cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Voxelwise multivariate analysis of multimodality magnetic resonance imaging

Most brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies concentrate on a single MRI contrast or modality, frequently structural MRI. By performing an integrated analysis of several modalities, such as structural, perfusion-weighted, and diffusion-weighted MRI, new insights may be attained to better understand the underlying processes of brain diseases. We compare two voxelwise approaches: (1) fitting multiple univariate models, one for each outcome and then adjusting for multiple comparisons among the outcomes and (2) fitting a multivariate model. In both cases, adjustment for multiple comparisons is performed over all voxels jointly to account for the search over the brain. The multivariate model is able to account for the multiple comparisons over outcomes without assuming independence because the covariance structure between modalities is estimated. Simulations show that the multivariate approach is more powerful when the outcomes are correlated and, even when the outcomes are independent, the multivariate approach is just as powerful or more powerful when at least two outcomes are dependent on predictors in the model. However, multiple univariate regressions with Bonferroni correction remains a desirable alternative in some circumstances. To illustrate the power of each approach, we analyze a case control study of Alzheimer's disease, in which data from three MRI modalities are available.
On the purification of L-ornithine decarboxylase from rat prostate and effects of thiol compounds on the enzyme.

Abstract The activity and stability of l-ornithine decarboxylase from rat ventral prostate is markedly increased by certain thiol compounds, notably dithiothreitol. The enzyme was purified about 300-fold. Many properties of the purified enzyme are described. In the absence of added thiol compounds, the purified ornithine decarboxylase apparently undergoes polymerization, as evidenced by its behavior on sucrose density gradients and in molecular sieving experiments. The larger forms of the enzyme appear to be catalytically inert, but can be reactivated by a number of sulfhydryl compounds, certain dithiols being superior to a number of monothiols in this respect.
The Anthropometry of United States Army Men and Women: 1946–1977:

A large amount of information on the body size of United States Army personnel, both men and women, has been collected during several anthropometric surveys carried out between 1946 and 1977. Changes in the body site of Army men between 1946 and 1966 and of Army women between 1946 and 1977 may be examined in an analysis of these anthropometric data. The data also may be utilized to define the contrasts in body size between Army men and women for application in the design and sizing of clothing and in the human engineering of equipment and materiel intended for use by both Army men and women.
A Probabilistic Approach to Robust Execution of Temporal Plans with Uncertainty

In Temporal Planning a typical assumption is that the agent controls the execution time of all events such as starting and ending actions. In real domains however, this assumption is commonly violated and certain events are beyond the direct control of the plan's executive. Previous work on reasoning with uncontrollable events (Simple Temporal Problem with Uncertainty) assumes that we can bound the occurrence of each uncontrollable within a time interval. In principle however, there is no such bounding interval since there is always a non-zero probability the event will occur outside the bounds. Here we develop a new more general formalism called the Probabilistic Simple Temporal Problem (PSTP) following a probabilistic approach. We present a method for scheduling a PSTP maximizing the probability of correct execution. Subsequently, we use this method to solve the problem of finding an optimal execution strategy, i.e. a dynamic schedule where scheduling decisions can be made on-line.
Ribonuclease Sensitivity of Escherichia coli Ribosomes

Abstract Santer, Melvin (Haverford College, Haverford, Pa.), and Josephine R. Smith. Ribonuclease sensitivity of Escherichia coli ribosomes. J. Bacteriol. 92:1099–1110. 1966.—The ribonucleic acid (RNA) contained in 70S ribosomes and in 50S and 30S subunits was hydrolyzed by pancreatic ribonuclease. A 7% amount of the RNA was removed from the 70S particle; at 10−4m magnesium concentration, a maximum of 24 and 30% of the RNA in the 50S and the 30S fractions, respectively, was removed by ribonuclease. At the two lower magnesium ion concentrations, 50S ribosomes did not lose any protein, whereas 30S ribosomes lost protein as a result of ribonuclease treatment. A number of proteins were removed from the 30S particles by ribonuclease, and these proteins were antigenically related to proteins present in 50S ribosomes. The differential effect of ribonuclease on 50S and 30S ribosomes suggested that they have structural dissimilarities.
Metody głosowania w okręgach jednomandatowych i ich własności

