cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moderately Hypofractionated Radiation for Benign Meningiomas and Schwannomas: A Report of 70 Patients Treated Between 2008 and 2018.

Abstract Purpose Radiosurgery and fractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) are effective treatment modalities for meningiomas and schwannomas. Although fractionated IMRT yields favorable tumor control, daily treatments for 5 to 6 weeks can be burdensome for patients and health care systems. Thus, hypofractionated radiation may be a reasonable alternative. The purpose of this study was to review the results of patients with benign meningiomas or schwannomas treated at our institution with moderately hypofractionated IMRT. Methods and Materials After institutional review board approval, patients treated at a single academic institution between 2008 and 2018 with a primary diagnosis of either meningioma or schwannoma and who received 30 Gy at 3 Gy per fraction were identified. Patient and tumor characteristics, as well as follow-up documentation, were reviewed. Tumor progression was determined by reviewing patient imaging and provider notations. Results From 2008 to 2018, 70 patients with either meningioma or schwannoma were treated to 30 Gy. The median patient age was 73 years (range, 43-92 years). At the median follow up of 3.2 years, the local control was 92.9%. Two patients (2.9%) had disease progression, which occurred at 9.6 and 6.6 years after treatment. One patient developed asymptomatic radiographic changes consistent with radiation necrosis, which resolved without intervention. All patients completed the prescribed course without interruption. The mean tumor volume was 18.9 cm3, median volume was 36.6 cm3 (range, 3.4-245.5 cm3), and tumor volume was not associated with recurrence risk. Both tumors with progression were schwannomas. Conclusions Hypofractionated radiation with 30 Gy at 3 Gy per fraction is an effective, convenient, and well-tolerated alternative for patients with benign meningiomas or schwannomas. Modest hypofractionation provided durable control for a wide range of tumor volumes and should be considered for patients with a limited life expectancy or those unable to receive a more extended fractionated radiation therapy course.
The Role of Angioembolization in Hepatic Trauma

The liver is one of the most commonly injured solid organs in blunt abdominal trauma. Non-operative management is considered to be the gold standard for the care of most blunt liver injuries. Angioembolization has emerged as an important adjunct that is vital to the success of the non-operative management strategy for blunt hepatic injuries. This procedure, however, is fraught with some possible serious complications. The success, as well as rate of complications of this procedure, is determined by degree and type of injury, hepatic anatomy and physiology, and embolization strategy among other factors. In this review, we discuss these important considerations to help shed further light on the contribution and impact of angioembolization with regards to complex hepatic injuries.
Modernizing the Walking Cane to Integrate Ergonomics and Wayfinding Technology to Improve Aesthetics and Functionality For <55-Year-Old Users

By 2025, the global market for walking aids is forecasted to be worth $3.3 billion. Although one may think these products are for aging users, there is an underserved demographic of younger users (<55 years) that rely on devices for assistance while healing from injuries due to sport, automobile accidents, and other health-related conditions. This research sought to design a functional walking cane that has a modern aesthetic and breaks the preexisting social connotations of the cane form. A multi-phased design approach was used, where form, functionality and aesthetics were explored for a pre-defined person.
Multi-Frequency NMM3D Simulations of Wave Propagation in Vegetation for Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture

To investigate the feasibility of using multi-frequency to further improve the soil moisture retrieval, the recently developed hybrid method is used to perform full-wave simulations of a wheat field at three different frequencies of L-, S-, and C-bands. In the hybrid method, the multiple scattering within a single wheat plant is first captured using the T-matrix based on the full-wave solutions of HFSS. In the second step, the scatterings among different plants are considered using the Foldy-Lax equations of multiple scattering theory (MST). The transmission of microwaves through wheat field at the L-, S- and C-bands are calculated using the hybrid method. Results show that: (1) the transmission obtained from the full-wave simulations is much larger than those computed from the radiative transfer equations (RTE) model, (2) the hybrid method transmission has a weaker frequency dependence than those of the RTE, and (3) the attenuation caused by the vegetation layer would saturate with an increase in frequency.
Web resource on available DNA variant tests for hereditary diseases and genetic predispositions in dogs and cats: An Update

Vast progress has been made in the clinical diagnosis and molecular basis of hereditary diseases and genetic predisposition in companion animals. The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the availability of DNA testing for hereditary diseases and genetic predispositions in dogs and cats utilizing the WSAVA-PennGen DNA Testing Database web resource (URL: http://research.vet.upenn.edu/WSAVA-LabSearch ). Information on hereditary diseases, DNA tests, genetic testing laboratories and afflicted breeds added to the web-based WSAVA-PennGen DNA Testing Database was gathered. Following verification through original research and clinical studies, searching various databases on hereditary diseases in dogs and cats, and contacting laboratories offering DNA tests, the data were compared to the resource reported on in 2013. The number of molecularly defined Mendelian inherited diseases and variants in companion animals listed in the WSAVA-PennGen DNA Testing Database in 2020 drastically increased by 112% and 141%, respectively. The number of DNA variant tests offered by each laboratory has also doubled for dogs and cats. While the overall number of laboratories has only slightly increased from 43 to 47, the number of larger corporate laboratories increased, while academic laboratories have declined. In addition, there are now several laboratories that are offering breed-specific or all-breed panel tests rather than single-DNA tests for dogs and cats. This unique regularly updated searchable web-based database allows veterinary clinicians, breeders and pet owners to readily find available DNA tests, laboratories performing these DNA tests worldwide, and canine and feline breeds afflicted and also serves as a valuable resource for comparative geneticists.
An Algorithm for Multicast with Multiple QoS Constraints and Dynamic Membership

