cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Confounded winter and spring phenoclimatology on large herbivore ranges

Annual variation in winter severity and growing season vegetation dynamics appear to influence the demography of temperate herbivores but parsing winter from spring effects requires independent metrics of environmental conditions specific to each season. We tested for independence in annual variation amongst four common metrics used to describe winter severity and early growing season vegetation dynamics across the entire spatial distribution of elk (Cervus elaphus) in Wyoming from 1989 to 2006. Winter conditions and early growing season dynamics were correlated in a specific way. Winters with snow cover that ended early tended to be followed by early, but slow, rises in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), while long winters with extended periods of snow cover were often followed by late and rapid rises in NDVI. Across the 35 elk ranges, 0.4–86.8 % of the variation in the rate of increase in NDVI’s in spring was explained by the date snow cover disappeared from SNOTEL stations. Because phenoclimatological metrics are correlated across seasons and shifting due to climate change, identifying environmental constraints on herbivore fitness, particularly migratory species, is more difficult than previously recognized.
PROBLEMS FOR DOGMATISM

I argue that its appearing to you that P does not provide justification for believing that P unless you have independent justification for the denial of skeptical alternatives – hypotheses incompatible with P but such that if they were true, it would still appear to you that P. Thus I challenge the popular view of ‘dogmatism,’ according to which for some contents P, you need only lack reason to suspect that skeptical alternatives are true, in order for an experience as of P to justify belief that P. I pursue three lines of objection to dogmatism, having to do with probabilistic reasoning, considerations of future or hypothetically available justification, and epistemic circularity. I briefly sketch a fall-back position which avoids the problems raised.
Analyses of In Vivo Interaction and Mobility of Two Spliceosomal Proteins Using FRAP and BiFC

U1-70K, a U1 snRNP-specific protein, and serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are components of the spliceosome and play critical roles in both constitutive and alternative pre-mRNA splicing. However, the mobility properties of U1-70K, its in vivo interaction with SR proteins, and the mobility of the U1-70K-SR protein complex have not been studied in any system. Here, we studied the in vivo interaction of U1-70K with an SR protein (SR45) and the mobility of the U1-70K/SR protein complex using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Our results show that U1-70K exchanges between speckles and the nucleoplasmic pool very rapidly and that this exchange is sensitive to ongoing transcription and phosphorylation. BiFC analyses showed that U1-70K and SR45 interacted primarily in speckles and that this interaction is mediated by the RS1 or RS2 domain of SR45. FRAP analyses showed considerably slower recovery of the SR45/U1-70K complex than either protein alone indicating that SR45/U1-70K complexes remain in the speckles for a longer duration. Furthermore, FRAP analyses with SR45/U1-70K complex in the presence of inhibitors of phosphorylation did not reveal any significant change compared to control cells, suggesting that the mobility of the complex is not affected by the status of protein phosphorylation. These results indicate that U1-70K, like SR splicing factors, moves rapidly in the nucleus ensuring its availability at various sites of splicing. Furthermore, although it appears that U1-70K moves by diffusion its mobility is regulated by phosphorylation and transcription.
Intertemporal equilibria and exhaustible resources: an overlapping generations approach

Abstract This paper presents a general equilibrium model of an abstract intertemporal economy with overlapping generations, production possibilities, and capital investment under the constraint of a nonreproducible natural resource. The model provides for institutionally mandated asset transfers between successive generations. Under the assumption that each generation has perfect foresight concerning future prices and economic conditions, competitive exchange supports a multiplicity of Pareto-efficient equilibria that correspond to particular asset transfer regimes. The achievement of a desirable distribution of welfare between present and future generations requires that the asset transfer regime be chosen according to a social welfare function or explicit distributional criterion; economic efficiency per se is insufficient to ensure social optimality. These results have important implications for resource planning in the real world, where policy makers and the public at large are often highly concerned over the potential impacts of current resource utilization on the welfare of future generations.
Why Computer Architecture Matters: Thinking through Trade-offs in Your Code

This three-part series shows how applying knowledge about the underlying computer hardware to the code for a simple but computationally intensive algorithm can significantly improve performance. The final installment focuses on modifying a specific algorithm by applying general principles of efficient programming.
Successful Coordinated Transportation Services in Rural Communities

