cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of static and radiofrequency magnetic field inhomogeneity in ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract To characterize the severe static ( B 0 ) and radiofrequency ( B 1 ) magnetic field inhomogeneity in ultra-high field (≥7 T) magnetic resonance imaging, gradient echo (GE) and spin echo (SE) images of in vivo and postmortem human brains were acquired. The B 0 and B 1 inhomogeneity were experimentally mapped and/or numerically simulated, and correlated with the image artifacts. Whereas B 0 inhomogeneity affects predominantly GE images near air/tissue interfaces, B 1 inhomogeneity affects SE images more severely and shows nonintuitive patterns. Mapping of the B 0 and B 1 inhomogeneity is important in characterizing image artifacts. This will help develop better B 0 and B 1 inhomogeneity correction methods.
Cultural Sensitivity in Family Therapy Gone Awry

The concept of cultural sensitivity has been written about extensively in the literature. It has evolved into a caricatured concept that has led to stereotypic overgeneralizations of entire ethnic ...
Community-based Argentine tango dance program is associated with increased activity participation among individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Objective To determine the effects of a 12-month community-based tango dance program on activity participation among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Design Randomized controlled trial with assessment at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Setting Intervention was administered in the community; assessments were completed in a university laboratory. Participants Volunteers with PD (n=62) enrolled in the study and were randomized to a treatment group; 10 participants did not receive the allocated intervention, and therefore the final analyzed sample included 52 participants. Interventions Participants were randomly assigned to the tango group, which involved 12 months of twice-weekly Argentine tango dance classes, or to the no intervention control group (n=26 per group). Main Outcome Measure Current, new, and retained participation in instrumental, leisure, and social activities, as measured by the Activity Card Sort (with the dance activity removed). Results Total current participation in the tango group was higher at 3, 6, and 12 months compared with baseline ( P s≤.008), while the control group did not change ( P s≥.11). Total activity retention (since onset of PD) in the tango group increased from 77% to 90% ( P =.006) over the course of the study, whereas the control group remained around 80% ( P =.60). These patterns were similar in the separate activity domains. The tango group gained a significant number of new social activities ( P =.003), but the control group did not ( P =.71). Conclusions Individuals with PD who participated in a community-based Argentine tango class reported increased participation in complex daily activities, recovery of activities lost since the onset of PD, and engagement in new activities. Incorporating dance into the clinical management of PD may benefit participation and subsequently quality of life for this population.
Localization of phosphate in bone cells of fresh calvaria by means of a dilute silver acetate solution.

The silver-substitution procedure originally recommended by von Kossa was modified to localize soluble phosphate in bone cells. Calvaria from newborn to five-day-old Wistar rats were stained fresh in 0.03% Ag acetate prepared in 5% mannitol solution. The substituted silver was reduced to its metallic state with 1% pyrogallol. The tissues were then dehydrated, cleared, and mounted whole. The cytoplasm of osteoblasts, osteocytes and osteoclasts contained black granules which were thought to be sites of phosphates or carbonates. The intracellular black granules were shown not to be due to either chloride precipitation or to silver reduction by ascorbic acid. Both of these compounds were localized outside the cells. Tests to determine the state of the localized phosphate or carbonate in the cells showed that the anions were not in the ionic or diffusible state nor organically bound, but complexed to calcium. This was shown by elution of phosphates from the cells when calcium was chelated by Na2 EDTA in 5% mannitol solution at pH 7. The intracellular black granules were thought not to be sites of insoluble calcium phosphate or carbonate but sites of readily stainable, calcium phosphate which is rendered nondiffusible by being bound to protein or mucoprotein.
The Role of Educational Psychology in Teacher Education: Three Challenges for Educational Psychologists

We argue that this is a crucial time for educational psychology as a field to refocus its attention on the evidence base for its contribution to teacher education. In revisiting the recommendations of the APA Division 15 committee charged with examining the role of educational psychology in teacher education (Anderson et al., 1995), we note positive changes in educational psychology courses for preservice teachers. We then identify and discuss three immediate challenges for educational psychologists: (a) communicating the relevance of educational psychology research to the wider education community, (b) developing collaborative relationships with colleagues in teacher education programs that support a common discourse and shared vision of effective teacher preparation, and (c) documenting the ways that educational psychology courses make a difference to the practice of graduating teachers and to the educational experiences of their K–12 students. We conclude with suggestions for addressing these challenges.
Evaluating performance and power efficiency of scientific applications on multi-threaded systems

