cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Gate Width Setting and Gate Utilization Factors on Plutonium Assay in Passive Correlated Neutron Counting

In the field of nuclear safeguards, passive neutron multiplicity counting (PNMC) is a method typically employed in non-destructive assay (NDA) of special nuclear material (SNM) for nonproliferation, verification and accountability purposes. PNMC is generally performed using a well-type thermal neutron counter and relies on the detection of correlated pairs or higher order multiplets of neutrons emitted by an assayed item. To assay SNM, a set of parameters for a given well-counter is required to link the measured multiplicity rates to the assayed item properties. Detection efficiency, die-away time, gate utilization factors (tightly connected to die-away time) as well as optimum gate width setting are among the key parameters. These parameters along with the underlying model assumptions directly affect the accuracy of the SNM assay. In this paper we examine the role of gate utilization factors and the single exponential die-away time assumption and their impact on the measurements for a range of plutonium materials. In addition, we examine the importance of item-optimized coincidence gate width setting as opposed to using a universal gate width value. Finally, the traditional PNMC based on multiplicity shift register electronics is extended to Feynman-type analysis and application of this approach to Pu mass assay ismore » demonstrated.« less
Rethinking Intent and Impact: Some Behavioral Realism About Equal Protection

In this Meador Lecture, Prof. Jerry Kang briefly reviews the state of scientific understanding of implicit bias, including its predictive validity of real-world behavior. Invoking a commitment to behavioral realism, he then explores what these findings might mean for equal protection doctrine viewed as a black box "machine." Aspects addressed include intent and impact, the triggers for strict scrutiny, and the underlying functions or purposes of the doctrinal machine. He concludes with suggestions for doctrinal redesign, including more serious scientific investigation about the causes and consequences of ethnic and racial balkanization.
In Planta Agrobacterium -Mediated Transformation by Vacuum Infiltration

In planta Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using vacuum infiltration results in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana without the use of sterile conditions or plant regeneration. Plants are grown in pots, in standard potting mix. Agrobacterium tumefaciens, carrying an appropriate plant transformation vector, is suspended in an infiltration medium that contains, at a minimum, sucrose and the surfactant Silwet L-77. Flower buds are immersed in the suspension of A. tumefaciens. The application of a vacuum drives the bacteria into the intercellular air spaces. A portion of the Agrobacterium Ti plasmid known as the T-DNA region, which has been engineered to carry a selectable marker, becomes integrated into the plant genomic DNA. Plants are allowed to set seed. Seeds are germinated in selective conditions to recover transformants.
Magnetism in a lattice of spinor Bose-Einstein condensates

We study the ground-state magnetic properties of ferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensates confined in deep optical lattices. In the Mott-insulator regime, the ``minicondensates'' at each lattice site behave as mesoscopic spin magnets that can interact with neighboring sites through both the static magnetic dipolar interaction and the light-induced dipolar interaction. We show that such an array of spin magnets can undergo a ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic phase transition under the magnetic dipolar interaction depending on the dimension of the confining optical lattice. The ground-state spin configurations and related magnetic properties are investigated in detail.
Ceramide 1-phosphate transfer protein depletion in the cell drives autophagic response: potential implications of this newly identified protein in cell death and survival (737.6)

Ceramide 1-Phosphate (C1P) is a biologically active sphingolipid that stimulates cell proliferation, macrophage migration, and inflammatory events. We recently characterized a novel human lipid transfer protein encoded by GLTPD1 on chromosome 1 (locus 1p36.33). We named the protein, ceramide 1-phosphate transfer protein (CPTP) due to its lipid specificity and discovered that CPTP transports C1P to the plasma membrane from TGN after synthesis by ceramide kinase. CPTP depletion by RNAi leads to C1P accumulation in TGN (~6-fold), stimulating cPLA2α and inducing pro-inflammatory eicosanoid production (Simanshu et al., Nature 500: 463-67, 2013). Here, we investigated whether CPTP depletion leads to programmed cell death and discovered an autophagic response in human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa) and human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells (A549). Transfection with ShRNA (pSuper.GFP.ShRNA.CPTP vector) resulted in GFP-LC3 puncta and acidophilic acridine orange staining by epifluorescence microscopy and be...
Understanding Sponsored Search: The Serious Game of Bidding on Keywords

All of a sudden, we realized we were in the auction business. Eric Schmidt, Google’s second CEO As Schmidt notes in the epigraph, major sponsored-search platforms are partly major auction houses. How does this auction affect our frame shop business? In the course of developing the advertising for our frame shop, we have performed an analysis of our customers to target our efforts to those most likely to buy our products. We have performed market research, understanding how we will evaluate our advertising’s return on investment. We have also reviewed the concepts of branding, advertising, and marketing to provide direction to our overall endeavor. Finally, we have designed our ads to appeal to potential customers and selected the keyphrases that we want to trigger our ads.
Primary transpupillary thermotherapy for small choroidal melanoma in 256 consecutive cases: outcomes and limitations.