Many share the vision of improved mobility for all residents of rural communities and look forward to productive and cost-effective transportation services with much public support. But today many rural communities still face meager transportation funding, multiple funding sources and service objectives, limited services, and inadequate public interest and transportation investments. As a result, coordination initiatives are receiving even greater attention at all levels of government. A TCRP project focused on how to implement coordinated transportation services in rural communities. New data included a survey of coordination practices of all 50 states and case studies of dozens of coordinated transportation operations. Ten states and 29 local sites were found to offer significant lessons about procedures and strategies. These efforts resulted in a list of coordination strategies that rural communities could pursue toward realizing significant transportation benefits. Although the process can be challenging, coordination offers resource management strategies to improve the performance of various individual transportation services and overall mobility in a community. Greater efficiency helps to stretch scarce and precious funding and personnel resources of the agencies. Coordination can significantly reduce per trip operating costs for rural transportation providers. People with special transportation needs often benefit from the greater amount of transportation and higher-quality services when transportation providers coordinate operations. Coordinated transportation services often have access to more funds and are thus able to achieve economies of scale. They have more sources of funds and other resources. They also can offer more visible transportation services for consumers in rural communities and less confusion about how to access services.
Cross-octave masking of single tones and musical sequences: The effects of structure on auditory recognition

A series of experiments explored the role of structural information in the auditory recognition process, within the context of a backward recognition masking paradigm. A masking tone presented after a test tone has been found to interfere with the perceptual processing of the test tone, the degree of interference decreasing with increased durations of the silent intertone interval between the test and masking tones. In the current studies, the task was modified to utilize three-tone sequences as the test stimuli. Six test sequences were employed (LMH, LHM, MLH, MHL, HLM, HML), where L, M, and H represent the lowest, middle, and highest frequencies in the melody. The observers identified these six possible sequences when the three tones of the test sequence were interleaved with three presentations of a single masking tone. All three tones of the test sequence were drawn from the same octave, while the masking tones could be drawn from any of three octaves, symmetrical around the octave containing the test tones. Under these conditions, interference occurred primarily from masking tones drawn from the same octave as the test tones. Masking tones drawn from other octaves were found to produce little, if any, interference with perception of the test tones. This effect was found to occur only for the identification of tonal sequences. Substantial masking of single-tone targets occurred with masking tones drawn from octaves other than that containing the targets. The results make apparent the use of structural information during auditory recognition. A theoretical interpretation was advanced which suggests that, while single tones are perceived on the basis of absolute pitch, the presence of auditory structure may allow relational information, such as exact pitch intervals or melodic contour, to facilitate perception of the tonal sequence.
The molecular mechanism of erythropoietin action.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the glycoprotein hormone which controls the production of erythrocytes in mammals. Erythrocytes contain hemoglobin which delivers oxygen from the lungs to other tissues throughout the body. The amount of oxygen delivered to the tissues is controlled by the number of erythrocytes in the bloodstream. Erythrocytes have a finite life span, and, therefore, maintenance of normal oxygen delivery requires continuous replacement of those aged erythrocytes normally lost from the circulation. Adjustments in this basal rate of erythrocyte production are made when tissue oxygenation becomes either decreased or increased compared to the normal level. Development of anemia due to blood loss or inspiration of decreased atmospheric oxygen at high altitude results in decreased oxygen delivery to the tissues.
Event-related potentials in alcoholics and their first-degree relatives

Abstract Preliminary results are presented for auditory ERPs recorded from members of alcoholic families during performance of a counting task and a choice reaction task. Alcoholic families included three adult male siblings (alchoholic proband, a second affected sib, and an unaffected sib) and parents. Control families included two adult male sibs and parents. In all experimental conditions, the N100 component was decreased in amplitude for all sibs (affected and unaffected) of the alcohlic families. The latency of the P300 component was increased for both affected and unaffected sibs compared to controls in the counting task, indicating a familial difference irrespective of drinking status. In the choice reaction task, longer P300 latencies were observed among the probands and their affected sibs as compared to their unaffected sibs, suggesting that in this more demanding task, increased latency was associated with a significant drinking history. ERP findings for children of the alcoholic probands are also discussed. The effects of differences in task complexity, drinking variables, and criteria for family selection are considered.
Viscosity of the supercooled liquid and relaxation at the glass transition of the Zr46.75Ti8.25Cu7.5Ni10Be27.5 bulk metallic glass forming alloy

Abstract The flow and relaxation of the Zr46.75Ti8.25Cu7.5Ni10Be27.5 bulk metallic glass forming alloy was investigated in the supercooled liquid state and the glass transition region using parallel plate rheometry, three-point beam bending as well as differential scanning calorimetry. The results indicate that this bulk metallic glass former is a strong liquid that, kinetically, behaves in a similar way as a silicate melt. The relaxation of the viscosity and specific heat capacity was investigated in isothermal experiments and with constant heating rates. The studies reveal that the relaxation of the viscosity into its equilibrium state is directly related to the calorimetric glass transition. The observed calorimetric glass transition in this strong glass former is of a purely kinetic nature and a thermodynamically metastable amorphous state cannot be observed in this bulk metallic glass forming liquid on a laboratory time scale. The heating rate dependence of the calorimetric glass transition reflects the fragility of the liquid.
Prospective controlled study of the natural history of asymptomatic 60% to 69% carotid stenosis according to ultrasonic plaque morphology.