The power and energy walls are changing the way users utilize supercomputers: Time-to-completion is not the only important goal but other metrics, such as the energy required to solve a problem or the power efficiency, are becoming as important as performance. This shift towards power- and energy-aware computing is expected to continue in the exascale era, thus, understanding the performance, power and energy implications of different hardware configurations is of paramount importance. In this paper we analyze the performance, power efficiency and energy consumption of scientific applications programmed in MPI, OpenMP and MPI+OpenMP on two different architectures that have take different approaches to limit power consumption, IBM POWER7+ and AMD Interlagos. We compare the scalability, power efficiency and energy consumption of distributed and shared memory versions of each applications and analyze performance and bottlenecks of different combinations of MPI tasks/OpenMP threads. Our results show that, although shared memory programming models usually provide lower synchronization cost, achieving the highest performance/efficiency requires a combination for MPI tasks/OpenMP threads that is dependent on the underlying architecture and takes into consideration how hardware resources are distributed among the computing elements. More importantly, our results show that the "best configuration" strongly depends on the particular target metric.
Anabolic effects of insulin-like growth factor i in calorie restricted and ad libitum fed rats

Abstract The anabolic effects of recombinant human IGF-I were studied in calorie-restricted and ad libitum fed male, Sprague-Dawley rats (129±6 g). Animals ingested 76% of the energy consumed by a reference group for 8 days. They were then continued on calorie restriction for 2 weeks (Exp. 1) or fed ad libitum for 1 week (Exp. 2) during which time IGF-treated animals received 200 μg/day of IGF-I via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. Serum IGF-I levels doubled in treated rats. In Exp. 1, growth rate, nitrogen retention and feed efficiency were 30–43% greater in IGF-treated than control animals (p
Muscle fiber composition and respiratory capacity in triathletes.

In an effort to describe the skeletal muscle characteristics of trained triathletes, biopsies were obtained from the gastrocnemius, vastus lateralis, and posterior deltoid muscles of 11 triathletes and 4 normally active controls. Each specimen was analyzed for muscle fiber composition, respiratory capacity (QO2), and citrate synthase activity. The mean (+/- SE) percentage of type I fibers for the triathletes was 59 (4.0), 63 (3.3), and 60 (2.8) in the gastrocnemius, vastus lateralis, and deltoid, respectively (P greater than 0.05). The mean (+/- SE) QO2 values in the gastrocnemius (4.4 +/- 0.3 ml O2.min-1.g-1) and the vastus lateralis (4.1 +/- 0.2) were not significantly different while the QO2 values of the deltoid (3.6 +/- 0.2) were significantly lower than the gastrocnemius (P less than 0.05). The mean citrate synthase activity of the deltoid (27.7 +/- 1.7 mumol.min-1.g-1) was significantly lower than both the vastus lateralis (36.0 +/- 3.2) and the gastrocnemius (45.8 +/- 2.1) (P less than 0.05). There was a high correlation between the percentage of type I fibers and the citrate synthase activity within the vastus lateralis (r = .760) and deltoid (r = .610) (P less than 0.05) but not the gastrocnemius (r = .200). No significant relationships were observed between skeletal muscle characteristics and VO2 max nor between skeletal muscle characteristics and performance. The results of this study demonstrate that: (1) these triathletes have a high percentage of type I fibers in all three muscle groups; (2) skeletal muscle characteristics were not highly related to laboratory or competitive performance;(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A safety self-management intervention for mining operations.

Abstract Problem: This quasi-experimental field study examined the efficacy of a safety self-management process to increase safety-related work practices in mining operations. Methods: After a 7-week baseline, 15 miners participated in a safety self-management training and education presentation. The participants in a prebehavior condition (n=8) recorded their intentions to engage in specific percentages of safety-related work behaviors before starting their shift for the day. In contrast, participants in a postbehavior condition (n=7) recorded their percentages of safety-related work behaviors after their shift for the day. Results: During withdrawal (4 weeks), the miners did not complete any self-monitoring forms. Based on 10,905 behavioral observations, safety self-management was effective at increasing the frequency of safety-related behavior (p
Protein deubiquitination during oocyte maturation influences sperm function during fertilisation, antipolyspermy defense and embryo development

Ubiquitination is a covalent post-translational modification of proteins by the chaperone protein ubiquitin. Upon docking to the 26S proteasome, ubiquitin is released from the substrate protein by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). We hypothesised that specific inhibitors of two closely related oocyte DUBs, namely inhibitors of the ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolases (UCH) UCHL1 (L1 inhibitor) and UCHL3 (L3 inhibitor), would alter porcine oocyte maturation and influence sperm function and embryo development. Aberrant cortical granule (CG) migration and meiotic spindle defects were observed in oocytes matured with the L1 or L3 inhibitor. Embryo development was delayed or blocked in oocytes matured with the general DUB inhibitor PR-619. Aggresomes, the cellular stress-inducible aggregates of ubiquitinated proteins, formed in oocytes matured with L1 inhibitor or PR-619, a likely consequence of impaired protein turnover. Proteomic analysis identified the major vault protein (MVP) as the most prominent protein accumulated in oocytes matured with PR-619, suggesting that the inhibition of deubiquitination altered the turnover of MVP. The mitophagy/autophagy of sperm-contributed mitochondria inside the fertilised oocytes was hindered by DUB inhibitors. It is concluded that DUB inhibitors alter porcine oocyte maturation, fertilisation and preimplantation embryo development. By regulating the turnover of oocyte proteins and mono-ubiquitin regeneration, the DUBs may promote the acquisition of developmental competence during oocyte maturation.
Influences of perceptual continuity on everyday listening

