cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Importance of precise positioning for proton beam therapy in the base of skull and cervical spine.

Abstract Using proton beam therapy, high doses have been delivered to chordomas and chondrosarcomas of the base of skull and cervical spine. Dose inhomogeneity to the tumors has been accepted in order to maintain normal tissue tolerances, and detailed attention to patient immobilization and to precise positioning has minimized the margins necessary to ensure these dose constraints. This study examined the contribution of precise positioning to the better dose localization achieved in these treatments. Three patients whose tumors represented different anatomic geometries were studied. Treatment plans were developed which treated as much of the tumor as possible to 74 Cobalt-Gray-Equivalent (CGE) while maintaining the central brain stem and central spinal cord at ≤ 48 CGE, the surface of the brain stem, surface of the spinal cord, and optic structures at ≤ 60 CGE, and the temporal lobes at ≤ 5 % likelihood of complication using a biophysical model of normal tissue complication probability. Two positioning accuracies were assumed: 3 mm and 10 mm. Both proton beam plans and 10 MV X ray beam plans were developed with these assumptions and dose constraints. In all cases with the same positioning uncertainties, the proton beam plans delivered more dose to a larger percentage of the tumor volume and the estimated tumor control probability was higher than with the X ray plans. However, without precise positioning both the proton plans and the X ray plans deteriorated, with a 12% to 25% decrease in estimated tumor control probability. In all but one case, the difference between protons with good positioning and poor positioning was greater than the difference between protons and X rays, both with good positioning. Hence in treating these tumors, which are in close proximity to critical normal tissues, attention to immobilization and precise positioning is essential. With good positioning, proton beam therapy permits higher doses to significantly more of the tumor in these sites than do X rays.
Elastic property ratios of a triple-stranded stainless steel arch wire

Abstract The general elastic property ratio equations for nth-stranded wires are derived and then specified for the case of a triple-stranded arch wire. Several parameters are defined, including the modulus of elasticity (E) and the helical spring (κ) and bending plane (λ) shape factors. Thereafter, the elastic property ratios of a wide range of compositional/configurational combinations are determined, using a representative triple-stranded 0.0175 inch (3 × 0.008 inch) stainless steel wire as the base line. These results show that the particular 3 × 0.008 inch wire studied possesses the stiffness of an 0.010 inch stainless steel wire but has at least 20% more strength and range. Furthermore, the stiffness of the 3 × 0.008 inch multistranded wire is similar to an 0.016 inch. nickel-titanium wire but only 40% that of an 0.016 inch beta titanium wire. When these elastic property ratios are compared with the previous results reported by Thurow, Burstone, and Kusy, differences are noted which can be explained on the basis of the mechanical property values and/or the geometric modeling assumed.
Instructional practices of elementary social studies teachers in North and South Carolina

Abstract Using data from the Survey of the Status of Social Studies (S4), this article describes the instructional decisions and practices of elementary teachers in two neighboring states, one where social studies is tested and another where it is not. We define students' opportunity to learn within these states as a composite of three variables: time allocations for social studies (teacher reported instructional time), methods for teaching social studies (teacher reported instructional strategies), and content focus (teacher reported content emphases and state-mandated curriculum standards). Our guiding research question for this study was: To what extent do teachers' perceptions of elementary school social studies instructional practices and content vary between two states with different testing policies for social studies? Initial findings revealed notable differences that could not be explained by testing policies alone. Therefore, we conducted an exploratory content analysis of the elementary social studies curricula in these neighboring states. We uncovered curricular differences that suggest that state standards influence teachers' decisions in both what and how they choose to teach social studies. However, there were curriculum differences that did not align with S4 instructional methods and content focus output. Thus, we concluded that other factors apart from the curriculum guide teachers' decision-making. Results provided evidence that students have different opportunities to learn based on (1) state testing policies in social studies, (2) curriculum content, (3) how social studies is delivered (e.g., stand-alone versus integration), and (4) time allocated to social studies. We concluded that these variables constrict or expand students' opportunity to learn social studies and may influence teachers' pedagogical and content choices in elementary social studies.
Best Approximations in Lp (d μ) and Prediction Problems of Szegö, Kolmogorov, Yaglom, and Nakazi

Demonstration d'un theoreme general de prediction pour un sous-espace M⊂L p (W), 1<p<∞ et une fonction-poids non negative W
A microfluidic model for organ-specific extravasation of circulating tumor cells