In this paper we present an algorithm to construct low-cost source trees for multicast with multiple QoS constraints and dynamic membership. Assuming the availability of link-state information, a join path is computed for a new joining multicast receiver. An algebraic formulation is introduced to show how to determine if the QoS requirements for a new receiver can be satisfied at an intermediate node along the join path and how to adjust the tree without breaking QoS requirements for existing members if they are not. Our scheme builds multicast tree incrementally and thus supports fully dynamic membership. It also supports heterogeneous receivers seamlessly. Moreover, our algorithm can support any number of arbitrary QoS metrics without assuming any dependencies among them, if they satisfy some normal mathematical property. If implemented in a distributed fashion, our approach doesn't require any node to have explicit knowledge of the multicast tree topology, thus it scales well for multicast of large group. Simulation studies have been carried out to study the behavior of our algorithm and compare its performance with other schemes.
Dephosphorylation and biodistribution of 1‐13C‐phospholactate in vivo

Here, we present a new approach for the delivery of a metabolic contrast agent for in vivo molecular imaging. The use of a phosphate-protecting group that facilitates parahydrogen-induced polarization of 1-(13)C-phospholactate potentially enables the in vivo administration of a hydrogenated hyperpolarized adduct. When injected, nonhyperpolarized 1-(13)C-phospholactate is retained in the vasculature during its metabolic conversion to 1-(13)C-lactate by blood phosphatases as demonstrated here using a mucin 1 mouse model of breast cancer and ex vivo high-resolution (13)C NMR. This multisecond process is a suitable mechanism for the delivery of relatively short-lived (13)C and potentially (15)N hyperpolarized contrast agents using -OH phosphorylated small molecules, which is demonstrated here for the first time as an example of 1-(13)C-phospholactate. Through this approach, DL-1-(13)C-lactate is taken up by tissues and organs including the liver, kidneys, brain, heart, and tumors according to a timescale amenable to hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging.
Realization theorems for operator-valued R-functions

In this paper we consider realization problems for operator-valued R-functions acting on a Hilbert space E (dim E < ∞) as linear-fractional transformations of the transfer operator-valued functions (characteristic functions) of linear stationary conservative dynamic systems (Brodskii-Livsic rigged operator colligations). We give complete proofs of both the direct and inverse realization theorems announced in [6], [7].
Precipitation Strengthening in Al-Ni-Mn Alloys

Precipitation hardening of eutectic and hypoeutectic Al-Ni alloys by 2 to 4 wt pct. manganese is investigated with focus on the effect of the alloys’ chemical composition and solidification cooling rate on microstructure and tensile strength. Within the context of the investigation, mathematical equations based on the Orowan Looping strengthening mechanism were used to calculate the strengthening increment contributed by each of the phases present in the aged alloy. The calculations agree well with measured values and suggest that the larger part of the alloy’s yield strength is due to the Al3Ni eutectic phase, this is closely followed by contribution from the Al6Mn particles, which precipitate predominantly at grain boundaries.
Many Historiographical Mexicos

Recent trends in scholarship about Mexico during the colonial period are glimpsed in this article, with an emphasis on the place of material culture in current and future cross-disciplinary work in the field. Archaeologists and art historians are becoming major voices in this field, addressing key issues in the historical literature, yet there has been little conversation and debate across disciplines to date.
The Intersectionality of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Performance Poetry: Validating Secondary Latino Youth and Their Community

In this article the authors draw from culturally responsive teaching and multicultural education to describe performance poetry as an effective strategy for validating secondary aged Latino youths’ lived experiences. Supported by teacher modeling and the incorporation of community poets, students created and shared their own powerful poems that provided authentic opportunities to engage in critical analysis of the poems and issues of equality, social justice, and equity. Performance poetry is successfully used as a tool for validation, honoring and learning from our community, and transformation. Students in this border community were validated in terms of the identities as members of multiple worlds, learned about their own neighborhood from community poets, and were transformed in their identities as community activists through performance poetry. However, in this era of standardized teaching and high-stakes testing, teaching through performance poetry is often not supported in schools.
Astrobiology and the Search for Life in the Universe