In the natural environment, listeners face the challenge of parsing the sound mixture reaching their ears into individual sources, and maintaining attention on a source of interest through time long enough to extract meaning. A number of studies have shown that continuity of certain acoustic features (including pitch, location, timbre, etc.) allows the brain to group sound from one acoustic sound source together through time to form an auditory object or stream. This presentation reviews results demonstrating that auditory feature continuity has important consequences on how listeners maintain attention on a stream through time. For instance, continuity of a sound feature that a listener knows is irrelevant to the task at hand nonetheless impacts the ability to maintain auditory attention based on some other sound feature. Moreover, the influence of auditory feature continuity decreases as the time between events in a given sound stream increases. Taken together, these behavioral results support the idea that auditory attention operates on auditory objects, rather than on individual sound features, and that feature continuity has an obligatory influence on the formation of auditory streams, and therefore on how selective auditory attention allows us to communicate in everyday settings.
Female Preferences Are Not Altered by Early Acoustic Experience in the Neotropical Frog Physalaemus pustulosus

Abstract Female mate choice preferences may be the result of innate factors, experience, or an interaction between the two mechanisms. Understanding the relative contribution and possible interaction between these mechanisms is important for identifying sources of variation in behaviors under sexual selection. In this study, we evaluate the contribution of early experience on the development of mate choice preferences in the Neotropical Tungara Frog, Physalaemus pustulosus. We reared frogs from tadpole stage through sexual maturity in four acoustic treatments: the first group heard a conspecific chorus of Tungara Frogs, the second group heard a heterospecific chorus of the closely related sympatric congener P. enesefae, the third group heard no frog sounds, and the fourth group heard only broadband white noise. At sexual maturity, we tested each female's preferences for conspecific complex vs simple calls and discrimination against calls of the sympatric congener. Female choices in all of these tests were...
Metabolic interfaces between growth and reproduction. V. Pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion is dependent on glucose availability.

To test the hypothesis that mechanisms controlling the secretion of LH are modulated by glucose availability, the acute effects of glucoprivation were studied. The model was the gonadectomized male lamb raised on a limited diet of artificial milk. The approach was to monitor LH secretion before and after the administration of a competitive antagonist of glucose metabolism, 2-deoxyglucose (2DG). We first determined whether LH secretion was influenced by glucose availability by administering 2DG at several doses. Peripheral administration of the glucose antagonist (240 and 480 mg/kg 2DG, single iv injection) transiently decreased LH pulse frequency, but not LH pulse amplitude. By contrast, LH secretion (frequency or amplitude) was not affected by lower doses (60 or 120 mg/kg) of the glucose antagonist. A second study was conducted to determine whether either the pituitary gland or the GnRH neurosecretory system per se is directly affected by short term glucoprivation. The competency of the pituitary was ass...
Infrared divergences and a non-local gauge for superspace Yang-Mills theory

Abstract The usual superspace approach to supersymmetric gauge theories suffers from problems with infrared divergences which greatly complicate multiloop calculations. We eliminate these divergences by introducing a non-local gauge-fixing term. In the background field method this term leads to unusual quantum-background interactions. Functional methods are presented for dealing with these interactions. As an example we compute the two-loop Yang-Mills β-function using the background field method in superspace. We also show how a non-local gauge can be used in ordinary, non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory.
Colloidal Crystallization of Polystyrene Induced by a New Drop-Slide Method

Colloidal crystals of mono-dispersed polystyrene spheres in aqueous solvent were formed by a new drop-slide method. The optical properties of the colloidal crystal array (CCA) were characterized by reflection spectroscopy. The very strong intensity of reflectance was obtained by the new method. The maximum of the diffraction peak is highly symmetric and has a relatively narrow line width of about 52.0 nm when the CCA is in the wet state. An in-situ real time investigation on the formation of the CCA was performed. The reflection maximum was found to be 566.4nm, which blue shifted to 486.5 nm over the first drying phase and finally to a minimum of 432.3nm upon reaching the final stable state. The shifts of peak position were determined to be 4.1 nm / min at the first drying phase. The analysis of the diffraction maximum with calculation shows that the colloidal particles can crystallize into a face-centered-cubic (fcc) structure. The scanning electron micrograph image of the polystyrene spheres after is completely dried shows a face centered cubic formation.
Noisy hidden Markov models for speech recognition

We show that noise can speed training in hidden Markov models (HMMs). The new Noisy Expectation-Maximization (NEM) algorithm shows how to inject noise when learning the maximum-likelihood estimate of the HMM parameters because the underlying Baum-Welch training algorithm is a special case of the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm. The NEM theorem gives a sufficient condition for such an average noise boost. The condition is a simple quadratic constraint on the noise when the HMM uses a Gaussian mixture model at each state. Simulations show that a noisy HMM converges faster than a noiseless HMM on the TIMIT data set.
Predictors of use of health care services among elderly lung cancer patients: the first year after diagnosis.

