cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-E-T-423: TrueBeam Small Field Dosimetry Using Commercial Plastic Scintillation and Other Stereotactic Detectors

Purpose: To perform dose profile and output factor (OF) measurements with the Exradin W1 plastic scintillation detector (PSD) for small fields made by the high-definition multi-leaf collimator (MLC) on the TrueBeam STx system and to compare them to values measured with an IBA CC01 ionization chamber and a Sun Nuclear Edge detector diode for 6 MV photon beams. Methods: The Exradin W1 is a new small volume near-water equivalent and energy independent PSD manufactured by Standard Imaging, Inc. All measurements were performed in an IBA Blue Phantom water tank. Square MLC-shaped fields with sides ranging from 0.5 cm to 2 cm and jawshaped fields with sides ranging from 1 cm to 40 cm were measured using an SAD setup at 10 cm depth. Dose profile and percent depth dose (PDD) measurements were also taken under the same conditions for MLC fields 0.5×0.5 and 1×1 cm2 in size with jaws at 2×2cm2. The CC01 and W1 were vertically mounted. Results: OFs measured with the W1 for jaw only square fields were consistent with the ones measured with a Farmers PTW TN33013 ion chamber (1.8% maximum deviation). OF and penumbra measurement results are presented below. PDDs measured for all detectors are within 1.5% for the 0.5×0.5 cm2 and within 1% for the 1×1 cm2 MLC fields.Output factors:MLC size W1 CC01 EDGE0.5cm 0.555 0.541 0.5851.0cm 0.716 0.702 0.7331.5cm 0.779 0.761 0.7772.0cm 0.804 0.785 0.796Penumbras (mm):MLC size W1 CC01 EDGE0.5cm 2.7 2.9 2.51.0cm 3.0 3.4 2. Conclusion: OFs measured for small MLC fields were consistent with the ones measured with the other stereotactic detectors. Measured penumbras are consistent with detector size. The Exradin W1 PSD is an excellent choice for characterizing MLC-shaped small beam dosimetry used for stereotactic radiosurgery and body radiation therapy. Sam Beddar would like to disclose a NIH/NCI SBIR Phase II grant (2R44CA153824-02A1) with Standard Imaging, Title: “Water-Equivalent Plastic Scintillation Detectors for Small Field Radiotherapy”
Mitochondrial membrane protein Bcl-xL, a regulator of adult neuronal growth and synaptic plasticity: multiple functions beyond apoptosis.

The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) family of proteins participates in cell death or survival through a mitochondrial pathway. The pro-apoptotic members of the Bcl2 family such as Bim, Bid, Bax and Bak trigger cell death by contributing to the enhancement of mitochondrial outer membrane permeability to pro-apoptotic factors such as cytochrome c, with the subsequent activation of caspases. The anti-apoptotic members, such as B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), block the pro-apoptotic Bcl2 members and prevent cell death. Bcl-xL is abundantly expressed during development and in mature neurons, suggesting that it plays a role in protection from death from untoward events occurring in adult life such as ischemia, inflammation or trauma. When these neurotoxic insults occur, Bcl-xL translocates to mitochondria and prevents activation and homo-oligomerization of pro-apoptotic family members such Bax and Bak. Numerous studies have shown pro-survival roles for Bcl-xL in adult neurons using various models; nevertheless, the role of Bcl-xL outside of the field of neuronal death, i.e., in adult neuronal growth, excitability or synaptic plasticity, has not been studied in depth.
Free field realizations of WZNW models. The BRST complex and its quantum group structure

Abstract We derive the BRST complex for the Wakimoto type free field realization of sl (3) , using as a guide the analogous complex which arises in the study of the finite dimensional algebra. We show that a quantum group structure underlies the algebra of screening operators. Some remarks on the vertex operators are made.
Troglitazone induction of COX-2 expression is dependent on ERK activation in keratinocytes.

Abstract Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays an important role in tumorigenesis of several tissues, including skin. We report here that troglitazone, a thiazolidinedione class of antidiabetic drug, induced COX-2 expression at both the protein and mRNA levels and increased production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in cultured keratinocytes. Troglitazone-induced COX-2 expression in keratinocytes was likely peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR γ )-independent. Troglitazone treatment of these cells also resulted in a sustained increase in phosphorylation of ERK. We show that induction of COX-2 by troglitazone was almost completely inhibited by specific inhibitors of ERK activation. These data suggest that troglitazone is capable of inducing COX-2 expression through an ERK-dependent mechanism in mouse skin keratinocytes.
THE ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF CONGENITAL MITRAL STENOSIS