Astrobiology is the search for the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This chapter examines the requirements for life as we know it. With these constraints as guidelines, the chapter then examines potential habitats for life in our solar system and, finally, elaborates on a strategy to search for life in the universe. Environmental requirements and limitations for active life on Earth have been discussed in the chapter. Most life forms on Earth (including most bacteria, all fungi, and all animals) are heterotrophs that live off energy captured by autotrophic organisms. Salinity affects biological activity, in part, because it controls water availability. The two solar system bodies beyond Earth that have elicited the most interest as potential habitats for life are Mars and Europa because both have clearly been subjected to aqueous processes. The chapter examines these two solar-system bodies in detail. In principle, there are three potential habitats for active life: the surface of planetary bodies, its subsurface, and its atmosphere. Advantages for subsurface life include stable temperatures and vapor pressures and protection from damaging radiation and meteoritic impacts. In the search for life in our solar system, important resources for life (liquid water, readily available energy, and organic compounds), constraints for life, biosignatures, and geosignatures are appropriate criteria. In the search for life beyond our solar system, attention should focus on (i) energy (especially solar) sources, (ii) liquid water, (iii) complex organic chemistry, (iv) the presence of an atmosphere, and (v) O2 (O3) disequilibrium.
Upgrading Lagoon Effluents with Rock Filters

Rock filtration is an effective, low-cost unit process for removing algae from effluents and correspondingly upgrading lagoon treatment. Sedimentation is the primary mechanism of algal removal within rock filter. A mathematical model of the sedimentation mechanism indicated that total suspendedsolids (TSS) removal efficiency is a function of the distribution of algal settling velocities, the hydraulic retention time, and the effective settling distance in the rock filter. Weekly average effluent biochemical oxygendemand (BOD\d5) and TSS from the Veneta, Ore, lagoon-rock filter treatment facility did not exceed 20 mg/L over a 1-yr study period. Settling rates of algae from the Veneta lagoon averaged about 0.05 m\dy. A linear relationship between TSS removal efficiency and hydraulic loading rate was demonstrated.
The Federal Judiciary and Corrections: Breaking the “Hands-Off” Doctrine:

The ‘hands off doctrine’ defined the relationship between the federal courts and departments of corrections. The doctrine remained securely in place until the 1960s and 1970s when the actions combi...
Photoelectrochemical Properties of Carbon Nanotube/SnO2 Nanostructures Prepared by Three Different Methods

In this work, we employed three different methods to fabricate solar cell structures on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates. For the first method, multi-layered structures were prepared by using single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and tin oxide (SnO2). First, a SWCNT layer was deposited on the ITO substrate; and photoactive material was then coated on the top of the SWCNT layer. For the second method, photoactive particles were added to a solution of SWCNTs. The SWCNT/SnO2 solution was mechanically stirred and then deposited on the ITO substrate. For the third method, we synthesized photoactive particles on SWCNTs through a chemical-solution routine using SnCl4 as a precursor. We characterized the morphology and structure of the SWCNTs coated with SnO2 nanoparticles prepared with the three different methods by using a field emission scanning electron microscope equipped with an X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer. We characterized the photoelectrochemical properties of all electrodes by using an electrochemical station; mainly, we examined the photocurrent generated under periodic illumination. Our results indicate that there are significant differences in the photocurrent in the presence of SWCNTs. We propose the following hypothetical mechanism: without carbon nanotubes, generated electrons (when light is absorbed by SnO2 particles) must cross the particle network to reach an electrode. Many electrons never escape this network to generate an electrical current. The carbon nanotubes “collect” the electrons and provide, therefore, a more direct route to the electrode, thus improving the efficiency of the solar cells.
Short-term calorie and protein restriction provide partial protection from chemotoxicity but do not delay glioma progression.

Short-term starvation (STS) protects normal cells while simultaneously sensitizing malignant cells to high-dose chemotherapeutic drugs in mice and possibly patients. The fasting-dependent protection of normal cells and sensitization of malignant cells depends, in part, on reduced levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and glucose. Calorie restricted diets with defined macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, fat) ratios were evaluated for the effects on stress sensitization markers and protection in mice treated with high-dose chemotherapy. We show that short-term CR significantly reduced both glucose and IGF-1 levels, but when specific macronutrient deficiencies were tested, only the complete lack of proteins reduced IGF-1 levels. Short-term 50% CR combined with either severe protein-deficiency or ketogenic diets improved chemotoxicity resistance similarly to the standard 50% CR, but did not result in the high protection caused by STS. Notably, a high protein diet reversed the beneficial effects of short-term CR. In a subcutaneous mouse model of glioma, feeding a low protein (4% calories from protein) diet for more than 20 days did not delay tumor progression once the tumor became palpable. Also, cycles of short-term (3 days) 50% CR did not augment the chemotherapy efficacy of cisplatin in a murine breast cancer model. These results indicate that the protection from chemotoxicity and retardation of the progression of certain tumors achieved with fasting is not obtained with short-term calorie and/or macronutrient restriction.
The effect of ionizing radiation on amino acid transport systems in thymocytes.