Abstract Background/Purpose: In spite of the conclusions of the Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study, some clinicians are still reluctant to recommend carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for patients with asymptomatic ≥60% carotid stenosis (ACS). This study analyzes the natural history of 60% to 69% ACS according to ultrasonic plaque morphology and its implication on treatment. Patient Population and Methods: During a 2-year period, patients with 60% to 69% ACS entered into a protocol of carotid duplex scan surveillance/clinical examination every 6 months. The ultrasonic plaque morphology was classified as heterogeneous (group A, n=162) or homogeneous (group B, n=229) with HDI 3000/HDI 5000 systems (Advanced Technology Laboratories, Bothwell, Wash). CEA was done if lesion progressed to ≥70% stenosis or became symptomatic. Results: Three hundred eighty-two patients (391 arteries) were followed for a mean interval of 37 months. The clinical/demographic characteristics were similar for both groups. The incidence rate of future ipsilateral strokes was significantly higher in group A than in group B: 13.6% versus 3.1% ( P = .0001; odds ratio [OR], 5). Similarly, the incidence rate of all neurologic events (stroke or transient ischemic attack [TIA]) was higher in group A than in group B: 27.8% versus 6.6% ( P = .0001; OR, 5.5). Progression to ≥70% stenosis was also higher in group A than in group B: 25.3% versus 6.1% ( P = .0001; OR, 5.2). Forty-four late CEAs (27.2%) were done in group A (16 for stroke, 21 for TIA, and seven for ≥70% ACS) versus 13 (5.7%) in group B (five for stroke, seven for TIA, and one for ≥70% ACS; P = .0001; OR, 6.2). Conclusion: Patients with 60% to 69% ACS with heterogeneous plaque had a higher incidence rate of late stroke, TIA, and progression to ≥70% stenosis than patients with homogeneous plaque. Prophylactic CEA for 60% to 69% ACS may be justified if associated with heterogeneous plaque. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36-437-42.)
On the mechanism of photo-induced nucleic acid cleavage using N-aroyloxy-2-thiopyridones

Abstract Benzoyloxyl radicals react with thymidine, in a mechanism reminiscent of hydroxyl radical mediated thymidine damage. This mode of reactivity may explain the observed DNA cleavage induced by photoirradiation of N-aroyloxy-2-thiopyridones.
Research on Practice with Groups in Health Care Settings

The theoretical underpinnings for group practice in health settings include theories pertaining to the individual, the small group, and systems. These theories remain largely untested due to attitudes of both the clinician and researcher, methodological problems related to the complexities of individual and group variables, the lack of a consistent common language, and limited availability of practical and sound empirical measures. Most of the literature is anecdotal. There are some descriptive and outcome studies but little research addresses the relationship of process to outcome. Suggestions are offered to begin bridging this gap.
Vitamin E requirements of the blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus (Steindachner), in relation to dietary lipid level

Abstract The vitamin E requirement of the blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus (Steindachner), was evaluated in semipurified diets containing two lipid levels (3% and 6% corn oil) and five levels (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg) of dl-α-tocopheryl acetate. Vitamin E-deficient fish exhibited significantly lower weight gains and feed conversion efficiencies compared to the other fish. In addition, the following vitamin E deficiency signs were observed; skin and fin hemorrhages, anorexia, impaired erythropoiesis, muscle degeneration, ceroid depositions in liver and spleen, and lack of skin color. The vitamin E requirement of the blue tilapia was estimated at 10 mg dl-α-tocopheryl acetate/kg of diet at 3% dietary lipid and at 25 mg/kg of diet at 6% dietary lipid when diets contained 120 mg/kg BHA. It is recommended that vitamin E requirements be expressed as a function of dietary lipid level; 3–4 mg α-tocopheryl acetate per percent corn oil per kg of diet for the blue tilapia.
Hole-burning and picosecond time-resolved spectroscopy of isolated molecular clusters

A precolumn derivatization method has been developed for high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of DNA damage using fluorescence detection. The modified nucleotide, having excised enzymatically from the exposed DNA, is enriched from the normal nucleotides and labeled with a fluorescent reagent. The labeling procedure involves phosphoramidation of the nucleotide with ethylenediamine (EDA) followed by conjugation of the free amino end of the phosphoramidate with 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene 1-sulfonyl chloride, commonly known as Dansyl chloride. The dansylated nucleotide can be analyzed with a sub-picomole limit of detection (LOD) by conventional HPLC using a conventional fluorescence detector. By combining microbore HPLC with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection, we present the development of an analytical system that has sub-femtomole LOD for real-time analysis of the dansylated nucleotide. The application of the developed system in fluorescence postlabeling assay of a small alkyl-modified nucleotide (5-methyldCMP) in calf-thymus DNA is discussed.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Book review: Charles Darwin's Notebooks from the Voyage of the “Beagle”