To determine the echocardiographic features of congenital mitral valve stenosis (MS), echocardiograms were performed on 24 children with this defect. The pattern of mitral valve (MV) motion, the excursion of the anterior leaflet and the rate of early diastolic closure (E-F slope) were determined and compared to similar data from 145 normal children. Diastolic vibration of both MV leaflets was present in 15 of 24 patients with MS. In 9, the posterior leaflet moved anteriorly in early diastole, parallel to the anterior leaflet. Four patients had diastolic anterior motion of the posterior leaflet in the absence of vibration. In normal patients with a heart rate less than 120 beats/min there was MV reopening (“A” wave) following atrial contraction. The “A” wave was absent in 14 of 18 patients with MS in whom the heart rate less than 120 beats/min. Patients with severe MS tended to have a greater decrease in E-F slope and more frequently exhibited anterior diastolic movement of the posterior MV leaflet and absence of the “A” wave than patients with mild or moderate MS. The reduced E-F slope and abnormal motion of the posterior MV leaflet are similar to the echocardiographic appearance of acquired MS. However, diastolic vibration of the MV leaflets appears to be unique to the congenital forms of MS.
Comparative studies of the solar wind interation with weakly magnetized planets

Abstract The data from the PHOBOS-2 mission has triggered renewed interest in the comparative analysis of plasma and field observations at Mars and similar observations from its practically nonmagnetic sister, the planet Venus. Many of these comparative analysis continue to address the still unresolved question of the strength of the weak intrinsic field of Mars, since differences between the Mars and Venus solar wind interactions are considered to possibly signify the relative importance of the Martian field. In this paper, observations of selected features, including the bow shocks, magnetosheaths, magnetotails, ion environments, and ionospheres, are compared for cases where similar data are available. It is concluded that the observations, as a whole, indicate that there is a great deal of similarity between the two obstacles to the solar wind.
Band-Gap Engineering of Elastic Waveguides Using Periodic Materials

Within periodically heterogeneous materials, wave scattering takes place across constituent material interfaces in such a way that an overall wave attenuation effect arises at certain frequency ranges known as band gaps. This phenomenon can be utilized in developing structures with tailored dynamic characteristics. In this work, periodic materials are used to synthesize elastic waveguides within bounded structures. The underlying local-global design process is described, and the effect of the number of periodic cells used to form the guide “wall” is studied. Using forced vibration analysis, it is shown that with only three or four periodic unit cells, the desired wave attenuation capacity required to form a guide is attained.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Penetration Mechanics of Endovascular Stent Graft Barbs in Aortic Tissue

Endovascular stent grafts with barbs — tiny needle-like pins that provide active fixation — are increasingly used for treating aortic aneurysms and dissections. Characterization of barb penetration mechanics may help improve stent-graft designs. Barb angle varies among manufacturers (10–50°). But little is known regarding aortic wall penetration characteristics in relationship to barb angle. There is a body of work on needle insertion properties such as insertion forces into soft tissues. However, there have not been specific studies involving the aorta and the relationship between entry angle and entry force. Kratzberg et al. [1,2] demonstrated that barb angle was closely related to penetration angle and that lower angles between the barb and the body of the aortic stent-graft resulted in better penetration probability and fixation strength in the aortic wall. In order to assess why lower barb angles (i.e., barb axis closer to the graft axis) resulted in better penetration, this study investigates the relationship between barb penetration angle and aortic tissue entry force and compared it to a homogeneous control membrane made of silicone.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
High pressure and high temperature fluid fugacities

Abstract High-temperature and high-pressure shock-wave data on fluids (pure species) have been combined with low-temperature and low-pressure data to generate a “corresponding state” equation in the virial format in reduced pressure and temperature for many species. The equation is then modified to obtain a similar equation of state for H2O. The fugacities of the pure species in the CHO system can be calculated to a temperature of 3000 K and to a pressure of 1 megabar. However, dissociation of the pure species may invalidate the data over certain pressure-temperature ranges.
Yield of Black Swans