The paper starts with the definitions of five major voting methods that can be applied in single-member districts. Then the political consequences of single-member districts are discussed. The special attention is paid to those consequences that are considered negative and to potential ways of neutralizing them. The next section compares selected subtle effects of using simple majority rule versus alternative vote. The final section reviews methods that mix proportional representation and majoritarian components.
Defective regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase activity in a 3T3 cell variant mitogenically nonresponsive to tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase is a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase which is activated in response to various mitogenic agonists (e.g., epidermal growth factor, insulin, and the tumor promoter tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate [TPA]) and requires both threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation for activity. This enzyme has recently been shown to be identical or closely related to pp42, a protein which becomes tyrosine phosphorylated in response to mitogenic stimulation. Neither the kinases which regulate MAP kinase/pp42 nor the in vivo substrates for this enzyme are known. Because MAP MAP kinase is activated and phosphorylated in response both to agents which stimulate tyrosine kinase receptors and to agents which stimulate protein kinase C, a serine/threonine kinase, we have examined the regulation and phosphorylation of this enzyme in 3T3-TNR9 cells, a variant cell line partially defective in protein kinase C-mediated signalling. In this communication, we show that in the 3T3-TNR9 variant cell line, TPA does not cause the characteristically rapid phosphorylation of pp42 or the activation and phosphorylation of MAP kinase. This defective response is not due to the absence of the MAP kinase/pp42 protein itself because both tyrosine phosphorylation of MAP kinase/pp42 and its enzymatic activation could be induced by platelet-derived growth factor in the 3T3-TNR9 cells. Thus, the defect in these variant cells apparently resides in some aspect of the regulation of MAP kinase phosphorylation. Since the 3T3-TNR9 cells are also defective with respect to the TPA-induced increase in ribosomal protein S6 kinase, these in vivo results reinforce the earlier in vitro finding that MAP kinase can regulate S6 kinase activity. These findings suggest a key role for MAP kinase in a kinase cascade cascade involved in the control of cell proliferation.
The Renovation of Custom in Colonial Kenya: the 1932 Generation Succession Ceremonies in Embu*

The role of custom and tradition in the development of colonial rule in Africa has received little attention from scholars. Historians of colonial Kenya, particularly, have focused on the powerful transforming impact of the colonial state and economy and on the growth of opposition movements; they have had little to say about the processes through which previously autonomous societies negotiated their incorporation into the Kenya state. Yet by the 1920s and 1930s that state had acquired a substantial degree of popular legitimacy. ‘Customary’ institutions and rituals played an important part in the development of that legitimacy. This essay examines the institution of the genealogically defined ‘generation’ in the Embu-Mbeere area in colonial central Kenya and the ceremonies held in 1932 to mark the transition from one generation to the next. These ceremonies attracted considerable attention because they provided the occasion for the proclamation of rules, supported by the British administration, relating to the bitter issue of genital mutilation in female initiation. But this was not a crude case of the manipulation of custom. The attempt to reform female initiation was part of a larger process, of which the rituals of generation succession were elements, of building the ideological basis of a new ‘tribe’ in a society previously characterized by local autonomy and collective authority. As investigation of the succession ceremonies makes clear, the notion of a tribe dominated by appointed chiefs and identified with an exclusive territory lay at the centre of this ideology.
Masturbation: Vice or virtue?

The Kinsey research team has clearly defined masturbation as "deliberate self stimulation which effects sexual arousal."1 This term is commonly used by social scientists in spite of its etymology. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "masturbate" is a compound from the Latin roots manus (hand) and stuprare (to defile). Accordingly it is defined in that standard work as "to practice self abuse." That was certainly the meaning of the term when it was first used two centuries ago. Social scientists who are sensitive to etymology realize that the word "masturbation" carries too much manual association to be fully descriptive and, of more concern, has traditionally carried a negative moral judgment. Consequently, neologisms have been created for the phenomenon in recent years. But they also have their limitations and have not been accorded full acceptance. "Automanipulation" is too mechanical and vague; "autoerotism" is too broad, for it can also describe, for example, one's response to sensuous works of art; and "auto-orgasm" incorrectly assumes that orgasm is always the aim of this endeavor. Even though masturbation has a value-loaded etymology, it will be presumed that its original connotation can be disregarded?even as "manu facturing" is no longer associated with making by hand. It is often wrongly stated that masturbation is dealt with in the Bible. Kinsey, for example, claims that it is there treated as a greater sin than engaging in coitus outside of marriage.2 Also, the Catholic-edited Dictionary of Moral Theol ogy pronounced: "Direct voluntary pollution is properly called masturba tion. ... In the Holy Scriptures it is condemned as a sin which excludes a person from the Kingdom of Heaven."3 Actually masturbation is not mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures or in the New Testament. Why is it that that nonpru dish literature, which frankly refers to zo?philia, homosexuality, and other sexual variations, does not discuss masturbation? It is safe to assume that its omission displays that its practice was of no moral or cultic concern to the many writers of books now called the Bible. In this essay I shall first review in historical sequence the treatments of masturbation as a vice in the postbiblical Judaeo-Christian tradition. Then I shall focus attention on some benefits that can result from masturbation.
PROPERTY VALUES AND TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES: FINDING THE TRANSPORTATION-LAND USE CONNECTION

