodulin will quantitatively activate bovine brain phosphodiesterase and will undergo a calcium-dependent shift in electrophoretic mobility similar to that of bovine brain calmodulin. In the presence of Ca2+ the spinach and brain proteins comigrate, but in the presence of chelators they do not. A polyadenylylated RNA fraction has been isolated from spinach leaf tissue and translated in a wheat germ cell-free translation system. The calmodulin synthesized in vitro has been isolated by using calcium-dependent affinity chromatography on phenothiazine-Sepharose conjugates. The translation protein comigrates with spinach calmodulin during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis whether in the presence or the absence of Ca2+. The translation protein also undergoes a calcium-dependent mobility shift identical to that of spinach calmodulin. Amino acid analysis of the translation calmodulin indicates that it does not contain Ne-trimethyllysine, an amino acid residue that is characteristic of all calmodulins previously examined. These studies suggest that Ne-trimethyllysine is not required for the calcium-dependent interaction of calmodulin with phenothiazines and indicate the potential utility of phenothiazine-Sepharose conjugates as affinity-based adsorbents in biological and biochemical investigations.
Excretory urography: trends in clinical use and diagnostic yield

To assess for changes in clinical usage and diagnostic yield of excretory urography (EU) following the introduction of CT urography (CTU). We retrospectively reviewed reports from 6313 EUs performed between July 1995 and February 2006. The specialty of the ordering physician and clinical indication for the study were recorded, as were any collecting system, ureter, or bladder abnormalities suspicious for urothelial malignancy identified on EU. The proportion of EUs ordered for each indication and the positivity rate for each finding were compared prior to and after 2000, when CTU was introduced. Demand for EU by all physicians has decreased threefold. Since 2000, there has been a decrease in the proportion of EUs performed for all indications: obstruction (P 0.05). The number of excretory urograms has decreased dramatically, although the proportion of these studies ordered by urologists is unchanged. The positivity rate of EU findings suggesting urothelial malignancy in the collecting system and bladder has decreased, likely because, with the advent of CTU, urologists have changed their ordering patterns for some clinical indications.
Immunohistological detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the Alzheimer's disease brain

Sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) appears to evolve from an interplay between genetic and environmental factors. One environmental factor that continues to be of great interest is that of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and its association with late-onset disease. Detection of this organism in clinical and autopsy samples has proved challenging using a variety of molecular and histological techniques. Our current investigation utilized immunohistochemistry with a battery of commercially available anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies to determine whether C. pneumoniae was present in areas typically associated with AD neuropathology from 5 AD and 5 non-AD control brains. Immunoreactivity for C. pneumoniae antigens was observed both intracellularly in neurons, neuroglia, endothelial cells, and peri-endothelial cells, and extracellularly in the frontal and temporal cortices of the AD brain with multiple C. pneumoniae-specific antibodies. This immunoreactivity was seen in regions of amyloid deposition as revealed by immunolabeling with two different anti-beta amyloid antibodies. Thioflavin S staining, overlaid with C. pneumoniae immunolabeling, demonstrated no direct co-localization of the organism and amyloid plaques. Further, the specificity of C. pneumoniae labeling of AD brain sections was demonstrated using C. pneumoniae antibodies pre-absorbed against amyloid β 1-40 and 1-42 peptides. Anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies, obtained commercially, identified both typical intracellular and atypical extracellular C. pneumoniae antigens in frontal and temporal cortices of the AD brain. C. pneumoniae, amyloid deposits, and neurofibrillary tangles were present in the same regions of the brain in apposition to one another. Although additional studies are required to conclusively characterize the nature of Chlamydial immunoreactivity in the AD brain, these results further implicate C. pneumoniae infection with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Use of the Bell–Evans–Polanyi Principle to predict regioselectivity of nucleophilic aromatic photosubstitution reactions

Regioselectivity of nucleophilic aromatic photosubstitution has been shown experimentally to depend upon activation energies of the competing transition states. Computational means of determining relative activation energies were sought, therefore, in order to predict regioselectivity. Optimization of the three triplet transition states of 2-chloro-4-nitroanisole with hydroxide ion gave energies of insufficient accuracy to predict regioselectivity. Computed enthalpy changes from the first triplet transition state to the triplet σ-complexes correlated precisely with the experimental activation energies. This exemplifies the Bell–Evans–Polanyi Principle, and it provides an accurate means of assessing regioselectivity.
A Fragmented Self Expressed in Animals: Maria Beig's Neomedieval Bestiary Hermine. Ein Tierleben