h EXCEPT FOR GETTING your chip to market on time, optimizing yield is perhaps the most important thing we can do to improve IC profitability. We address this problem in several ways: design for manufacturability (DFM) through layout rules, process control, and increasingly clean cleanrooms. In an ideal world, this would solve our yield problems. We know it doesn’t, so we build a diagnostic capability into our chips in order to react and fix yield issues faster. We’ve learned that random defects from particles are no longer the major cause of yield loss, and that systematic factors are the dominant problems in today’s fabrications. I suggest that we should think of these in a way that is exactly opposite from how we usually think of themVrandom defects are actually very deterministic, while systematic problems are random. In ‘‘The Black Swan,’’ Nassim Taleb notes that while many books on probability use casinos as examples of uncertainty and randomness, they are actually terrible instances of these. Large numbers of people betting very small amounts will lose quantities that can easily be predicted. He notes that the real uncertainty facing the casino owner is very differentVwins by high rollers, cheaters, or the unexpected loss of a big and lucrative show. Random particle hits are similar to the small gamblerVwhile you can’t tell what an individual will do, you can set the rules (game or design) to influence the yield. The interesting systematic cases are the things you never expected and thus must react to. These cases are the ones which are truly random. They are the black swans, the things you can’t anticipate by studying and tracking test results and data from instrumenting the process. You might see the black swans sooner by using binoculars (in this case, looking for the warning signs of a process excursion), but you can’t predict them. Let’s look at another place where yield is importantVagriculture. For millennia, crop yields were poor and random, with good weather producing good crop yields, bad weather causing famine, and poor soil management techniques reducing production even in good times. The application of technology and bigger farms in England led to higher yields. If climate, insects, and disease would cooperate we’d have more or less constant and predictable yields. But they don’t, and we have crop yield excursions just like we have silicon yield excursions. Crop yield problems last years or decades, not days or weeks, and finding a new insecticide takes longer than finding a design rule violation, but the problems are fundamentally quite similar. This is why studying yield is so interesting. DFM rules are all very fine, but sometimes obeying the rules is not good enough to avoid problems. Sometimes designs can still achieve high yields while still violating the rules. We write tests for faults that may never occur, and usually design conservatively for improved reliability. We can work hard at predicting yield and designing for yield, but eventually the black swan shows up and we have to fix the unexpected problem (which, happily for our job satisfaction, is never boring). h
Cytokines in rheumatic diseases

IL-1 and related cytokines have multiple biologic activities relevant to the rheumatic diseases. In addition to mediating inflammatory and immune responses, these proteins regulate many aspects of connective tissue metabolism. The cytokines interact in complex cascades: because of this, and various technical reasons, the exact role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases remains uncertain. However, considerable experimental data suggest that the abnormal regulation of cytokines contributes to such siseases as inflammatory arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, and dermatomyositis. Animal models of these diseases have contributed to understanding the role of cytokines in pathogenesis. Furthermore, drugs useful in treating these diseases affect cytokine pathways; some cytokines, their antagonists, or related substances have been used therapeutically to treat rheumatic diseases. The therapeutic use of these agents will likely increase as knowledge about the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases expands.
Effects of Meta-Adjunct Questions on Macrolevel Processing

AbstractThe purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the effects of meta-adjunct questions (questions of a metacognitive nature inserted throughout the text) on students’ reading comprehension. More specifically, reading comprehension was limited to the level of macroprocessing, which entails summarizing and organizing main ideas of text. Based on previous research findings that support the efficacy of metacognitive processes during reading, it was hypothesized that students receiving meta-adjunct questions in open-ended and multiple-choice formats would display significantly higher text recall on a posttest than a control group without the benefit of meta-adjunct questions. Participating in the study were 175 college freshmen and sophomores, divided into high and low reading ability groups. No main effects were established for the use of meta-adjunct questions; however, a follow-up study using verbal protocols explained that students felt the meta-adjunct questions were useful in summarizing main ...
Resource Regulation by a Stem‐Galling Sawfly on the Arroyo Willow

We studied the impact of the stem—galling tenthredinid sawfly, Euura lasiolepis, on the growth and branch age structure of the arroyo willow, Salix lasiolepis. Normally, as willows age they become less susceptible to galling, but heavy Euura galling maintains willows at a young, relatively susceptible juvenile stage. The Euura form more galls and long shoots. Long shoots are found on clones with young branches. Heavy galling stunts or kills growth distal to the gall, stimulating sprouting by indefinitely dormant buds located near branch bases. The resulting young branches keep the clone susceptible to further galling. In contrast, increasing branch age of lightly galled clones confers resistance to galling. We term this model of gall—induced resource maintenance the resource regulation hypothesis. Resource regulation is the maintenance or increase of high—quality resources by an herbivore species that impacts immediately subsequent generations of the same herbivore species on the same plant. See full-text...
Calcium metabolism and hypertension

Returning to the patient presented today, perhaps we can now understand some of his findings. As I noted, men are more likely to demonstrate alterations in calcium metabolism associated with elevations in blood pressure. Furthermore, blacks are more likely than whites to develop hyperparathyroidism, particularly in the third and fourth decades of life. It is unlikely, however, that parathyroid hormone was responsible for the increase in this patient's arterial pressure because PTH has a vasodilating action. Moreover, the long-term response to parathyroidectomy is more likely to be an increase rather than a decrease in blood pressure. It is also unlikely that the mild elevations in the serum total calcium observed in this patient were responsible for his hypertension. Correction of hypercalcemia by surgical intervention failed to improve the blood pressure. There is little evidence that mild, protracted hypercalcemia can account for increases in arterial pressure. Finally, the patient's alcohol abuse might have contributed to his elevated blood pressure; it is possible that his hypertension was in part a reflection of the abnormal calcium metabolism he developed as a consequence of the alcohol abuse. Answers to some questions we faced when we first studied this patient more than a decade ago can be provided by the wealth of basic research and clinical investigation that has occurred since. We now know that calcium metabolism is a factor in blood pressure regulation in some humans and in some experimental models. Epidemiologic studies document a consistent association between lower dietary calcium intake and higher blood pressures in humans. An additional non-pharmacologic approach has been identified that can produce a modest but important lowering of blood pressure in a subset of hypertensive individuals. Much data show that calcium-regulating hormones have important cardiovascular actions that might account for some of the mechanisms by which increased dietary calcium lowers blood pressure. Research in this area also has set the stage for exploring another theoretical mechanism for sodium-chloride-sensitive hypertension. Finally, a theoretical mechanism(s) has emerged that could provide a pathophysiologic link between hypertension and certain high-risk populations such as blacks, the elderly, type-II diabetics, and pregnant women. The principal clinical implication derived from this work to date is the following: In patients with mild to moderate hypertension, the level of dietary calcium intake should be assessed. Patients whose intake is deficient should be encouraged simply to maintain calcium intake at 800 to 1000 mg/day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Fabrication of Nanoring Arrays by Sputter Redeposition Using Porous Alumina Templates