This is an author's manuscript version. The published book review is copyrighted by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and can be found at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1520-6300.
Formation of the Auxins 3-Indolylglycolate and 3, 3'-Diindolylacetic Acid by Reactions between Indole and Glyoxylate

Sodium-3-indolylglycolate, a weak auxin, has been crystallized and indentified from an incubation mixture containing only indole and sodium glyoxylate. A second more active product, formed in the presence of excess indole, has been characterized as 3,3'-diindolylacetic acid, on the basis of elemental analysis, determination of molecular and equivalent weights, mass spectrum, and NMR, UV, and IR spectra. The possible in vivo significance of this pathway of auxin formation is considered.
A metabolic flux analyis to quantify the hepatic metabolism during defatting

Macrosteatotic livers, with hepatocytes that have accumulated lipids in the form of large lipid droplets, have been shown to be at a significant risk for primary graft nonfunction due to increased sensitivity to ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury in the transplantation process. Nearly 30% of donated livers are discarded annually due to their macrosteatotic state. Our lab has previously demonstrated that a cocktail of defatting agents can clear excess lipid storage in fatty livers, thus providing a new means to recondition donated livers that would otherwise be discarded. Currently, however, the process is highly rate-limited and therefore not yet translatable to the workflow of transplant surgeries. To identify reaction-rate limited metabolic pathways in the defatting process, a metabolic flux analysis (MFA) was conducted. The changes in metabolic reaction fluxes of macrosteatotic HepG2 hepatocytes undergoing defatting were elucidated. We hope the insights from the MFA will allow us to metabolically optimize hepatic function in the macrosteatotic state and potentially identify novel metabolic supplements for a more rapid defatting of marginal donor livers.
A simple method for non-destructive estimation of total shoot leaf area in tree fruit crops

Abstract Leaf area is a commonly used measurement in many horticultural research experiments, but is generally destructive, requiring leaves to be removed for measurement. Leaf removal precludes repeated measures and disrupts carbohydrate assimilation and translocation, which is another frequent parameter of interest. Numerous methods have been devised for estimating leaf area of individual leaves in situ. These methods generally involve measuring leaf parameters such as length and width and using those as variables in an equation describing a relationship between those variables and leaf area specifically developed for each species. However, these methods are typically highly labor intensive when scaling to the level of the shoot because they require each leaf to be measured individually. Here we report on a method that makes use of a regression relationship for non-destructively estimating whole shoot leaf area, but only involves measuring the length of the longest leaf on the shoot and multiplying it by the number of leaves on the shoot. The method has been tested on 14 diverse fruit and nut tree cultivars. Deciduous and evergreen species with both simple and compound leaves were included. For 13 out of 14 cultivars, coefficients of determination (r2) between actual measured leaf area and estimated leaf area were equal to or greater than 0.80. The model was validated for shoot leaf area of different trees in different years for four of the cultivars. The relationship developed for these cultivars appears to be broadly applicable to other tree species and will be a simple and useful tool for research requiring accurate non-destructive estimates of shoot leaf area.
Fundamental limitations of networked decision systems

Summary form only given. As communication devices and embedded systems become ever more ubiquitous and integrated with everyday life, the need for understanding the fundamental limitations and capabilities of networked decision systems becomes more critical. The challenge in this research area stems from the fact that there are many different types of networked systems that are slated to perform various kinds of tasks. While, up to now, there does not exist a single paradigm that can address limitations and capabilities of such systems in a unified manner, there does exist simple enough abstractions that can provide significant insights into the influence of the network topology and communication bandwidth in combination with local private information on distributed computation, learning, and decision making. In this talk, we present several instances of such abstractions. In the first instance, we discuss the problem of distributed computation over a noisy transport layer, and highlight how the network topology impacts the time-complexity of computation. In the second instance, we present a simple model of sequential decision making that arises in social networks such as voting and viral marketing whereby decision makers observe the actions of a subset of the previous decision makers and make a rational decision combining these observations with their private information. Finally, in the third instance, we present a formulation of the stochastic shortest path problem whereby the agent traversing the graph can obtain side information about the graph weights. In all of these instances, we highlight emerging challenges and open problems.
Gleason grading of prostate histology utilizing manifold regularization via statistical shape model of manifolds