In this study, we investigated predictors of utilization of physician, hospital, and emergency room services in a sample of 277 elderly patients during the first year following a diagnosis of lung cancer. Data were obtained by a combination of patient interview and patient self-administered questionnaire at four intervals: baseline (wave 1), 3 months (wave 2), 6 months (wave 3), and 12 months (wave 4). Of the 277 patients, 242 provided data at wave 1, 209 at wave 2, 157 at wave 3, and 115 at wave 4. Symptomatology was assessed with the Symptom Experience Scale (simple count of symptoms present, chosen from a list of 37 cancer-related symptoms), and physical functioning was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. Analysis of covariance models were implemented separately for the active treatment period (0–6 months) and the continuing care period (6–12 months) to determine how age, gender, comorbidity, length of survival, treatment status, stage of disease, cancer site, physical functioning, and symptom count were related to physician visits, nights in hospital, and emergency room visits. During the active treatment period, patients with worse physical functioning reported more hospital nights (p=0.002) and more emergency room visits (p=0.013), while men reported more frequent emergency room visits (p=0.032) and more nights in hospital (p=0.006) than women. Patients reporting more symptoms also reported more physician visits (p=0.020). During the continuing care period, physical functioning had a similar relation to hospital nights (p=0.005) and emergency room visits (p=0.003), and patients with late-stage disease reported more physician visits than patients with early-stage disease (p=0.003).
The Evolution of Norms

Biologists and social scientists need one another, and must collectively direct more of their attention to understanding how social norms develop and change.
On the optimum synthesis of a microconveyor platform for micropart translocation using differential evolution

AbstractMicromanipulation is an active research topic in the development of MEMS devices. At the microscale the microforces encountered are highly nonlinear and behave differently than their macroscale equivalent ones. Thus, if an inverse problem were to be posed in the MEMS world, the problem could be investigated and the parameters identified using non-traditional evolutionary based approaches. In this manuscript, the notion of a microconveyor platform along with the highly nonlinear microscale forces of the interaction between the microconveyor and a micropart is introduced. The proposed microconveyor platform for micromanipulation based on the active surface concept is investigated for the controlled translocation of a micropart to a predefined destination in minimum time and within a predefined distance tolerance. The current work poses the microconveyor concept as an inverse problem that aims to identify the optimum values of system control parameters for controlled micropart motion. Differential ev...
Stimulation of glucose oxidation and transport in isolated rat adipocytes by riboflavin and visible light

Abstract Riboflavin, which is known to cause photooxidative damage in biological systems, is now shown to stimulate glucose transport and oxidation in isolated rat adipocytes in the presence of visible light. At low riboflavin concentrations, well within normal blood levels, there is a small but reproducible stimulation of C1-labeled glucose oxidation to labeled CO2 (30% stimulation at 10−6 m ), which does not require light. However, at higher concentrations (10−5 m and above), light greatly potentiates this effect on C1-glucose oxidation as well as stimulates C6-glucose oxidation (two- to three-fold over controls). These apparent effects on the hexose monophosphate shunt and glycolytic-tricarboxylic acid pathways are blocked by 10 μ m cytochalasin B, a glucose transport inhibitor. Riboflavin in light is further shown to stimulate uptake of 3-O-methylglucose, a nonmetabolizable glucose analog. These light-dependent effects are not affected by catalase or superoxide dismutase, but they are inhibited by dimethylfuran, a singlet oxygen scavenger. This latter agent has no effect on glucose metabolism in untreated or insulin-treated cells. The results suggest a physiologically important potential effect of riboflavin and visible light.
Reply to Owen White

The response of Owen White generally supports the notion of computing objective study outcomes for the purpose of reviewing single-subject research. He suggests, however, that our model is not sensitive to trends and proposes a model for computing percentage of nonoverlapping data based upon consideration of baseline trends. We respond that although such a procedure has theoretical merit, it has little practical utility due to the limited number of observations typically found in single-subject baselines; furthermore, when reliable and substantial baseline trends are found, interpretability of study outcomes is seriously limited.
Photopic Spectral Sensitivity in the Rhesus Monkey

Photopic spectral-sensitivity data were obtained on two Rhesus monkeys and two human subjects. The data show peaks in the sensitivity functions near 600 nm, 530 nm, and 440 nm, and dips in sensitivity near 480 nm and 580 nm. The data indicate that the Rhesus monkey has photopic spectral sensitivity equivalent to that of man.
Acute stress increases neuropeptide Y mRNA within the arcuate nucleus and hilus of the dentate gyrus

