cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation-induced epilation due to couch transit dose for the Leksell gamma knife model C.

Abstract Purpose: To determine the cause of epilation at the top of the head for 2 patients with acoustic neuromas after undergoing fractionated radiosurgery with the Leskell Gamma Knife model C. This epilation was unexpected, because the treatment planning program stated the dose at this location was Methods and Materials: The radiation dose along a central axis, parallel to the couch, from the helmet's focus to the helmet cap was measured during couch transit. Results: Transit doses of 4.4 cGy/shot at 10 cm and 5.6 cGy/shot at distances >15 cm from the helmet's focus were measured. It was estimated that the 2 patients with epilation received approximately 6–7 Gy to the scalp. A shield was constructed and shown to reduce the transit dose by as much as 60%. Conclusion: The design of the helmet allows the uncollimated beams to reach areas of the patient, superior to the target, just before and after couch docking with the housing. For treatment involving a large number of shots (i.e., fractionation), off-target doses ≤8 Gy can result. For these cases, the transit dose should be considered and some form of additional shielding should be used.
Developing a new generation of ongoing: Diabetes self-management support interventions: a preliminary report.

PurposeThe study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of an innovative, community-based, ongoing self-management intervention aimed at enhancing and sustaining self-care behaviors over the long term among urban African Americans with type 2 diabetes.MethodsSixty-two African American men and women completed the study. Participants were invited to attend 24 weekly, consecutive, diabetes self-management support/ education groups. The flow of the weekly group sessions was guided by questions and concerns of the patients. Baseline and 6-month follow-up metabolic functioning, lipid profiles, cardiovascular functioning, and self-care behaviors were assessed.ResultsNinety percent (n = 56) of the sample attended at least 1 session; 40% attended at least 12 or more sessions. Paired t tests found significant improvements in body mass index (P< .001), total cholesterol (P< .01), high density lipoprotein (P< .05), and low-density lipoprotein (P< .001). Significant increases were also found for...
Hormesis: a revolution in toxicology, risk assessment and medicine.

Anyone applying for life insurance knows he or she faces an interview. The insurance agent will inquire about age, family history of diseases, health problems and medical history, smoking behaviour, occupation, lifestyle and many other details. These data are then fed into sophisticated mathematical models to calculate premiums and royalties based on the personal health risks of the individual. With the financial stakes high for both the insurer and the insured, this creates a level playing field based on realistic expectations that is essential for the mutual benefit of both parties. Similar to life insurers, many financial, pharmaceutical and other businesses use such risk‐analysis‐based realistic data to calculate the possibilities of risk or harm in contrast to benefits and/or costs. > The main challenge facing environmental risk assessment is the extrapolation of data In striking contrast to risk modelling based on gathering as much useful real‐world data as possible, the field of environmental risk assessment, which governs the quality of community air and water, the safety of food and the clean‐up of contaminated sites, has been based principally on unverifiable assumptions and speculations. The main challenge facing environmental risk assessment is the extrapolation of data. Regulators must extrapolate results not only from animal toxicity studies, typically from mice and/or rats to humans, but also from the very high doses usually used in animal experiments to the very low doses that are characteristic of human exposure. These two types of extrapolation are steeped in uncertainty. The failure of regulatory agencies during the past three decades, when risk assessment was first applied to environmental regulations, to resolve in reasonable measure these uncertainties has led to a protectionist public health philosophy in which conservative assumptions became accepted at each point in the risk assessment process. The cascade of risks resulting from such a protectionist …
Trafficking of central opioid receptors and descending pain inhibition

The delta-opioid receptor (DOR) belongs to the superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) with seven transmembrane domains, and its membrane trafficking is regulated by intracellular sorting processes involving its C-tail motifs, intracellular sorting proteins, and several intracellular signaling pathways. In the quiescent state, DOR is generally located in the intracellular compartments in central neurons. However, chronic stimulation, such as chronic pain and sustained opioid exposure, may induce membrane trafficking of DOR and its translocation to surface membrane. The emerged functional DOR on cell membrane is actively involved in pain modulation and opioid analgesia. This article reviews current understanding of the mechanisms underlying GPCRs and DOR membrane trafficking, and the analgesic function of emerged DOR through membrane trafficking under certain pathophysiological circumstances.
Aureomycin in Experimental Chesson Strain Vivax Malaria

SummaryAureomycin, although not a causative prophylactic against the Chesson strain of P. vivax, delayed the appearance of malaria in volunteers for at least 2 weeks as compared with controls. When given therapeutically in high dosage, the antibiotic had a delayed action against erythrocytic parasites, too slow to be of practical value. Infections were not cured.
Lower bounds on the MSE of the single and double loop sigma delta modulators