Ordered arrays of Au, Ni, and Si nanorings have been fabricated using Ar+ sputter redeposition of material in a porous alumina mask. Typical ring dimensions are 50 nm inner diameter and 10−15 nm wall thickness with heights ranging from 50 to 200 nm. Ring composition was confirmed by electron microscopy. Ring diameter, height, and spacing are controllable by varying the process conditions. This process is scalable and parallel, so that highly ordered nanorings over millimeter-sized regions are possible.
Evaluation of Dowel Bar Retrofit Alternatives Using Accelerated Pavement Testing

This paper presents the results of accelerated pavement testing using the heavy vehicle simulator (HVS) to evaluate the performance of dowel bar retrofit (DBR) joints and cracks as measured by deflections and load transfer efficiency (LTE). Four HVS sections were constructed and tested: one with four epoxy-coated steel dowels per wheelpath, one with three epoxy-coated steel dowels per wheelpath, one with four fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) dowels per wheelpath, and one with one joint with four epoxy-coated steel dowels per wheelpath and the other with four hollow stainless steel dowels per wheelpath. HVS and falling weight deflectometer (FWD) testing indicated that DBR significantly improved the LTE and reduced deflections compared with the undoweled pavement. Previous HVS trafficking damaged LTE on undoweled joints, but no significant loss of LTE was found after heavy HVS trafficking on DBR joints or originally doweled joints. Under FWD testing, the LTE from DBR joints (four steel dowels per wheelpath) was typically between 85 to 90% at lower temperatures before trafficking and greater than 95% for joints with originally installed dowels. The configuration using three dowels per wheelpath was found to have significantly lower LTE than that using four dowels per wheelpath. FRP and grout-filled hollow stainless steel dowels had similar performance to epoxy-coated steel dowels. The equivalent built-in temperature difference values of after-DBR sections are lower than those of before-DBR sections, likely as a result of the time of construction when the slabs were expected to be flattest. This finding indicates that tensile stresses in the concrete slabs could also be decreased by DBR.
The impact of federal, state and local taxes on student achievement in public schools: the case of Indiana

In this article, data from 286 Indiana school districts during the 2009–2010 school year were used in a case study to investigate whether fiscal funding has a direct effect on education output (i.e. student achievement). Two results were found: (1) while federal taxes are not significantly associated with student achievement in public schools, both state and local taxes are strongly related to student achievement in public schools, implying a direct effect on education output; and (2) state tax funding has a greater impact on education output than local tax funding.
Estimating Spatial Measures of Roadway Network Usage from Remotely Sensed Data

Roadway network usage is measured for purposes as diverse as design, planning, maintenance, operation, management, and research. Traditionally, these measurements are made with ground-based sensors. The sensors provide a temporally rich data set, but an individual sensor's lack of spatial coverage limits use and application. High-resolution imagery remotely sensed from satellite or airborne platforms is an attractive alternative that can potentially supplement and enhance the existing traffic monitoring programs with a spatially rich data set. Spatial measurements of network usage as extracted from remotely sensed data are demonstrated.
On the growth of ternary system HNO3/H2SO4/H2O aerosol particles in the stratosphere

We present a study of the growth of ternary solution (nitric acid, sulfuric acid and water) droplets in the stratosphere. The growth mechanism is hetero-molecular condensation in which the particle is assumed to be in equilibrium with environmental water vapor. Model results are in reasonable agreement with the averaged extinction ratio obtained by the SAM II satellite system.
EZBC video streaming with channel coding and error concealment

In this text we present a system for streaming video content encoded using the motion-compensated Embedded Zero Block Coder (EZBC). The system incorporates unequal loss protection in the form of multiple description FEC (MD-FEC) coding, which provides adequate protection for the embedded video bitstream when the loss process is not very bursty. The adverse effects of burst losses are reduced using a novel motion-compensated error concealmet method.
Donuts, scratches and blanks: robust model-based segmentation of microarray images