Gleason patterns of prostate cancer histopathology, characterized primarily by morphological and architectural attributes of histological structures (glands and nuclei), have been found to be highly correlated with disease aggressiveness and patient outcome. Gleason patterns 4 and 5 are highly correlated with more aggressive disease and poorer patient outcome, while Gleason patterns 1-3 tend to reflect more favorable patient outcome. Because Gleason grading is done manually by a pathologist visually examining glass (or digital) slides, subtle morphologic and architectural differences of histological attributes may result in grading errors and hence cause high inter-observer variability. Recently some researchers have proposed computerized decision support systems to automatically grade Gleason patterns by using features pertaining to nuclear architecture, gland morphology, as well as tissue texture. Automated characterization of gland morphology has been shown to distinguish between intermediate Gleason patterns 3 and 4 with high accuracy. Manifold learning (ML) schemes attempt to generate a low dimensional manifold representation of a higher dimensional feature space while simultaneously preserving nonlinear relationships between object instances. Classification can then be performed in the low dimensional space with high accuracy. However ML is sensitive to the samples contained in the dataset; changes in the dataset may alter the manifold structure. In this paper we present a manifold regularization technique to constrain the low dimensional manifold to a specific range of possible manifold shapes, the range being determined via a statistical shape model of manifolds (SSMM). In this work we demonstrate applications of the SSMM in (1) identifying samples on the manifold which contain noise, defined as those samples which deviate from the SSMM, and (2) accurate out-of-sample extrapolation (OSE) of newly acquired samples onto a manifold constrained by the SSMM. We demonstrate these applications of the SSMM in the context of distinguishing between Gleason patterns 3 and 4 using glandular morphologic features in a prostate histopathology dataset of 58 patient studies. Identifying and eliminating noisy samples from the manifold via the SSMM results in a statistically significant improvement in classification accuracy (CA), 93.0 ± 1.0% with removal of noisy samples compared to a CA of 90.9 ± 1.1% without removal of samples. The use of the SSMM for OSE of new independent test instances also shows statistically significant improvement in CA, 87.1±0.8% with the SSMM compared to 85.6±0.1% without the SSMM. Similar improvements were observed for the synthetic Swiss Roll and Helix datasets.
The C-type natriuretic peptide receptor is the predominant natriuretic peptide receptor mRNA expressed in rat hypothalamus.

The natriuretic peptide receptors (NPR) are membrane-bound guanylate cyclases with extracellular binding domains specific for particular members of the natriuretic peptide family. NPR-A binds atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) with high affinity, whereas the NPR-B appears to be specific for C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP). Previous data indicating extensive overlap between localization of ANP and CNP in hypothalamic neuroendocrine circuits suggest the importance of determining whether specificity of natriuretic peptide action may be conferred via receptor type present on target cells. To address this issue, we used in situ hybridization histochemistry to localize NPR-A and NPR-B mRNA in the hypothalamus. NPR-A mRNA was not found in substantial abundance in any hypothalamic nucleus; however, detectable NPR-A signal was observed in other brain regions, including the subfornical organ and medial habenula. In contrast, NPR-B mRNA was expressed throughout the hypothalamus, including neurons of the magnocellular and parvocellular paraventricular, the arcuate, and the supraoptic nuclei. Expression was also seen in other nuclei essential to neuroendocrine control, including the median preoptic, anteroventral periventricular, tuberomammillary, ventromedial and suprachiasmatic nuclei. NPR-B mRNA was also observed in the neural lobe of the pituitary gland, suggesting expression by pituicytes. The results suggest that NPR-B is the primary natriuretic peptide receptor in hypothalamus, and by inference indicate that CNP is the primary active natriuretic peptide in neuroendocrine regulation.
Results of patch testing to personal care product allergens in a standard series and a supplemental cosmetic series: An analysis of 945 patients from the Mayo Clinic Contact Dermatitis Group, 2000-2007

Background Patch testing to a standard screening series of allergens in combination with supplemental cosmetic allergens is often used to diagnose allergic contact dermatitis due to personal care products. Objective To report results of patch testing to skin care product allergens contained in a standard series and a supplemental cosmetic series and to compare efficacy of this combined series in detecting positive reactions to personal care product allergens with the efficacy of various standard screening series. Methods Positive reaction rates to skin care product allergens were tabulated for patients who underwent patch testing to both standard and cosmetic series allergens at Mayo Clinic between 2000 and 2007. Data were compared with skin care allergens detected on standard screening series, including the thin-layer rapid use epicutaneous (TRUE) test. Results Of 945 patch-tested patients, 68.4% had at least one positive reaction and 47.3% had at least two positive reactions. Also, 49.4% of patients reacted to at least one preservative; 31.2% reacted to at least one fragrance/botanical additive. Compared with use of our standard series and cosmetic series, use of the TRUE test would have missed 22.5% of patients with preservative allergy, 11.3% with fragrance/botanical allergy, and 17.3% with vehicle allergy. Limitations Various allergens tested over time, patch test reading by residents, and lack of confirmation of allergen in personal care products. Conclusion Standard patch-test screening series miss a substantial number of patients with skin care product ingredient allergy.
SU‐E‐T‐525: Evaluating the Tracking Performance of Non‐Migrating Fiducial Markers for Lung Lesion Localization in CyberKnife Treatments