It is shown that the single- and double-loop sigma-delta ( Sigma Delta ) encoders with constant input can be analyzed as nonuniform quantizers. Specifically, expressions are derived for the transition points, i.e. the input values at which the output sequence changes from one codeword to another. This is used to find upper bounds on the number of codewords that the encoders are capable of producing as source coders, given the initial state or states. The upper bound is O(N/sup 2/) for the single-loop encoder, and O(N/sup 3/) for the double-loop encoder, where N is the oversampling ratio. It is shown that the mean squared error (MSE) for both single- and double-loop decoders is lower-bounded by O(N/sup -3/). The optimal decoders based on table look-up decoding are shown to have O(N/sup -3/) MSE performance. For the double-loop encoder, an optimal decoder with O(N/sup -5/) MSE performance can be achieved by a slight reduction in the dynamic range of the input. >
Energy efficient adaptive routing for ad hoc networks with time-varying heterogeneous traffic

We propose a hybrid networking strategy for large-scale energy constrained ad hoc networks. Referred to as energy-aware geolocation aided routing (EAGER), this protocol optimally blends proactive and reactive routing strategies for energy efficiency. Specifically, EAGER partitions the network into cells and performs intracell proactive routing and inter-cell reactive routing. The cell size and transmission range are optimized analytically for energy efficiency. Furthermore, by gluing cells around the hot spots in the network, EAGER is capable of adapting to time-varying heterogenous traffic patterns.
A Worst-case Evaluation Method for Dynamic Systems

A worst-case evaluation method is presented in this paper. The objective of this method is to identify worst-case maneuvers so that the performance of dynamic systems under extreme conditions can be evaluated. Depending on the dynamics and information structure of the system, the worst-case evaluation problems can be classified into four sub-cases. Classical optimal control and game theories are used to construct algorithms to obtain linear solutions analytically. When the plant and/or the control algorithm is nonlinear, the true worst-case solution can be obtained from numerical methods. Two case-study examples are presented. A linear example presents the time domain and frequency domain results comparing the four linear algorithms. The generation of the worst-case steering and braking maneuver to rollover an articulated vehicle is then presented as a "real" application example. Interested reader can download the PC-based software and generate the simulation results by visiting the website
Where is the business logic

One of the challenges in maintaining legacy systems is to be able to locate business logic in the code, and isolate it for different purposes, including implementing requested changes, refactoring, eliminating duplication, unit testing, and extracting business logic into a rule engine. Our new idea is an iterative method to identify the business logic in the code and visualize this information to gain better understanding of the logic distribution in the code, as well as developing a domain-specific business vocabulary. This new method combines and extends several existing technologies, including search, aggregation, and visualization. We evaluated the visualization method on a large-scale application and found that it yields useful results, provided an appropriate vocabulary is available.
Recurrent Fever of Unknown Origin (FUO) Due to Periodic Fever, Aphthous Stomatititis, Pharyngitis and Adenitis (FAPA) Syndrome in an Adult.

FAPA syndrome (periodic fever, aphthous stomatititis, pharyngitis and adenitis) is a relatively new entity described in pediatric patients. In adults, reports of FAPA are limited to rare case reports. The differential diagnosis of FAPA in adults includes Behcet’s syndrome, familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), Hyper IgD syndrome and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), i.e., adult Still’s disease. With FAPA syndrome, between episodes patients are completely asymptomatic and serologic inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) count are normal. The etiology of FAFA is unknown, but lack of secondary cases or clustering in close contacts, lack of seasonality, and the lack of progression for years argue against an infectious etiology. We describe an extremely rare case of an adult with a recurrent FUO with profuse night sweats and prominent chills due to FAPA syndrome.
Glenoid Component Retroversion Is Associated with Osteolysis

Background: It has been suggested that glenoid component retroversion and eccentric loading are an important mechanism leading to glenoid component loosening, but little clinical data have been published to support this concept. Methods: Sixty-six shoulders underwent total shoulder replacement with an all-polyethylene press-fit pegged glenoid component designed for osseous ingrowth for treatment of osteoarthritis. These shoulders were followed clinically and with radiographs for an average (and standard deviation) of 3.8 ± 1.8 years (range, two to seven years). Preclinical radiographic loosening was defined as osteolysis around the central peg of the glenoid component. Results: Of the sixty-six shoulders, twenty (30%) had osteolysis around the center peg. The length of time after replacement (p = 0.0006), preoperative glenoid retroversion (p = 0.036), and postoperative glenoid component retroversion (p = 0.041) were correlated with osteolysis around the glenoid center peg and an increase in the Lazarus component loosening grade. Postoperative retroversion correlated with preoperative retroversion (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.19 to 0.64, p = 0.0011). The presence of osteolysis around the center peg was not correlated with a worse clinical outcome defined by shoulder scores or a reoperation due to glenoid loosening. After adjustment for follow-up time, excessive postoperative glenoid retroversion (≥15°) was associated with an increased odds of osteolysis (odds ratio = 5.23, 95% CI = 1.31 to 20.9]), whereas preoperative glenoid retroversion was associated with no change in the odds of osteolysis. Conclusions: Osteolysis around the center peg of a glenoid component is correlated with component retroversion of ≥15°. This finding suggests that there should be additional investigation into the effects of correcting preoperative glenoid retroversion to prevent osteolysis around the center peg. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Exotic grass and shrub production evaluation and llama preference on the Bolivian Altiplano