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the principal vehicle for the spread of non-hematologic cancer disease from a primary tumor, involving extravasation of CTCs across blood vessel walls, to form secondary tumors in remote organs. Herein, a polydimethylsiloxane-based microfluidic system is developed and characterized for in vitro systematic studies of organ-specific extravasation of CTCs. The system recapitulates the two major aspects of the in vivo extravasation microenvironment: local signaling chemokine gradients in a vessel with an endothelial monolayer. The parameters controlling the locally stable chemokine gradients, flow rate, and initial chemokine concentration are investigated experimentally and numerically. The microchannel surface treatment effect on the confluency and adhesion of the endothelial monolayer under applied shear flow has also been characterized experimentally. Further, the conditions for driving a suspension of CTCs through the microfluidic system are discussed while simultaneously maintaining both the local chemokine gradients and the confluent endothelial monolayer. Finally, the microfluidic system is utilized to demonstrate extravasation of MDA-MB-231 cancer cells in the presence of CXCL12 chemokine gradients. Consistent with the hypothesis of organ-specific extravasation, control experiments are presented to substantiate the observation that the MDA-MB-231 cell migration is attributed to chemotaxis rather than a random process.
Role of Crystallinity in Retention of Polymer Particle Morphology in the Presence of Compressed Carbon Dioxide

The effects of compressed carbon dioxide absorption into poly(l-lactide), poly(dl-lactide), poly(glycolide), and their copolymers were observed using EPR and mechanical creep experiments to determine the correlation between the glass transition pressure and material failure pressure. Results show polymers can retain particle morphology above the carbon dioxide suppressed glass transition pressure because of a moderate crystalline volume fraction that reduces creep rates enough to limit particle agglomeration during precipitation with a compressed antisolvent.
AppProp: all-pairs appearance-space edit propagation

We present an intuitive and efficient method for editing the appearance of complex spatially-varying datasets, such as images and measured materials. In our framework, users specify rough adjustments that are refined interactively by enforcing the policy that similar edits are applied to spatially-close regions of similar appearance. Rather than proposing a specific user interface, our method allows artists to quickly and imprecisely specify the initial edits with any method or workflow they feel most comfortable with. An energy optimization formulation is used to propagate the initial rough adjustments to the final refined ones by enforcing the editing policy over all pairs of points in the dataset. We show that this formulation is equivalent to solving a large linear system defined by a dense matrix. We derive an approximate algorithm to compute such a solution interactively by taking advantage of the inherent structure of the matrix. We demonstrate our approach by editing images, HDR radiance maps, and measured materials. Finally, we show that our framework generalizes prior methods while providing significant improvements in generality, robustness and efficiency.
Retroaortic left renal vein.

Persistence of the renal collar results in a double left renal vein. One vein passes posterior and the other vein passes anterior to the aorta to join the inferior vena cava. Absence of the anterior limb produces a left renal vein that passes posterior to the aorta. This variation was identified by spiral CT (A) done to evaluate renal anatomy before laparoscopic donor nephrectomy for transplantation. The laparoscopic intraoperative photo (B) demonstrates the location of the left renal vein (RV) passing posterior to the aorta (A) and left renal artery (RA). The duodenum (D) is visible anterior to the aorta.
Finite Element Modeling of the Cryopreservation Protocols for a Bio-Artificial Liver Assist

Bio-Artificial Liver (BAL) devices have demonstrated potential as a temporary therapy for patients suffering from acute liver failure [1,2]. Of the variety of designs that exist [3], two BAL designs that have been tested clinically are the Hepatassist BAL [4] and the ELAD (Extra Corporeal Liver Assist Device) BAL [5]. To enable off the shelf availability of these devices, it would be helpful if they could be cryopreserved for safe low temperature storage. The aim of this study is to use finite element modeling to predict a suitable cryopreservation protocol for the Hepatassist BAL. Hepatassist incorporates a hollow fiber configuration in which nutrients (including oxygen) are supplied through the fibers to the hepatocytes surrounding the fibers [4]. In this study, we simulate the effects of different cryopreservation protocols in the presence of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), a cryoprotective solution or cryoprotectant, on its integrity.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Kinetics of digitoxin and the bis‐ and monodigitoxosides of digitoxigenin in renal insufficiency

The kinetics of digitoxin and two of its major metabolites, the bis- and monodigitoxosides of digitoxigenin, were determined in six subjects with renal insufficiency and compared to those in six age- and sex-matched normal control subjects. No significant differences between the two groups were found in elimination t 1/2, total body clearance, or volume of distribution. Average renal clearances of all three drugs were reduced in subjects with renal failure, but the differences were significant only in the case of digitoxin. The bis-digitoxoside of digitoxigenin has kinetic properties that offer clinical advantages.
Numerical simulation of grain growth in liquid phase sintered materials—II. Study of isotropic grain growth

Abstract The Potts model was used to study grain growth in liquid phase sintered materials. Its application to the study of isotropic grain growth by Ostwald ripening in a fully wetting system will be presented. The interpretation of the simulation results will be described and discussed. It was found that the set of simulation parameters used gave diffusion-controlled grain growth for solid fraction ranging from 0.30 to 0.90. The grain size distribution varied with solid fraction, becoming broader and more peaked with increasing solid fraction. The skewness was near zero at solid fraction of 0.41 and shifted to larger grain sizes with increasing solid fraction. This shift in the skewness of grain size distribution is not predicted by previous analytical or numerical models; however, it is consistent with experimental data collected by Fang and Patterson [ Acta metall. , 1993, 41, 2017] in the WNiFe system
Mortality and F1 progeny of the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (F), on wheat treated with diatomaceous earth: effects of rate, exposure period and relative humidity.