Purpose: When treating lung lesions using CyberKnife (Accuray Inc, Sunnyvale, CA), a common tool for patient alignment and target localization is the use of radio‐opaque fiducial markers in conjunction with stereoscopic kV imaging. This requires that there not be any variation in marker location throughout a treatment regimen. The high occurrence of fiducial marker migration (especially in lungs) has yielded the development of markers specifically designed to reduce migration. One such marker is the Gold Anchor (Radiadyne LLC, Houston, TX). This study evaluates the capability of the CyberKnife Radiostereoscopic Target Locating System (TLS) to track these implants. This is the only such investigation of these seeds used in the described capacity. Methods and materials: This study evaluates the GA200‐20 Gold Anchor, a 2.0 mm‐long marker that is designed to be injected through a needle, and upon contact with tissue, will collapse into an irregular shape. This irregular shape prevents the marker from migrating. Three markers are placed in an XLT Lung Phantom (CIRS Inc, Norfolk, VA); three being required by the TLS to correct for translational and rotational target motion. The phantom was then imaged using CT, and a treatment plan was designed. Following fiducial localization and subsequent table corrections, 500 cGy was homogeneously delivered to a small spherical target within the phantom, where orthogonal radiochromic film was placed. Results: Using clinically‐relevant imaging parameters, the Gold Anchor was accurately tracked by the TLS. On average, we were able to deliver the prescribed dose to the target volume with less than 0.5 mm targeting deviation, with 0.7mm being the highest deviation. Conclusions: This study shows that these markers are able to be tracked by the CyberKnife's TLS. This is a required initial step for future clinical studies where these markers are used to aid in the target tracking of lung lesions.
Measuring the unidentified parameter of the extended Roy model of selectivity

Abstract In the extended Roy model of selectivity, the correlation coefficient between the disturbance terms in the two equations that are subject to selectivity is treated in the current literature as an unidentified parameter. This paper develops a method to produce a probabilistic statement about this parameter, which is of great interest for both theoretical and descriptive reasons. The method is illustrated with three examples drawn from published research.
Cholesterol Levels Assessed With Photon Correlation Spectroscopy

The technique of quasi-elastic light scattering spectroscopy or photon correlation spectroscopy has been used to non-invasively monitor changes in the lens of the eye which could lead to lens opacification and cataract development. We have made quasi-elastic light scattering measurements from the eyes of normal and cholesterolemic rabbits. This report describes an exploratory investigation of the effects of a high cholesterol diet on the lens of the rabbit eye. The goal in making these measurements was to provide a non-invasive assessment of systemic atherosclerotic involvement in these rabbits.
Evolution of Cooperative Information Gathering in Self-Replicating Digital Organisms

We describe a study in the application of digital evolution to the problem of cooperative information gathering. In digital evolution, self-replicating computer programs evolve to perform tasks and optimize resource usage in order to survive within a user defined computational environment. Instruction-level mutations during replication and CPU-cycle rewards for desired behavior produce natural selection within the population. The evolution is open-ended and not limited by human preconceptions. The contributions of this work are (1) to demonstrate that cooperative information gathering can evolve in digital organisms and (2) to provide insight into the fundamental processes governing evolution of such behavior.
Antidiabetic therapies affect risk of pancreatic cancer

Background & Aims Antidiabetic drugs have been found to have various effects on cancer in experimental systems and in epidemiologic studies, although the association between these therapeutics and the risk of human pancreatic cancer has not been explored. We investigated the effect of antidiabetic therapies on the risk of pancreatic cancer. Methods A hospital-based case-control study was conducted at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center from 2004 to 2008 involving 973 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (including 259 diabetic patients) and 863 controls (including 109 diabetic patients). Information on diabetes history and other risk factors was collected by personal interview. The frequencies of use of insulin, insulin secretagogues, metformin, and other antidiabetic medications among diabetic patients were compared between cases and controls. The risk of pancreatic cancer was estimated using unconditional logistic regression analysis. Results Diabetic patients who had taken metformin had a significantly lower risk of pancreatic cancer compared with those who had not taken metformin (odds ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.22–0.69; P = .001), with adjustments for potential confounders. This difference remained statistically significant when the analysis was restricted to patients with a duration of diabetes >2 years or those who never used insulin. In contrast, diabetic patients who had taken insulin or insulin secretagogues had a significantly higher risk of pancreatic cancer compared with diabetic patients who had not taken these drugs. Conclusions Metformin use was associated with reduced risk, and insulin or insulin secretagogue use was associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer in diabetic patients.
Ultrasonic cavitation indirectly induces single strand breaks in DNA of viable cells in vitro by the action of residual hydrogen peroxide