Lack of nutritional forage during the dry season limits llama (Lama glama) production on the Bolivian Altiplano. Minimal supplementation with stockpiled energy-rich grasses and high-protein shrubs may improve the dry season nutritional status of llamas. The purposes of this study were first, to evaluate forage production on the Altiplano of cold-hardy, drought-resistant plants successful in the Intermountain Western United States and second, the acceptability of these species to llamas. Six species of grass (pubescent wheatgrass [Agropyron trichophorum], smooth brome [Bromus inermis], crested wheatgrass [Hycrest] [Agropyron cristatum × A. desertorum], weeping lovegrass [Eragrostis curvula], orchard grass [Dactylis glomerata], and timothy [Phleum pratense]) and 6 species of shrubs (black sage [Artemisia nova], fourwing saltbush [Atriplex canescens], saltbush [Atriplex halimus], mountain mahogany [Cercocarpus montanus], bitterbrush [Purshia tridentata], and forage kochia [Kochia prostrata]) were planted at three sites on the Altiplano and evaluated during the dormant season of the following 2 years. Data measuring row fill, biomass, and nutrient concentrations were collected for the grasses. Data measuring percent survival, biomass, and nutrient concentrations were collected for the shrubs. Preference trials including focal animal sampling and instantaneous-scan sampling evaluated the acceptance of these forages by llamas. During the first year, row fill among the grasses ranged from 30–96%. Smooth brome biomass increased from 3427 to 5420 kg dry weight/ha between years (p ≤ 0.01) and was the most productive grass measured. Crested wheatgrass also increased from 2487 to 4687 kg dry weight/ha (p ≤ 0.01). The most successful shrubs, forage kochia and fourwing saltbush, survived 75–90%. At one site, fourwing saltbush produced 638 kg dry weight/ha and forage kochia 616 kg dry weight/ha, more (p ≤ 0.01) than produced at the other sites (91–316 kg dry weight/ha). Among the grasses, the highest CP concentrations were found in crested wheatgrass (9.7%) and orchard grass (9.6%). Weeping lovegrass had lower (p < 0.01) CP concentration (3.7%). Forage kochia, contained 14.6% CP. Five grasses were similarly preferred receiving between 11 and 18% time grazed. Weeping lovegrass received less (p ≤ 0.01) at 1–2%. The llamas refused the shrubs completely. Considering biomass and acceptability, orchard grass, pubescent wheatgrass, and smooth brome are likely selections for dry season supplementation.
Electrostatic effects on polynucleotide transitions. II. Behavior of titrated systems.

The theory developed in the previous paper to discuss changes in electrostatic free energies in polynucleotide order–disorder transitions is extended to cases where one or more of the participating species is titrated to some degree α. It is shown that, for any class of transition, the melting temperature Tm at constant pH is a linear function of the logarithm of the monovalent counterion concentration M, that at high salt the logarithm of the depression of the melting temperature by pH titration is proportional to the pH change, and that the stability of the ordered form as measured by its melting temperature at neutral pH, is a monotonic function of the quantity pHm – pK, where pHm and pK are the pH of melting and the monomer base pK, both measured under similar conditions of temperature and ionic strength. For the transition from double helix to coil, the dependences of Tm and dTm/d log M on pH are determined experimentally and compared with the qualitative predictions of the theory. It is found that dTm/dlog M, a measure of – ΔFel (the negative of the electrostatic free energy change in the transition), decreases with increasing pH. In acid solution, where the coil is more extensively prolonated than the helix, the change in electrostatic free energy in the transition is larger than at neutral pH. Conversely, in alkali the electrostatic five energy change is smaller than at neutral pH. Hence (dTm/d log M)acid > (dTm/d log Mneutral) > (dTm/d log M)alkali. At Suffeciently high pH, dTm/d log M is observed to become negative, indicating that the electrostatic free energy change is positive in the transition of this region. Date from the literature on the ionic strength dependence of the melting temperature for the acid helices of poly rA, poly rC, and poly dC are also considered from the standpoint of the theory.
Models for Estimating Abundance from Repeated Counts of an Open Metapopulation

