cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A randomized controlled study of whether the partner's presence in the operating room during neuraxial anesthesia for cesarean delivery reduces patient anxiety.

Abstract Background This study compared anxiety in two groups of women undergoing elective cesarean delivery to ascertain if their partner's presence during neuraxial anesthesia placement affected patients' overall anxiety levels. Methods Three hundred fifteen patient-partner dyads were randomized to two groups: group 1 partners were present in the operating room during neuraxial anesthesia placement while group 2 partners remained outside the operating room during placement. Before surgery, all patient-partner dyads completed a survey of demographics, anesthetic experiences and baseline anxiety. Anxiety levels were rated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the state portion of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results The mean change in anxiety as measured by VAS among patients whose partners were present in the operating room for neuraxial anesthetic placement decreased from before to after the procedure (-4.5±25.8; P =0.03; 95% CI -8.55, -0.45); the mean change in anxiety in patients whose partners were not present did not alter significantly (+1.9 ± 25.3; P =0.34; 95% CI 6.68, 12.12). Anxiety was increased among partners who were not present (+9.4, P Conclusion Although patients whose partners were present in the operating room at the time of neuraxial anesthesia placement reported less anxiety over the time of the study than did patients whose partners were not present , these differences were small and are not considered to be clinically important. Increased anxiety among partners who were not present at neuraxial placements warrants further study.
Correlation of clinical history with quantitative histology of lower extremity atheroma biopsies obtained with the Simpson atherectomy catheter

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare the histologic variability of atheromas resected from patients with various risk factors for vascular disease. Twenty-seven plaques obtained using the Simpson atherectomy catheter were studied. The results of this light and electron microscopic study indicate that patients with diabetes mellitus had increased numbers of smooth muscle cells in their plaques ( P P P P P
Global Brain Blood-Oxygen Level Responses to Autonomic Challenges in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is accompanied by brain injury, perhaps resulting from apnea-related hypoxia or periods of impaired cerebral perfusion. Perfusion changes can be determined indirectly by evaluation of cerebral blood volume and oxygenation alterations, which can be measured rapidly and non-invasively with the global blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal, a magnetic resonance imaging procedure. We assessed acute BOLD responses in OSA subjects to pressor challenges that elicit cerebral blood flow changes, using a two-group comparative design with healthy subjects as a reference. We separately assessed female and male patterns, since OSA characteristics and brain injury differ between sexes. We studied 94 subjects, 37 with newly-diagnosed, untreated OSA (6 female (age mean ± std: 52.1±8.1 yrs; apnea/hypopnea index [AHI]: 27.7±15.6 events/hr and 31 male 54.3±8.4 yrs; AHI: 37.4±19.6 events/hr), and 20 female (age 50.5±8.1 yrs) and 37 male (age 45.6±9.2 yrs) healthy control subjects. We measured brain BOLD responses every 2 s while subjects underwent cold pressor, hand grip, and Valsalva maneuver challenges. The global BOLD signal rapidly changed after the first 2 s of each challenge, and differed in magnitude between groups to two challenges (cold pressor, hand grip), but not to the Valsalva maneuver (repeated measures ANOVA, p<0.05). OSA females showed greater differences from males in response magnitude and pattern, relative to healthy counterparts. Cold pressor BOLD signal increases (mean ± adjusted standard error) at the 8 s peak were: OSA 0.14±0.08% vs. Control 0.31±0.06%, and hand grip at 6 s were: OSA 0.08±0.03% vs. Control at 0.30±0.02%. These findings, indicative of reduced cerebral blood flow changes to autonomic challenges in OSA, complement earlier reports of altered resting blood flow and reduced cerebral artery responsiveness. Females are more affected than males, an outcome which may contribute to the sex-specific brain injury in the syndrome.
Resident perceptions of the educational value of night float rotations.

Background: Night float rotations are being increasingly used in the era of resident physician work-hour regulations, but their impact on resident education is not clear. Purpose: Our objective was to clarify resident perceptions of the educational aspects of night float rotations. Methods: An anonymous survey of internal medicine residents at a university-based residency program was completed. Results: Responses were received from 116 of 163 surveyed residents (71%). Residents attended less residents’ report (0.10 ± .43 vs. 2.70 + 0.93 sessions/week, p< .001) and fewer grand rounds sessions (0.14 ± 0.25 vs. 0.43 ± 0.28 sessions/week, p< .001) and spent less time reading, (2.63 ± 2.0 vs. 3.33 ± 1.6 hr/week, p< .001) interacting with attending physicians (0.57 ± 1.1 vs. 2.97 ± 1.5 hr/week, p< .001) and sleeping at home (6.3 ± 1.2 vs. 7.10 ± 0.9 hr/day, p< .001) on night float rotations than on non–night float rotations. Residents had strongly negative opinions about the educational value of night float, sl...
Analysis of parallel replicated simulations under a completion time constraint