The effects acute restraint stress on neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA expression were determined within the dentate gyrus and arcuate nucleus, where the effects of adrenal steroid action were previously reported. Adult male rats were exposed to 1 h of restraint stress and then sacrificed immediately, 6 h, or 24 h later. Controls were undisturbed. Stress increased NPY mRNA levels in both the arcuate nucleus and in the hilar region of the hippocampus with different time courses. NPY mRNA increased in the arcuate at 24 h, but not earlier, as determined by film autoradiography. Single cell grain analysis was performed in the dentate gyrus hilus because the NPY mRNA was heterogeneously distributed and revealed that the number of cells expressing NPY mRNA increased 6 h after stress, returning to control levels within 24 h. These results fit with previously reported effects of adrenal steroids modulating arcuate nucleus NPY expression through the adrenal steroid Type II receptors. In the hilus where adrenal steroid Type I receptors have been reported to suppress NPY mRNA levels, the effect of stress is in the opposite direction to that of adrenal steroid action and a more complex regulation of NPY expression is indicated.
Isotopic patterns in silicic ignimbrites and lava flows of the Mogan and lower Fataga Formations, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: temporal changes in mantle source composition

We report the Sr, Pb, and Nd isotopic composition of thirty-six intercalated extracaldera silicic ignimbrites and basaltic lavas of the Miocene Hogarzales, Mogan, and Fataga Formations, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. The aims are to constrain petrogenetic models for the silicic volcanics, and determine mantle source characteristics and temporal variations between 14.2 and ∼ 12.1 Ma. Feldspars from the extracaldera silicic ignimbrites are identical in isotopic composition to coeval extracaldera basaltic lavas, supporting a fractional crystallization model for the evolved lavas from parental Hogarzales basalts.87Sr/86Sr ratios range from 0.70306 to 0.70341, 206Pb/204Pb from 19.32 to 19.90, 207Pb/204Pb from 15.56 to 15.65, and 208Pb/204Pb from 38.82 to 39.65. 143Nd/144Nd ratios are nearly constant at 0.512913 ± 15. The source of Gran Canaria magmas is heterogeneous on small scales of both time and distance. Isotope-isotope and isotope-incompatible element plots suggest mixing between well-mixed, slightly enriched mantle (similar to PREMA as defined by Zindler and Hart (1986) [1]) and the HIMU mantle component. The proportion of HIMU component (low 87Sr/86Sr, high 206Pb/204Pb) increases upsection. Stratigraphic patterns in major, trace element, and isotopic compositions may be explained by the influx of a geochemically distinct “Fataga” magma into the Tejeda magma chamber, which mixed with and/or finally completely displaced existing “Lower Mogan” magmas [2,3]. Alternatively, mixing of these two end members could occur in the mantle, prior to injection into the chamber. There is no evidence of lithospheric/asthenospheric contamination in the late-stage shield magmas on Gran Canaria.
Cholate-derived amphiphilic molecular baskets as glucose transporters across lipid membranes

With introverted polar groups and hydrophobic exteriors, cholate-derived amphiphilic molecular baskets were efficient transporters of glucose across lipid membranes.
Doorway identification and classification using software-defined UWB OFDM radar

This paper discusses the implementation of a set of functions that will allow a software-defined ultra-wideband (UWB) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system to perform short-range indoor navigation. Specifically, we aim to illustrate the effectiveness of the software-defined radar system (SDRS) at identifying the presence of targets and doorways. Simulation results have been generated to demonstrate the levels of precision that are possible in identifying the location and width of doors from the enclosed indoor environment. These results are augmented with experimental results that form the back-end of an experimental implementation.
The radial distance of extraprostatic extension of prostate carcinoma: implications for prostate brachytherapy.

BACKGROUND Extraprostatic extension (EPE) is an unfavorable prognostic factor in patients with prostate carcinoma. Prior studies have reported the linear extent of EPE measured circumferentially along the edge of the prostate. In this study, the authors defined and evaluated a novel measure of EPE in a large series of radical prostatectomy specimens. These results have important clinical implications in the management of localized prostate carcinoma by brachytherapy and other modalities. METHODS The authors reviewed the preoperative records and biopsy findings from 376 patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy between September 1991 and June 1993. Whole mount radical prostatectomy specimens were examined, and the location of EPE for each specimen was recorded. The radial EPE distance was measured perpendicular to the edge of the prostate. For specimens with multiple EPE sites, the maximum radial EPE distance was recorded. Established eligibility criteria for prostate brachytherapy were evaluated using these results, with emphasis placed on achieving adequate radiation dose coverage 3–5 mm beyond the capsule or the edge of the prostate. RESULTS EPE was identified in 105 of 376 specimens (28%) at 248 sites. The radial EPE distance in these specimens had a mean of 0.8 mm (range, 0.04–4.4 mm) and a median of 0.5 mm. Of these 105 patients, the median and mean preoperative prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentrations were 11.8 ng/mL and 17.9 ng/mL, respectively. The mean and range of the Gleason score and prostate volume for all specimens were 6.3 (range, 3–9) and 39 cc (range, 8–294 cc), respectively. In 107 patients who met the selection criteria for prostate brachytherapy eligibility of a PSA level < 10 ng/mL, Gleason score < 7, and gland volume < 60 cc, the maximum and mean radial EPE distances were 0.6 mm and 0.03 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The radial distance of EPE is an important measure that influences treatment strategies for patients with localized prostate carcinoma. Currently described criteria for the treatment of early stage prostate carcinoma by brachytherapy alone appear satisfactory to ensure effective radiation dose coverage of EPE of prostate tumors. Treating the prostate with a 3–5 mm margin by brachytherapy would encompass all known tumor in approximately 99% of the specimens examined in this study. Cancer 1999;85:2630–7. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Frequency filtering in optical thin film design revisited