Using only spatially and temporally replicated point counts, Royle (2004b, Biometrics 60, 108-115) developed an N-mixture model to estimate the abundance of an animal population when individual animal detection probability is unknown. One assumption inherent in this model is that the animal populations at each sampled location are closed with respect to migration, births, and deaths throughout the study. In the past this has been verified solely by biological arguments related to the study design as no statistical verification was available. In this article, we propose a generalization of the N-mixture model that can be used to formally test the closure assumption. Additionally, when applied to an open metapopulation, the generalized model provides estimates of population dynamics parameters and yields abundance estimates that account for imperfect detection probability and do not require the closure assumption. A simulation study shows these abundance estimates are less biased than the abundance estimate obtained from the original N-mixture model. The proposed model is then applied to two data sets of avian point counts. The first example demonstrates the closure test on a single-season study of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and the second uses the proposed model to estimate the population dynamics parameters and yearly abundance of American robins (Turdus migratorius) from a multi-year study.
Population aging and the extended family in Taiwan: A new model for analyzing and projecting living arrangements

Population aging produces changes in the availability of kin with uncertain imp lications for extended living arrangements. We propose a highly stylized model that can be used to analyze and project age-specific proportions of adults living in extended and nuclear households. The model is applied to Taiwan using annual data from 197 8-1998. We estimate cohort and age effects showing that more recently born cohorts of seniors are less likely to live in extended households, but that as seniors age the proportion living in extended households increases. The effect of individual aging h as diminished over time, however. The proportion of non-senior adults living in extended households has increased steadily because changes in the age structure have increased the availability of older kin. The model is used to project living arrangements and we conclude that the proportion living in extended households will begin to decline gradually for both seniors and non-seniors. The extended family is becoming less important in Taiwan, but it is not on the way out. Living arrangements in Asia are quite distinctive as compared with those found in Western societies. The great majority of Asia’s elderly live with their adult children. Living arrangements are beginning to change, however, and in some countries quite rapidly. In some East Asian countr ies the proportion of seniors living with their children has dropped substantially in recent years. The situation in Taiwan is somewhat distinctive. The proportion of seniors living with their children has been relatively stable in recent years and the p roportion of non-senior adults living in extended households has increased. As the analysis presented below will show, however, recent aggregate trends masks important underlying changes that will lead to a steady decline in extended living arrangements. Further decline is on the horizon, but the evidence does not point to a precipitous decline. At least in Taiwan, extended living arrangements do not appear to be on their way out. To many, the decline of the extended family is a matter of concern par ticularly when many Asian countries face rapid population aging. The extended family has been
Distinguishing the roles of autogenic versus allogenic processes in cyclic sedimentation, Cisco Group (Virgilian and Wolfcampian), north-central Texas

Meter-scale transgressive-regressive cycles of the subsurface Cisco Group are composed of marine and nonmarine carbonate and siliciclastic rocks deposited on the Eastern shelf of the Midland basin during Late Pennsylvanian and Early Permian time. Five cycle types are characterized by thickness, magnitude, order, and principal lithofacies. Cycle magnitude is defined as the maximum facies shift in a cycle, indicating extent of shoreline migration. Cisco cycles belong to three orders—minor, intermediate, and major—and they are superimposed and form a stratigraphic hierarchy. Each order of cycles has a distinct range of thickness and possibly duration. A cycle is also divided into a lower sand-poor interval, during which coarse siliciclastic supply at the depositional site was diminishing, and an upper sand-rich interval, during which coarse siliciclastic supply was high. Regional thickness and lithofacies variations of sand-rich intervals indicate that progradational infilling at a depositional site lagged marine regression, suggesting a delay in sediment supply from the upland source relative to the time of base-level fall. Regional systematic variations in cycle abundance, continuity, and characteristics along depositional dip and strike record the interplay among regional topography, pattern of siliciclastic supply, and shelf subsidence, which controlled distribution of depocenters and bypass zones and, thus, stratigraphic completeness and resolution. Regional persistence of cycles suggests a eustatic control on regional, ordered transgressive-regressive events. In contrast, local variations of cycle characters suggest controls by local topography and depositional dynamics, which determined depositional loci, differential compaction, and erosion. A predominantly autocyclic Cisco record in the upper platform does not imply the absence of allogenic processes. An allocyclic Cisco record in the lower platform contains abundant autocyclic imprints, because allogenic controls on cyclic sedimentation were accomplished through local autogenic processes. Distinguishing the roles of autogenic versus allogenic processes in cyclic sedimentation is an important step in establishing a high-resolution (meter-scale) chronostratigraphy of any sedimentary record 1 .
Coarse Acquisition Performance of Spectral-Encoded UWB Communication Systems in the Presence of Narrow-Band Interference