This article reviews empirical studies of the relationship between transportation facilities—highways, heavy rail, and light rail transit systems—and property values. The main objective is to develop an explanation for inconsistent results presented in this literature over the past several decades. Results from these studies vary based on whether travel time or travel distance is used as a measure of accessibility. When researchers measure access to highways and rail transit in terms of travel time, study results usually indicate the expected inverse relationship between access to transportation facilities and property values. When studies use travel distance as a measure of access to transportation facilities, results tend to show mixed property value effects. The delineation of study areas also appears to influence the direction of results. This article offers a new interpretation of the transportation facility-property value literature that improves our ability to measure this relationship and to antic...
Mammalian BMP-1/Tolloid-Related Metalloproteinases, Including Novel Family Member Mammalian Tolloid-Like 2, Have Differential Enzymatic Activities and Distributions of Expression Relevant to Patterning and Skeletogenesis

Vertebrate bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP-1) and Drosophila Tolloid (TLD) are prototypes of a family of metalloproteases with important roles in various developmental events. BMP-1 affects morphogenesis, at least partly, via biosynthetic processing of fibrillar collagens, while TLD affects dorsal-ventral patterning by releasing TGFbeta-like ligands from latent complexes with the secreted protein Short Gastrulation (SOG). Here, in a screen for additional mammalian members of this family of developmental proteases, we identify novel family member mammalian Tolloid-like 2 (mTLL-2) and compare enzymatic activities and expression domains of all four known mammalian BMP-1/TLD-like proteases [BMP-1, mammalian Tolloid (mTLD), mammalian Tolloid-like 1 (mTLL-1), and mTLL-2]. Despite high sequence similarities, distinct differences are shown in ability to process fibrillar collagen precursors and to cleave Chordin, the vertebrate orthologue of SOG. As previously demonstrated for BMP-1 and mTLD, mTLL-1 is shown to specifically process procollagen C-propeptides at the physiologically relevant site, while mTLL-2 is shown to lack this activity. BMP-1 and mTLL-1 are shown to cleave Chordin, at sites similar to procollagen C-propeptide cleavage sites, and to counteract dorsalizing effects of Chordin upon overexpression in Xenopus embryos. Proteases mTLD and mTLL-2 do not cleave Chordin. Differences in enzymatic activities and expression domains of the four proteases suggest BMP-1 as the major Chordin antagonist in early mammalian embryogenesis and in pre- and postnatal skeletogenesis.
A study of solute diffusion in liquid tin

Abstract The diffusion of aluminum, zinc, silver, copper and nickel in liquid tin has been investigated by the capillary-reservoir technique in a temperature range from about 240°C to 480°C. All of the solutes investigated were present in dilute solutions ranging from 0.2 to 0.7 wt.%. The solutes were chosen so as to cover a range of relative partial molal enthalpies from large positive values to large negative values. On the basis of the self-diffusion of tin, it is found that the ratios of D solute to D self are 4.70, 1.90, 1.57, 1.15 and 1.10, respectively for aluminum, zinc, silver, copper and nickel within ± 15 or 20 per cent error. Diffusion coefficients of copper and nickel can be considered to be identical with that of tin within experimental error. The Stokes-Einstein and Eyring equations which consider only the factor of atom size, do not predict accurately the relative order of diffusion coefficients amongst the solutes. They do, however, predict the order of magnitude of the diffusion constant. On the basis of fluctuation theory, it is expected that those solutes which have a large positive relative partial molal enthalpy diffuse considerably faster than those solutes which have a large negative relative partial molal enthalpy since there is a much higher probability of significant density fluctuations occurring in the vicinity of the solute atoms in the former case. The data appear to be in agreement with this conclusion. Unfortunately no quantitative comparison is feasible at the present time because of the lack of potential energy versus distance data for solute-solvent neighbors in solution. It is further proposed that in dilute solutions, the diffusion coefficient of a solute approaches that of the solvent if the solute has a zero or large negative relative partial molal enthalpy in the solvent.
Pharmacological Inhibition of Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), an Enzyme Essential for NAD+ Biosynthesis, in Human Cancer Cells: METABOLIC BASIS AND POTENTIAL CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) catalyzes the first rate-limiting step in converting nicotinamide to NAD+, essential for cellular metabolism, energy production, and DNA repair. NAMPT has been extensively studied because of its critical role in these cellular processes and the prospect of developing therapeutics against the target, yet how it regulates cellular metabolism is not fully understood. In this study we utilized liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to examine the effects of FK866, a small molecule inhibitor of NAMPT currently in clinical trials, on glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and serine biosynthesis in cancer cells and tumor xenografts. We show for the first time that NAMPT inhibition leads to the attenuation of glycolysis at the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase step due to the reduced availability of NAD+ for the enzyme. The attenuation of glycolysis results in the accumulation of glycolytic intermediates before and at the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase step, promoting carbon overflow into the pentose phosphate pathway as evidenced by the increased intermediate levels. The attenuation of glycolysis also causes decreased glycolytic intermediates after the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase step, thereby reducing carbon flow into serine biosynthesis and the TCA cycle. Labeling studies establish that the carbon overflow into the pentose phosphate pathway is mainly through its non-oxidative branch. Together, these studies establish the blockade of glycolysis at the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase step as the central metabolic basis of NAMPT inhibition responsible for ATP depletion, metabolic perturbation, and subsequent tumor growth inhibition. These studies also suggest that altered metabolite levels in tumors can be used as robust pharmacodynamic markers for evaluating NAMPT inhibitors in the clinic. Background: NAMPT catalyzes the rate-limiting reaction in converting nicotinamide to NAD+ in cancers. Results: NAMPT inhibition attenuates glycolysis at the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase step, resulting in perturbing metabolic pathways related to glycolysis. Conclusion: The metabolic basis of NAMPT inhibition is the attenuation of glycolysis by reducing NAD+ available to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Significance: This study sheds new light on how NAMPT regulates cancer metabolism.
Stabilities of metal chelates of pyridoxamine.