Motivation: Inner holes, artifacts and blank spots are common in microarray images, but current image analysis methods do not pay them enough attention. We propose a new robust model-based method for processing microarray images so as to estimate foreground and background intensities. The method starts with a very simple but effective automatic gridding method, and then proceeds in two steps. The first step applies model-based clustering to the distribution of pixel intensities, using the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) to choose the number of groups up to a maximum of three. The second step is spatial, finding the large spatially connected components in each cluster of pixels. The method thus combines the strengths of the histogram-based and spatial approaches. It deals effectively with inner holes in spots and with artifacts. It also provides a formal inferential basis for deciding when the spot is blank, namely when the BIC favors one group over two or three. Results: We apply our methods for gridding and segmentation to cDNA microarray images from an HIV infection experiment. In these experiments, our method had better stability across replicates than a fixed-circle segmentation method or the seeded region growing method in the SPOT software, without introducing noticeable bias when estimating the intensities of differentially expressed genes. Availability: spotSegmentation, an R language package implementing both the gridding and segmentation methods is available through the Bioconductor project (http://www.bioconductor.org). The segmentation method requires the contributed R package MCLUST for model-based clustering (http://cran.us.r-project.org). Contact: fraley@stat.washington.edu
BMRF-Net: A software tool for identification of protein interaction subnetworks by a bagging Markov random field-based method

Summary: Identification of protein interaction subnetworks is an important step to help us understand complex molecular mechanisms in cancer. In this paper, we develop a BMRF-Net package, implemented in Java and Cþþ, to identify protein interaction subnetworks based on a bagging Markov random field (BMRF) framework. By integrating gene expression data and protein‐protein interaction data, this software tool can be used to identify biologically meaningful subnetworks. A user friendly graphic user interface is developed as a Cytoscape plugin for the BMRF-Net software to deal with the input/output interface. The detailed structure of the identified networks can be visualized in Cytoscape conveniently. The BMRF-Net package has been applied to breast cancer data to identify significant subnetworks related to breast cancer recurrence. Availability and implementation: The BMRF-Net package is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/bmrfcjava/. The package is tested under Ubuntu 12.04 (64-bit), Java 7, glibc 2.15 and Cytoscape 3.1.0. Contact: xuan@vt.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
SYMMETRIC-HYPERBOLIC EQUATIONS OF MOTION FOR A HYPERELASTIC MATERIAL

We offer an alternate derivation for the symmetric-hyperbolic formulation of the equations of motion for a hyperelastic material with polyconvex stored energy. The derivation makes it clear that the expanded system is equivalent, for weak solutions, to the original system. We consider motions with variable as well as constant temperature. In addition, we present equivalent Eulerian equations of motion, which are also symmetric-hyperbolic.
Synergistic inhibition of human melanoma proliferation by combination treatment with B-Raf inhibitor BAY43-9006 and mTOR inhibitor Rapamycin

Targeted inhibition of protein kinases is now acknowledged as an effective approach for cancer therapy. However, targeted therapies probably have limited success because cancer cells have alternate pathways for survival and proliferation thereby avoiding inhibition. We tested the hypothesis that combination of targeted agents would be more effective than single agents in arresting melanoma cell proliferation. We evaluated whether BAY43-9006, an inhibitor of the B-Raf kinase, and rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mTOR kinase, would inhibit serum-stimulated proliferation of human melanoma cell lines, either alone or in combination. Proliferation was measured by quantitating melanoma cell numbers with a luciferase for ATP. Phosphorylation of proteins downstream of targeted kinase(s) was assayed by immunoblots. Statistical significance was determined with the Student-T test. Isobologram analysis was performed to distinguish additive versus synergistic effects of combinations of drugs. Serum-stimulated proliferation of multiple human melanoma cell lines was inhibited by BAY43-9006 and by rapamycin. Melanoma cells containing the B-Raf mutation V599E were more sensitive than cells with wild-type B-raf to 10 nM doses of both BAY43-9006 and rapamycin. Regardless of B-Raf mutational status, the combination of low dose rapamycin and BAY43-9006 synergistically inhibited melanoma cell proliferation. As expected, rapamycin inhibited the phosphorylation of mTOR substrates, p70S6K and 4EBP1, and BAY43-9006 inhibited phosphorylation of ERK, which is dependent on B-Raf activity. We also observed unexpected rapamycin inhibition of the phosphorylation of ERK, as well as BAY43-9006 inhibition of the phosphorylation of mTOR substrates, p70S6K and 4EBP1. There was synergistic inhibition of melanoma cell proliferation by the combination of rapamycin and BAY 43-9006, and unexpected inhibition of two signaling pathways by agents thought to target only one of those pathways. These results indicate that combinations of inhibitors of mTOR and of the B-raf signaling pathways may be more effective as a treatment for melanoma than use of either agent alone.
B cell superantigens: a microbe’s answer to innate-like B cells and natural antibodies