It is known that a major practical implementation challenge of ultra-wideband (UWB) receivers is the design of the coarse acquisition stage. Due to the fine time resolution of UWB signals, the acquisition stage has to acquire a large number of low-energy multipath components, with no or little knowledge of the state of the channel. In addition, the complexity further increases with the presence of narrowband interference due to the proposed spectral overlay. Our goal in this paper is to evaluate the affects of the lack of a priori knowledge of the channel state and the presence of narrowband interference during acquisition. Maximum-likelihood and maximum a posteriori procedures for estimation in the presence of narrowband interference are formulated, and two different interference mitigation techniques are evaluated. In particular, this paper considers UWB communication systems that use spectral encoding as both the multiple access scheme and the interference suppression technique. The qualitative results are, however, believed to be valid for any UWB system implementation. It is shown that the acquisition performance strongly depends on the amount of a priori knowledge of the channel state at the receiver, and on whether or not interference suppression is employed.
Modification to Translational Failure Analysis of Landfills Incorporating Seismicity

This paper extends a previously developed method of the writers by using a pseudostatic approach to conduct seismic stability analysis for potential translational failures of multilayer lined landfills. Assuming that the designed seismic coefficient, k s , is known, the factor of safety against translational failure for lined landfills can be calculated from the new developed equations. The critical interface with the seismic yield coefficient, k y , is generally located at different interfaces along the back slope and along the base. The failure surface is seen to transfer from one interface to another with changes of dimensions of the top width, depth, and front slope of the waste mass. Using this method, a waste filling sequence can be generated so as to maintain the k y -value above a stipulated value during landfill operations. It is important to ensure that the minimum k y -value at the critical interface is always equal to or greater than a targeted value during the waste filling sequence and after closure corresponding to the different geometric dimensions of the waste mass.
Within‐plant signalling via volatiles overcomes vascular constraints on systemic signalling and primes responses against herbivores

Plant volatiles play important roles in signalling between plants and insects, but their role in communication among plants remains controversial. Previous research on plant–plant communication has focused on interactions between neighbouring plants, largely overlooking the possibility that volatiles function as signals within plants. Here, we show that volatiles released by herbivore-wounded leaves of hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides · nigra) prime defences in adjacent leaves with little or no vascular connection to the wounded leaves. Undamaged leaves exposed to volatiles from wounded leaves on the same stem had elevated defensive responses to feeding by gypsy moth larvae (Lymantria dispar L.) compared with leaves that did not receive volatiles. Volatile signals may facilitate systemic responses to localized herbivory even when the transmission of internal signals is constrained by vascular connectivity. Self-signalling via volatiles is consistent with the short distances over which plant response to airborne cues has been observed to occur and has apparent benefits for emitting plants, suggesting that withinplant signalling may have equal or greater ecological significance than signalling between plants.
Components of a Mediterranean Diet are Associated with Gut Permeability in Obese Adults

Increased gut permeability allows translocation of inflammatory microbiota products into the host system. However, it is unknown how dietary patterns and their components impact permeability. There...
Traffic Management and Net Neutrality in Wireless Networks

Many wireless ISPs limit the applications that may be used on wireless devices. In the United States, Congress is debating whether wireless network subscribers should have the right to use applications of their choice. We examine whether wireless ISPs should be able to limit applications. We address how wired and wireless networks differ with respect to traffic management, and conclude that wireless networks often require stronger traffic management than wired networks at and below the network layer. We propose dual goals of providing a level playing field between applications offered by ISPs and those offered by competing application providers and guaranteeing wireless ISPs the ability to reasonably manage wireless network resources. We consider three scenarios for how applications may be restricted on wireless networks, and find that none achieves both goals. We review United States communications law, and conclude that ISPs should be prohibited from giving themselves an unfair competitive edge by blocking applications or by denying QoS to competing application providers. We propose a set of regulations based on network architecture and communication law that limits an ISP's ability to restrict applications by requiring an open interface between network and transport layers. We illustrate how ISPs may deploy QoS within such a regulatory framework, and how this proposed policy can achieve our goals.
Gene prediction using multinomial probit regression with Bayesian gene selection

A critical issue for the construction of genetic regulatory networks is the identification of network topology from data. In the context of deterministic and probabilistic Boolean networks, as well as their extension to multilevel quantization, this issue is related to the more general problem of expression prediction in which we want to find small subsets of genes to be used as predictors of target genes. Given some maximum number of predictors to be used, a full search of all possible predictor sets is combinatorially prohibitive except for small predictors sets, and even then, may require supercomputing. Hence, suboptimal approaches to finding predictor sets and network topologies are desirable. This paper considers Bayesian variable selection for prediction using a multinomial probit regression model with data augmentation to turn the multinomial problem into a sequence of smoothing problems. There are multiple regression equations and we want to select the same strongest genes for all regression equations to constitute a target predictor set or, in the context of a genetic network, the dependency set for the target. The probit regressor is approximated as a linear combination of the genes and a Gibbs sampler is employed to find the strongest genes. Numerical techniques to speed up the computation are discussed. After finding the strongest genes, we predict the target gene based on the strongest genes, with the coefficient of determination being used to measure predictor accuracy. Using malignant melanoma microarray data, we compare two predictor models, the estimated probit regressors themselves and the optimal full-logic predictor based on the selected strongest genes, and we compare these to optimal prediction without feature selection.
Lack of Effect of TP53 Status on Fluorodeoxyuridine-Mediated Radiosensitization