A series of experiments at 25 (±1) °C were conducted in which different application rates of diatomaceous earth (DE) formulation Protect-It at two levels of relative humidity, 40 and 55%, and at three exposure periods were evaluated for control of Rhyzopertha dominica (F). Test insects were placed in vials containing 40 g of soft winter wheat mixed with 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, 1.50 and 2.00 g DE kg−1. At all rates except 0.25 g kg−1, mortality was significantly different from that in the control at the relevant exposure period. After each exposure interval, dead and live insects were counted and removed, and the vial containing wheat was then returned to the appropriate humidity chamber for 8 weeks until F1 adults emerged. F1 progeny production was significantly different from the control group at all rates. Mortalities for 1, 2 and 3 weeks exposure were found to be 47 (±5)%. Despite the fact that mortality increased with increasing rate, total mortality was not achieved even at the highest rate of DE. F1 progeny production decreased with increasing rate for both RH conditions, and containment of population for both RH conditions was achieved at 1.00 g DE kg−1. For each exposure period, F1 progeny production of R dominica decreased with increasing rate of DE, and population suppression was achieved at 1.00 g DE kg−1 for all exposure intervals. In summary, Protect-It resulted in reduced F1 adult progeny and containment of population was achieved at 1.00 g DE kg−1 at which rate mortality was 77%. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Self-similarity-based image edge detection

Edge detection is important in many fields such as pattern recognition and computer vision. Many edge detection methods are sensitive to noises because gradients are used to enhance edges. To solve this problem, a new edge detection method is proposed in the paper based on local self-similarity. For any pixel in an image, a metric, called as local self-similar coefficient, is defined on its square neighborhood. The square neighborhood blocks are classified into three types: edge block, smooth block and random block. Two theorems have been proven according to the self-similar metric definition and the image block classification. The theorems and experimental results demonstrate that the local self-similar coefficients on edge blocks and smooth blocks are much greater than that on random blocks. Fortunately, it is quite easy to distinguish edge blocks from smooth blocks. A new edge detection algorithm based on these properties is provided in the paper. Several kinds ofimages, including human pictures and natural scenery, are used to detect edges with the new algorithm, and satisfactory results are obtained. The results show that under noisy conditions, the new algorithm extracts better edges than Sobel method.
Trait impulsivity and increased pre-attentional sensitivity to intense stimuli in bipolar disorder and controls

Abstract Impulsivity and sensation seeking are stimulus-oriented traits. Because they differ in degree of intention and planning, they may have distinct neurophysiological mechanisms. Impulsivity is prominent in bipolar disorder, and may be related to pre-attentional information filtering and stimulus-orientation. We investigated specificity of relationships between impulsivity and sensitivity to stimulus intensity in bipolar disorder and controls, using intensity–sensitivity of auditory evoked potentials. Seventy-six subjects (37 healthy controls, 39 with bipolar disorder) were administered an intensity–sensitivity paradigm. Additional measures included Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and Eysenck Impulsivity and Venturesomeness scores. State-dependent rapid-response impulsivity was measured using the Immediate Memory Task. Intensity-sensitivities of the auditory evoked P1N1, N1P2, P1, N1, and P2 potentials were assessed as the slope of amplitude relative to loudness. Analyses used general linear models (GLM) with impulsivity-related measures as dependent variables and age, gender, education, and diagnosis as dependent variables. BIS-11 total, motor, and attentional impulsivity scores correlated positively with pre-attentional N1 and P1N1 intensity–sensitivity slopes in bipolar disorder, but not in controls. BIS-11 nonplanning and Eysenck Venturesomeness scores did not correlate with intensity–sensitivity. Intensity–sensitivity slopes did not correlate with rapid-response impulsivity. Correlations between N1 or P1N1 slopes and BIS-11 scores in bipolar disorder were not affected by age, education, WAIS, treatment, symptoms, or gender. Trait impulsivity in bipolar disorder may be related to poorly modulated stimulus-driven late pre-attentional responses to stimuli, potentially resulting in exaggerated responses to intense stimuli even before conscious awareness. Components of trait impulsivity are physiologically heterogenous relative to intensity–sensitivity.
A highly efficient chemical isolation procedure for the rat placental transferrin receptor

A chemical method for the purification of rat placental transferrin receptor is described. After initial solubilization and concentration by ammonium sulfate precipitation, radioiron-tagged diferric transferrin was added to the dialyzed receptor fraction and subjected to anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel. Elution with a Tris-HCl buffer gradient yields a single fraction of radioactivity containing both free transferrin and the receptor-transferrin as a complex. Further separation of the receptor-transferrin complex from the free transferrin is achieved by gel chromatography on a AcA34-Sepharose 6B separation system. Final purification is obtained by preparative gel electrophoresis in 5% polyacrylamide gels. The receptor was shown to be pure by various methods including HPLC chromatography. The average yield was 20-30 mg receptor-transferrin complex/100 g placental tissue. Because of the purely chemical approach, this method is universally applicable for the isolation of transferrin receptors from various tissues.
SU‐FF‐T‐148: Effect of Dose Rate On Gated IMRT Dose Delivery