Abstract Objective The objective of this report was to evaluate ocular and systemic outcomes after primary transpupillary thermotherapy for choroidal melanoma and to identify the limitations of this treatment method. Design Noncomparative interventional case series. Participants The participants included 256 patients with newly diagnosed choroidal melanoma. Main outcome measures The outcome measures included local tumor recurrence and visual acuity. Results Before treatment, the mean tumor base was 7.1 mm, and mean tumor thickness was 2.7 mm. Overlying subretinal fluid was present in 215 cases (84%) and orange pigment on the tumor surface in 200 cases (78%). All tumors showed either photographic documentation of growth (114 cases; 45%) or substantial risk factors for growth (142 cases; 55%). After a mean of three treatment sessions, complete tumor control without recurrence was found in 232 cases (91%) and recurrence in 24 cases (9%). The mean time to recurrence was 22 months, and the mean recurrent tumor size was 3.8 mm base and 2.4 mm thick. Of the recurrent tumors, additional thermotherapy was successful in controlling 13 (5%), plaque radiotherapy in 8 (3%), and enucleation in 3 (1%). Using multivariable analysis, the risk factors for tumor recurrence included increasing number of thermotherapy sessions (reflecting less responsive tumor) ( P = 0.0001) and optic disc overhung by tumor ( P = 0.03). Kaplan Meier estimates revealed that 4% showed recurrence at 1 year, 12% at 2 years, and 22% at 3 years follow-up. When analyzing those 214 patients without multivariable risk factors for recurrence, Kaplan Meier estimates for recurrence were 2% at 1 year, 8% at 2 years, and 10% at 3 years. The visual acuity after treatment was 20/20 to 20/40 in 128 cases (50%), 20/50 to 20/100 in 47 (18%), and 20/200 or worse in 81 (32%). Using multivariable analysis, the most statistically significant factors at initial visit that were predictive of poor visual acuity (20/200 or worse) after treatment included documented tumor growth before treatment ( P = 0.0001), mushroom tumor configuration ( P = 0.002), initial symptom of blurred vision ( P = 0.008), poor initial visual acuity ( P = 0.005), superior quadrant tumor location ( P = 0.03), underlying diabetes mellitus ( P = 0.04), and optic disc overhung by tumor ( P = 0.04). Tumor-related mortality occurred in two patients (1%), one of whom showed complete tumor regression to thermotherapy and the other with diffuse choroidal melanoma and local tumor margin recurrence. Conclusions Transpupillary thermotherapy is an effective treatment for certain small choroidal melanomas. Appropriate tumor selection is critical to successful treatment. Patients with tumors abutting or overhanging the optic disc or those requiring more than three sessions for tumor control are more likely to develop ultimate tumor recurrence. Transpupillary thermotherapy can cause damaging effects to the retina, leading to visual loss shortly after treatment.
The role of Shabansky orbits in compression-related electromagnetic ion cyclotron wave growth

[1] Electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves at high L values near local noon are often found to be related to magnetospheric compression events. These waves arise from temperature anisotropies in trapped warm plasma populations. There are several possible mechanisms that can generate these temperature anisotropies, including both energizing and nonenergizing processes. In this work we investigate a nonenergizing process arising from dayside bifurcated magnetic field minima. There are two kinds of behavior particles undergo in the presence of bifurcated minima: particles with high initial equatorial pitch angles (EPAs) are forced to execute so-called Shabansky orbits and mirror at high latitudes without passing through the equator, while those with lower initial EPAs will pass through the equator with higher EPAs than before; as a result, perpendicular energies near the equator increase at the cost of parallel energies. By using a 3-D particle tracing code in a tunable analytic compressed-dipole field, we explore the effects of Shabansky orbits on the anisotropy of the warm plasma and contrast with the anisotropy resulting from drift shell splitting. We show that Shabansky orbits are an independent source of temperature anisotropy for warm dayside ions.
El costo de la garantía de calidad

This paper views quality assurance costs as appraisal costs. We used cost accounting techniques to estimate the cost of quality assurance activities in a large university affiliated Veteran Administration Medical Center. In addition to the personnel employed full-time for quality assurance activities, all other employees in or directly in support of clinical services were interviewed in order to determine the per cent of their work time devoted to specific quality assurance activities. The per cent time committed was multiplied by the salary and benefits package for each employee and the total computed for the facility. In addition, non-salary overhead expenses were estimated by multiplying the salary and fringe benefit costs to the ratio of total medical center non-personnel costs to total medical center costs. We found that 3.39 per cent of the total budget or $4 884 775 was devoted to quality assurance activities. The highest costs aside from the designated quality assurance personnel were for pharmacy, Laboratory, extended care (including nursing home), psychiatry, and nursing services. We did not attempt a formal benefit analysis. We concluded that quality assurance activities in a major medical center are not free. Careful cost accounting studies should be performed both to determine the cost of quality assurance and to identify its specific benefits.
Assessment of Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotopic Fractionation During Nitrification and Its Expression in the Marine Environment