Abstract The radiation effect on K+ trasnport has been implicated as a cause for the high radiosusceptibility of thymocytes. We have investigated the effects of radiation (0.05–10 krad) on the Na+-dependent transport of 2-aminoisobutyric acid and the Na+-independent transport of 1-aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid and b-2-aminobicyclo[2.2.1]-heptane-2-carboxylic acid to determine if these transport systems are similarly impaired. Irradiation with 0.05–10 krad lowers 2-aminoisobutyric acid uptake both in vitro and in vivo (15–70%) while not affecting 1-aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid or b-2-aminobicyclo[2.2.1]-heptane-2-carboxylic acid uptake. The 2-aminoisobutyric acid radiation response is time- and dose-dependent and parallels the effects observed for the K+ system. Lineweaver-Burk plots of 1 υ vs 1 S for 2-aminoisobutyric influx at different radiation doses show alterations of V only (control 2.1±0.05 nmoles 2-aminoisobutyric acid per 107 thymocytes per 10 min; 10 krad 0.71±0.03 nmoles, 2-aminoisobutyric acid per 107 thymocytes per 10 min). The Km remains essentially unaltered (control Km = 0.48±0.03 mM; at 5 krad Km = 0.57±0.05 mM; and at 10 krad Km = 0.50±0.04 mM). We obtain fractional 2-aminoisobutyric acid efflux coefficients of 0.21±0.001 min−1 for unirradiated thymocytes vs. 0.027±0.003 min−1 and 0.025±0.001 min−1 after 5 and 10 krad, respectively. We found that insulin and concanavalin A which increase 2-aminoisobutyric acid influx by increasing V, protects the thymocyte 2-aminoisobutyric acid system against the effects of radiation. Trypsin which mimics the effect of insulin in fat cells and hepatocytes was also found to protect the transport system. The results suggest Na+−K+ transport and 2-aminoisobutyric acid transport may be coupled in rat thymocytes and that the coupling factor is radiosensitive. This component affects either the rate of substrate turnover, by possible rearrangements of plasma membrane components, or the number of carrier sites.
Incidence of Renal Artery Stenosis in Hypertensive Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography

To assess the frequency of renal artery stenosis in patients with hypertension and/or renal insufficiency undergoing coronary angiography, screening abdominal aortography was performed in 118 patients with a history of hypertension and/or renal insufficiency. Single plane cine abdominal angiography was performed immediately following routine coronary angiography utilizing 20–40 mL of 76% renografin. Abdominal angiography was adequate for interpretation in 116 and 118 (98%) patients. One hundred and two patients had hypertension, two had renal insufficiency, and 12 patients had hypertension and renal insufficiency. Renal artery stenosis (> 50%) was present in 27 of 116 patients (23%); 18 of 102 (18%) hypertensive patients, and 9 of 14 (67%) renal insufficiency patients. Significant renal artery stenosis was present in 22 of 76 (29%) patients with significant coronary artery disease while only 5 of 40 (10%) patients without coronary artery disease had significant renal artery stenosis. There were 10 small kidneys, five in association with renal artery stenosis; one in a patient with hypertension but without renal artery stenosis or renal insufficiency; four (two pairs) in patients with renal insufficiency but no renal artery stenosis. In conclusion: (1) significant renal artery stenosis was identified in 23% of patients with hypertension and/or renal insufficiency suggesting that more vigorous consideration of renal artery stenosis may be appropriate in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease, and (2) abdominal angiography in conjunction with coronary angiography appears to be a useful screening test for renal artery stenosis in patients with hypertension and/or renal insufficiency.
National society, communal culture: An argument about the recent historiography of eighteenth‐century Britain∗

Perhaps the most powerful model influencing our conception of eighteenth-century British society is the framework posited by E. P. Thompson in 'Patrician society, plebeian culture'.' Thompson envisages the eighteenth-century power structure as a bi-polar field of force, whose poles were the gentry (or 'the agrarian bourgeoisie') and the plebs; between which existed a relationship of cultural hegemony, maintained given the limitations of the coercive powers of the patricians through a continually negotiated reciprocity with plebeian culture. The purpose of this article is to propose a complementary organizing principle, by focusing on what many have rightly pointed to as a major missing link in his scheme the complexities within the elites. My contention is that there was a profound cultural-political divide in British society in the eighteenth century, and in particular within its elites, between an emerging wide-ranging 'national society' and an alternative polymorphous communal-provincial culture; and that analysis in these terms will prove to be a helpful explanatory device, at times possibly more so than other categories commonly used by historians of the period.2 It will also be suggested that many contributions to the field in the last decade have been heading in this direction, at times without admitting it. Furthermore, in what follows space will be made in which to fit the ubiquitous but evasive eighteenth-century 'middling sorts':faute de mieux, this term, which was widely used by
Verb aspect and problem solving.