We analyze properties associated with a simple yet effective way to exploit parallel processors in discrete event simulations: averaging the results of multiple, independent replications that are run, in parallel, on multiple processors. We focus on estimating expectations from terminating simulations, or steady state parameters from regenerative simulations. We assume that there is a CPU time constraint, t, on each of P processors. Unless the replication lengths are bounded, one must be willing to simulate beyond any fixed, finite time t on at least some processors in order to always obtain a strongly consistent estimator (as the number of processors increases). We therefore consider simulation experiments in which t is viewed as either being a strict constraint, or a guideline, in which case simulation beyond time t is permitted. The statistical properties, including strong laws, central limit theorems, bias expansions, and completion time distributions of a variety of estimators obtainable from such an experiment are derived. We propose an unbiased estimator for a simple mean value. This estimator requires preselecting a fraction of the processors. Simulation beyond time t may be required on a preselected processor, but only if no replications have yet been completed on that processor. being a strict constraint, or a guideline, in which case simulation beyond time t is permitted. The statistical properties, including strong laws, central limit theorems, bias expansions, and completion time distributions of a variety of estimators obtainable from such an experiment are derived. We propose an unbiased estimator for a simple mean value. This estimator requires preselecting a fraction of the processors. Simulation beyond time t may be required on a preselected processor, but only if no replications have yet been completed on that processor.
X-Ray Lithography At The Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL)

A dedicated X-ray lithography system has been developed on Beam Line III-4 at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL). The research program at SSRL includes studies of the spectral sensitivity of X-ray resists, mask characterization, and the applications of novel X-ray optics. The facilities available for this work and recent results in these areas will be described.
Reversible and irreversible adsorption of T1 phage to water-insoluble polar lipids☆

Abstract The interactions of bacteriophage T1 with water-insolube polar lipids were studied, using the previously developed methods of water-lipid partitioning. The results of experiments on the adsorption kinetics, on the factors determining adsorption efficiency, and on the reversibility of the virus-lipid bond closely parallel the findings reported for lipophilic animal viruses. Phage adsorbed to cholesterol or stearic acid dissociates readily upon dilution during plating, as indicated by the quantitative recovery of infectivity, whereas adsorption of T1 to hexadecylamine causes irreversible inactivation. Adsorption to a cholesterol column followed by ether-water partitioning proved to be a convenient method for the rapid removal of the major portion of nonviral protein. Passage of 10 ml of high titer anti-T1 rabbit serum through a cholesterol column saturated with phage resulted in the adsorption of 88 % of specific antibody.
Genome Structures of reiteration mutants of simian virus 40.

Abstract We have performed structural studies of four reiteration mutant genomes of SV40 (simian virus 40) using electron microscopic heteroduplex analysis, DNA-DNA reassociation tests, and analysis of restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns. Two reiteration mutants which appeared early during serial undiluted passages of two independent SV40 stocks were found to contain similar regions of the SV40 genome in their respective monomer fragments and no monkey substitution sequences. This observation is consistent with the presence of preferred sites for intramolecular recombination in the wildtype SV40 genome. Another reiteration mutant was shown to have a 530 base pair segment of the SV40 genome encompassing the origin for DNA replication which was linked to a 350 base pair monkey DNA sequence. Reassociation kinetic studies revealed that this monkey sequence was reiterated 10 to 20 times per diploid genome. All of the reiteration mutants studied preserved and amplified the origin for SV40 DNA replication.
Spectral properties of a time-periodic Fokker-Planck equation

The Floquet spectrum of the time-periodic Fokker-Planck equation for a driven Brownian rotor is studied. We show that the Fokker-Planck equation can be transformed to a Schr\"odinger-like equation, with the same set of eigenvalues, whose dynamics is governed by a time-periodic Hamiltonian in which the diffusion coefficient plays a role analogous to Planck's constant. For a small diffusion coefficient, numerical calculations of the spectrum starting from the Schr\"odinger-like equation are more convergent than those starting from the Fokker-Planck equation. When the Hamiltonian exhibits a transition to chaos, those decay rates affected by the chaotic regime exhibit level repulsion. This level repulsion of decay rates, in turn, changes the behavior of a typical mean first passage time in the problem. The size of the diffusion coefficient determines the extent to which the stochastic dynamics is affected by the transition to chaos in the underlying Hamiltonian.
Improving duplicate elimination in storage systems

Minimizing the amount of data that must be stored and managed is a key goal for any storage architecture that purports to be scalable. One way to achieve this goal is to avoid maintaining duplicate copies of the same data. Eliminating redundant data at the source by not writing data which has already been stored not only reduces storage overheads, but can also improve bandwidth utilization. For these reasons, in the face of today's exponentially growing data volumes, redundant data elimination techniques have assumed critical significance in the design of modern storage systems.Intelligent object partitioning techniques identify data that is new when objects are updated, and transfer only these chunks to a storage server. In this article, we propose a new object partitioning technique, called fingerdiff, that improves upon existing schemes in several important respects. Most notably, fingerdiff dynamically chooses a partitioning strategy for a data object based on its similarities with previously stored objects in order to improve storage and bandwidth utilization. We present a detailed evaluation of fingerdiff, and other existing object partitioning schemes, using a set of real-world workloads. We show that for these workloads, the duplicate elimination strategies employed by fingerdiff improve storage utilization on average by 25p, and bandwidth utilization on average by 40p over comparable techniques.
Identity as Work: Changing Job Opportunities and Indigenous Identity in the Transition to a Tourist Economy