Nitrification is a microbially-catalyzed process whereby ammonia (NH(3)) is oxidized to nitrite (NO(2)(-)) and subsequently to nitrate (NO(3)(-)). It is also responsible for production of nitrous oxide (N(2)O), a climatically important greenhouse gas. Because the microbes responsible for nitrification are primarily autotrophic, nitrification provides a unique link between the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios have provided insights into where nitrification contributes to the availability of NO(2)(-) and NO(3)(-), and where it constitutes a significant source of N(2)O. This chapter describes methods for determining kinetic isotope effects involved with ammonia oxidation and nitrite oxidation, the two independent steps in the nitrification process, and their expression in the marine environment. It also outlines some remaining questions and issues related to isotopic fractionation during nitrification.
Isolation and Characterization of CrossLinked Peptides from Elastin

Abstract Two peptides containing the desmosine cross-link were isolated and purified from a subtilisin digest of oxalic acidsolubilized elastin. Molecular weights averaged approximately 6000. Automated sequence data suggest that the desmosines cross-link two polypeptide chains and that both desmosine and isodesmosine are present in the same primary sequence approximately equally substituted. The primary sequence of the peptides is in good agreement with sequence data obtained on the soluble elastin precursor tropoelastin.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and other amphetamine derivatives

As various substances of abuse come under Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Schedule restrictions, slightly modified derivatives (designer drugs) replace them. A series of amphetamine derivatives are discussed in this presentation. Applicable analytical methods are presented. Details of cases handled by the office (hospital patients, driving while under the influence/driving under the influence of drugs [DWI/DUID], and medical examiner cases) are discussed.
Influence of seasonal temperature on the temperature optima of bacteria in sediments of lake george, new york.

Temperature optima for the heterotrophic utilization of glucose and an amino acid mixture were determined throughout the year in sediments from Lake George, N.Y. The temperature optimum decreased with decreasing in situ temperature in the fall and winter, suggesting that selection for or adaptation by a psychrotrophic bacterial population occurred. Replicate plating of bacterial isolates from 3 and 20°C indicated that a psychrotrophic bacterial population was present in the sediments throughout the year. These results indicate that decomposition and nutrient cycling processes in the sediments within the littoral zone of Lake George were probably not completely inhibited by winter temperatures, although process rates were decreased.
The phenolic monoterpenoid carvacrol inhibits the binding of nicotine to the housefly nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Background The phenolic monoterpenoid carvacrol, which is found in many plant essential oils (thyme, oregano and Alaska yellow cedar), is highly active against pest arthropods, but its mechanisms of action are not fully understood. Here, carvacrol is shown to bind in a membrane preparation containing insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). [14C]-Nicotine binding assays with Musca domestica (housefly) nAChRs were used in this study to demonstrate carvacrol's binding to nAChRs, thereby acting as a modulator of the receptors. Results Carvacrol showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of [14C]-nicotine binding in a membrane preparation of housefly heads containing nAChRs, with IC50 = 1.4 μM, in a non-competitive pattern. Binding studies with neonicotinoid insecticides revealed that imidacloprid and thiamethoxam did not inhibit the binding of [14C]-nicotine, while dinotefuran, from the guanidine subclass of neonicotinoids, inhibited nicotine binding like carvacrol. Conclusions Carvacrol binds to housefly nAChRs at a binding site distinct from nicotine and acetylcholine, and the nAChRs are a possible target of carvacrol for its insecticidal activity.© 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Failure prediction of electrolytic capacitor using DSP methods

Electrolytic capacitors are responsible for frequent breakdowns of static converters. A new DSP based method, to set a predictive maintenance, is presented. Signature of changes in capacitance and ESR, due to aging, will reflect in capacitor ripple voltage and current; and these changes are monitored using proposed method to predict the future status of the capacitor
Effect of Tryptophan Analogs on Derepression of the Escherichia coli Tryptophan Operon by Indole-3-Propionic Acid

The abilities of 14 tryptophan analogs to repress the tryptophan (trp) operon have been studied in Escherichia coli cells derepressed by incubation with 0.25 mM indole-3-propionic acid (IPA). trp operon expression was monitored by measuring the specific activities of anthranilate synthase (EC 4.1.3.27) and the tryptophan synthase (EC 4.2.1.20) beta subunit. Analogs characterized by modification or removal of the alpha-amino group or the alpha-carboxyl group did not repress the trp operon. The only analogs among this group that appeared to interact with the trp aporepressor were IPA, which derepressed the trp operon, and d-tryptophan. Analogs with modifications of the indole ring repressed the trp operon to various degrees. 7-Methyl-tryptophan inhibited anthranilate synthase activity and consequently derepressed the trp operon. Additionally, 7-methyltryptophan prevented IPA-mediated derepression but, unlike tryptophan, did so in a non-coordinate manner, with the later enzymes of the operon being relatively more repressed than the early enzymes. The effect of 7-methyltryptophan on IPA-mediated derepression was likely not due to the interaction of IPA with the allosteric site of anthranilate synthase, even though feedback-resistant mutants of anthranilate synthase were partially resistant to derepression by IPA. The effect of 7-methyltryptophan on derepression by IPA was probably due to the effect of the analog-aporepressor complex on trp operon expression.
Management of blow-out fractures of the orbital floor: III. The conservative approach☆