A Fourier frequency filtering approach is applied to thin film design in situations well exceeding the theoretical limits of the conventional Fourier transform method. Previous work is generalized to oblique incidence. Examples of a high-reflectance filter and a broadband, wide-angle antireflection coating are given.
Investigating the relationship between neighborhood poverty and mortality risk: a marginal structural modeling approach.

Extant observational studies generally support the existence of a link between neighborhood context and health. However, estimating the causal impact of neighborhood effects from observational data has proven to be a challenge. Omission of relevant factors may lead to overestimating the effects of neighborhoods on health while inclusion of time-varying confounders that may also be mediators (e.g., income, labor force status) may lead to underestimation. Using longitudinal data from the 1990 to 2007 years of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study investigates the link between neighborhood poverty and overall mortality risk. A marginal structural modeling strategy is employed to appropriately adjust for simultaneous mediating and confounding factors. To address the issue of possible upward bias from the omission of key variables, sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of results against unobserved confounding is conducted. We examine two continuous measures of neighborhood poverty – single-point and a running average. Both were specified as piece-wise linear splines with a knot at 20 percent. We found no evidence from the traditional naive strategy that neighborhood context influences mortality risk. In contrast, for both the single-point and running average neighborhood poverty specifications, the marginal structural model estimates indicated a statistically significant increase in mortality risk with increasing neighborhood poverty above the 20 percent threshold. For example, below 20 percent neighborhood poverty, no association was found. However, after the 20 percent poverty threshold is reached, each 10 percentage point increase in running average neighborhood poverty was found to increase the odds for mortality by 89 percent [95% CI = 1.22, 2.91]. Sensitivity analysis indicated that estimates were moderately robust to omitted variable bias.
Developmental Effects on Free Recall of Grouping Pictures and Words.

The double-encoding hypothesis explains why superior free recall of picture stimuli compared to their equivalent word forms has been demonstrated to be valid with university level Ss. Two experiments compared the effects of grouping words and pictures to determine if there is a developmental factor involved in modifying the double-encoding hypothesis. Experiment 1 found that freshmen university students who grouped pictures or words remembered more pictures (p .05), thus not supporting the double-encoding hypothesis. Recommendations for future studies were made.
Influence of trifluoroacetic acid on retention times of histidine‐containing tryptic peptides in reverse phase HPLC

The tryptic peptides of the aminoethylated alpha- and beta-chain of hemoglobin have been separated on a Partisil-10 ODS-2 column with a linear gradient of acetonitrile containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. The elution profile of the tryptic peptides of the chains obtained with this acetonitrile trifluoroacetate system has been compared with that obtained using phosphoric acid as the ion-pairing reagent. This comparison demonstrated that trifluoroacetate influences the retention times of the histidine-containing tryptic peptides much more than it affects those peptides that do not contain histidine residues. This behavior has been rationalized on the basis of ion-pairing of trifluoroacetate with the histidine residues of the tryptic peptides.
The relationship of breast self‐examination to health belief model variables

The relationship between frequency of breast self-examination and Health Belief Model variables was assessed in a convenience sample of 588 women. Susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, health motivation, control, and knowledge of breast cancer and breast self-examination were measured by scales previously tested for validity and reliability. Individual items measured the frequency of breast self-examination and the method by which breast self-examination was taught. Multiple regression and discriminant analysis demonstrated that barriers, knowledge, and susceptibility were correlated with frequency of breast self-examination (R = .53, p = less than or equal to .001). In addition, persons taught by a doctor or nurse evidenced greater frequency of breast self-examination than those taught in other ways.
Bringing up the past: Political experience and the distribution of urban populations

Abstract This article reexamines the effects of political determinants on urban population distributions by developing a series of longitudinal measures that proxy for a nation’s political experiences. The cross-national analyses are derived from a new database that includes population figures for the five largest cities of 123 nations from 1960 to 2005. This coverage allows for the development of the 1–4 urban primacy ratio which is used to assess past findings and test four hypotheses related to the length of capital status as well as colonial, democratic, and communist experiences. The main findings suggest that the length of a nation’s largest city’s capital status is positively associated with urban primacy. Conversely, nations with longer democratic or communist experiences have lower levels of urban primacy. Finally, the results on colonial experience are curvilinear and lend strong support to modernization and central place theory.
Inhibin immunohistochemistry applied to ovarian neoplasms: A novel, effective, diagnostic tool

Immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against human inhibin, a peptide hormone produced by ovarian granulosa cells to inhibit follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), has been recently applied to diagnostic anatomic pathology. This investigation hypothesizes that inhibin immunohistochemistry will aid in the crucial clinical distinction between sex cord-stromal and other primary ovarian neoplasms. Available HE 100% of 17 Sertoli-stromal tumors: 90% S3, 10% S2; 100% of 13 hyperplastic follicular/stromal lesions: 90% S3, 10% S2; 100% of six steroid cell tumors: 100% S3; 90% of 18 thecomas: 40% S3, 10% S2, 10% S1, 30% W; 0% of 12 fibromas, three myxomas, and two sclerosing stromal tumors. None (0 of 49) of the other ovarian neoplasms exhibited inhibin: 22 carcinomas, 12 carcinosarcomas, seven small cell carcinomas, six germ cell tumors, and two lymphomas. In the typical case, the distinction between sex cord-stromal and other ovarian neoplasms requires nothing more than routine pathological examination. In diagnostically challenging cases, our data indicate that inhibin immunohistochemistry is a very useful adjunct because granulosa and sertoli-stromal tumors are positive whereas other potential mimickers have been negative thus far.
Design constraints on advanced two-dimensional LWIR focal planes for imaging Fourier transform spectrometer sensors

A variety of design constraints, imposed on the 2D hybrid staring infrared focal plane arrays used in emissive longwave imaging Fourier-transform spectrometers (FTSs), are developed and discussed. In particular, the origin of the large dynamic range and fast frame rate requirements for the focal plane are explained. The analysis is based on signal- to-noise ratio models for the interferogram (i.e., at the focal plane) and the associated spectrum. Specific focal plane design constraints associated with an optimized imaging FTS instrument design are illustrated, based on an aircraft-based remote sensing application.
Radioactivity in environmental samples: Calibration standards measurement methods, quality assurance, and data analysis

Abstract The numerous environmental radioactivity measurements made by and for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) include measurements on samples of water, urine, food, milk, and air filters. Calibration standards are listed which are available in the form of water solutions and soils for a wide range of radionuclides. Method validation procedures for U.S. EPA approval include protocol development and single-laboratory and multiple-laboratory evaluation for precision and accuracy. Interlaboratory comparison studies are conducted for both cross-check and performance evaluation samples and involve 295 federal, state, and local laboratories. For water samples, 80%–90% of the participating laboratories are within the control limits for most of the radionuclides measured; however, some problem areas exist, especially for radium-228 and strontium-89 and -90. For milk and food samples, more than 90% of the laboratories are within control limits for cobalt-60 and cesium-137 but some problems exist for the measurement of strontium-90, iodine-131, and potassium-40. For tritium, 91% of the laboratories are within the control limit for water samples and 87% are within the control limits for the urine samples. The laboratory performance for air filter samples shows some problems for gross beta, strontium-90 and cesium-137 measurements.
Influence of hyperthermia on efficacy and uptake of carbon nanohorn-cisplatin conjugates

Single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) have significant potential for use in photothermal therapies due to their capability to absorb near infrared light and deposit heat. Additionally, their extensive relative surface area and volume makes them ideal drug delivery vehicles. Novel multimodal treatments are envisioned in which laser excitation can be utilized in combination with chemotherapeutic-SWNH conjugates to thermally enhance the therapeutic efficacy of the transported drug. Although mild hyperthermia (41-43 °C) has been shown to increase cellular uptake of drugs such as cisplatin (CDDP) leading to thermal enhancement, studies on the effects of hyperthermia on cisplatin loaded nanoparticles are currently limited. After using a carbodiimide chemical reaction to attach CDDP to the exterior surface of SWNHs and nitric acid to incorporate CDDP in the interior volume, we determined the effects of mild hyperthermia on the efficacy of the CDDP-SWNH conjugates. Rat bladder transitional carcinoma cells were exposed to free CDDP or one of two CDDP-SWNH conjugates in vitro at 37 °C and 42 °C with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for each treatment. The in vitro results demonstrate that unlike free CDDP, CDDP-SWNH conjugates do not exhibit thermal enhancement at 42 °C. An increase in viability of 16% and 7% was measured when cells were exposed at 42 deg compared to 37 deg for the surface attached and volume loaded CDDP-SWNH conjugates, respectively. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy showed a decreased uptake of CDDP-SWNH conjugates at 42 °C compared to 37 °C, revealing the importance of nanoparticle uptake on the CDDP-SWNH conjugate's efficacy, particularly when hyperthermia is used as an adjuvant, and demonstrates the effect of particle size on uptake during mild hyperthermia. The uptake and drug release studies elucidated the difference in viability seen in the drug efficacy studies at different temperatures. We speculate that the disparity in thermal enhancement efficacy observed for free drug compared to the drug SWNH conjugates is due to their intrinsic size differences and, therefore, their mode of cellular uptake: diffusion or endocytosis. These experiments indicate the importance of tuning properties of nanoparticle-drug conjugates to maximize cellular uptake to ensure thermal enhancement in nanoparticle mediated photothermal-chemotherapy treatments.
XIII—Hearing Properties, Effects or Parts?