This article, based on ethnographic research carried out in the Chorotega indigenous reservation in northwestern Costa Rica between 1993 and 2007, traces the social and economic changes that have shifted the dominant trend from masking indigenous identity to embracing and promoting it. The growth of the tourism sector in areas near the reservation and the resulting participation by the Chorotega in heritage tourism have had repercussions on employment options for individuals on or from the reservation.
A neural network based approach for the detection of faults in the brushless excitation of a synchronous motor

This paper presents an neural network based approach to identify in real time faulty components found on industrial brushless exciters. A brushless exciter or “rotating rectifier” is a key component of a synchronous motor. Improper operation of this component can prove costly for the motor's owner. A method is based on Fourier analysis combined with the use of neural networks is presented to detect some common failures involving a three phase rotating rectifier. A laboratory setup was constructed to create fault condition data sets. These data sets were used to determine a preprocessing technique in conjunction with an appropriate neural net structure and training algorithm. Robustness of the system was tested using various levels of measurement noise to good result.
The effect of benziodarone on the thyroid hormone levels and the pituitary-thyroid axis

The effect of benziodarone on the levels of thyroid hormones in the serum has not attracted interest, in spite of the prolific literature on the related drug amiodarone. It is shown here that benziodarone administration has several effects, mainly similar to amiodarone, but some possibly opposite and inappropriate. Nine normal volunteers received benziodarone, 100 mg three times daily for 14 days. Before and 1, 3, 7 and 14 days after continuous administration the following estimates were obtained: serum T4, T3, rT3 and TSH, both basal (TSH0) and 30 min after iv administration of TRH (TSH30), the difference being calculated as ΔTSH. Serum T4 remained relatively constant. Serum T3 decreased significantly from the 1 st to the 14th day (eg. before 2.15 ± 0.12 nmol/l, at 3 days 1.45 ± 0.07). Serum rT3 increased significantly from the 1 st to the 14th day (eg. before 0.71 ± 0.16 nmol/l, at 7 days 2.61 ± 0.19). Serum TSH0 and TSH30 decreased significantly on the 1st and 3rd day. Later they increased, and TSH0 at 14 days was significantly higher than the pre-treatment value. Our results suggest that benziodarone has an amiodaronelike action in diverting the peripheral metabolism of T4 towards rT3 rather than T3. However, the effects on the pituitary-thyroid axis are not similar to those previously reported by others and ourselves about amiodarone, and these merit further research.
Gas-chromatographic determination of melatonin and 6-hydroxymelatonin☆

Abstract Gas-chromatographic methods for the determination of melatonin and 6-hydroxymelatonin have been developed and retention times established for one non-polar and three polar columns. Efforts to detect melatonin and 6-hydroxymelatonin (free or conjugated as the glucuronide or sulphate) in normal human urine and in the urine of two patients with parenchymatous pinealoma were unsuccessful. The conditions of the analysis were such that the normal excretion of free melatonin and free 6-hydroxymelatonin was estimated to be less than 10 μg per day.
Combining Field Data With Computer Simulations to Determine a Representative Reach for Brook Trout Assessment

Abstract Fisheries biologists often use backpack electrofishing to sample stream fish. A common goal of sampling is to estimate density and/or biomass to make inferences about the status and trends of fish populations. One challenge when estimating population size is determining an appropriate site or reach length to sample. In this study, we empirically determined the required length of stream that needs to be sampled, assuming the study design is one site per stream, in order to achieve a desired level of accuracy for brook trout density and biomass estimates in Pennsylvania headwater streams. Long sample reaches (600 m) were chosen on seven first to third order streams and these sites were broken into twelve 50-m subreaches. Each subreach was sampled by removal electrofishing techniques until either five electrofishing passes were completed or no brook trout were captured. The total density and biomass of brook trout over all 50-m subreaches was considered the “true” density and biomass for the entire ...
Concept Availability in the Causal Inferences of Children and Adults

What supplies the concepts in causal inferences in story comprehension? This question was examined in 5 experiments. Elementary school children and college students listened to stories containing a "premise" sentence describing a character's intent in initiating a series of actions, followed by an unexpected "outcome." After each story, the subjects were asked inference questions about the reason for the outcome (Experiments 1-4) or asked to explain the outcome (Experiment 5). In the various experiments, the availability of object concepts for an inference was manipulated by providing 0 or 2 clues preceding the outcome, additional filler information that diluted the clue information, a mention of an object in the premise or no mention, and an object title for each story or no title. The results suggested that the availability of an object concept in sentences prior to the outcome was a critical determinant of whether an object inference occurred, especially for children. Given availability, the thematic prominence of the object influences whether the object will be used in an inference.
Conversion errors in processing artificial set inclusions

Recent studies on processing linguistically-derived, artificial set inclusions have generally found poor performance on true-false verification tests. Results have indicated logical processing erro...
In vitro inhibition of adipocyte lipogenesis in adipocytes exposed to serum from obese hyperleptinemic rats.