Abstract Verb aspect conveys the temporal flow of an action, such as whether it is on-going or complete. If language guides how situation models are to be constructed, then verb aspect could influence cognition that would use situation models, as in solving insight problems. In this study, verb aspect within the insight problem was manipulated to determine if the imperfective aspect (was accepting) or perfective aspect (accepted) influenced people’s solution rates. Results revealed that solution rates for problems that depended on the way an action was being done within the problem were better when the imperfective aspect was used. For problems that did not focus on the action of the sentence, solution rates were better when the perfective aspect was used. The language used to convey problems can influence the ease which people are able to arrive at a solution.
A Proposed Laboratory Test of the Theory of Relativity.

WITH the present interest so strong in devising experiments to test the theory of relativity, it may not be amiss to suggest the possibility of yet another method. According to recent hypotheses, it seems that the stars are the factories producing complex elements from simpler structures. Inside the stars, hydrogen atoms may unite to form helium, and with hydrogen and helium as intermediates, the more complicated atoms may be built. As pointed out by Harkins, Eddington, Perrin, and others, the synthesis of an atom of helium from four hydrogen atoms necessitates the loss of 0.774 Per cent, of the mass of the hydrogen atoms. Since we cannot conceive of mass being annihilated, the only obvious solution is to say that mass is electromagnetic in origin and that, in the helium nucleus, the four protons are brought so near to the two electrons that their fields overlap and neutralise each other to some extent, accompanied by a loss of mass. According to the theory of relativity, 1 gram of matter is equivalent to 9 × 1020 ergs or 2.1 × 1013 calories. Both Harkins and Perrin have calculated the amount of heat that must be produced by the transformation of four gram atoms of hydrogen into one gram atom of helium. It has the enormous value of 0.0078 × 2.1 × 1013 or 1.6 × 1011 calories.
The Role of Personal Narrative in Bringing Children into the Moral Discourse of Their Culture

This study examined personal narratives written by 364 inner-city 4th–6th graders about an experience with interpersonal conflict. Stories were coded for three sets of variables based on Bruner’s 1990 work on narrative thought. The co-occurrences of these variables lent support to the notions that (a) establishing a moral voice involves noting what is culturally non-canonical and providing culturally recognizable explanations, (b) taking an epistemological stance that recognizes the importance of what the protagonists know and think and of what can count as a true or meaningful representation of events, and (c) making moral evaluations and positioning the self relative to what is construed as good or bad. Comparisons between children from a high-crime, high-poverty neighborhood to those from a less dangerous environment raised questions about how we bring children into the moral discourse of a culture, and how their appropriation of interpretive repertoires to explain their own experiences may contribute to cultural change.
Light and electron microscopic observations of scleroma.

Abstract Five active cases of scleroma occurring in Cali, Colombia, were studied by light and electron microscopy. The Mikulicz cell was described as a fixed histiocytic cell containing viable bacilli, occasionally in the process of division, suggesting a facultative intracellular parasite relationship. The appearance did not resemble the usual experimental picture of active phagocytosis with intracellular digestion of bacilli. The ultrastructure of the intracellular rhinoscleroma bacillus resembled that of other gram-negative bacilli. No virus particles were observed. The peculiarities of scleroma were emphasized, and a concept of the pathogenesis of the chronic nature of the disease was developed.
Enhanced Dye Fluorescence in Novel Dye–ZnO Nanocomposites

New fluorescein isothiocyanate/fluorescein/rhodamine B-doped ZnO composite nanostructures including tripods, tubes, and rods with tuned sizes have been designed and synthesized to greatly enhance the dye fluorescence up to ∼90 fold. The great fluorescence enhancement mainly arises from the interaction between Zn 2+ ions in the ZnO matrix and the dye carbonyl group. The refraction index difference between ZnO and the dyes used here and the segregation of the dye molecules by the ZnO matrix only slightly contribute to the fluorescence enhancement. The control pure ZnO sample has no emission in the dye fluorescence range (500-650 nm) and excludes the possible contribution of the ZnO emission and the relevant energy transfer between the dye and ZnO to the fluorescence enhancement. These composites with the new fluorescence enhancement mechanism not only facilitate dye applications such as medical diagnostics and biotechnology, but also supply a novel and general approach to improve the fluorescence of organic dyes with carbonyl group by doping them into metal oxides.
Instability in the Capital Markets of U.S. Agriculture

Instability in capital markets of U.S. agriculture can be reflected in interest rates paid and charged by agricultural lenders, in loan volumes, total and by lender, and in loan quality of lender portfolios. In this paper I focus principally on interest rates and market shares. Both reveal important aspects of economic performance by participants in agriculture capital markets, as well as sources and forms of instability. My concern is limited largely to debt capital markets because they supply the vast bulk of market-supplied capital in U.S. agriculture.
Invariants of an augmentation of Γ0(n)

Let G × be the 2-group of primary factors of a positive integer n and fix a direct product decomposition of this group. We define an augmentation of Γ0(n) based on G × , paralleling augmentations used by Fricke, Cohn and Knopp, and others. Using the decomposition of G × , we then define a family of functions based on η-functions and use these functions to construct invariants of the augmented group. Along with proving results analogous to those of Cohn and Knopp, we make a complete determination of the multiplier systems for these new functions.
SU-E-CAMPUS-T-03: Development and Implementation of An Anthropomorphic Pediatric Spine Phantom for the Assessment of Craniospinal Irradiation Procedures in Proton Therapy