Abstract The acid dissociation constants of pyridoxamine, and the formation constants of its 1:1 and 2:1 chelates with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) ions have been determined by a potentiometric method. The structures of the metal chelate compounds formed are deduced with the aid of the titration curves, and the relative stabilities are interpreted in the light of the tentative mechanism of the transamination reaction.
Frequency dependent electrooptic property of SBN single crystal

In electro-optic (EO) modulator devices ferroelectric crystals of strontium barium niobate (SBN) are attractive due to exceptional high EO coefficients and low half wave voltage. SBN single crystals grown by laser heated pedestal growth are investigated to explore frequency dependent EO property at low frequency and near resonant frequency range. The mechanism of its frequency dependence is discussed briefly.
Suppression of frequent premature ventricular contractions and improvement of left ventricular function in patients with presumed idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

•Objective To examine the hypothesis that suppression of frequent premature ventricular contractions may be associated with improvement in left ventricular function in patients with presumed idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. •Design We conducted a retrospective case study and statistical analysis of the effect of cardiac medical therapy on outcome. •Material and Methods The study population consisted of 14 patients with more than 20,000 premature ventricular contractions in 24 hours recorded by Holter monitoring and associated left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction, 40% or less). Clinical characteristics, number of premature ventricular contractions per hour on 24-hour ambulatory Holter monitoring, and ejection fraction based on transthoracic echocardiography were compared before and after cardiac therapeutic intervention. •Results Of the 14 patients, 10 had presumed idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, and 4 had ischemic heart disease. Of the overall study group, seven had received additional cardiac medical therapy after the index evaluation, including four patients who had amiodarone therapy. A significant reduction (75% or more from baseline) in premature ventricular contractions after medical therapeutic intervention was observed in five patients at the first follow-up examination. The mean interval to the first follow-up examination was 6+3 months. Of the five patients, four had significant improvement in clinical functional status and the ejection fraction. The mean ejection fraction of these five patients increased from 27 + 10% at baseline to 49 ± 17% after medical therapy( P = 0.04). •Conclusion The suppression of frequent premature ventricular contractions may be associated with improvement of left ventricular function in patients with presumed idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
Overwintering spruce budworm on black spruce: sample-unit size and population distribution

Optimum size of a sample unit and within-branch distribution of overwintering spruce budworm were determined for black spruce in northern Maine. No significant differences in sample reliability were found between whole-branch and 45-cm branch-tip samples. Larval distribution on branches varied with total branch length and a model was developed to estimate the whole-branch population from a 45-cm branch tip. Use of a 45-cm branch-tip sample unit is recommended because it is biologically and statistically valid and reduces sampling costs.
Monte Carlo linear solvers with non-diagonal splitting

Monte Carlo (MC) linear solvers can be considered stochastic realizations of deterministic stationary iterative processes. That is, they estimate the result of a stationary iterative technique for solving linear systems. There are typically two sources of errors: (i) those from the underlying deterministic iterative process and (ii) those from the MC process that performs the estimation. Much progress has been made in reducing the stochastic errors of the MC process. However, MC linear solvers suffer from the drawback that, due to efficiency considerations, they are usually stochastic realizations of the Jacobi method (a diagonal splitting), which has poor convergence properties. This has limited the application of MC linear solvers. The main goal of this paper is to show that efficient MC implementations of non-diagonal splittings too are feasible, by constructing efficient implementations for one such splitting. As a secondary objective, we also derive conditions under which this scheme can perform better than MC Jacobi, and demonstrate this experimentally. The significance of this work lies in proposing an approach that can lead to efficient MC implementations of a wider variety of deterministic iterative processes.
Dynamic flow response of crude oil-in-water emulsion during flow through porous media