Abstract The management of orbital fractures has long been controversial. In some cases, surgical repair is required, and early repair is more successful than secondary reconstruction. In other cases, slow resolution of diplopia over four to six months obviates surgery. In an editorial and two separate articles, the authors elucidate indications for and results of the early vs. late surgical repair of orbital blow-out fractures.
Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis associated with recurrent breast carcinoma

Abstract Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH) is a rare systemic disorder that most often affects women in the fourth to fifth decades of life and is characterized by widespread cutaneous papules and nodules, often associated with a destructive arthritis. The characteristic histologic feature of the skin lesions, and of other affected organs, is the presence of histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells containing abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm with a "ground glass appearance." Approximately 30% of the patients have an underlying malignancy suggesting MRH may be a paraneoplastic phenomenon. We describe a case of MRH associated with recurrent, metastatic breast carcinoma. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;39:864-6.)
The number of Hamiltonian paths in a rectangular grid

Abstract It is easy to find out which rectangular m vertex by n vertex grids have a Hamiltonian path from one corner to another using a checkerboard argument. However, it is quite difficult in general to count the total number of such paths. In this paper we give generating function answers for grids with fixed m for m = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Rational temporal predictions can underlie apparent failures to delay gratification

An important category of seemingly maladaptive decisions involves failure to postpone gratification. A person pursuing a desirable long-run outcome may abandon it in favor of a short-run alternative that has been available all along. Here we present a theoretical framework in which this seemingly irrational behavior emerges from stable preferences and veridical judgments. Our account recognizes that decision makers generally face uncertainty regarding the time at which future outcomes will materialize. When timing is uncertain, the value of persistence depends crucially on the nature of a decision maker's prior temporal beliefs. Certain forms of temporal beliefs imply that a delay's predicted remaining length increases as a function of time already waited. In this type of situation, the rational, utility-maximizing strategy is to persist for a limited amount of time and then give up. We show empirically that people's explicit predictions of remaining delay lengths indeed increase as a function of elapsed time in several relevant domains, implying that temporal judgments offer a rational basis for limiting persistence. We then develop our framework into a simple working model and show how it accounts for individual differences in a laboratory task (the well-known "marshmallow test"). We conclude that delay-of-gratification failure, generally viewed as a manifestation of limited self-control capacity, can instead arise as an adaptive response to the perceived statistics of one's environment.
Transparent Ferroelectric Glass-Ceramics

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in transparent ferroelectric glass-ceramics (TFGCs), which are a special class of glass-ceramic composites that combine the low cost of fabrication and forming of transparent glass with the superior nonlinear optical and electro-optical properties of ferroelectric crystals. In this paper, we present a review of the current status, focusing on the challenges of fabrication and opportunities for selectively creating nonlinear optical structures, which will be useful in realizing integrated optical devices. A successful fabrication of TFGC requires the nucleation and growth of crystallites that are too small to scatter light, yet large enough to have ferroelectric response. Early experiments on silica based glasses containing common ferroelectric oxides indicated that although the preparation of TFGC is feasible, such a balance of crystallite size is difficult to achieve. However, later studies have demonstrated successful fabrication of TFGCs with com...
Experimental measurements of 3He and 4He mobility in olivine and clinopyroxene at magmatic temperatures