Purpose: To design an anthropomorphic pediatric spine phantom for use in the evaluation of proton therapy facilities for clinical trial participation by the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core (IROC) Houston QA Center (formerly RPC). Methods: This phantom was designed to perform an end-to-end audit of the proton spine treatment process, including simulation, dose calculation by the treatment planning system (TPS), and proton treatment delivery. The design incorporated materials simulating the thoracic spinal column of a pediatric patient, along with two thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD)-100 capsules and radiochromic film embedded in the phantom for dose evaluation. Fourteen potential materials were tested to determine relative proton stopping power (RSP) and Hounsfield unit (HU) values. Each material was CT scanned at 120kVp, and the RSP was obtained from depth ionization scans using the Zebra multilayer ion chamber (MLIC) at two energies: 160 MeV and 250 MeV. To determine tissue equivalency, the measured RSP for each material was compared to the RSP calculated by the Eclipse TPS for a given HU. Results: The materials selected as bone, tissue, and cartilage substitutes were Techron HPV Bearing Grade (Boedeker Plastics, Inc.), solid water, and blue water, respectively. The RSP values did not differ by more than 1.8% between the two energies. The measured RSP for each selected material agreed with the RSP calculated by the Eclipse TPS within 1.2%. Conclusion: An anthropomorphic pediatric proton spine phantom was designed to evaluate proton therapy delivery. The inclusion of multiple tissue substitutes increases heterogeneity and the level of difficulty for institutions to successfully treat the phantom. The following attributes will be evaluated: absolute dose agreement, distal range, field width, junction match and right/left dose profile alignment. The phantom will be tested at several institutions using a 5% dose agreement criterion, and a 5%/3mm gamma analysis criterion for the film planes. Work supported by grants CA10953, CA059267, and CA81647 (NCI, DHHS).
Quantifying spatio-temporal dynamics of biomarker pre-concentration and depletion in microfluidic systems by intensity threshold analysis

Microfluidic systems are commonly applied towards pre-concentration of biomarkers for enhancing detection sensitivity. Quantitative information on the spatial and temporal dynamics of pre-concentration, such as its position, extent, and time evolution are essential towards sensor design for coupling pre-concentration to detection. Current quantification methodologies are based on the time evolution of fluorescence signals from biomarkers within a statically defined region of interest, which does not offer information on the spatial dynamics of pre-concentration and leads to significant errors when the pre-concentration zone is delocalized or exhibits wide variations in size, shape, and position over time under the force field. We present a dynamic methodology for quantifying the region of interest by using a statistical description of particle distribution across the device geometry to determine the intensity thresholds for particle pre-concentration. This method is applied to study the delocalized pre-concentration dynamics under an electrokinetic force balance driven by negative dielectrophoresis, for aligning the pre-concentration and detection regions of neuropeptide Y, and for quantifying the polarizability dispersion of silica nano-colloids with frequency of the force field. We envision the application of this automated methodology on data from 2D images and 3D Z-stacks for quantifying pre-concentration dynamics over delocalized regions as a function of the force field.
Comparative genomics of the FtsK–HerA superfamily of pumping ATPases: implications for the origins of chromosome segregation, cell division and viral capsid packaging

Recently, it has been shown that a predicted P-loop ATPase (the HerA or MlaA protein), which is highly conserved in archaea and also present in many bacteria but absent in eukaryotes, has a bidirectional helicase activity and forms hexameric rings similar to those described for the TrwB ATPase. In this study, the FtsK-HerA superfamily of P-loop ATPases, in which the HerA clade comprises one of the major branches, is analyzed in detail. We show that, in addition to the FtsK and HerA clades, this superfamily includes several families of characterized or predicted ATPases which are predominantly involved in extrusion of DNA and peptides through membrane pores. The DNA-packaging ATPases of various bacteriophages and eukaryotic double-stranded DNA viruses also belong to the FtsK-HerA superfamily. The FtsK protein is the essential bacterial ATPase that is responsible for the correct segregation of daughter chromosomes during cell division. The structural and evolutionary relationship between HerA and FtsK and the nearly perfect complementarity of their phyletic distributions suggest that HerA similarly mediates DNA pumping into the progeny cells during archaeal cell division. It appears likely that the HerA and FtsK families diverged concomitantly with the archaeal-bacterial division and that the last universal common ancestor of modern life forms had an ancestral DNA-pumping ATPase that gave rise to these families. Furthermore, the relationship of these cellular proteins with the packaging ATPases of diverse DNA viruses suggests that a common DNA pumping mechanism might be operational in both cellular and viral genome segregation. The herA gene forms a highly conserved operon with the gene for the NurA nuclease and, in many archaea, also with the orthologs of eukaryotic double-strand break repair proteins MRE11 and Rad50. HerA is predicted to function in a complex with these proteins in DNA pumping and repair of double-stranded breaks introduced during this process and, possibly, also during DNA replication. Extensive comparative analysis of the 'genomic context' combined with in-depth sequence analysis led to the prediction of numerous previously unnoticed nucleases of the NurA superfamily, including a specific version that is likely to be the endonuclease component of a novel restriction-modification system. This analysis also led to the identification of previously uncharacterized nucleases, such as a novel predicted nuclease of the Sir2-type Rossmann fold, and phosphatases of the HAD superfamily that are likely to function as partners of the FtsK-HerA superfamily ATPases.
Discrimination Behavior and Conditioned Suppression (CER) following Localized Lesions in the Amygdala and Putamen