Marginal zone B cells and B-1 cells have been termed innate-like B cells as they express limited repertoires that play special roles in immune defenses against common infections. These B cells are the sources of natural antibodies and are capable of highly accelerated clonal responses that help counter blood-borne infections. We have characterized a class of microbial product with highly adapted binding interactions with host immunoglobulins/B cell receptors (BCRs), which enable the targeting of large supra-clonal sets of B cells for activation-associated apoptotic death. In recent studies, we have shown that all B cells with V region-targeted BCRs are susceptible. However, compared to follicular B cells, in vivo exposure preferentially causes innate-like B cells to undergo induced death with subsequent long-lasting supra-clonal depletion and immune tolerance. Based on these properties, it is likely that B cell superantigens influence the pathogenesis of some common infections, but also may provide novel therapeutic opportunities to treat B cell neoplastic and autoimmune diseases.
Viscous-Inviscid Interactive Procedure for Rotational Flow in Cascades of Airfoils

A VISCOUS-INVISCID interactive calculation procedure for application to flow in cascades of two-dimension al airfoils is described. This procedure has four components. The first is a grid generation method that relies in part on a succession of conformal mappings to produce a nonor- thogonal curvilinear grid mesh fitted to the geometry of the cascade. This method can accommodate an arbitrarily specified cascade geometry. Second, a numerical solution of the Euler equations is carried out on this grid. Third, a viscous solution for use in boundary-layer and wake regions has been programmed. Finally, an interactive scheme which takes the form of a source-sink distribution along the blade surface and wake centerline is employed. Contents method relying in part on a succession of conformal map- pings. An implicit time-marching solution of the Euler equations is then carried out on this grid in the manner described in Refs. 6 and 7 except for certain differences in the treatment of boundary conditions. We have accounted for the effect of viscosity on the flow by coupling the inviscid calculation with a separate viscous shear layer calculation in an interactive procedure. The various components of this viscous-inviscid interactive calculation are now discussed separately; additional details may be obtained by consulting Ref. 8. The inviscid computations of the present work are per- formed on a C-type body-fitted grid in which one family of lines form open loops (Cs) around the blade and wake. The grid is periodic and nearly orthogonal. This choice permits accurate resolution of the leading-edge region and provides an appropriate location for the interactive wake boundary conditions. Typical grids for a turbine cascade and a com- pressor cascade are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The grid generation employs two analytical mappings that take the multiply connected exterior of a cascade of airfoils to the interior of a simply connected domain. A numerically con- structed mapping is then used to take this region into a rec- tangular computational space. During this process, a small amount of coordinate straining is introduced in the vicinity of the blade trailing edge to insure grid continuity across the wake. Consequently, this grid continuity is obtained at the expense of a small amount of nonorthogonality. The inviscid component of this interactive procedure consists of a time-marching solution of the Euler equations using an approach described in detail in Ref. 6. The successful application of this method to cascade flows, however, seems to require a more careful treatment of certain computational boundaries than is generally the case with isolated airfoils.
Modified curvature motion for image smoothing and enhancement

We formulate a general modified mean curvature based equation for image smoothing and enhancement. The key idea is to consider the image as a graph in some R/sup 72/, and apply a mean curvature type motion to the graph. We consider some special cases relevant to grey-scale and color images.
Psychiatric Considerations of the Massive Weight Loss Patient

As bariatric surgery for extreme obesity continues to grow in popularity, so does interest in postbariatric surgery body-contouring surgery. There is an extensive literature on the psychological characteristics of persons with extreme obesity who undergo bariatric surgery and the psychological changes that typically occur postoperatively. Far less, however, is known about the psychological aspects of body contouring following massive weight loss. This article reviews the psychosocial characteristics of individuals with extreme obesity who undergo bariatric surgery, as well as the changes in these traits that typically occur postoperatively. Because there have been few studies of the psychological aspects of patients who have lost massive amounts of weight, we use related literatures on the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and other plastic surgical procedures to identify the most relevant research and clinical issues for this unique patient population. Appropriate psychiatric screening and management of these patients is believed to play an important role in successful postoperative outcomes.
Simulation of Sheared Suspensions With a Parallel Implementation of QDPD

A parallel quaternion-based dissipative particle dynamics (QDPD) program has been developed in Fortran to study the flow properties of complex fluids subject to shear. The parallelization allows for simulations of greater size and complexity and is accomplished with a parallel link-cell spatial (domain) decomposition using MPI. The technique has novel features arising from the DPD formalism, the use of rigid body inclusions spread across processors, and a sheared boundary condition. A detailed discussion of our implementation is presented, along with results on two distributed memory architectures. A parallel speedup of 24.19 was obtained for a benchmark calculation on 27 processors of a distributed memory cluster.
Possible effects of weakly coupled neutral currents in pp → ℓ + ℓ - + X