Abstract Lawrence, T. S., Burke, R., Davis, M. A. and Wygoda, M. R. Lack of Effect of TP53 Status on Fluorodeoxyuridine-Mediated Radiosensitization. Substantial evidence suggests that TP53 (also known as p53) status can influence the response of cells to chemotherapy and radiation. We wished to determine if TP53 function affected the response of cells to fluoropyrimidines and radiation, a combination used for tens of thousands of patients each year. To assess the role of TP53 in fluoropyrimidine-mediated radiosensitization, we carried out experiments using RKO parental cells (wild-type TP53) and RKO cells overexpressing mutant TP53 (which blocks TP53 function) or expressing E6 (which degrades TP53). We found that TP53 function had no effect on the ability of fluorodeoxyuridine to increase radiation sensitivity. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the late G1-phase checkpoint, which is mediated by TP53, is not crucial to radiosensitization. Rather, the ability of cells to progress in to ...
Rational material, interface, and device engineering for high-performance polymer and perovskite solar cells (Presentation Recording)

The performance of polymer and hybrid solar cells is also strongly dependent on their efficiency in harvesting light, exciton dissociation, charge transport, and charge collection at the metal/organic/metal oxide or the metal/perovskite/metal oxide interfaces. Our laboratory employs a molecular engineering approach to develop processible low band-gap polymers with high charge carrier mobility that can enhance power conversion efficiency of the single junction solar cells to values as high as ~11%. We have also developed several innovative strategies to modify the interface of bulk-heterojunction devices and create new device architectures to fully explore their potential for solar applications. In this talk, the integrated approach of combining material design, interface, and device engineering to significantly improve the performance of polymer and hybrid perovskite photovoltaic cells will be discussed. Specific emphasis will be placed on the development of low band-gap polymers with reduced reorganizational energy and proper energy levels, formation of optimized morphology of active layer, and minimized interfacial energy barriers using functional conductive surfactants. At the end, several new device architectures and optical engineering strategies to make tandem cells and semitransparent solar cells will be discussed to explore the full promise of polymer and perovskite hybrid solar cells.
Diagnostic Yield of Universal Urine Toxicology Screening in an Unselected Cohort of Stroke Patients

Background Illicit drug use increases the risk of cerebrovascular events by a variety of mechanisms. A recent report suggested that universal urine toxicology (UTox) screening of patients with stroke may be warranted. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield of urine drug screening among unselected patients admitted with acute stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Methods Using a single-center prospective study design, we evaluated consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke, TIA, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) over one year. Urine samples were collected within 48 hours of admission and analyzed for common classes of abused drugs. Prevalence of positive UTox screening was determined. We evaluated whether baseline demographics and clinical factors were associated with UTox results. Results Of 483 eligible patients (acute ischemic stroke 66.4%; TIA 18.8%; ICH 7.7%; SAH 7.0%), 414 (85.7%) completed UTox screening. The mean (standard deviation) age was 65.1 (15.6) years, 52.7% were male, and 64.3% were Caucasian. Twenty-two (4.6%) patients had positive screening—cannabinoids were detected in 13 cases (3.1%), cocaine in 5 cases (1.2%), amphetamines in 1 case, and phencyclidine in 1 case. The highest yield (14.1%) was observed in patients < 60 years old with history of tobacco use while it was < 5% in the remaining subgroups (p<0.01). Conclusions Consistent with current guidelines, a selective approach to UTox screening should be pursued in acute stroke evaluation. The highest diagnostic yield is likely to be for cannabinoids and cocaine testing in younger patients with a history of concurrent tobacco use.
The Illinois Constitution and the Banking Amendment