Direct exposure of cells to vigorous ultrasonic cavitation results predominantly in mechanical cell lysis, but latent effects due to production of toxic sonochemicals can also be present. Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was exposed to 1.61 MHz ultrasonic cavitation at 20 degrees C in a rotating tube exposure system to build up sonochemical products. Single strand DNA breaks (SSBs) were then induced by treating Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with the cavitated PBS for 30 min on ice. The SSBs resided in viable cells, as evidenced by their ability to repair the breaks when warmed. This indirect effect could be explained by the action of cavitation-generated hydrogen peroxide that had built up (e.g., to 16 microM after 30 min exposure) in the PBS. Dissolution of argon gas in the PBS before exposure enhanced the SSB effect and the H2O2 production. Addition of catalase to the cavitated PBS before cell treatment eliminated the H2O2 and the SSB gamma effect. Tests with hydrogen peroxide showed that 16 microM H2O2 treatment for 30 on ice was as effective as 1 Gy dose of 60Co gamma rays in producing single strand breaks. The SSB effect of H2O2 and gamma rays was reduced by addition of the radical scavenger cysteamine to the cells before treatment, but cysteamine did not reduce the SSB effect of direct exposure to ultrasonic cavitation. These results help to clarify the potential for genetic effects from ultrasonic cavitation. These effects help to clarify the potential for genetic effects from ultrasonic cavitation.
Methane hydrate stability and anthropogenic climate change

Abstract. Methane frozen into hydrate makes up a large reservoir of potentially volatile carbon below the sea floor and associated with permafrost soils. This reservoir intuitively seems precarious, because hydrate ice floats in water, and melts at Earth surface conditions. The hydrate reservoir is so large that if 10% of the methane were released to the atmosphere within a few years, it would have an impact on the Earth's radiation budget equivalent to a factor of 10 increase in atmospheric CO2. Hydrates are releasing methane to the atmosphere today in response to anthropogenic warming, for example along the Arctic coastline of Siberia. However most of the hydrates are located at depths in soils and ocean sediments where anthropogenic warming and any possible methane release will take place over time scales of millennia. Individual catastrophic releases like landslides and pockmark explosions are too small to reach a sizable fraction of the hydrates. The carbon isotopic excursion at the end of the Paleocene has been interpreted as the release of thousands of Gton C, possibly from hydrates, but the time scale of the release appears to have been thousands of years, chronic rather than catastrophic. The potential climate impact in the coming century from hydrate methane release is speculative but could be comparable to climate feedbacks from the terrestrial biosphere and from peat, significant but not catastrophic. On geologic timescales, it is conceivable that hydrates could release as much carbon to the atmosphere/ocean system as we do by fossil fuel combustion.
Effect of cadmium chloride on amylase activity in the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii

Abstract Exposure of intact Procambarus clarkii to cadmium chloride results in both an increase of the pH and a decrease in the amylase activity in the digestive juice. The pH optimum for amylase activity is 5.8 in both the digestive juice and hepatopancreas. The results are discussed in terms of the toxicity of cadmium to the secretory cells in the hepatopancreas.
A die-scale micromachining process for bulk PZT and its application to in-plane actuators

Bulk ceramics (including PZT) are important materials for electronic and microsystem packaging or device applications, but they are usually difficult to pattern lithographically. A fabrication process combining lithography, electroplating, batch mode micro electro-discharge machining (/spl mu/EDM) and batch mode micro ultrasonic machining (/spl mu/USM), LEEDUS, has been developed to provide die-scale pattern transfer capability from lithographic masks onto ceramics, glass or other brittle materials. A related process (SEDUS) uses serial /spl mu/EDM and omits lithography. Feature sizes of 25 /spl mu/m have been micromachined on the glass-mica (Macor/spl trade/) ceramic plate with a 4.5/spl times/4.5 mm/sup 2/ die size, 34 /spl mu/m cutting depth, and 18 /spl mu/m/min machining rate. As a demonstration an octagonal spiral shaped in-plane actuator was fabricated from bulk PZT using this process. A device of 20 /spl mu/m thickness and 450 /spl mu/m /spl times/ 420 /spl mu/m footprint produces a displacement of /spl sim/2 /spl mu/m at 40 V.
A reverse formulation of the RISE algorithm

The recently developed recursive/iterative self-adjoint eigenspace (RISE) decomposition algorithm recursively computes the complete eigenspace decomposition of successively larger Hermitian matrices. However, some practical applications also require that the decomposition of successively smaller matrices be computed. A modification to the RISE algorithm is presented that makes it possible to run this algorithm backward on successively smaller Hermitian matrices. This important modification increases the number of practical applications of this algorithm. >
Imaging and Modeling of Myocardial Metabolism