Abstract We discuss the possibility of observing weak neutral currents in the inclusive production of ordinary lepton pairs in high-energy proton-proton collisions. Our signatures of interest are the charge asymmetry 〈El+ − El−〉 and the polarization of the leptons. The weak interaction is considered to be mediated by a neutral vector boson and the calculations are done in the parton model. This model is also used to estimate the asymmetry background due to two-photon exchange. To obtain numerical results we use weak couplings suggested by the Weinberg theory.
Performing Vector Quantization Using Reduced Data Representation

We propose a method to improve the performance of vector quantization by using different resolutions of the dataset for each GLA iteration. We discuss the use of wavelet decomposition, principal components analysis and other data and dimensionality reduction techniques on the dataset at different stages of vector quantization. Experimental results on both real and simulated datasets show that the proposed technique outperforms ordinary vector quantization in terms of mean squared error or running time.
Invasion and production of New Zealand mud snails in the Colorado River, Glen Canyon

Species invasions are often associated with large-scale human alteration of ecosystems. One classic example is the increasing dominance of non-native taxa below and above dams on large rivers. These dams substantially alter the physical template of river ecosystems, and exotic taxa often proliferate with potentially large impacts on coexisting taxa and ecosystem processes. Here we document the invasion of New Zealand mud snails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) in the Colorado River directly below Lake Powell in Glen Canyon, Arizona, USA. We also quantified the magnitude and variability in growth and secondary production of P. antipodarum during 2006–2007 to gain a functional measure of their role in the ecosystem. Snails were first detected in Glen Canyon in 1995, and have since become a dominant component of the invertebrate fauna. Throughout the invasion of P. antipodarum, biomass of other dominant taxa was variable and did not appear to be positively or negatively influenced by the presence of P. antipodarum. Specific growth rates of P. antipodarum were moderate (0.001–0.030 day−1) and strongly related to body size. Mean annual habitat-weighted biomass and production were relatively high (biomass: 4.4 g/m2; secondary production: 13.3 g m−2 year−1) and similar among habitats. Mean monthly biomass and daily secondary production were much more variable, with highest values occurring in autumn. We show that invasion of a productive aquatic consumer to a highly disturbed river ecosystem had little detectable influence on the biomass of other invertebrate taxa. However, additional research will be necessary to fully understand and predict effects of P. antipodarum on coexisting taxa.
Analyses of high mass resonances at ATLAS and CMS

Several plausible extensions of the Standard Model predict the existence of high mass resonances that can be reconstructed (either fully or partially) in the ATLAS and CMS detectors using leptons, jets and missing transverse energy ( E T ). We present the results of recent detailed studies of these searches performed by both collaborations, focusing on the potential for discovery and limits setting with an integrated luminosity of the order of 200 pb−1 per experiment.
Coronal Faraday Rotation Observations: Measurements and Limits on Plasma Inhomogeneities

We report Faraday rotation measurements of the extended radio galaxy J0039)0319 (4C)03.01) seen through the solar corona when the source was at an average distance of 8.6 from the center of the R _ Sun. Nearly continuous polarimetric observations were made over an 11 hour period on 1997 March 28 with the NRAO Very Large Array at frequencies of 1465 and 1635 MHz. The observations were made near solar minimum conditions. Observations of radio galaxies have two advantages with respect to spacecraft transmitter signals. (1) The j2 dependence of the polarization position angle expected of Faraday rotation can be veri—ed. (2) Observations of spatially extended radio galaxies have the potential of directly measuring the propagation speed of coronal MHD irregularities. With the use of observations made when the source was far from the Sun, we measure an average rotation measure of )6.2 ^ 1.0 rad m~2 attributable to the corona. A rotation-measure time series was obtained for the most polarized component of the source. This rotation-measure time series showed slow variations during the observing session, with a total change of about 3 rad m~2. This variation is attributed to large-scale gradients and static plasma structures in the corona. We also obtain a weak detection of rotation-measure —uctuations on timescales of 15 minutes to 1 hour, which may be due to coronal waves. This —uctuating Alfvec n component of the coronal rotation measure has an rms value "0.40 rad m~2, comparable to previously reported detections. This measurement is then used to place model-dependent upper limits to the Alfvec n wave —ux at the coronal base. Depending on the precise geometry of the solar wind —ow from the coronal base to 8.6 the inferred wave —ux at the coronal base ranges from 2.4 ) 104 to 2.3 ) 105 R _ , ergs s~1 cm~2. These values range from slightly below to more than an order of magnitude below the wave —ux needed to heat and accelerate the solar wind to its observed values. Our results corroborate an increasing body of observational evidence indicating that long-wavelength MHD waves are not responsible for the heating and acceleration of the solar wind. Subject headings: galaxies: individual (J0039)0319) ¨ polarizationradio continuum: galaxies ¨ solar windSun: corona
Automatic generation of error recovery knowledge through learned reactivity