Parabiosis studies between obese overfed rats and ad libitum-fed rats demonstrated the presence of a circulating factor produced by the obese rats that reduced body fat in the ad libitum partner by inhibiting lipogenic pathways. Subsequent in vitro studies showed that de novo lipogenesis was inhibited in adipocytes incubated for 12 h in the media containing 2% by volume serum from overfed obese rats. When leptin was discovered it was assumed that this was the “anti-lipogenic” factor (ALF) present in the serum from obese animals. Recently we have found that leptin does not inhibit lipogenesis in adipocytes in vitro. Since ALF is not present in serum from obese Zucker rats it appears that leptin is required for release of ALF. We have recently used malic enzyme activity as a measure of lipogenesis and find that serum from overfed obese rats inhibits enzyme activity in adipocytes but leptin alone (100 ng/ml) and serum from leptin-infused rats do not. Consistent with this observation, malic enzyme activity is not substantially reduced in adipose tissue from leptin-infused rats even though lipid synthesis is inhibited. We hypothesize that in conditions of obesity, leptin induces the release of a circulating factor that inhibits lipogenesis in mature adipocytes. The function of this factor is undefined, but it may influence the accumulation of lipid in different fat depots or it may prevent enlarged adipocytes from becoming unstable. Supported by Grant R01DK53903 awarded to RBSH.
S u models of the maximum of several dependent random variables: development and computer application

Abstract An approach for modeling the distribution of the random variable ( U ) that is the maximum of several dependent random variables is described in this paper. Applications of the model to various problems associated with the Industrial Engineering profession are described and one — the accumulation of components in small-lot assembly systems — is studied in detail. Numerical tests investigated the accuracy of the approach and identify several fundamental characteristics of the accumulation process. Apparent advantages of the model are that it requires computer run time that is fraction of that required by Monte Carlo sampling (simulation) procedure and that it is readily amenable to parallel processing.
NMR of fd coat protein

The conformations of the major coat protein of a filamentous bacteriophage can be described by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the protein and the virus. The NMR experiments involve detection of the 13C and 1H nuclei of the coat protein. Both the 13C and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra show that regions of the polypeptide chain have substantially more motion than a typical globular protein. The fd coat protein was purified by gel chromatography of the SDA solubilized virus. Natural abundance 13C NMR spectra at 38 MHz resolve all of the nonprotonated aromatic carbons from the three phenylalanines, two tyrosines, and one tryptophan of the coat protein. The alpha carbons of the coat protein show at least two different classes of relaxation behavior, indicative of substantial variation in the motion of the backbone carbons in contrast to the rigidity of the alpha carbons of globular proteins. The 1H spectrum at 360 MHz shows all of the aromatic carbons and many of the amide protons. Titration of a 1H spectra gives the pKas for the tyrosines.
Conduction characteristics of somatosensory evoked potentials to peroneal, tibial and sural nerve stimulation in man

Lumbar spine and scalp short latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) to stimulation of the posterior tibial, peroneal and sural nerves at the ankle (PTN-A, PN-A, SN-A) and common peroneal nerve at the knee (CPN-K) were obtained in 8 normal subjects. Peripheral nerve conduction velocities and lumbar spine to cerebral cortex propagation velocities were determined and compared. These values were similar with stimulation of the 3 nerves at the ankle but were significantly greater with CPN-K stimulation. CPN-K and PTN-A SSEPs were recorded from the L3, T12, T6 and C7 spines and the scalp in 6 normal subjects. Conduction velocities were determined over peripheral nerve-cauda equina (stimulus-L3), caudal spinal cord (T12-T6) and rostral spinal cord (T6-C7). Propagation velocities were determined from each spinal level to the cerebral cortex. With both CPN-K and PTN-A stimulation the speed of conduction over peripheral nerve and spinal cord was non-linear. It was greater over peripheral nerve-cauda equina and rostral spinal cord than over caudal cord segments. The CPN-K response was conducted significantly faster than the PTN-A response over peripheral nerve-cauda equina and rostral spinal cord but these values were similar over caudal cord. Spine to cerebral cortex propagation velocities were significantly greater from all spine levels with CPN-K stimulation. These data show that the conduction characteristics of SSEPs over peripheral nerve, spinal cord and from spine to cerebral cortex are dependent on the peripheral nerve stimulated.
EFFECTS OF ESTRONE, ASCORBIC ACID AND TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE ON NITROGEN STORAGE AND INSULIN REQUIREMENT IN DOGS