In-vacuo heating of 0.5 –0.7 mm olivine and clinopyroxene grains separated from Hawaiian ultramafic xenoliths leads to complete He loss within hours to days for temperatures of 700–1400°C. Diffusivities calculated from the observed release rates assuming spherical grains and initially homogeneous He distributions define Arrhenius relations with activation energies of 420 ± 20 and 290 ± 40 Kj/mol and log10D0 of +5.1 ± .7 and +2.1 ± 1.2 cm2/s in olivine and pyroxene, respectively. Values at 1350°C are 5.3 × 10−9 cm2/s in olivine and 10 times faster in pyroxene (4.7 × 10−8 cm2/s). These values include small corrections for grain size variations and, in the case of olivine, about 15% prior diffusive He loss. However, an important factor that has not been considered in previous studies of this type, is that the xenolith He resides predominantly within CO2 rich fluid inclusions. Theoretical description of He loss in such a case demonstrates that the diffusivities calculated using the standard approach actually represent the product of the true volume diffusivity (D) and the helium solubility, as represented by the distribution coefficient KDv (defined by CcrystalCfluid). Although He solubility in crystals is not well determined, estimates based on the CO2 concentrations in these samples suggest that it is very low (KDv of 3 × 10−4 for pyroxene and 6 × 10−6 for olivine; which also implies low crystal-melt distribution coefficients of .05 and .001). The resultant corrected diffusion rates are significantly faster than those obtained by the standard approach (~ 10−4 cm2/s at 1350°C and are thus higher than basaltic melt values). The most reasonable interpretation of this result is that He release is enhanced by internal grain fractures, including the planar healed cracks along which most fluid inclusions are arrayed. This treatment illustrates the difficulties involved in extrapolating laboratory He release measurements to nature, in particular the strong influence of mineral defects. The diffusivities reported here probably represent upper limits for mantle He transport or magmaphenocryst He exchange. As such, they imply that He transport over kilometer length scales in the mantle is dominated by convection rather than diffusion, and that phenocrysts in extrusive rocks will retain most of their pre-eruption helium contents. In combination with the observation that 3He diffuses only marginally faster than 4He (4 ± 4% faster in pyroxene and 9 ± 4% faster in olivine) this implies that significant isotopic fractionation of residual helium contents is unlikely to occur.
Free-ranging cattle water consumption in southcentral New Mexico

Abstract Water-drinking behavior of 67 free-ranging protein supplemented and nonsupplemented beef cattle was examined between May 23 and 16 July 1986, in southcentral New Mexico. The lactating and nonlactating cows had a mean liveweight of 383 kg and were maintained as a single herd, and separated only during supplementation with an automated sorting and single animal electronic identification system. Mean daily water consumption was 571 day −1 (161 (100 kg liveweight) −1 ) at a rate of 201 min −1 under mean mid-range ambient air temperatures between 14 and 24°C. Water consumed by cows supplemented at 0.7 kg head −1 day −1 and 1.4 kg head −1 day −1 fed every 5.9 days and 3.5 days, respectively, was 14 1 (100 kg liveweight) −1 and 15 1 (100 kg liveweight) −1 ( P =0.7238), respectively. In contrast, nonsupplemented cows consumed more ( P ≤0.0015) water (17 1 (100 kg liveweight) −1 ) than supplemented cows. Lactating cows consumed more water ( P −1 and 12 1 (100 kg liveweight) −1 , respectively). One drinking event every 24 h was sufficient to satisfy cows 94% of the time. Neither supplement level nor lactation affected ( P >0.05) daily watering frequency. Water intake was negatively correlated to predrinking liveweight ( r =−0.19; P r =−0.11; P r =0.17; P P >0.05) with the mid-range or maximum ambient air temperatures of the current or previous day. Our findings indicate large feedings of protein reduced water consumption, probably as a consequence of lower forage intake. Lactation increased water requirements and liveweight was a poor predictor of water needs. Water consumption is affected by biotic and abiotic factors other than those we evaluated.
Generalized differentiation of parameter-dependent sets and mappings†

This article concerns new aspects of generalized differentiation theory that plays a crucial role in many areas of modern variational analysis, optimization and their applications. In contrast to the majority of previous developments, we focus here on generalized differentiation of parameter-dependent objects (sets, set-valued mappings and nonsmooth functions), which naturally appear, e.g. in parametric optimization and related topics. The basic generalized differential constructions needed in this case are different for those known in parameter-independent settings, while they still enjoy comprehensive calculus rules developed in this article. †Dedicated to Bert Jongen in honor of his 60th birthday.
Pyrethroid pesticides and their metabolites in vacuum cleaner dust collected from homes and day-care centers

Urinary metabolites of pyrethroid pesticides have been used as biomarkers to estimate human exposure to the parent insecticide. It is important to establish whether these markers are present in environments or media to which humans are exposed routinely. Failure to account for the contribution of pre-existing markers to urinary concentrations could result in risk assessments that overestimate exposure. The purpose of this study was to quantify the concentrations of 13 selected pyrethroid pesticides and their degradation products in samples of indoor dust that had been collected in vacuum cleaner bags during the children's total exposure to persistent pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants (CTEPP) study of homes and day cares in North Carolina and Ohio. Sieved contents of 85 vacuum cleaner bags were analyzed, and permethrin was found in all samples. Sixty-nine samples contained at least one additional pyrethroid, but none contained more than five pyrethroids in detectable concentrations. Resmethrin, prallethrin, and fenpropathrin were not detected in any samples, while 36 contained phenothrin. The median concentration of permethrin in the samples was 1454ng/g of dust. Excluding permethrin, pyrethroid concentrations were typically less than or equal to 100ng/g of dust. The majority of degradates were present in more than half of the dust samples, usually at concentrations of less than or equal to 100ng/g of dust. For those pyrethroids with a characteristic oxydibenzene group, the cyclopropane degradates were present at higher concentrations than the corresponding benzoic acid moieties. Using urinary concentrations of these metabolites to model human exposure to the parent pyrethroids, may over-estimate risk due to the presence of pre-existing degradates in dust.
Foreign Exchange Gains and Losses: Impact on Reported Earnings