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of dose rate on IMRT dose delivery to gated, not‐gated with moving target and non‐moving target. Method and Materials: A platform capable carrying a stack of 20cm thick of normal 30cm × 30cm phantom was used for the study. The phantom can have a 2cm range of motion. 8 rpm was used for measurements The Philips Gemini PET/CT imagingsystem was utilized for retrospectively gated (4D) CT simulation with the breadth rate detected through the Varian RPM system. 10 phase binning is done after data acquisition for reconstruction. Study was conducted on a Varian Trilogy, the phase range of 40%–60% was used for gated dose delivery. Single IMRT sliding window (SW) field and IMRT step‐and‐shot (SS) field plans with 6MV, dose rate 300, 400, 600, 1000 were planned. Ion chamber, film dosimetry with RIT software were used to measure the delivered dose in the isocenter and the dose distribution. The measurement was conducted with non‐moving and moving target. Results: Ion chamber measurements at isocenter indicate the dose delivered with dose rate from 300 to 1000 mu/min were within 2% comparing gated and non‐gated. Using dose rate of 400 mu/min as a reference, delivery accuracy is within 1.5% for sliding window method and Step‐Shoot method, both gated and non‐gated. With the target in motion (in‐out direction), the isocenter dose measured for gated delivery is within 1.5% for both Sliding Widow and Step Shoot Methods. The dose profiles measured with different dose rate fall on top of each other except at hot spots where the deviations show up to 3% deviation normalized to 400 dose rate data. Conclusion: The measurement of gated and non‐gated IMRT dose delivery with dose rate indicates that dose rate effect on the gated IMRT dose delivery is within clinical tolerance.
Some Preliminary Observations on al-Šāfiī and Later Usūl al-Fiqh: The Case of the Term bayān

This article follows the reception of Sāfiī's (d. 204/820) concept of bayān, beginning with Ğāhiz (d. 255/868) and continuing with discussions in selected later works of usūl al-fiqh. For Sāfiī, in his Risāla, the term covered categories of divine legislative pronouncements and hermeneutical categories for addressing apparent contradictions between them. Ğāhiz, in the course of elaborating his own, different concept of bayān, seems to have been polemically engaged with Sāfiī's. For Ğāhiz, as for the later usūl authors, the term connotes a successful act of communication, yet later authors continued to attempt to explain Sāfiī's use of the term, which fit badly into their own conceptual framework. The disjunction between Sāfiī's and later authors' use of the term is emblematic of what is tentatively termed the linguistic turn in mature usūl al-fiqh.
Hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy and upper GI ulceration: the necessity of early endoscopy

Hepatic intra-arterial chemotherapy and upper GI ulceration: the necessity of early endoscopy
Selective effects on prefrontal cortex serotonin by dopamine D3 receptor agonism: Interaction with low-dose haloperidol

Abstract 1. 1. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are characterized by amotivation, anhedonia and anergia. These aspects of the symptom profile can be modeled by D3 agonism in animal behavioral models. 2. 2. Serotonergic systems have been implicated in pathophysiologic substrates for this disorder; most notably, in deficit state schizophrenia, as newer ‘atypical’ neuroleptics which are especially efficacious for treating this syndrome antagonize central 5-HT2 receptors. 3. 3. FC regions may also be important in chronic negative symptoms, as hypofrontality has been associated with these schizophrenic features. 4. 4. The author examined effects of a behaviorally-active dose of the D3 agonist, 7OH, on 5-HT metabolism in FC, and the ability of a low-dose neuroleptic treatment to antagonize this biochemical effect. 5. 5. Acute administration of 7OH induced a selective decrease of 5-HT turnover in the FC without affecting metabolism of this transmitter in more subcortical DA regions. 6. 6. Hal, which has previously been demonstrated to antagonize electrophysiologic, biochemical and behavioral effects of 7OH, was without effect on agonist-induced decreases in 5-HT turnover. 7. 7. The biochemical association between D3 agonism and reductions of FC 5-HT may be significant for pathophysiologic mechanisms of negative symptoms, and antagonism of this effect may differ for neuroleptics with varying efficacy in alleviating these symptoms.
Influence of Fluorination on Protein-Engineered Coiled-Coil Fibers