THE early experiments with estrogens in depancreatized animals dealt primarily with effects of these substances upon glycosuria and time of survival when treatment with insulin was omitted or discontinued (Barnes, et al., 1933; Nelson and Overholser, 1936; Collip, et al 1937). We became interested in studying effects of estrone in depan-creatized dogs kept as nearly normal as possible by means of diet and insulin treatment. Such animals show small spontaneous fluctuations i n their insulin requirement, and are in rather delicate equilibrium. This is particularly evident if one studies numerous criteria simultaneously, e.g., body weight, water intake, urine volume, the output of glucose, ketones and nitrogen, and the concentration of sugar and fat i n the blood. Whether estrone, given in addition to the maintenance dose of insulin, counteracts any of the effects of anterior pituitary preparations in these animals also seemed of interest.
Thoracic presentations of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders.

Background: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) are rare complications following transplantation. Although organ-specific cases have been reported, primary presentation in the thoracic cavity has not been fully characterized. Methods: Eleven cases of PTLD with a primary thoracic presentation were identified among 3,085 solid-organ transplant patients and 1,662 bone marrow transplant patients from 1990 to 2001. Results: There were eight men and three women with a mean age of 49 years. Transplanted organs included lungs (three patients), kidneys (three patients), kidney/pancreas (two patients), allogeneic bone marrow (two patients), and heart (one patient). The time to presentation ranged from 1 to 97 months (median time, 8 months). Six patients developed PTLD within 1 year of undergoing transplantation. Pretransplant serology for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus was negative in 80% and 78% of cases, respectively. Radiographic evaluation revealed mediastinal adenopathy in 45% of patients, and pulmonary parenchymal lesions in 55%. Fifty-five percent of patients also had extrathoracic involvement. Diagnosis was achieved by CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy in eight patients, and by open biopsy in three patients. Pathologic analysis revealed monomorphic PTLD ( ie , diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) in seven patients, polymorphic PTLD in two patients, anaplastic large cell lymphoma in one patient, and Hodgkin lymphoma in one patient. Eighty-four percent of the specimens evaluated for EBV were determined to be positive by in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemistry. All patients were initially treated with a reduction in immunosuppression therapy, and six patients (55%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. The overall mortality rate was 64%. Four patients died from complications of PTLD (kidney, two patients; heart, one patient; bone marrow, one patient), and three patients (all lung transplant recipients) died from rejection or infectious complications. The median interval from diagnosis to death was 13 months (range, 1 to 42 months). Conclusions: Thoracic PTLD can occur in any transplant patient and must be regarded as a potentially fatal complication in the immunosuppressed patient. Heart and lung allograft recipients have the worst prognosis because of the mortality that accompanies rejection with subtherapeutic immunosuppression therapy. Earlier diagnosis and improvements in immunosuppression and chemotherapy may improve survival for these inherently high-risk patients.
Transfer of amino acids from aminoacyl-tRNA into protein by isolated ribosomes of the house cricket

Abstract The optimal conditions for the transfer of amino acids from aminoacyl-tRNA into protein by Acheta domesticus ribosomes have been defined. In general, the properties and requirements are analogous to those of systems prepared from other eukaryotes. The activity of the ribosomes is enhanced when they are supplemented with polymerizing enzymes isolated from chick embryos or from rat liver. The system is completely inhibited by ribonuclease; puromycin and cycloheximide are also strongly inhibitory. Endogenous incorporation is not eliminated by pre-incubating the ribosomes under optimal conditions for protein synthesis. However, pre-incubation in the presence of puromycin yields ribosomes devoid of endogenous incorporating activity. Such ribosomes are capable of phenylalanine incorporation in the presence of polyuridylic acid, and may be dissociated into sub-units, without the use of high KCl concentrations, in the presence of 1 mM Mg 2+ .
Confocal acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography using a ring ultrasonic transducer

We designed and developed a confocal acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography system. A ring ultrasound transducer was used to achieve reflection mode excitation and generate an oscillating acoustic radiation force in order to generate displacements within the tissue, which were detected using the phase-resolved optical coherence elastography method. Both phantom and human tissue tests indicate that this system is able to sense the stiffness difference of samples and quantitatively map the elastic property of materials. Our confocal setup promises a great potential for point by point elastic imaging in vivo and differentiation of diseased tissues from normal tissue.
Just add aerosols

The more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the stronger the climate warming that results. Likewise, the more aerosol particles suspended in the atmosphere, the greater the ability of these particles either to scatter sunlight back to space and cool the planet or to absorb sunlight in the atmosphere, thereby warming the atmosphere while cooling Earth's surface. However, not all such climate forcing processes depend linearly on the concentrations of their forcing agent. The climatic effects of aerosols are complicated by their interactions with clouds ( 1 ). On page 1143 of this issue, Koren et al. ( 2 ) show that even small additions of aerosol particles to clouds in the cleanest regions of Earth's atmosphere will have a large effect on those clouds and their contribution to climate forcing.
Are exponential-type basis sets preferable to Gaussians?†