During the period 1974–77 firms affected by Statement 8 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board dealing with foreign currency translation responded to the FASB's invitation to comment. In this study, the reported exchange gains and losses of firms that submitted comments to the FASB and a broad sample of multi-national companies are examined. There is limited evidence that FASB respondents suffered greater swings in pretax earnings as a result of FASB than did other multinationals.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with reduced-dose carboplatin and gemcitabine for non-small cell lung cancer in a patient with fanconi anemia

Fanconi anemia (FA) is characterized by pancytopenia, congenital malformations, and susceptibility to malignancies. We describe a 31-year-old man with FA, who had undergone bone marrow transplantation and whole body irradiation at the age 17 years for FA. Fourteen years later, he presented with squamous cell carcinoma of the bronchus intermedius in the right lung. The tumor was located next to the main pulmonary artery and between the superior and inferior pulmonary veins. Two cycles of neoadjuvant therapy were given in an attempt to decrease tumor size and avoid a potential right pneumonectomy. Treatment consisted of a 21-day cycle with carboplatin (area under the curve 3) given on day 1 and gemcitabine (1250 mg/m 2 ) on day 1 and 8. Because FA cells are hypersensitive to DNA crosslinking agents, we reduced the carboplatin dose to minimize treatment-related toxicity. The tumor regressed sufficiently to permit performance of a right middle and lower lobectomy. In our case, neoadjuvant therapy with gemcitabine and low-dose carboplatin exhibited antitumor activity with manageable side-effects, suggesting that this chemotherapy regimen can be safely and effectively used in the treatment of NSCLC in FA patients who have achieved hematopoietic reconstitution after bone marrow transplantation.
From traditional to contemporary: Revelations in Chinese garden and public space design

China, like many other nations, struggled in the twentieth century with defining an indigenous landscape design tradition. This was particularly true in addressing urban open space design after China implemented the Open Door Policy in the late 1970s, when Chinese garden design traditions became largely neglected. The objective of this study is to determine whether the traditional design approach could still effectively serve as modern design inspiration. Built upon a previous study by Wu (1999), our study is a reflective critique on modern Chinese urban public space design. We compare major types of traditional and modern Chinese urban open spaces. The percentage areas of five landscape variables that Wu proposed (planting, water, rock, architecture and pavement) were quantified using Photoshop and ArcGIS software. Although Wu (1999) compared only scholars' gardens (a traditional model) with modern parks (a modern model), we include imperial gardens (another traditional model) and urban plazas (another modern model). In addition, we supplemented Wu's plan analysis with perspective view analysis (photographs). Our results suggest more similarities between traditional and modern landscapes than previously suggested. This article concludes by suggesting that traditional models can be relevant to contemporary urban public space design in China. URBAN DESIGN International (2010) 15, 208-220. doi:10.1057/udi.2010.13
Using GRENOUILLE to measure spatio-temporal distortions in ultrafast laser beams

The couplings between the spatial coordinates and time and/or frequency are very common in ultrashort laser pulses. We previously showed that, the ultrashort pulse intensity and phase measurement devices, single-shot FROG and GRENOUILLE also measure some of the very common spatio-temporal distortions. Specifically, GRENOUILLE yields a sheared trace in frequency if the input pulse has spatial chirp. It also yields a trace shifted in delay, if the input pulse has pulse-front tilt. The shear and shift can also be used to measure the distortions. While this approach holds valid for relatively simple pulse, as the pulse gets more complicated, so does the effect of the spatio-temporal distortions. Therefore, we develop methods to extract the spatio-temporal distortions from GRENOUILLE traces, even for fairly complex pulses and distortions. First, we have developed a general model of GRENOUILLE for arbitrary spatio-temporal input beams. We then develop two algorithms to be run on distorted GRENOUILLE traces. The first perturbative algorithm is approximate, but is adequate for most cases where the spatio-temporal distortions are relatively small. The advantage of this perturbative approach is that it requires little modification to the existing FROG program, which is fast, reliable and robust. The second rigorous algorithm is numerically more complicated but is capable of accurately measuring the pulse intensity and phase and the spatio-temporal distortion parameters in more general cases. We tested this algorithm with several pulses that have various complexities and showed that this new algorithm retrieves the intensity and phase and the spatio-temporal distortions very accurately.
Teratogenic and dominant lethal studies of patulin in mice

Teratogenicity of daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of 1.5 or 2.0 mg/kg of patulin on days 6 through 17 of pregnancy and mutagenic effects of acute i.p. exposure of 3.0 mg/kg of patulin on male germ cells were evaluated. Resorption of all implanted embryos occurred at 2.0 mg/kg/day of patulin, while a significant reduction in the average body weight of 19-day-old fetuses from patulin-treated mothers, compared to control fetuses, was noticed at 1.5 mg/kg/day without any lethal effects on the implanted embryos. Patulin was embryocidal, possibly fetotoxic but was neither teratogenic nor mutagenic to mice.
In vivo and in vitro effects of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on femoral mRNA expression in old rats