Develops a new method for automatic generation of error recovery procedures in the assembly workcell. Current reactive systems have integrated planning and learning capabilities to allow them to augment their store of reactive behaviors whenever they are forced to plan. The cycle of evaluation and reaction used by these systems implicitly detects and corrects any errors made in prior behavior execution. By capitalizing on this analogy to error recovery, the authors are able to gain the benefits of a reactive system for use in error recovery while minimizing the perception and evaluation burden that is inherent in those approaches. The authors present a system that uses the new learning reactive paradigm to quickly correct known errors and autonomously learn to recover new errors without human intervention. >
Using genomics to deliver natural products from symbiotic bacteria

The availability of some natural products with promising anticancer activity has been limited because they are synthesized by symbiotic bacteria associated with specific animals. Recent research has identified the clusters of bacterial genes responsible for their synthesis, so that the molecules can be synthesized in alternative, easily cultured bacteria.
Evolution of Patterning Systems and Circuit Elements for Locomotion

Evolutionary modifications in nervous systems enabled organisms to adapt to their specific environments and underlie the remarkable diversity of behaviors expressed by animals. Resolving the pathways that shaped and modified neural circuits during evolution remains a significant challenge. Comparative studies have revealed a surprising conservation in the intrinsic signaling systems involved in early patterning of bilaterian nervous systems but also raise the question of how neural circuit compositions and architectures evolved within specific animal lineages. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms that contributed to the emergence and diversity of animal nervous systems, focusing on the circuits governing vertebrate locomotion.
Qalandia Checkpoint as Space and Nonplace

This article analyzes checkpoints in the Palestinian Territories and how they function as both a unique anthropological space and a nondescript nonplace. First, the author describes the birth of modern-day checkpoints, their formations, variations, and functions. Then, based on ethnographic research at the Qalandia checkpoint, halfway between Ramallah and Jerusalem, the author shows how the checkpoint is an economic and social hub and argues that it is an "anthropological space." Qalandia and checkpoints generally can also be theorized as "nonplaces," akin to airports, that are interstitial zones that sever Palestinian space-time. Finally, the author suggests that checkpoints play a central and symbolic role in Palestinian society that bespeaks the core predicament of Palestinian existence within a paradoxical and disordered relationship to geography over which Israel continuously attempts to exert control.
The impact of pre-patterns on the design of digital home applications

Recent research suggests design pre-patterns, structured collections of evidence-based research and design knowledge, provide a useful resource for design activities in emerging application domains. This paper extends previous research by exploring the impact of pre-patterns and tools to support pre-pattern exploration for the domain of ubiquitous computing in the home. We conducted an empirical study of 44 designers engaged in a two hour concentrated brainstorming and design task for the home of the future. Our results show pre-patterns are an easily adopted resource for designers that can impact even the earliest of design activities. We also provide insights for future development of pre-patterns based on designer feedback.
Faithfulness in internet algorithms

Proving or disproving faithfulness (a property describing robustness to rational manipulation in action as well as information revelation) is an appealing goal when reasoning about distributed systems containing rational participants. Recent work formalizes the notion of faithfulness and its foundation properties, and presents a general proof technique in the course of proving the ex post Nash faithfulness of a theoretical routing problem [11].In this paper, we use a less formal approach and take some first steps in faithfulness analysis for existing algorithms running on the Internet. To this end, we consider the expected faithfulness of BitTorrent, a popular file download system, and show how manual backtracing (similar to the the ideas behind program slicing [22]) can be used to find rational manipulation problems. Although this primitive technique has serious drawbacks, it can be useful in disproving faithfulness.Building provably faithful Internet protocols and their corresponding specifications can be quite difficult depending on the system knowledge assumptions and problem complexity. We present some of the open problems that are associated with these challenges.
Vertebral Osteomyelitis and Aortic Lesions: Case Report and Review

Coexistence of vertebral osteomyelitis and lesions of the aorta is rare but may be lethal if not diagnosed promptly and treated effectively. We describe a patient who was treated at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital, and we review 69 additional cases reported in the literature. The native aorta was involved in 66 cases; four patients developed infection of prosthetic aortic grafts. The most common aortic lesions associated with vertebral osteomyelitis were mycotic aneurysms, infected aneurysms, and pseudoaneurysms. The wide variety of pathogens involved included salmonellae and other gram-negative bacilli, mycobacteria, gram-positive cocci, and fungi. In some cases infection was polymicrobial. The condition was associated with protean clinical manifestations. Diagnosis was frequently delayed, and mortality was 71%. In some instances surgical procedures at sites of unsuspected aneurysms precipitated life-threatening hemorrhage. Therapy with antimicrobial drugs alone was insufficient. The best results were achieved when specific drug therapy was combined with resection of the infected aorta or aortic graft, thorough debridement, and extraanatomic bypass grafting.