The relative merits of exponential-type and Gaussian basis sets are discussed. It is argued that contracted Gaussian basis sets are not just an expedient replacement for exponential-type basis sets but have desirable properties of their own that make them appropriate choices for molecular electronic structure calculation, apart from the ease of calculation of their multicenter integrals. A variety of studies are quoted showing that appropriately chosen contracted Gaussian basis sets can produce satisfactory results even for electronic properties that depend strongly on the values of the wave function in regions close to and far from the nuclei. Further, it is argued that the long-range behavior of the wave function in regions of consequence for the calculation of energies and electronic properties can actually be represented better by such basis sets than by exponential-type basis sets. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004
SU‐GG‐T‐162: Using Tumor Motion Trajectory as a Constraint for 4D‐IMRT Treatment Planning

Purpose: To develop a 4D‐IMRT treatment planning technique by adding a tumor motion trajectory (TMTJ) as a constraint in a commercially available Treatment Planning System (TPS). The goal is to create an IMRT plan with a set of MLC segments catering for the motion of the patient anatomy extracted from 4D‐CT images.Method and Materials: 4D‐CT images were obtained from three lungcancer patients. The 4D protocol divided the breathing cycle into ten phases followed by a Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP) volume reconstruction. ITVs were contoured based on the MIP volumes. GTVs were contoured on all ten CT phases to generate a TMTJ, defined as the position of the centroid of the GTV on all phases. A tube shaped contour (TBC) with about 1 cm diameter along the TMTJ and inside the GTV was generated. TBC was added to the objective function as a constraint with minimum dose‐volume histogram (DVH) set to prescribed dose. IMRT plans were generated by using Pinnacle DMPO with and without the TMTJ constraint. Results: The IMRT plans generated with TMTJ constraints optimized the MLC segment shapes and weights for each beam with the TBC being forced/encouraged to inside of the segmented fields. The percentage of total MUs delivered to the largest area segments in each beam increased from 16.4% of the total MUs to 21.5%. The MU weight increased up to 20% by using TMTJ constrain. The DVHs for PTV and ORs, dose distributions and total MUs for plans with/without TMTJ constraints were very similar. Conclusion: The 4D tumor motion trajectory information can be used as a constraint in the Pinnacle DMPO to obtain tempospatially optimized IMRT plans. The method shows the potential to significantly reducing the dosimetric inaccuracies introduced by the interplay between organ motion and multileaf collimator(MLC) motion for IMRT.
TEST OF THE EYE-MOVEMENT HYPOTHESIS OF NEUROLINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING: A REBUTTAL OF CONCLUSIONS

The findings of Thomason, Arbuckle, and Cady interpreted as disproving the eye-movement hypothesis are based on a misunderstanding of the neuro-linguistic programming model. Their finding of consistent patterns tends to support the hypothesis that eye movements reflect internal processes regardless of specific stimuli.
Lithium incorporation in tungsten oxides

Abstract The incorporation, both electrochemically and chemically, of lithium at ambient temperatures into WO 3 has been studied. The phases formed, together with their lattice parameters, are compared to the known high temperature Li x WO 3 phases as well as to amorphous WO 3 . The cubic phase was found to be extended to higher lithium contents, 0.67, at 25°C than at 650°C, 0.5; this is approaching the value 0.75 calculated from the crystal structure. In addition, a number of other tungsten oxides have been studied for their capability of incorporating lithium. A strong interrelationship of crystal structure and degree of lithium incorporation was also evident in these oxides.
Understanding the Negative Effects of Legal Education on Law Students: A Longitudinal Test of Self-Determination Theory

Longitudinal studies suggest that law school has a corrosive effect on the well-being, values, and motivation of students, ostensibly because of its problematic institutional culture. In a 3-year study of two different law schools, the authors applied self-determination theory's (SDT) dynamic process model of thriving to explain such findings. Students at both schools declined in psychological need satisfaction and well-being over the 3 years. However, student reports of greater perceived autonomy support by faculty predicted less radical declines in need satisfaction, which in turn predicted better well-being in the 3rd year and also a higher grade point average, better bar exam results, and more self-determined motivation for the first job after graduation. Institution-level analyses showed that although students at both schools suffered, one school was perceived as more controlling than the other, predicting greater difficulties for its students. Implications for SDT and for legal education are discussed.
Asymptotically Periodic Solutions of N-Competing Species Problem with Time Delays

Abstract A general nonautonomous Lotka-Volterra system of integro-differential equations with infinite delay is considered, and sufficient conditions for uniform stability and asymptotic stability of solutions are investigated. These limiting equations are used to obtain the existence of asymptotically periodic solutions of the corresponding system of equations where lower limit in the integration is zero.
Functional autoradiography of neuropeptide Y Y1 and Y2 receptor subtypes in rat brain using agonist stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding

Neuropeptide Y, one of the most abundant brain peptides, has been found to modulate several important biological functions via a family of G-protein coupled receptors. To investigate the localization of functional NPY receptor subtypes in the rat brain, we performed agonist-induced [35S]GTPγS autoradiography. The Y1/Y4/Y5 agonist Leu31, Pro34-NPY increased [35S]GTPγS binding in several brain areas with a regional distribution consistent with that produced when labeling adjacent sections with [125I]-Leu31, Pro34-PYY. The Y1 selective antagonist BIBP3226 antagonized the Leu31, Pro34-NPY stimulated increase in [35S]GTPγS binding in all areas examined. The Y2 agonist C2-NPY stimulated [35S]GTPγ binding in numerous brain areas with a regional distribution similar to the binding observed with [125I]-PYY 3-36. No increase in [35S]GTPγS binding above basal was observed in any brain area evaluated using Y4 and Y5 selective agonists. This study demonstrates abundant Y1 and Y2 receptor activation in the rat brain, while evidence for functional Y4 and Y5 receptors was not observed.
The ratio of molecular to atomic gas in infrared luminous galaxies

In infrared luminous galaxies the ratio of the CO(1 - 0) to H I integrated fluxes increases with the far-infrared excess, f(fir)/f(b). All infrared active galaxies with f(fir)/f(b) greater than 2 have molecular to atomic gas mass fractions greater than 0.5. Among the galaxies with the higher infrared excesses there are systems with strikingly small atomic mass fractions, where less than 15 percent of the total mass of interstellar gas is in atomic form. The optical morphology of luminous infrared galaxies indicates that the majority, if not all, of these objects are interacting systems. These observations suggest that the overall mass fraction of molecular to atomic gas, and the infrared luminosities per nucleon of interstellar gas are enhanced during galaxy-galaxy interactions.
1/|f| Noise in Physical Measurements

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into low frequency divergent noises with spectral density |f|?, where ? ? -1, and into their effect on physical measurements, with special reference to 1/|f| noise. This class of noise is widespread in nature, and it presents unique limitations to the measurement accuracy. In an attempt to present a picture of this class of noise with regard to the measurements of observable physical quantities, the questions about generation of noise, its divergence, correlation properties and measurements of variance are discussed. A statistical model for generation of low frequency divergent noises is used to consider the divergence problem in both the frequency and time domain. It is shown that 1/|f| noise is "weakly divergent," and that power limitation presents no reason to impose a low frequency limit within time intervals observable in nature. Correlation properties are discussed in terms of the time-dependent correlation function, using an ideal impulse response which generates low frequency noise from white noise. Two general models for generation of 1/|f| noise are summarized and discussed. Generation of 1/|f| noise from white noise over a limited frequency range by distributed and lumped-parameter filters is described. It is shown that the variance (i.e. mean square noise) is determined by the frequency limits of the observation method.
Teaching by Telephone

The educational telephone network has proved a low cost, effective, and wide-reaching way of meeting the demand for continuing education.
Intraneuronal β-Amyloid Expression Downregulates the Akt Survival Pathway and Blunts the Stress Response

Early events in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis implicate the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide inside neurons in vulnerable brain regions. However, little is known about the consequences of intraneuronal Aβ on signaling mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate, using an inducible viral vector system to drive intracellular expression of Aβ42 peptide in primary neuronal cultures, that this accumulation results in the inhibition of the Akt survival signaling pathway. Induction of intraneuronal Aβ42 expression leads to a sequential decrease in levels of phospho-Akt, increase in activation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β, and apoptosis. Downregulation of Akt also paralleled intracellular Aβ accumulation in vivo in the Tg2576 AD mouse model. Overexpression of constitutively active Akt reversed the toxic effects of Aβ through a mechanism involving the induction of heat shock proteins (Hsps). We used a small-interfering RNA approach to explore the possibility of a link between Akt activity and Hsp70 expression and concluded that neuroprotection by Akt could be mediated through downstream induction of Hsp70 expression. These results suggest that the early dysfunction associated with intraneuronal Aβ accumulation in AD involve the associated impairments of Akt signaling and suppression of the stress response.
Scan-display of high-resolution images using the Apple II

Two programs are presented for the scan-display of high-resolution images using the Apple II+ and Apple IIe. The first program permits the user to move a rectangular aperture about the video screen to reveal different portions of a stationary image. The second program scrolls an image vertically within a horizontal window, giving rise to the impression of an object moving behind a stationary slit. These programs should be useful in the study of anorthoscopic perception, motion perception, perceptual integration of successively displayed information and other topics in visual perception.
Role of hormonal therapy in the management of intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer treated with permanent radioactive seed implantation.