Abstract The in vivo response of bone to IGF-I infusion in a marrow ablation model and the effect of IGF-I on bone marrow stromal cells in vitro was evaluated. IGF-I (25 ng/day), infused directly into femur, stimulated the expression of alkaline phosphatase, procollagen ∝1 (I) and osteopontin mRNA, while osteocalcin mRNA was not affected. The dose dependency to IGF-I was bi-phasic, with stimulation at 25 and 50 ng but not at 150 ng/day. The effect of IGF-I was observed in the aged but not in the adult rat femur. However, the elevated mRNA levels in old bones with IGF-I treatment were still below those observed in adult bones. The effect of IGF-I was also examined in cultured stromal cells. IGF-I (50 ng/ml) stimulates the expression of alkaline phosphatase, procollagen ∝1 (I), osteopontin and osteocalcin mRNA in stromal cells from both adult and old rats. These results suggest that the lack of response of adult bone to IGF-I in vivo was not due to the impaired response of the stromal cells to IGF-I. Differences in the responses of stromal cells from adult and old animals were noted. In the presence of serum (10%), stromal cells from adult rats were stimulated to synthesize DNA at lower levels of IGF-I than stromal cells from old animals. Our results show that IGF-I can stimulate mRNA expression of osteoblast markers in vivo in aged rats in a marrow ablation model and enhance DNA synthesis and gene expression in cultured marrow stromal cells from old rats. Thus, it is possible that exogenous IGF-I could be beneficial in treating age-associated osteopenia.
Strategic aspects of exploiting geothermal energy for industrial purposes

Abstract Geothermal energy is widely used in Iceland for space heating swimming pools and snow melting systems as well as for greenhouses and soil heating and aquaculture. Its contribution to the standard of living in Iceland is very substantial. The industrial applications are, however, fewer today than anticipated twenty years ago. This paper considers some of the socio-economic reasons for that. Although geothermal energy is generally a cost competitive source of energy, it is site limited and does not by itself provide sufficient economic incentive to attract manufacturing or process industries. This generally requires another, locally available production factor offering further competitive advantage to justify greenfield investments. World economic slow-downs, and structural problems in many process industries after the energy crises of the seventies have reduced interest for investments in energy intensive industries world wide. While public sector initiative motivated by technological possibilities was instrumental for developing geothermal resources in the past, time has now come for private sector initiative, led by market interest, to identify and exploit opportunities for using geothermal energy for industrial purposes. National and local governments must, however, provide the appropriate incentives to stimulate such developments.
Vinylaluminum Addition to Sulfinimines (N-Sulfinyl Imines). Asymmetric Synthesis of anti-α-Alkyl β-Amino Esters

Addition of vinylaluminum NMO reagents to N-(p-toluenesufinyl)- and N-(2-methypropanesulfinyl)-derived sulfinimines gives N-sulfinyl aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman products (dr = 7:1 to 12:1) that result from addition of the reagent from the least hindered direction. Hydrogenation of the aza-MBH adducts with a Rh(I) catalyst affords anti-alpha-substituted N-sulfinyl-beta-amino esters in good yield and high dr (10:1 to 21:1).
SU‐E‐T‐632: Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Multiple Brain Metastases Using Flattening Filter‐Free Beam and Comparison Study with the Regular 6MV

Purpose: To investigate the benefits of using TrueBeam 6MV flattening filter‐free (6F) mode in treating multiple intracranial metastases. To compare MU and dosimetric characteristics of the RapidArc (RA) plans using 6F and the regular 6 MV beam (6X). Methods: We have selected 10 patients with 2–12 brain metastases treated by IMRS. They also had RA plans done on Varian‐23IX under ARIA‐V8.6 in previous study. All these RA plans have been re‐planned for TrueBeam which requires ARIA‐V8.9. The prescribed dose is 2000 cGy and normalized to 98% of PTV. Two RA plans have been generated for each patient: 6X (600 MU/min) and 6F (1400 MU/min). The gantry arc‐spans, collimator angles, and field sizes are the same in both plans for each patient. For fair comparison, the optimization objectives, priorities, even the timing of priority changes are kept the same at best in both planning process due to the adaptive nature of RapidArc optimization. Results: For dosimetric evaluation and comparison, the homogeneity, conformity, and gradient indices are calculated for both plans. It is found all the dosimetric indices in 6F plans are comparable with the corresponding 6X plans in each patient. The maximal dose to brainstem, chiasm, eyes, and optical nerves and the mean dose to normal brain are calculated. In the comparison study of critical organ doses, it is found that they are comparable or slightly better in 6F plans compared to 6X. Total MUs in 6F plans are about 10–20% more than MUs in 6X plan of each patient, with a group average of 16% in 6F plans. Conclusion: The dosimetric characteristics of 6F plans are found to be comparable with 6X plans in radiosurgery treatment of multiple brain lesions. Counting only 10– 20% more MUs if using 6F, the treatment delivery is much faster and thus greatly shortens treatment time.
Information Literacy Across the Disciplines: Using the Science Information Literacy Wiki as a Collaborative Tool in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Science Librarianship