URING the regular session of the I937 Illinois General Assembly there were introduced a number of joint resolutions to provide for the amendment of several provisions in the Illinois Constitution.' They attracted no particular attention. This was probably due to the fact that a spirit of hopelessness has pervaded the General Assembly. The cold experience had been that no proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution has been adopted since I9o8. The one adopted that year was a bond issue. This is a matter that is easily understood and also it may well be that a good many voters can be interested in the spending of public money when they cannot be interested in constitutional propositions that establish governmental devices, grant power, regulate or forbid action. Recently the writer has heard an interesting story that may throw more light on the bond amendment that was adopted in 1908. As the story came to the writer, a large sum of money was raised in order to bring about the adoption of this bond issue. The particular method used was to tell precinct captains that there would be a prize awarded to those who were able to show that a majority of the voters in their precincts had voted in favor of the amendment. The temptation in this method is obvious and the story also has it that some, at least, of the precinct captains offered to divide with the precinct election boards. As a result, in the late hours for counting the ballots proper marks were placed in the proper places on the ballots of many voters who had failed to vote on the bond issue. No doubt, proof of such conduct could not be secured but there is nothing improbable in the story. A constitution that can hardly be
Policy Thinking, Fast and Slow: A Social Intuitionist Perspective on Public Policy Processes

This paper describes the central relevance to public policy processes of social intuitionism, a well-developed theoretical and empirical approach in psychology and cognitive science. This body of research suggests that in human decisionmaking and moral judgment, the use of reason and rationality are subordinated to rapid, gut-level, emotion-laden cognition, and that people rely heavily on heuristics and narratives that often carry certain inherent biases. Such tendencies, I suggest, extend from individual-level citizen and elite belief formation about policy issues, to influence agenda setting, alternative selection, and the use and abuse of expert policy analysis. The findings of social intuitionism, furthermore, are quite congruent with some important aspects of well-known theories of the U.S. policy process, including Kingdon’s multiple streams, the advocacy coalition framework, punctuated equilibrium, the social construction of target populations, Wilson’s typology on the distribution of costs and benefits, and Stone’s emphasis on causal stories. To illustrate social intuitionism’s potential uses, I provide a brief sketch of how its insights help illuminate the current policy debate over immigration policy reform.
Three Views of Behaviorism

Three views of behaviorism are examined in an effort to clarify its meaning. The views are composites of what readers might hear or read in the professional literature of psychology. View 1 is un-self-consciously critical of behaviorism and might represent the view taken by a contemporary cognitive psychologist. View 2 appears to support behaviorism but actually represents only a methodological behaviorism and an epistemological dualism. View 3 represents a radical, thoroughgoing behaviorism. The radical behaviorism of View 3 regards any differences between Views 1 and 2 as superficial—both are mediational and mentalistic and therefore objectionable. In contrast to Views 1 and 2, radical behaviorism emphasizes the functional analysis of verbal behavior, which leads to a thoroughgoing, behavioral conception of knowledge and explanatory practices in psychology.
Multilayer Polymer Microchip Capillary Array Electrophoresis Devices with Integrated On-Chip Labeling for High-Throughput Protein Analysis

It is desirable to have inexpensive, high-throughput systems that integrate multiple sample analysis processes and procedures, for applications in biology, chemical analysis, drug discovery, and disease screening. In this paper, we demonstrate multilayer polymer microfluidic devices with integrated on-chip labeling and parallel electrophoretic separation of up to eight samples. Microchannels were distributed in two different layers and connected through interlayer through-holes in the middle layer. A single set of electrophoresis reservoirs and one fluorescent label reservoir address parallel analysis units for up to eight samples. Individual proteins and a mixture of cancer biomarkers have been successfully labeled on-chip and separated in parallel with this system. A detection limit of 600 ng/mL was obtained for heat shock protein 90. Our integrated on-chip labeling microdevices show great potential for low-cost, simplified, rapid, and high-throughput analysis.
The Place of Peers in Peer-Mediated Interventions for Students With Intellectual Disability:

Although peer-mediated interventions are an evidence-based approach for improving social and learning outcomes for students with intellectual disability (ID), their impact on participating peers has received limited attention. Knowing whether and how peers are affected could influence the extent to which these interventions are more widely adopted in schools. The purpose of this review was to (a) summarize extant research on the behaviors of peers without disabilities and their perception of interacting with students with ID, (b) identify common behaviors measured for peers, and (c) evaluate the effects of peer-mediated interventions on peers. Toward that effort, we reviewed 53 studies. Results indicate that interventions have successfully increased peers’ interactions with their classmates with ID and suggest some positive outcome for peers; however, consistent methodological gaps limit further analysis. We offer recommendations for strengthening future research involving peers within interventions for s...
Search and Rescue Using a Surveillance and Communication Payload for Small UAS