Abstract Injection of crude oil-in-water emulsion in tertiary mode has been recognized as a potential method to increase oil recovery. Better understanding of emulsion flow through porous media is needed to develop practical improved oil recovery processes based on emulsion flooding mechanisms. In this study, two sets of experiments were carried out to further investigate the flow of emulsion in consolidated sandstone core plugs. First, the efficiency of emulsion injection to improve oil recovery was evaluated in two-phase flow experiments. Second, single-phase flow experiments were designed to understand the flow of emulsion at pore scale. In these experiments, a crude oil-in-water emulsion with known drop-size distribution was injected in water-saturated Berea sandstone cores followed by water injection at increasing flow rate. The overall pressure drop and its Fast Fourier Transform were analyzed to unveil potential connections to pore level flow. The pore throat blockage-release mechanism was inferred to be linked to the acquired pressure drop oscillation. The pore-scale dynamics has been shown to depend on local capillary number and emulsion drop size. The blockage-release mechanism of the trapped drops becomes less effective as the water flow rate or equivalently, the capillary number, increases above a critical value. Also, a larger drop-to-pore size ratio results in higher required capillary number, i.e. larger viscous force to mobilize the drops in the porous media.
IHF- and RpoN-dependent regulation of hydrogenase expression in Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Summary Sequence analysis of the Bradyrhizobium japonicum hydrogenase promoter regulatory region indicated the presence of a –24/–12 type promoter, which is recognized by RpoN, and a potential integration host factor (IHF)-binding site. B. japonicum rpoN−/rpoN2 double mutants were deficient in hydrogen-uptake activity. Using plasmid-borne hup-lacZ fusions, it was shown that the rpoN mutants were also deficient in nickel-dependent transcriptional regulation of hydrogenase. Gel-shift assays of the hydrogenase promoter regulatory region showed that purified IHF from Escherichia coli binds to a 210bp fragment. DNase footprint analysis revealed a protected region of 31 bp between bases –44 and –75 from the transcription start site. Western analysis with B. japonicum soluble extract and antibodies against E. coli IHF gave two bands equivalent to molecular masses of 12 and 14kDa approximately. When the IHF-binding area is mutated on a plasmid-borne hup-lacZ fusion, nickel-dependent transcriptional regulation of hydrogenase is still observed, but the transcriptional rates are clearly less than in the parent hup-lacZ fusion plasmid. Like the results with nickel, regulation of hydrogenase by other transcriptional regulators (hydrogen and oxygen) still occurs, but at a diminished level in the IHF-binding-area-mutated construct.
Ammonia assimilation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae , ammonia can be incorporated into the amino group of glutamate, the source of 80% of cellular nitrogen, by two pathways: the reductive amination of 2-ketoglutarate, catalyzed by glutamate dehydrogenase, in which NADPH serves as the source of electrons, or by the ATP-
From Covert to Overt: Everyday Peasant Politics in China and the Implications for Transnational Agrarian Movements

This contribution spotlights overt collective action as the form of everyday peasant politics in post-socialist China. It first considers the interlinking in the post-socialist period of global neoliberal capitalism and internal (so-called) primitive accumulation by corrupt officials and eager entrepreneurs. Against this background it examines the collective protests of the last 20 years, focusing first on the issue of corrupt local power and then on land seizures. It argues that the emergence of sustained rural contention has been informed by China's socialist legacy as well as older peasant ideologies, and it has involved the coalescence of a shared class perspective among the poor and dispossessed. The final portion of the article considers the implications of these everyday peasant politics, especially land struggles, for transnational agrarian movements.
Group decoding for interference channels

In this paper, we overview our new progress on the practical coding schemes for the constrained partial group decoder (CPGD) and the group decoder of relay-assisted cooperative communication systems. For both cases, the proposed group decoder significantly outperforms the MMSE decoder where the interference is treated as noise.
Libraries and digital communication: Collision or convergence?

Abstract Michael Gorman's fear of a new Dark Age of Electronic Tyranny is overstated, and the response of libraries to the technological revolution has not been as timid as Harris and Hannah suggest. Both commentators are criticized for engaging in a rather sterile debate. The real issues revolve around the convergence of paradigm-level changes in science, management, and global electronic information systems.
Dosimetric evaluation of abutted fields using asymmetric collimators for treatment of head and neck.

Abstract Purpose: The objective of this study was to reevaluate the dose nonuniformity of abutted fields defined using asymmetric collimators and one isocenter for treatment of the head and neck region. Methods and Materials: Bilateral parallel-opposed fields abutted to the anterior field at one isocenter were implemented in the treatment of head and neck. The effect of digital display tolerance can produce dose nonuniformity at the junction of the abutted fields. The amount of dose nonuniformity was quantified using both mathematical summation of dose profiles and by direct measurement of doses at the junction of the two abutted fields. The dose nonuniformity was obtained by irradiating the superior part of a film using bilateral parallel-opposed fields and the inferior part by an anterior field with a gap or an overlap. Dose profiles were taken at the depth of maximum dose for the anterior field across the abutted fields. The dose nonuniformity was determined for the case where the asymmetric jaw was set at −2 mm, −1 mm, 0, +1 mm, and +2 mm from the beam central axis. Results: The dose at the junction increases systematically as the abutment of the fields changes from a gap to an overlap. The dose nonuniformity with 1-mm gap and 1-mm overlap is about 15% underdose and overdose, respectively. Conclusion: Imperfect abutment of split fields due to digital display tolerance (±1 mm) of asymmetric collimator can cause an underdose or overdose of 15% of the delivered dose.
Surviving Boerhaave's Syndrome Without Thoracotomy