We describe the design and characterization of fluorinated coiled-coil proteins able to assemble into robust nano- and microfibers. Fluorination is achieved biosynthetically by residue-specific incorporation of 5,5,5-trifluoroleucine (TFL). The fluorinated proteins C+TFL and Q+TFL are highly α-helical as confirmed via circular dichroism (CD) and more resistant to thermal denaturation compared to their nonfluorinated counterparts, C and Q. The fluorinated proteins demonstrate enhanced fiber assembly at pH 8.0 with higher order structure in contrast to nonfluorinated proteins, which are unable to form fibers under the same conditions. Ionic strength dependent fiber assembly is observed for fluorinated as well as wild-type proteins in which the fluorinated proteins exhibited more stable, thicker fibers. The fluorinated and nonfluorinated proteins reveal metal ion-dependent small molecule recognition and supramolecular assemblies. In the presence of Zn (II), enhanced thermal stability and fiber assembly is ob...
Stimulus-responsive fluidic dispersions of rod shaped liquid crystal polymer colloids

Electrically responsive liquid crystal polymer nanorods were fabricated by template synthesis. Liquid crystal monomers are templated by alumina membranes. Molecular ordering of the liquid crystal molecules resulted from the confinement in the sub-micron channels and this ordering can be captured permanently through photo-polymerization. Template removal and sonication result in individual rods that can be reoriented by applied electrical and magnetic fields. Such anisotropic particles have significant potential applications in electro-rheological fluids and in active mixing in microfluidic channels.
Very low birth weight preterm infants with early onset neonatal sepsis: the predominance of gram-negative infections continues in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network, 2002-2003.

Background:Early onset neonatal sepsis (EOS, occurring in the first 72 hours of life) remains an important cause of illness and death among very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants. We previously reported a change in the distribution of pathogens associated with EOS from predominantly Gram-posit
The microstructure and mechanical properties of Bi(Pb)(Sr-Ca-Cu-Ag metallic precursor ribbons produced by the melt-spinning process

Metallic precursor ribbons of Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu with nominal compositions of 1.4-0.6-2-3-4, respectively, were made by vacuum induction melting followed by melt-spinning. Silver at the level of 12–81 vol% was added to produce precursor-Ag alloy ribbons. These ribbons were subjected to a controlled atmosphere oxidation and annealing to produce superconducting oxide/Ag microcomposites. All of the alloys with up to 73 vol% Ag can be processed into superconducting ribbons with zero resistance atT=104–110 K and a critical current density of 200–600 A cm−2 at 77 K in zero field. The relationship of the Ag content, melt-spinning processes, microstructure and mechanical properties of the metallic precursor ribbons were studied by microhardness tests, bending tests, scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. The maximum bending strain of the metallic precursor ribbons was found to increase from 0.3–1.7% as the silver content increased from 12–81 vol%, while the ribbon hardness was found first to increase with silver content increasing from 12–62 vol%, then to decrease with further increases in silver content. The mechanical properties were also strongly affected by the melt-spinning processes,i.e. by the ejection pressure applied to the melt and wheel surface speed. The best bending strain for the metallic precursors with 52 vol% Ag achieved so far is ∼0.85%, which was obtained by using an ejection pressure of 69 kPa and a wheel speed of 9.5 m s−1. The mechanical properties of the precursor ribbons is critically important for producing superconducting coils and long wires, which were made by first winding the metallic ribbons on MgO spools, followed by suitable oxidation and annealing.
Structural Studies of InterIeukin-1β, Interleukin-4, and lnterleukin-8

Abstract In this review we present and discuss the structures of three cytokines, interleukin-1β, interleukin-4, and interleukin-8, in the solution and crystal states. The availability of these high-resolution structures provides a framework for understanding their mechanism of action, for relating structure to function, and for the rational design of potential agonists and antagonists
Long-term care following paediatric liver transplantation

Liver transplantation in childhood has evolved quickly and is now a highly successful treatment for end-stage liver disease. One-year survival is greater than 90% in experienced centres, and the vast majority of these children will survive into adult life.1 World wide, many thousands of adults have received a liver transplant in childhood. These survivors require active monitoring, which will involve collaboration between transplant centres and local services. While the specifics of the monitoring process will differ between programmes, there are some general principles. Monitoring can be considered in the following general areas: liver function, complications and consequences of immunosuppression and lifestyle and quality issues. The risk of acute rejection is time related and in most patients immunosuppression can be reduced by 1-year after transplantation but not discontinued. Some patients could achieve tolerance, but currently there is no way to identify this group without withdrawing immune suppression and risking severe rejection. Most children are maintained on long-term calcineurin inhibitor treatment, usually in combination with low-dose (0.1 mg/g/day) corticosteroids. More recently, there has been a trend towards adding extra drugs such as azathioprine or mycophenolate to facilitate reduced levels of calcineurin inhibitors. ### Calcineurin inhibitors Either ciclosporin or tacrolimus is used. Both these drugs inhibit calcineurin, which is a component in the activation cycle of T lymphocytes. Whichever drug is used, it is usually taken orally twice daily, although a once daily preparation of tacrolimus is available. Dosing is usually based on 12 h trough blood levels but ciclosporin can also be based on 2 h peak levels. In long-term maintenance treatment, typical target trough levels are 50–90 μg/l for ciclosporin and 2–4 μg/l for tacrolimus. The pharmacokinetics of both drugs are highly variable. As a result, any change of formulation to generic substitutes should be avoided where possible. If this cannot be avoided, …
Measurements of visibility vs mass-concentration for airborne soil particles