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Science and Technology Section (STS) wiki was launched in 2008. This article discusses the STS wiki development, content, publicity, and its application across the science disciplines. Information about assessment and future plans for the wiki is also provided. Some of the information included in this article was presented in a panel for the 2010 United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN) Conference.
A COMPARISON OF DRY‐AGED AND VACUUM‐AGED BEEF STRIP LOINS

At 3 days postmortem, eight USDA choice or better, yield grade 4, strip loins were selected. Three steaks were removed from the center of each strip loin to represent an unaged treatment. Remaining intact portions of each strip loin were “dry aged” (aged unpackaged) or “vacuum aged” (aged in vacuum bags) for an additional 11 days. Dry-aged samples had a higher (P 0.05) in tenderness and more tender than unaged counterparts. Lean from vacuum-aged samples had a more intense sour flavor in addition to more intense bloody/ serumy flavor and metallic notes than either of the other treatments. Lean of dry-aged samples was more beefy in flavor and had more brown/roasted flavor than vacuum-aged or unaged counterparts.
How Games Support Associational Life: Using Tocqueville to Understand the Connection

One of the greatest problems in contemporary social science is the decline of participation in political and civil spheres. Video games and digital worlds are promising new modes of association capable of connecting people in a way that passive forms of mass communication are unable to. This essay shows the strength of video games as a medium for associational life by turning to the thought of one of the preeminent philosophers of collective action: Alexis de Tocqueville. Although Tocqueville lived long before the advent of video games, his theory of democracy provides an excellent account of the benefits of civic associations. Among these are teaching enlightened self-interest, creating feelings of efficacy, protecting individuality, and establishing meritocratic norms. Video games are capable of providing each of these goods, making them an effective supplement, though not a replacement, to traditional associational life in an age of increasing fragmentation.
Isoenstrophy points and surfaces in turbulent flow and mixing

Vorticity ω magnitude is measured by the enstrophy field ω2. Equations describing the motion of surfaces of constant enstrophy, and lines and points of extreme enstrophy, are derived. The purpose is to develop better tools for studies of small scale processes of turbulence and turbulent mixing.
Large solid angle Bragg-curve spectrometer

Abstract A conical Bragg-curve spectrometer (BCS) has been constructed. The outer case was a molded plastic cone. Printed circuit techniques were used to form an insert with inscribed equipotentials to approximate a 1/r2 electric field shape. The charge and energy resolution were measured for elastically scattered beams of 206 MeV 28Si, 413 and 378 MeV 56Fe, and 670 MeV 86Kr ions. Performance of this detector, particularly its charge resolution, is discussed with respect to variation in solid angle.
Epicardial Spindle Orientation Controls Cell Entry into the Myocardium

During heart morphogenesis, epicardial cells undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migrate into the subepicardium. The cellular signals controlling this process are poorly understood. Here, we show that epicardial cells exhibit two distinct mitotic spindle orientations, directed either parallel or perpendicular to the basement membrane. Cells undergoing perpendicular cell division subsequently enter the myocardium. We found that loss of β-catenin led to a disruption of adherens junctions and a randomization of mitotic spindle orientation. Loss of adherens junctions also disrupted Numb localization within epicardial cells, and disruption of Numb and Numblike expression in the epicardium led to randomized mitotic spindle orientations. Taken together, these data suggest that directed mitotic spindle orientation contributes to epicardial EMT and implicate a junctional complex of β-catenin and Numb in the regulation of spindle orientation.
Evaluation of Pd-based brazes to join silicon nitride to copper-clad-molybdenum

Abstract Si3N4 (SN-281)/Cu-clad-Mo joints, brazed using a soft (YS: 341 MPa) and ductile (43% elongation) Pd–Co braze were sound and exhibited an interaction zone comprised of Pd66Mo14Cu10Co6Si3 and Pd74Mo11Co8Cu6Si. Similar joints made using a less ductile and stronger Pd–Ni braze led to cracking from large CTE mismatch-induced strain energy (∼64 mJ to 348 mJ).
An Examination of School Violence and Safety in South Florida Elementary Schools

Abstract This study examined conditions of safety and violence in South Florida elementary schools. Although conditions were generally considered safe in these schools, approximately one-half of the elementary school students in the study did express some concerns about their safety, especially in school bathrooms and the area outside of their school building. Students who do not have positive relationships with other students at school and do not feel safe in their community generally feel less safe at school. In addition, students who are experiencing academic difficulty in school and do not expect to attain an education beyond high school feel less safe at school. In this study, those students who felt less safe also tended to be male and from lower SES back grounds.