A case of Boerhaave's syndrome managed without thoracotomy is described. The diagnosis was not confirmed for 24 h when a barium swallow revealed free rupture of the esophagus into the left pleural cavity. Although survival has been reported with nonoperative management of contained esophageal perforations, to our knowledge, this is the first report of surviving Boerhaave's syndrome with free pleural rupture, without thoracotomy.
On terrain corrections in terrestrial heat flow

The theory of heat-flow variation over a Lees-type hill is well known for evaluating terrain effects on terrestrial heat flow. However, a hill cannot be converted into a valley by simply changing the sign of one of the terrain-defining parameters, nor can several Lees' hills be superposed to simulate a series of hills and valleys for correcting a terrain-induced disturbance of heat flow. The proper derivations for a Lees-type valley are presented and the superposition is compared with analytic solutions for two parallel semi-cylindrical valleys and two semi-spherical basins embedded in an otherwise planar ground. Generally, heat flux climaxes over central valleys or basins, and dips toward their margins where rapid change in topography occurs. Variation of heat flux induced by a three-dimensional terrain is relatively large, as compared to two-dimensional features, but its areal extent is relatively limited. The two-dimensional effects also extend relatively deeper. In applying two-dimensional algorithms to a three-dimensional terrain, the correction may be over- or underestimated depending on the distance from a borehole to prominent terrain features in the surrounding area.
Direct in Vivo RNAi Screen Unveils Myosin IIa as a Tumor Suppressor of Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Mining modern genomics for cancer therapies is predicated on weeding out "bystander" alterations (nonconsequential mutations) and identifying "driver" mutations responsible for tumorigenesis and/or metastasis. We used a direct in vivo RNA interference (RNAi) strategy to screen for genes that upon repression predispose mice to squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Seven of our top hits-including Myh9, which encodes nonmuscle myosin IIa-have not been linked to tumor development, yet tissue-specific Myh9 RNAi and Myh9 knockout trigger invasive SCC formation on tumor-susceptible backgrounds. In human and mouse keratinocytes, myosin IIa's function is manifested not only in conventional actin-related processes but also in regulating posttranscriptional p53 stabilization. Myosin IIa is diminished in human SCCs with poor survival, which suggests that in vivo RNAi technology might be useful for identifying potent but low-penetrance tumor suppressors.
Why we don’t deserve credit for everything we know

A view of knowledge—what I call the Deserving Credit View of Knowledge(DCVK)—found in much of the recent epistemological literature, particularly among so-called virtue epistemologists, centres around the thesis that knowledge is something for which a subject deserves credit. Indeed, this is said to be the central difference between those true beliefs that qualify as knowledge and those that are true merely by luck—the former, unlike the latter, are achievements of the subject and are thereby creditable to her. Moreover, it is often further noted that deserving credit is what explains the additional value that knowledge has over merely lucky true belief. In this paper, I argue that the general conception of knowledge found in the DCVK is fundamentally incorrect. In particular, I show that deserving credit cannot be what distinguishes knowledge from merely lucky true belief since knowledge is not something for which a subject always deserves credit.
Exact multifractal spectra for arbitrary laplacian random walks.

Iterated conformal mappings are used to obtain exact multifractal spectra of the harmonic measure for arbitrary Laplacian random walks in two dimensions. Separate spectra are found to describe scaling of the growth measure in time, of the measure near the growth tip, and of the measure away from the growth tip. The spectra away from the tip coincide with those of conformally invariant equilibrium systems with arbitrary central charge $c\ensuremath{\le}1$, with $c$ related to the particular walk chosen, while the scaling in time and near the tip cannot be obtained from the equilibrium properties.
Pollen wall development in Malvastrum corchorifolium (Malvaceae)

The Malvaceae family has many species that are the subject of systematic controversy. Its broad spectrum of fruit and pollen morphology has challenged taxonomists because often morphological studies lead to different conclusions. Therefore, this study of selected stages of pollen wall development in Malvastrum corchorifolium is offered as another approach to verify its current taxonomic assignment and assist in the clarification of malvacean ancestry. Aperture number, endexine thickness and the presence of basal cushions are features that concur with its present placement in the Abutileae tribe, Sidinae subtribe and genus Malvastrum. Its advanced spine morphology, long spines with pointed apices and prominent basal cushions, suggest that Malvastrum corchorifolium is highly specialized and evolutionarily advanced.
The dopamine transporter: role in neurotoxicity and human disease