Simultaneous measurements of visibility and mass concentration of airborne dust have been made in rural areas of west Texas and values of the constants C and γ, relating visibility to the mass concentration by the formula MVγ = C, have been calculated and compared with other measured values. The measured values for C appear to depend on factors such as the presence or absence of local erosion, or the distance from the source of the aerosol. The wide variation in values of C, differing by more than an order of magnitude, indicates that there is no single value of C that is generally applicable for relating the mass concentration of soil-derived aerosols and visibility.
A Solution Methodology for the Multiple Batch Surface Mount PCB Placement Sequence Problem

The placement of surface mount components is a time consuming and critical task in the assembly of surface mount Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). The focus of this research was the identification of “near optimal” solutions for the placement sequence identification problem. The factors considered include the placement machine and the specific PCB, the feeder space available, the need for tooling and nozzle changes, and the actual traveling path of the placement head. Expert (or knowledge based) systems were used as the solution method for this problem. The system developed can cope with single PCBs, panels, 180 deg offset boards (panels), and multiple PCB batches. The prototype knowledge based system developed in this research identifies solutions in (almost) realtime.
Classroom friends and very best friends: a short-term longitudinal analysis of relationship quality.

ABSTRACT Second-, third-, fifth-, and sixth-grade children evaluated relationship qualities of a self-nominated friend and a self-nominated very best friend over a 6-month school year period. Results demonstrated that 76% of the friend relationships and 50% of the very best friend relationships were maintained over the course of the study. Children in maintained friendships evaluated their relationships more positively and also reported having larger friendship networks in general compared with children whose friendships did not endure over time. Thus those with unstable relationships are having difficulty initiating new friendships as well. For very best friends, positive relationship qualities (e.g., caring) did not change over time for children in maintained relationships, while positive relationship qualities decreased over time for children in nonmaintained relationships. Further, no differences emerged between children in maintained and nonmaintained very best friendships on perceptions of negative ...
Penetrative convection in rapidly rotating flows: preliminary results from numerical simulation

Turbulent convection forced by a surface heat flux into a stably stratified region is a feature of both the atmospheric and oceanic planetary boundary layers. Of particular interest is the interface between the convective layer and the stable stratification, where the entrainment of fluid into the convective layer by penetrating plumes may lead to a reverse buoyancy flux, and an enhancement of the stable stratification. Whereas in the atmosphere the influence of rotation on this penetrative convection is negligible, oceanic convection may be subjected to lower Rossby numbers and hence greater rotational influence. To isolate the effects of rotation, we present three numerical solutions for turbulent penetrative convection, characterised by different rotation rates, with all other parameters being held constant. Our results indicate that at lower Rossby numbers the lateral scale of the plumes is reduced, whereas the vertical vorticity of the plumes is much enhanced. Vertical transports of buoyancy and kinetic energy across the convective layer are reduced, leading to less efficient penetration at the interface with the stratified layer, and hence less reverse buoyancy flux in this region.
Synergistic effect of calcium and kinetin on ethylene production by the mungbean hypocotyl

A slight increase in ethylene production resulted from the application of either kinetin or Ca2+ to mungbean (Phaseolus mungo L.) hypocotyl segments, but a remarkable synergistic increase in C2H4 production was observed when they were applied together. The induction time was about 6 h as compared to 1 h for auxin-induced C2H4 production. A slight stimulation of C2H4 production was also observed when Ca2+ was applied with abscisic acid, but no synergistic effect of Ca2+ was observed with indole-3-acetic acid or GA3.
Traffic Analysis and Simulation of a Prioritized Shared Medium

This work studies the delay effects resulting from heterogeneous traffic types competing for communications resources on a prioritized shared medium using a fixed access and admission control scheme. This research focuses on a specific class of hybrid fiber coaxial residential Internet access system. Such systems have three separate traffic classes: voice, modem, and high-speed data. The authors use analysis, modeling, and simulation to understand how the combination of these three traffic classes, all competing for finite and prioritized bandwidth resources, affects the “perceived” quality of service by the end user. The authors develop analytic models for the various traffic types being considered and validate the individual models using simulation. They show that traditional modeling techniques are not able to effectively capture the behavior of such real-world systems, and they demonstrate that their techniques are quite useful for gaining insight into the behavior and performance of these systems.
Properties of the electron-hole condensate in Ge double-injection diodes. I

The results of a study of the properties of electrically injected electrons and holes in Ge at liquid-He temperatures are presented. The injected electrons and holes are found to form a condensate with properties like those extensively explored in optical-excitation experiments. Spatial scans of the recombination radiation from the condensate show that it is possible to obtain an approximately uniform distribution of condensate between the ${p}^{+}$ and ${n}^{+}$ contacts. The transient response shows that the radiation from the condensate decays exponentially at 3.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, with a decay time of approximately 40 \ensuremath{\mu}sec. A number of features of the condensate radiation are found to be in agreement with the properties observed in material doped with Li.
The Use of Biologic Agents in the Treatment of Ocular Manifestations of Behcet’s Disease