The objective of this project was to design and build a search and rescue payload for the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III unmanned aerial system (UAS). The payload functions as a tool in search and rescue operations that aids in spotting lost or stranded persons and provides a means of communication between a search and rescue team and these people. The payload that was designed and built is named LASSIE, which stands for Low Altitude Strategic Surveillance and Information in Emergencies. The payload holds three main systems: a camera and video camera to take pictures for later processing and to stream live video to the ground, a MP3 player and speaker to relay messages to stranded persons, and a LED strobe light to make the aircraft more visible from the ground. Since the Desert Hawk III is a small airframe that lands in a controlled crash manner, the primary concerns of the design were weight and shock resistance. Much care was put into selecting lightweight components for the payload. Engineering analysis was also done on the main mounting plate to ensure structural integrity under shock loading. LASSIE was flight tested in the Desert Hawk III where it was proved that all systems are functional and adequate for their intended purpose.
Identifiability of Contaminant Source Characteristics in Steady-State and Time-Varying Network Flows

Municipal water distribution systems are vulnerable to potential contamination from intentional as well as natural sources. Emergency response actions (e.g., isolation of the contamination via flow controls) must be implemented within hours to limit population exposure and minimize damages. It is important to detect a contamination incident and to identify its characteristics as quickly and reliably as possible, using on-line sensors, sampling procedures and data processing algorithms. The characteristics of contamination include the contaminant type, the contaminant source locations and quantities, and the current and projected extent of contamination throughout the system. In this paper we discuss the identifiability of the inverse problem to determine the contaminant source characteristics, given time-series data from online contaminant specific sensors. This source characterization problem is cast in the form of traditional linear least squares estimation. It is shown to be rank deficient and the common methods of QR factorization are proposed to investigate and characterize solution non-uniqueness.
Necessary and Sufficient Condition for Stability of Switched Uncertain Linear Systems Under Dwell-Time Constraint

In this technical note, a necessary and sufficient stability criterion for switched linear systems under dwell-time constraint is proposed by employing a class of time-scheduled homogeneous polynomial Lyapunov functions with a sufficiently large degree. The key feature of this nonconservative condition lies in its convexity in the system matrices, which explicitly facilitates its further extension to uncertain systems. Then, in order to obtain numerically testable condition, a family of LMI conditions are presented with the aid of the idea of dividing the dwell-time interval into a finite number of segments. It is proved that the non-conservativeness can be maintained with a sufficiently large interval dividing parameter. In the end, the result is straightforwardly extended to the uncertain case in virtue of the convexity in the system matrices. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate our findings.
SUPERPLASTICITY OF AN ISOTHERMAL FORGED TiAl BASED ALLOY

Superplastic behavior and microstructural evolution of an isothermal forged Ti-47Al-1Cr- 1V-1.5Mo-1.5Nb (atomic fraction,%) alloy were studied. The results show that the strain rate sensitivity m is larger than 0.5 at 900℃ 5×10-4 s-1 and air and the maximum elongation is 200%. During the su- perplastic deformation, dynamic recrystallization occurred in grains, boundaries and lamellar structures. Dynamic recrystallization released the stress concentration due to grain boundary sliding and provided the microstructural condition for further deformation. {111} 110] dislocation slip, {111} 101] superlattice dislocation slip and {111} 112] twinning took place in 7 grains. Slip and twinning acted as both deformation and accommodation mechanisms.
Anna Morandi's wax self-portrait with brain.

Abstract In her self-portrait in wax, eighteenth-century Bolognese anatomist and anatomical modeler Anna Morandi Manzolini (1714–1774) represented herself in sumptuous aristocratic dress while dissecting a human brain. This essay explores the scientific and symbolic meaning of the vivid self-portrayal in terms of Anna Morandi’s lifework at the intersection of art and anatomical science and within the remarkable cultural context of Enlightenment Bologna that fostered her rise to international acclaim.
Transmission of colds

Rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and sore throat herald the beginning of the cold season for both children and adults. Although the common cold is a self-limited infection, there are no effective treatments presently available and complications, missed time from work and school, and overall discomfort are not insignificant. Understanding how infections are transmitted may lead to interventions to reduce rates of infection. In order to establish a route of transmission, certain conditions must be met. The virus must be produced and shed at the site of infection. The virus must be deposited in the environment and be able to survive there. The virus must then be able to reach the portal of entry. Finally, interruption of the proposed route of transmission must reduce the incidence of infection under natural conditions. Applying this framework, there is clear evidence in both experimental and home settings that colds can be transmitted via self-inoculation. A small amount of evidence is available relating to large and small particle aerosol transmission. Because rhinovirus is responsible for half of all colds, it has been used as the model to understand how virus is transmitted from one person to another in experimental settings. Rhinovirus has been shown to infect via self-inoculation following hand-to-hand contact with contaminated hands or hand-to-surface contact with contaminated objects in the environment. Similarly, there is convincing evidence that the self-inoculation method of cold virus transmission occurs in the home environment, where colds arre most often transmitted. Aerosol transmission has been studied in the experimental setting and may provide another, albeit less common method for transmission of rhinovirus infection. As more is understood about the transmission of cold viruses, effective methods to interrupt transmission may be devised.