The dopamine transporter (DAT) is a plasma membrane transport protein expressed exclusively within a small subset of CNS neurons. It plays a crucial role in controlling dopamine-mediated neurotransmission and a number of associated behaviors. This review focuses on recent data elucidating the role of the dopamine transporter in neurotoxicity and a number of CNS disorders, including Parkinson disease, drug abuse, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Cycasin: Detection of Associated Mutagenic Activity in vivo

Cycasin and its lagycone, methylazoxymethanol, increase the mutant frequency of Salmonella typhimurium histidine auxotrophs when tested in the hostmediated assay. As expected, the degree of cycasin-related mutagenic activity depends on the facility with which the compound can be enzymatically deglucosylated by the normal intestinal flora.
Reconfigurable Optical Bus and Performance Optimization

With the advent of optical fiber and other advanced technologies in solid state, pipelining signals at the wire (or transmission line) level has become possible. this has, in turn, made the slotted bus a potential candidate for interconnection networks (IN) for tightly coupled multiprocessor systems. However, a bus can provide only limited bandwidth. Though slotted bus can provide considerably more bandwidth in comparison to the traditional non-slotted bus, it is not enough for fine-grain parallel applications run on the shared-memory systems. One well known method to increase the effective bandwidth of a slotted bus in the LAN/MAN environment is to reuse the bandwidth by reusing slots. However, in a tightly coupled environment reusing slots is not a lucrative option because the significant buffering needs arising from slot reuse will introduce intolerable delay. In this paper we propose a methodology to reuse part of the bandwidth available from temporal and spectral bandwidth expansion with none or minimum buffering delay, resulting in significant performance improvement inboth the effective throughput and response time (communication latency). The proposed method entails the design and analysis of a re-configurable bus structure with both temporal and spectral bandwidth expansion and a polynomial time algorithm for optimal configurations for given traffic conditions. We have compared the performance of our reconfigured bus with that of the traditional slotted bus for uniform and localized traffic pattern and found that the reconfigured bus outperforms the traditional slotted bus substantially in many practical scenarios.
Neutrality and advocacy in policy research

The naive scientism which has dominated federal policy research and most policy research institutes has become a self-blinding dogma, an armchair philosophy which fabricates and distorts reality and has failed at its task of understanding our social and economic problems. Broader approaches are needed which do not artificially isolate and arbitrarily quantify selected factors but examine them in their social and historical context. The vain search for “objectivity” should be replaced by an honest avowal of the interests being served. The sanctimonious assertion of an undefinable “public interest” should be replaced by a definable fairness doctrine setting forth the status of the draft and final reports, project finances, and institute and sponsor controls. Such a doctrine could provide the basis for a new professional consensus and self-regulation in the policy research community, and for new IRS tax regulations governing nonprofit research institutions.
Electrocardiographic Studies of Dogs Infested with Dirofilaria immitis

Electrocardiograms were taken of 3 dogs uninfested and of 2 infested by Dirofilaria immitis. No significant differences were found. One normal and 2 infested dogs were then exercised moderately, electrocardiograms being recorded shortly before and immediately after running for 10 min. on a treadmill. In the normal dog and in one infested, exercise produced no significant changes. In the other dog, however, the QRS interval was slightly prolonged (0.04 to 0.05 sec.); the R wave amplitude was decreased in all leads (from 16.0 mm. to 10.5 mm. in lead II); and the T wave in lead I was inverted (from an amplitude of 1.0 mm. upward to 1.0 mm. downward), while in lead II, T changed from a height of 2 mm. to zero or isoelectric.The change in the T wave is like that observed in man during anginal attacks.1
Airway nitric oxide and psychological processes in asthma and health: a review

Abstract Objective The fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) has been widely used as a marker of airway inflammation in asthma in recent years. However, NO serves multiple functions throughout the organism, and various influences on FeNO levels beyond inflammation have been documented. Emerging literature indicates that psychological processes are systematically linked to FeNO. Data Sources Academic Search Complete, PubMed, PsychArticles, and PsychInfo databases. Study Selections Relevant studies were identified using keywords exhaled nitric oxide paired with psychological stress , stress psychology , emotion , major depression , anxiety , or psychopathology . Studies measuring FeNO during naturalistic observation of emotion and stress, laboratory stress and emotion-induction protocols, and correlational designs using psychological questionnaires were included. Results Acute stress, anxiety, and negative affect have been repeatedly linked with higher FeNO levels, whereas more prolonged states of stress, in particular depression, have been associated with lower FeNO levels. The literature on FeNO is paralleled by research on NO in the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, which also shows systematic associations with psychosocial variables. Potential mechanisms of association include stimulation of NO release from different cells, including the epithelia and macrophages, through noradrenaline, interferon-γ, or vascular endothelial growth factor, changes in oxidative stress or arginase levels, or facilitation of diffusion by mechanical factors. Conclusion Psychosocial factors may need to be considered in the interpretation of longitudinal FeNO changes in monitoring and management of patients with asthma. The distinction between constitutive and inducible sources of NO will be essential for future research.
Allocrine modulation of feeding behavior by the Sex Peptide of Drosophila.