In an effort to localize and interrelate amygdaloid functions in the rat required for (a) suppression of response during nonreinforced components of a discrimination and in extinction of response, and (b) those required for development of a conditioned emotional response (CER), lesions were prepared in different parts of the amygdaloid complex and overlying putamen. Large lesions of the amygdala blocked formation of the CER and interfered with response suppression under nonreinforced conditions but not to the extent of seriously disrupting discrimination performance. Putamen lesions, on the other hand, seriously disrupted discrimination performance but had no reliable effect upon CER. Results on subtotal amygdaloid lesions implicated the medial region in the area of basomedial and cortical and perhaps central nuclei in both the control of nonreinforced behavior and formation of the CER. The more lateral components of the amygdala appear less essential for these functions.
Gender and Ethnic Differences in Stress Reduction, Reactivity, and Recovery

To assess whether gender and ethnic subgroups differentially self-reported stress reduction, reactivity, and recovery, 313 undergraduate African American and Caucasian students at an urban northeastern American university were randomly assigned to one of three relaxation conditions which they utilized before and after being exposed to a visual stressor. Self-report measures of state anxiety were taken before and after each activity. Females reported the most stress reduction, reactivity, and recovery. Caucasian females reported unique reactions relative to other groups at all phases. African American males reported the least amount of cognitive reactivity. Results from this study suggest that ethnicity should be evaluated with gender differences, affective reactions need to be better understood, and interventions for stress may need to be specifically tailored.
Social schemata of process and reactive schizophrenics.

Three groups—47 process schizophrenics, 15 reactive schizophrenics, and 60 non-schizophrenics—were compared on two variants of the Kuethe social schemata technique. It was hypothesized that process schizophrenics would be more distant in their construction and reconstruction of human figures on a field than reactive schizophrenics.
Model for a system of divalent atoms

Abstract A one-dimensional system is considered with L sites and periodic boundary conditions. The atoms on the sites have two orbitals, electron hopping is allowed to nearest neighbors and intra-atomic electron correlation energies are included. The ground and first excited many-body states for the divalent atom system are calculated using a basis, appropriate for weak interatomic coupling, in which multiple nearest neighbor resonating valence bond states, appropriately symmetrized, are included. The system is found to be insulating in the large L limit.
Midinfrared Index Sensing of pL-Scale Analytes Based on Surface Phonon Polaritons in Silicon Carbide†

We present the first demonstration of pL-scale analyte index sensing based on surface phonon polaritons in the midinfrared, which are excited at the silicon carbide/analyte interface in the Otto configuration. Attenuated total reflectance measurements reveal analyte index specificity through a double-scan of wavelength and incidence angle for analyte volumes as small as 100 pL. Midinfrared sensing tuned to surface phonon polariton resonance paves the way for index sensing of analytes beyond current volume−resolution limits.
Morphology and position of growth cones in the developing Xenopus spinal cord.

Abstract Axonal growth cones in longitudinal fiber tracts of the developing spinal cord of Xenopus were examined using electron microscopy. Fiber tracts of the spinal cord develop by the ingrowth of fibers, into pre-existing longitudinally oriented spaces between adjacent neuroepithelial cells of the neural tube. Growth cones seen among the neurites of the tracts were identified by their generally larger size (1.2 × 4.5 μm), bulbous and irregular outlines, and cytoplasmic components. Overall cytoplasmic density was usually less than that of surrounding neuroepithelial cells and axons. They contained few organelles, among them assorted clear and dense-cored vesicles, agranular reticulum, and occasional mitochondria and autographic vacuoles. Microtubules were rarely present. Growth cones appeared to conform in outline to the space which they occupied. Smaller extensions which resembled the filopodia described by others insinuated themselves among other elements of the fiber fascicles. The filopodia contained a fine granular or filamentous feltwork. Growth cones consistently appeared at the interface of other axons in the fascicle and the peripheral neuro-epithelial endfeet. In longitudinal sections of fascicles containing more than one growth cone, the growth cones were layered in a pattern suggesting that new cones are added by pushing between the next youngest fibers and the peripheral neuroepithelial processes of the cord. The possible significance of this finding in the achievement of order in the spinal tracts is discussed.
Mechanics of active magmatic intraplating in the Rio Grande Rift near Socorro, New Mexico