Sounds are audible, and sound sources are audible. What is the audible relation between audible sounds and audible sources? Common talk and philosophy suggest three candidates. The first is that sounds audibly are properties instantiated by their sources. I argue that sounds are audible individuals and thus are not audibly instantiated by audible sources. The second is that sounds audibly are effects of their sources. I argue that auditory experience presents no compelling evidence that sounds audibly are causally related to audible sources. The third is that sounds audibly are related mereologically to their sources. I present and offer a defence of this third candidate.
University administrators and faculty bargaining

This study presents empirical data suggesting that middle-level university administrators tend to oppose faculty bargaining, especially by an “aggressive” union. Findings cover administrators' perceptions of and attitudes toward faculty bargaining, prebargaining conditions in their work milieu, and expectations as to potential outcomes of bargaining under alternative agents. Factor analysis is used to identify underlying perceptual structures for which specific expectations may serve as indicators. Multivariate analysis suggests that perceptual-attitudinal variables related to prebargaining conditions explain little of the variance in support for bargaining. Most of the variance explained by the model derives from expectations concerning outcomes, perceptions of how well bargaining is working in higher education, and personal political orientation. Policy and research implications are suggested.
Advances in Critical Care/Emergency Medicine 2013

Of the many publications in this field, the ones discussed hereunder seem to be most relevant for clinical practice. Intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only therapy proven to improve outcome in ischemic stroke. Studies of intravenous thrombolysis show that response to therapy is time-dependent; the sooner the patients receive tPA, the better the chance of good outcome.1 The required brain imaging before tPA administration delays the initiation of therapy because it necessitates patient transport. In the Pre-Hospital Acute Neurological Treatment and Optimization of Medical Care in Stroke (PHANTOM-S) pilot study, Weber et al2 attempt to speed up stroke treatment by administering tPA before hospital arrival. When patients with presumed stroke contacted the emergency medical system, a stroke emergency mobile unit equipped with a CT scanner was dispatched. Brain imaging was performed at the scene, enabling tPA administration in the stroke emergency mobile unit. For patients in stroke emergency mobile unit, the median time between emergency call and initiation of tPA was 58 minutes (5–63); this time was 92 minutes (79–112) in a group of historic controls. The PHANTOM-S study was a nonrandomized study performed in urban Germany. A randomized controlled study performed in a more rural region of Germany showed a similar relative decrease in the time to tPA treatment among patients treated in a CT-equipped mobile stroke unit compared with those treated in the emergency room.3 These studies show that CT-equipped mobile stroke units decrease the time to tPA …
Hemisphericity and self-esteem.

Summary.-The 1991 paper by Persinger and Makarec, while posing some interesting theoretical and speculative questions, misstates the magnitude of the effect size in the validation of the Hemisphericity Questionnaire and draws some unwarranted conclusions. This article briefly reviews the issues involved. The paper by Persinger and Makarec (1991) makes a number of interesting points regarding the relationship of hemisphericity to the development of a sense of self. They also make a number of predictions regarding the experiences of individuals characterized as "right hemispheric," among them a proneness "to mystical experiences and to beliefs that are condoned by 'cosmic' forces" (Persinger & Makarec, 1991, p. 1246), and comment that the strength of the effect size in the original validation studies of the Hemisphericity Questionnaire (Vingiano, 1989) was "much weaker" (Persinger & Makarec, 1991, p. 1246) than the two correlations (p< .001) they report in their paper. The original paper describing the development and validation of the Hemisphericity Questionnaire did not utilize correlation. The Hemisphericity Questionnaire is an ipsative scale, with each item comprised of a pair of statements. Subjects select the statement most descriptive of them. Since the scale contains 16 items and is so keyed that a high score indicates greater right hemisphericity, subjects in that study were dichotomized as follows. Subjects endorsing more than 60% right-hemispheric statements were character~zed as right hemispheric and subjects endorsing less than 40% righthemispheric statements were characterized as left hemispheric. The two resulting groups were then compared on the validation measures. Vingiano (1989) computed an analysis of variance of scores between right- and lefthemisphericity groups on the Blatt Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (Blatt, 1974). The effect size for hemisphericity was quite robust (F,,,,, = 25.9, p<.001), with the right-hemispheric group scoring higher on the depression measures. A multivariate analysis of variance between the righthemisphericity and left-hemisphericity groups on the 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (Cattell, 1972) was significant (p<.05). Analyses of variance 'Address correspondence to William Vingiano, Ph.D., Director of Psychology, Psychiatric Institute, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY 10595.