Mating elicits a dramatic reprogramming of female behavior in numerous insect species. In Drosophila, this postmating response (PMR) comprises increased egg-laying rate and reduced sexual receptivity and is controlled by the products of the male accessory glands, a family of ∼80 small peptides transferred in the male seminal fluid [1-9]. Here, we show that copulation strongly stimulates female food intake. Remarkably, this change is abolished if the males lack a single, small seminal protein, the Sex Peptide (SP). Ectopic expression of SP in virgin females mimics the effect of mating on feeding behavior, demonstrating that SP is the main agent controlling this behavioral paradigm. Our observations identify enhanced feeding behavior as a novel component of the Drosophila PMR and suggest that SP represents a molecular link between energy acquisition and reproductive investment.
Calibrating the Reliability of Publicly Available Nonprofit Taxable Activity Disclosures: Comparing IRS 990 and IRS 990-T Data

The topic of nonprofit commercialization has received increased attention from various groups including donors, regulators, and researchers. Perhaps the most commercial of all activities undertaken by nonprofits are those considered to be so far removed from an organization's exempt mission that the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) considers them to be taxable. Examination of these taxable activities can provide unique and valuable insights into the effects of purely commercial activities on nonprofit behavior. Nonprofits report their taxable activities on the confidential IRS 990-T. Although some information on taxable activities is reported on the publicly available IRS 990, unavailability of the IRS 990-T has prevented prior examination of its accuracy and reliability. Using a unique data set of otherwise confidential IRS 990-Ts, the authors calibrate the reliability of taxable activities as reported on the IRS 990, providing a roadmap for researchers to follow when examining nonprofits' taxable activit...
Recruitment of beta-2-glycoprotein 1 to cell surfaces in extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis.

Apoptotic cells and phagocytes have developed a diverse array of distinct ligand-receptor systems that drive the recognition and uptake of dying cells. Phagocytes recognize apoptotic cells either directly, by binding to specific ligands at their cell surface, or indirectly, by binding to bridging proteins that bind these ligands. Previous observations showed that the plasma bridging protein β 2GP1, binds PS containing vesicles, and enhances their binding and engulfment by phagocytes in vitro. In this study we show that apoptotic cells injected intravenously and intraperitonealy into syngeneic mice recruited the PS binding protein, β 2GP1. Examination of peritoneal exudates and spleen thin sections showed that only the injected apoptotic cells picked up endogenous β 2GP1. Recovery of cells from the peritoneum showed that apoptotic cells bearing β 2GP1 were clustered around host peritoneal phagocytes. In addition, tissue sections from mice injected with Fas antibody showed colocalization of β 2GP1 with TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells. These results provide evidence that endogenous β 2GP1 binds apoptotic cells in vivo, suggesting that the protein plays an important physiologic role in the recognition of dying cells.
The Future of Pediatric Research

The future of pediatric research will be enhanced by strengthening traditional biomedical approaches and embracing emerging opportunities. Biomedical discovery and translation of new knowledge, concepts, and devices into better diagnostic and therapeutic options will require more pediatric physician-scientists, rapid adoption of enabling technologies, increased funding for research and research training (including the creation of federally funded pediatric translational research centers), and a broader distribution of research activities across the academic pediatric community. Rapid improvement of child health outcomes also will be realized through robust health services research in pediatrics, including the application of rigorous quality improvement science that documents and disseminates successful interventions, leading to better access and effectiveness of care. Improving the value of pediatric care is a realistic goal. Achieving better outcomes through individually tailored (personalized) care for children should be tested experimentally. The future of pediatrics is bright, but will depend on the recognition of and response to a growing array of exciting opportunities.
REAP: ring band-based energy adaptive protocol for information dissemination and forwarding in wireless sensor networks

The design issues related to routing in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are inherently different from those encountered in traditional mobile ad hoc networks. Routing protocols for adhoc networks usually impose prohibitive demands on scares resources of a sensor node such as memory, bandwidth and energy; therefore, they are not suitable for WSNs. In this paper, we present a novel, energy adaptive data forwarding protocol, referred to as Ring band-based Energy Adaptive Protocol (REAP), in which nodes self-organise into virtual ring bands centred at the Base Station (BS). Packets are automatically delivered to the BS along a path with decreasing ring band number. Furthermore, the proposed probabilistic forwarding mechanism also balances the workload among neighbouring nodes within the same ring band. Simulation study showed REAP exhibits good performance in various network settings even when nodes are in rapid motion.