[1] We investigate long-term deformation due to the Socorro Magma Body (SMB), one of the largest active intrusions in the Earth's continental crust, using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) observations and finite element simulations. InSAR data spanning 15 years (1992–2007) indicate that the magma body is associated with a steady crustal uplift at a rate of about 2 mm yr−1. Previous work showed that while the pattern of surface uplift is consistent with an elastic inflation of a large sill-like magma body, the SMB could not have formed via steady elastic inflation because the latter would be outpaced by magma solidification. We resolve this problem using coupled thermo-visco-elastic models, and place constraints on the intrusion history as well as the rheology of the ambient crustal rocks. We demonstrate that observations rule out the linear Maxwell response of the ductile crust, but are consistent with laboratory-derived power law rheologies. Our preferred model suggests that the age of the SMB is of the order of 103 years, and that the apparent constancy of the present-day uplift may be due to slow heat transfer and ductile deformation in a metamorphic aureole of a giant sill-like magma intrusion, rather than due to a steady increase in the magma overpressure. The SMB is a contemporaneous example of “magmatic intraplating,” a process by which large volumes of mafic melt stall and spread at midcrustal depths due to density or rheology contrasts.
Hippocampal sympathetic ingrowth and cholinergic denervation alter hippocampal muscarinic cholinergic receptors.

Cholinergic denervation of the hippocampus by medial septal (MS) lesions results in the ingrowth of peripheral sympathetic fibers, originating from the superior cervical ganglia, into the hippocampus. To determine the effect of hippocampal sympathetic ingrowth (HSI) [3H]-QNB (L-quinuclidinyl [benzilic-4, 4(n)] benzilate) binding was assessed in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus four weeks after MS lesions. In dorsal hippocampus, HSI was found to signignificantly increase the number (Bmax) of [3H]-QNB binding sites and to normalize the decrease in affinity found in animals with MS lesions plus ganglionectomy (i. e., no ingrowth). In ventral hippocampus, HSI was found to normalize the increased number of binding sites and decreased affinity found in animals with MS lesions without ingrowth. No effect on either Kd or Bmax was found in animals that had undergone ganglionectomy with sham MS lesions. These results suggest that HSI can induce changes in hippocampal muscarinic cholinergic receptors. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chronotropism and blood flow patterns following teratogenic doses of catecholamines in 5-day-old chick embryos.

In vivo heart rates of 5-day-old chick embryos were recorded from electrodes placed in close proximity to the heart. L-epinephrine (4 × 10−10 mole), 1-norepinephrine (1 × 10−9 mole) and 1-isoproterenol (1.6 × 10−10 mole) in 5 μl of isotonic saline transiently accelerated the mean heart rate by almost 9%. L-phenylephrine (2 × 10−9 mole/5μl) and the experimental procedure produced no appreciable effect. The positive chronotropic effect of the catecholamines was found to be highly significant (P < 0.0005) as computed by Student's t test. However, no direct relationship could be established between the chronotropic response and the aortic arch anomalies produced. A prolonged reduction of blood flow in the primitive heart tube and the sixth aortic arch after administration of epinephrine and isoproterenol is apparently related to the induction of hypoplastic right pulmonary artery with absent or hypoplastic right ductus arteriosus.
The use of CdTe or CdZnTe for pulse-counting and current-mode medical imaging applications

Abstract Recent progress in CdTe and CdZnTe detector research has made these detectors appear attractive for medical imaging. As part of a feasibility study, Monte Carlo simulations have been developed to investigate the detection efficiency and scatter rejection capabilities of these materials at diagnostic energies. We have also analyzed the count rate limitations and current mode capabilities of Cd(Zn)Te. This preliminary work indicates that the 3–4 keV FWHM energy resolution and the 10 5 cps/channel of which these detectors are capable should be adequate for most applications. In addition, although further experimental measurements are needed, we expect that the current mode operation of these detectors is acceptable for many systems. The major drawback of Cd(Zn)Te detectors is the low photopeak efficiency at 140 keV. In order to improve this efficiency, we have examined both a novel singular-value-decomposition (SVD) algorithm and a hardware-based technique to correct for spectral distortion arising from charge trapping.
Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Xbox Live Examining Minority Gamers’ Responses and Rate of Adoption to Changes in Xbox Live

This article examines the response of minority gamers as they adopt new innovations in Xbox Live. Using diffusion of innovation theory, specific attention is given to gamers’ rate of adoption of the new Xbox Live environment, which was a recent update to the Xbox Live interface. By employing virtual ethnography, observations, and interviews reveal that gaming duration and gender are significant factors in identifying a gamer’s successful rate of adoption of the new innovation. Female participants reveal that Xbox Live intentionally targets males as the default gamer and enact changes based on their needs. The research concludes with a plea to Xbox Live to acknowledge minority gamers such as women to incorporate their needs within the decision-making process of new innovations.