Current imaging methods have focused on evaluation of myocardial anatomy and function. However, since myocardial metabolism and function are interrelated, metabolic myocardial imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography, single photon emission tomography, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy present novel opportunities for probing myocardial pathology and developing new therapeutic approaches. Potential clinical applications of metabolic imaging include hypertensive and ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cardiac transplantation, as well as cardiomyopathies. Furthermore, response to therapeutic intervention can be monitored using metabolic imaging. Analysis of metabolic data in the past has been limited, focusing primarily on isolated metabolites. Models of myocardial metabolism, however, such as the oxygen transport and cellular energetics model and constraint-based metabolic network modeling, offer opportunities for evaluation interactions between greater numbers of metabolites in the heart. In this review, the roles of metabolic myocardial imaging and analysis of metabolic data using modeling methods for expanding our understanding of cardiac pathology are discussed.
Health Care Spending, Delivery, and Outcome in Developed Countries: A Cross-National Comparison:

This study examines the trend of health care spending, availability and use of medical services, and aggregate health outcome of the 24 industrialized member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Major differences between the United States and other OECD countries are highlighted and discussed. The results of the study demonstrate that, over the past four decades, the United States has been spending more and accomplishing less when compared with other industrialized nations. The United States needs to learn from the successful experience of other nations. Redesigning the system of health care delivery in the United States may be the only viable option to improve the quality of health care.
Empirical-Bayes and semi-Bayes approaches to occupational and environmental hazard surveillance.

Abstract Empirical-Bayes methods offer potentially dramatic improvements in statistical accuracy over conventional statistical methods. We provide an elementary introduction to empirical-Bayes analysis of occupational and environmental hazard surveillance data. Such analyses are especially well suited to situations in which many associations must be examined, but few or none can be estimated precisely. Statistical issues in hazard surveillance are reviewed, followed by a discussion of the rationale and methods for empirical-Bayes analyses, using a study of occupational exposures and cancer mortality to illustrate key concepts. Finally, the assumptions underlying empirical-Bayes analyses are discussed critically, with special attention to the “exchangeability” assumptions that distinguish empirical-Bayes from conventional methods.
Elton's hypothesis revisited: an experimental test using cogongrass.

In the 1950s Charles Elton hypothesized that more diverse communities should be less susceptible to invasion by exotic species (biodiversity–invasibility hypothesis). The biodiversity–invasibility hypothesis postulates that species-rich communities are less vulnerable to invasion because vacant niches are less common and the intensity of interspecific competition is more severe. Field studies were conducted at two sites, a logged site and an unlogged site in Santa Rosa County, Florida, U.S.A, to test Elton’s hypothesis using cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), a non-indigenous grass invading large areas of the Southeastern United States. The logged site was under 17-year-old loblolly pine prior to clear cutting. The unlogged site, a longleaf pine forest, was at the Blackwater River State Forest. Both the logged site and unlogged site showed no significant relationship between the rate of cogongrass spread and native plant species richness, functional richness, and cover of the invaded community. Increased species or functional richness may increase the use of resources; however, the extensive rhizome/root network possessed by cogongrass and its ability to thrive under shade may allow for its persistence in a diverse community. The results from both the logged and unlogged sites do not support the general hypothesis of Elton that invasion resistance and compositional stability increase with diversity. Biodiversity does not appear to be an important factor for cogongrass invasion in the southern United States. Extrinsic factors in this study prevent the ability to draw a defined causal relationship between native plant diversity and invasibility. Underlying reasons for why no relationship was observed may be simply due to the tremendous competitive ability of cogongrass or the narrow range of species richness, functional richness and cover observed in our study.
Biotransformation of n-hexane and methyl n-butyl ketone in guinea pigs and mice

Peripheral neuropathies caused by exposures to the industrial solvents n-hexane and MBK exhibit strikingly similar characteristics. In in vivo studies, the metabolites of MBK and n-hexane identified in blood and urine of guinea pigs were 2-hexanol (partly as g/ucuronide in urine); and 2,5-hexanedione which was detected only in MBK treated groups. Phenobarbital pretreatment increased 2-hexanol urinary excretion in both solvent treatment groups. In in vitro studies, hepatic reduction of MBK required the cytosof fraction to form 2-hexanol; whereas the oxidation of MBK and n-hexane required the microsomal fraction to form 2,5-hexanedione and 2-hexanol, respectively. The in vivo and in vitro biotransformation of MBK and n-hexane to a common metabolite (2-hexanol) suggests that the neurotoxic action of these solvents may be metabolite related.