Behcet's Disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder of uncertain etiology with a variety of potential manifestations throughout the body, and its ocular complications are some of its most devastating. Treatment with immunosuppressive agents has improved outcomes, but many patients suffer from disease that responds poorly to conventional therapies. Because of this, therapy with a variety of biological response modifiers has been employed. The earliest was interferon-α, and a multitude of reports have described its benefits for the uveitis associated with Behcet's Disease. Many patients enjoy durable remissions of their ocular inflammatory disease even after discontinuation of therapy, but side-effects are almost universal and some can be dangerous. Of the newer biological response modifiers, infliximab, a monoclonal antibody to TNF-α, has been most extensively studied. It is reported to be rapidly effective in many cases of Behcet's Disease uveitis, though with conflicting data as to the ability to induce durable remission after cessation of treatment. Side-effects are relatively rare, but may be serious. Several reports have been published on the use of other biologic agents, including adalimumab (a humanized antibody to TNF-α), etanercept (a molecule that resembles the TNF-α receptor), and rituximab (an antibody to CD20 that depletes the body of CD20-positive B cells). Of the three of these, adalimumab has the most promising initial evidence, etanercept has very few positive reports in patients with BD uveitis (and is likely ineffective in uveitis in general), and rituximab is lacking data. Although randomized controlled trials are almost completely lacking, currently available evidence is promising that biologic agents can prove an invaluable addition to the armamentarium of the practitioner treating patients with BD uveitis.
Flow cytometric features of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

Background: The immunophenotypic features of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILT) have not been well described. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional experience with the flow cytometric features of 16 cases of AILT. Results: Multiparameter flow cytometry was able to identify a distinct population of immunophenotypically aberrant T cells in 15 of 16 cases. In 13 lymph node specimens, the neoplastic cells ranged from 1.9 to 87% (median 23%) of cells. The ratio of reactive to neoplastic T cells ranged from 0.01 to 20 (median 1.5); reactive T cells outnumbered neoplastic in 9/13 (69%) cases. The neoplastic populations expressed CD2, CD4, CD5, and CD45RO in all cases, lacked expression of CD8 and CD56 in all cases, and showed negative or dim surface CD3 in most cases. CD10 was expressed by the neoplastic populations in 11 of 14 cases at diagnosis; in 3 of these 11 only a subpopulation of the neoplastic cells was CD10(+). CD10 tended to be absent on neoplastic cells in staging bone marrows. The neoplastic population in all but one of the 15 positive cases possessed multiple immunophenotypic abnormalities and these were generally retained during the follow-up analyses of several cases. Conclusions: These results indicate the potential utility of flow cytometry in the diagnosis and follow-up of AILT. © 2006 International Society for Analytical Cytology
Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis is exacerbated in mice deficient for 12/15-lipoxygenase or 5-lipoxygenase.

12/15-Lipoxygenase (12/15-LO) produces 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) and 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE) which are agonists for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ). PPARγ agonists reduce clinical severity of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis. In contrast, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) produces the generally proinflammatory leukotrienes (LTs) which would be expected to worsen EAE. We tested the hypotheses that EAE severity would be exacerbated in 12/15-LO-deficient mice and attenuated in 5-LO-deficient mice. 12/15-LO deficiency conferred a significantly worse disease course, and surprisingly, 5-LO deficiency also caused significantly more severe EAE compared to control mice. These data suggest that PPARγ-regulated gene expression and that 5-LO production of certain LTs have the ability to diminish EAE. Continued analysis will provide insight into the endogenous LO-generated effectors that assist in tempering EAE.
RELATION OF TRANSITION PROBABILITIES IN THE LESLIE MODEL TO THOSE FROM EXPERIMENTAL CUMULATIVE DISTRIBUTIONS

We explore the relationship between transition probabilities in the Leslie model and those derived from experimental cumulative distributions. The nature of the two kinds of probabilities are discussed, and a formula derived for converting from one to the other. A numerical example is given to illustrate the differences.
Organization and Flexibility of Cyanobacterial Thylakoid Membranes Examined by Neutron Scattering