Maria Beig, born in 1920, took up writing fiction at the age of sixty and published her first novel at the age of sixty-two. Beig's books describe the harsh lives that country women, especially farm women, had to endure until very recently. While critics were almost unanimous in praising Beig's first two books for their authenticity and stark realism, the reception of her third book, Hermine. Ein Tierleben (1984), was more ambivalent. Critics did not know how to evaluate this text. This article shows that Hermine. Ein Tierleben is composed according to aesthetic principles that lie strangely outside of our contemporary world. Writing in her own sixty-fourth year, Beig uses the medieval form of the bestiary to represent in sixty-four animals a woman's (almost) impossible search for self, individuality, and identity on a Catholic farm before 1950. The animals allegorically stand for Hermine's inner defeats. They die, become crippled, are slaughtered, are shot, or are eaten by other animals. I argue that in Hermine. Ein Tierleben, allegory both has and has not yet moved from the world around us to the world inside us (Benjamin). In Hermine we have a figure who attempts to find some fragments of a self by literally contrasting herself to animals.
Chemically reacting bismuth and nitrous oxide in a heat pipe oven

Abstract The chemical reactions between bismuth and oxidants in a heat pipe oven are described. Strong chemiluminescence (A2Π 1 2 → X2Π 1 2 ) was observed in the reaction with N2O and the vibrational temperature of the A2Π 1 2 state was measured to be 3150 ± 300 K.
Orthogonal expansions and the causality law

Abstract The use of orthogonal expansions leads sometimes to results that clearly do not satisfy the causality law. The best known example is the filtering of a step function by a lowpass filter with idealized frequency cut-off. The Fourier transform yields in this case an output function starting at the time t→−∞ while the input function does not start until t =0. The reason for this phenomenon is that only mathematical concepts are used, while the causality law is a physical concept that has no meaning in pure mathematics. The causality law enters calculations typically through one of the partial differential equations of physics, their initial conditions, and their boundary conditions. No violation of the causality law will be encountered if the Fourier transform, and by implication other orthogonal transforms, are used for the solution of such problems with physical content.
Gas Chromatographic Determination of Sorption Isotherms of Vinylidene Chloride on Vinylidene Chloride Copolymers

A simple procedure for obtaining sorption isotherms from chromatographic peak shapes was applied to poly(vinylidene chloride-vinylch-loride 80:20) and poly (vinylidene chloride-actylonitrile 80:20) surfaces using vinylidene chloride as sorbate. Absolute values of the isosteric heat of adsorption (at constant uptake) increased with decrease in the amount of vinylidene chloride adsorbed, indicating a stronger monomer-polymer interaction at lower monomer concentrations. Absolute values of Gibb's free energy of adsorption increased with decrease in monomer concentration and temperature, indicating a more favorable monomer-polymer interaction at low temperatures and monomer concentrations. Data under present experimental conditions correspond to a strong thermodynamic polymer/monomer interaction leading to a substantially limited migration of monomer from a polymeric package into a food contacting medium.
On the axial propagation of kink bands in fiber composites : Part ii analysis

Abstract A new micromechanical model is presented to simulate the steady-state axial propagation of kink bands investigated experimentally in the accompanying paper (Part I) . The fibers are in a hexagonal array and are assumed to be isotropic and linearly elastic, while the matrix is modeled as an elastic-powerlaw viscoplastic solid. Matrix properties for the model are determined from shear tests on the composite and compression tests on neat PEEK. The model is used to predict the propagation stress (σP) of the AS4⧹PEEK composite and to investigate the sensitivity of σP to band inclination, matrix properties, and loading rate. A simple model recently reported in the literature is calibrated to the current material system and compared with the present experimental data and model predictions. The micromechanical model is found to predict the propagation stress reasonably well and to capture the rate dependence of the composite. The simple model is found to capture the trends of the behavior.