Abstract Purpose: To study the impact of hormonal therapy (HTx) on intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer treated with permanent radioactive seed implantation. Methods and Materials: Patients with Stage T1b–T3bN0 prostate cancer, and Gleason score ≥7 or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level >10 ng/mL were treated with seed implantation with or without HTx. Their disease was defined as intermediate risk (PSA 10–20, Gleason score 7, or Stage T2b) or high risk (two or more intermediate criteria, or PSA >20 ng/mL, Gleason score 8–10, or Stage T2c-T3). The median follow-up for 201 eligible patients was 42 months (range 18–110). Biochemical failure was defined as a rising PSA >1.0 ng/mL. Pretreatment disease characteristics, implant dose, and HTx were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: HTx significantly improved 5-year actuarial freedom from biochemical failure rate, 79% vs. 54% without HTx. In addition, high-dose, PSA ≤15 ng/mL, intermediate risk, and Stage T2a or lower significantly improved outcome in the univariate analyses. HTx was the most significant predictor of 5-year actuarial freedom from biochemical failure ( p Conclusion: In this retrospective review, HTx improved outcome in intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer patients treated with brachytherapy. HTx was the most important prognostic factor in the univariate and multivariate analyses.
Development of a mixture model for nonlinear wave propagation in fiber-reinforced composites

Abstract A method for constructing dispersive, nonlinear mixture models for unidirectionally fiber-reinforced composites is described. System nonlinearities in the treated example result from nonlinear material properties of the constituents. The proposed model is a nonlinear generalization of the linear model developed by Murakami and Hegemier [ Journal of Applied Mechanics . Vol. 53, pp. 765–773 (1986)] for elastic constituents. Model construction is based upon a homogenization technique which employs multivariable asymptotic expansions in conjunction with certain weighted residual procedures. The methodology furnishes the equations of motion, the appropriate initial and boundary conditions, and a set of consistent rate constitutive relations. Model validation for linear and nonlinear dynamic responses is accomplished by comparing predicted results for wave-guide and wave-reflect problems with available experimental data or data obtained by use of a detailed finite element (FE) analysis. The validation studies reveal that the derived continuum model provides good simulations of complex wave phenomena and furnishes an economical alternative to detailed, explicit FE, models. The studies performed reveal the importance of wave dispersion and attenuation phenomena in nonlinear as well as linear wave propagation in the composites.
Worker Participation and Teams: New Evidence from Analyzing Organizational Ethnographies

Most large organizations are today experimenting with heightened employee involvement, including self-monitoring teams, joint programs with unions and limited degrees of worker ownership such as th...
Nuclear bodies: multifaceted subdomains of the interchromatin space

Higher-eukaryotic nuclei contain numerous morphologically distinct substructures that are collectively called nuclear bodies. Although the precise functions of these subdomains remain unknown, elucidation of their molecular composition has been the subject of a great deal of research in recent years. Changes in the constitution of these nuclear inclusions are associated with disease phenotypes. The wide variety of components that concentrate within these subdomains makes them a likely interface for multiple cellular processes, including transcription, RNA processing, transport, RNP assembly, protein modification, apoptosis and cell-cycle control. This review discusses the different types of nuclear bodies, with emphasis on the two most prominent subtypes - the coiled and PML bodies.
Gene-centric association analysis for the correlation between the guanine-cytosine content levels and temperature range conditions of prokaryotic species

The environment has been playing an instrumental role in shaping and maintaining the morphological, physiological and biochemical diversities of prokaryotes. It has been debatable whether the whole-genome Guanine-Cytosine (GC) content levels of prokaryotic organisms are correlated with their optimal growth temperatures. Since the GC content is variable within a genome, we here focus on the correlation between the genic GC content levels and the temperature range conditions of prokaryotic organisms. The GC content levels in the coding regions of four genes were consistently identified as correlated with the temperature range condition when the association analysis was applied to (i) the 722 mesophilic and 93 thermophilic/hyperthermophilic organisms regardless of their phylogeny, oxygen requirement, salinity, or habitat conditions, and (ii) partial lists of organisms when organisms with certain phylogeny, oxygen requirement, salinity or habitat conditions were excluded. These four genes are K01251 (adenosylhomocysteinase), K03724 (DNA repair and recombination proteins), K07588 (LAO/AO transport system kinase), and K09122 (hypothetical protein). To further validate the identified correlation relationships, we examined to what extent the temperature range condition of an organism can be predicted based on the GC content levels in the coding regions of the selected genes. The 84.52% accuracy for the complete genomes, the 84.09% accuracy for the in-progress genomes, and 82.70% accuracy for the metagenomes, especially when being compared to the 50% accuracy rendered by random guessing, suggested that the temperature range condition of a prokaryotic organism can generally be predicted based on the GC content levels of the selected genomic regions. The results rendered by various statistical tests and prediction tests indicated that the GC content levels of the coding/non-coding regions of certain genes are highly likely to be correlated with the temperature range conditions of prokaryotic organisms. Therefore, it is promising to carry out “reverse ecology” and to complete the ecological characterizations of prokaryotic organisms, i.e., to infer their temperature range conditions based on the GC content levels of certain genomic regions.