Cyanobacteria are prokaryotes that can use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into cellular fuel. Knowledge of the organization of the membrane systems in cyanobacteria is critical to understanding the metabolic processes in these organisms. We examined the wild-type strain of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and a series of mutants with altered light-harvesting phycobilisome antenna systems for changes in thylakoid membrane architecture under different conditions. Using small-angle neutron scattering, it was possible to resolve correlation distances of subcellular structures in live cells on the nanometer scale and capture dynamic light-induced changes to these distances. Measurements made from samples with varied scattering contrasts confirmed that these distances could be attributed to the thylakoid lamellar system. We found that the changes to the thylakoid system were reversible between light- and dark-adapted states, demonstrating a robust structural flexibility in the architecture of cyanobacterial cells. Chemical disruption of photosynthetic electron transfer diminished these changes, confirming the involvement of the photosynthetic apparatus. We have correlated these findings with electron microscopy data to understand the origin of the changes in the membranes and found that light induces an expansion in the center-to-center distances between the thylakoid membrane layers. These combined data lend a dynamic dimension to the intracellular organization in cyanobacterial cells. Background: In cyanobacteria, light harvesting and photosynthesis occur in the thylakoid membranes. Results: The distances between thylakoid membranes are correlated with the size of the phycobilisome antenna and change reversibly and rapidly upon illumination. Conclusion: Thylakoid membranes have a structural plasticity tied to the regulation of photosynthesis. Significance: Characterizing the structural changes in photosynthetic membranes is crucial for understanding light harvesting and photosynthetic productivity.
Some comments on the calculation of NMR line shapes for exchanging AB spin systems

Density matrix equations are discussed for AB spin systems exchanging between two different environments (sites). It is shown that simple exchange coupled Bloch equations suffice to describe the line shapes when the Hamiltonians for the two sites differ only by a scaling factor and a change in their average chemical shifts, i.e. when they commute. Coupled Bloch equations are also found to be adequate for two equally populated sites when the Hamiltonians differ only in the interchange of the chemical shifts of the spins. In addition, theoretical spectra are compared with recently reported spectra of exchanging methylene protons in trans-1,2-cyclohexylenedinitrilotetraacetic acid.
Partial purification and characterization of sorbitol dehydrogenase from rat brain.

— Sorbitol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.14) was isolated and purified 700-fold from rat brain. Most substrate specificities and properties are similar to those reported for sorbitol dehydrogenase from other mammalian tissues; however, the substrate specificity of this brain enzyme does not conform to the d-cis 2,4 dihydroxy configuration. The physiological substrate for sorbitol dehydrogenase is probably sorbitol. The isolation of sorbitol dehydrogenase from rat brain tissue is confirmation that (1) all the constituents of the sorbitol (polyol) pathway are present in the brain and that (2) fructose synthesis from glucose in this tissue proceeds via the intermediate formation of sorbitol.
Lyme disease: a case report of a 17-year-old male with fatal Lyme carditis

Lyme disease is a systemic infection commonly found in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central regions of the United States. Of the many systemic manifestations of Lyme disease, cardiac involvement is uncommon and rarely causes mortality. We describe a case of a 17-year-old adolescent who died unexpectedly after a 3-week viral-like syndrome. Postmortem examination was remarkable for diffuse pancarditis characterized by extensive infiltrates of lymphocytes and focal interstitial fibrosis. In the cardiac tissue, Borrelia burgdorferi was identified via special stains, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction. The findings support B. burgdorferi as the causative agent for his fulminant carditis and that the patient suffered fatal Lyme carditis. Usually, Lyme carditis is associated with conduction disturbances and is a treatable condition. Nevertheless, few cases of mortality have been reported in the literature. Here, we report a rare example of fatal Lyme carditis in an unsuspected patient.
Observations of the Structure of Heavily Precipitating Marine Stratocumulus.

Abstract The second research flight of the Second Dynamics and Chemistry of Marine Stratocumulus (DYCOMS-II) field study is analyzed. This case attracted attention because it combined the presence of high drizzle rates with the occurrence of clearings in the cloud cover, which previous work has suggested could be due to a drizzle-induced change in cloud structure. Recent work has named the configuration of these open-cell-like features pocket of open cells (POC). A division of the data, based on the difference of brightness temperature of the 11- and 4-μm channels of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-10 (GOES-10), is used to condition averages over POC and non-POC sections of the data. Based on this division, significant precipitation is observed almost entirely within the POC. Overall, the observed PBL was markedly energetic and well mixed, commensurate with observations of similarly forced nonprecipitating boundary layers. Regions of elevated equivalent potential temperature, Θe, are...
The C-loss function for pattern classification

This paper presents a new loss function for neural network classification, inspired by the recently proposed similarity measure called Correntropy. We show that this function essentially behaves like the conventional square loss for samples that are well within the decision boundary and have small errors, and L0 or counting norm for samples that are outliers or are difficult to classify. Depending on the value of the kernel size parameter, the proposed loss function moves smoothly from convex to non-convex and becomes a close approximation to the misclassification loss (ideal 0-1 loss). We show that the discriminant function obtained by optimizing the proposed loss function in the neighborhood of the ideal 0-1 loss function to train a neural network is immune to overfitting, more robust to outliers, and has consistent and better generalization performance as compared to other commonly used loss functions, even after prolonged training. The results also show that it is a close competitor to the SVM. Since the proposed method is compatible with simple gradient based online learning, it is a practical way of improving the performance of neural network classifiers. HighlightsWe propose a new classification method.The method is based on the recently proposed similarity measure called Correntropy.The method is robust against overfitting and less sensitive to system parameters.We obtain better performance as compared to several conventional classifiers.