cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intra- and extracellular dehydration has no effect on plasma levels of angiotensin II in an amphibian.

Previous studies have demonstrated that both dehydration (intra and extracellular) and treatment with angiotensin II (A-II) induce changes in thirst-related behavior in the spadefoot toad, Scaphiopus couchii. One of the steps in determining a causal relationship between a hormone and a behavior is to determine that there is association between an animal's performance of the behavior and changes in endogenous hormonal concentrations. The hypothesis tested that plasma levels of the peptide hormone A-II would change as a result of dehydration known to induce water absorption response (WR) behavior in the spadefoot toad. Plasma samples were taken from toads dehydrated intracellularly by injection of hypertonic solutions of NaCl or sucrose at levels known to induce WR behavior. As an osmotic control, a group of animals was injected with urea, which has been demonstrated to not induce WR behavior. In order to determine the effects of extracellular dehydration on plasma, A-II levels in toads dehydrated by plasma volume depletion via cardiac puncture were compared to sham-punctured controls. None of the treatments in any experiment resulted in significant differences in plasma levels of angiotensin II among groups sampled at the time when WR behavior occurs. These results do not support the hypothesis that dehydration-induced thirst is stimulated by changes in plasma A-II concentrations at the onset of WR behavior. J. Exp. Zool. 286:343-349, 2000.
Understanding Motives for Migration in Working with Immigrant Families

There are good reasons to expect immigrant families' experiences in the host society to differ vastly. What impact might rationales for relocation have on immigrant families' pre-migration and post-migration characteristics in mainstream America? This article reviews existing research by drawing on various migration theories and explores the potential linkage between forces that propelled the move and immigrant families' adaptation patterns that followed. Three non-mutually exclusive principal motives were proposed to explain the substantial differences that exist among immigrants. Also considered are theoretical explanations that would facilitate effective practice and intervention among social work practitioners and policy planners.
A comparison of adult women's and men's ascriptions of negative traits to the same and opposite sex

College students (N=135), ranging from 19 to 55 years of age, were studied to determine their sex stereotypes. Results from the present study indicated that adult males were significantly more negative than adult females in their evaluations of both sexes. One possible explanation that may be offered to account for these findings is that current emphasis of female rights may be causing negativistic reactions on the part of males toward both sex groups.
REGGE CUT CONTRIBUTIONS TO EXOTIC BOSON EXCHANGE CROSS SECTIONS.

Explicit calculations of near-forward differential cross sections for the single-particle-exchange forbidden reactions KN→KΞ, K−p→π+Σ−, and π−p→K+Σ− are reported. The predictions arebased upon an absorptive prescription for Regge cuts which satisfies s-u crossing. Characteristic properties of Regge-cut models are identified and suggestions are made for experimental studies.
Suicide and homicide on St. Valentine's Day

No unusually large numbers of either the numbers of suicides or of homicides on St. Valentine's Day in the USA from 1972 to 1987 were observed.
Three-dimensional structure of a peptide extending from one end of a class I MHC binding site

Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules present peptides to CD8+ T cells for immunological surveillance (reviewed in ref. 1). The structures of complexes of class I MHC molecules with octamer, nonamer and decamer peptides determined until now show a common binding mode, with both peptide termini bound in conserved pockets at the ends of the peptide binding site. Length variations were accommodated by the peptide bulging or zig-zagging in the middle. Here we describe the structure of a decamer peptide which binds with the carboxy-terminal residue positioned outside the peptide binding site. Several protein side chains have rearranged to allow the peptide to exit. The structure suggests that even longer peptides could bind. The energetic effect of the altered mode of binding has been assessed by measuring the stability of the complex to thermal denaturation. Peptides bound in this novel manner are stable at physiological temperature, raising questions about their role in T-cell recognition and their production by proteolytic processing.
Methods in Molecular Medicine: Microarrays in Clinical Diagnostics. Thomas O. Joos and Paolo Fortina, editors. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 2005, 288 pp., $121.50, hardcover. ISBN 1-58829-394-7.

Microarray technology has become a mainstay of biological research. Since their evolution in the mid-1990s, DNA microarrays have revolutionized the field of genomics and genetics and have spawned new allied technologies, including protein, carbohydrate, and small-molecule arrays. The roadmap to this now mature technology was pegged with novel solutions that addressed various problems related to throughput, detection limits, selectivity, and data interpretation. The application of these technologies to clinical research has allowed scientists at the bench as well as in the clinic to harness their potential toward drug discovery. Several of these applications, and their extensions, are described in this book that, in keeping with others in the series Methods in Molecular Medicine , follows a detailed, protocol-based format in describing many of these …
Risk comparison method, assumptions, and issues

Communicating the likelihood and consequence of potential risks is critical in today's business environment. A comparison of the likelihood of several different potential events can provide insight to management about factors that, if left unchecked, may cause an unwanted scenario. One method utilized to calculate the likelihood of a risk being realized is the “One-out-of-X” measure. This high-level measure is very effective for comparing different risk scenarios; however, it is important that the risk analyst provides additional information to management regarding the confidence in this value, what factors significantly influence it, and how other scenarios compare. It is also important that the team establish a risk management system that includes likelihood levels that will aid in deciding which problem areas to try and solve first. The risk management system should include likelihood levels that define where mitigation must be implemented. This system should also establish lower risk levels where mitigation can either be delayed or never implemented. The methodology outlined in this paper provides the basis for a robust risk management system.
Miscellaneous Stone Types

Drug-induced calculi and other rare stone types, such as ammonium acid urate or protein matrix stones, represent only about 2% of all renal calculi. However, the chance to easily reverse stone formation risk by discontinuing the offending drug makes identification of these entities important for clinicians. Additionally, study of these rare stone types contributes to understanding the biochemistry of stone formation. Drug-induced calculi may be classified into two groups based on the mechanism of stone formation. The first group includes drugs that provoke calculi composed of principally the drug and its metabolites. These medications tend to be poorly soluble, highly excreted in urine, and required at high dosages for long durations of therapy. Historically, sulfonamides, triamterene, and the HIV protease inhibitor indinavir were leading causes of drug-induced calculi. Uses of novel agents within these drug classes or alternative therapies have reduced the incidence attributed to these drugs, although risk from newer, commonly used medications–notably ciprofloxacin, aminopenicillins, ceftriaxone, ephedrine, and guaifenesin– are increasingly being recognized. Microscopic analysis for crystalluria or infrared spectroscopy of collected stones aid in recognition of calculi composed primarily of a drug and its metabolites. Understanding of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, particularly related to effects of urine pH on drug solubility and excretion, provides a rational basis for both prevention and treatment recommendations. When possible, clinicians should avoid or exercise great caution when prescribing these medications to patients with a prior history of stones. The second group of drug-induced calculi includes drugs that cause stones due to their metabolic effects, primarily on calcium or purine metabolism. Because these calculi are identical in physical composition to the more common nephrolithiasis types, careful medication history and high clinical suspicion are required for diagnosis of these drug-induced “metabolic” calculi. Most drugs in this class are readily expected based on their effects on urinary calcium excretion such as calcium/Vitamin D supplements and loop diuretics. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, including the antiepileptics topiramate and zonisamide, are also included in this group. Ammonium acid urate stones are endemic in developing countries due to dietary limitations and recurrent diarrheal illness, but rarely occur in developed countries. Identification of these stones should raise clinical suspicion of epidemiologic risk factors including recurrent urinary tract infections with urea-splitting organisms, inflammatory bowel disease, and laxative abuse. Interestingly, these unusual clinical scenarios can recapitulate a common biochemical pathway to stone formation. Protein matrix stones are another unusual stone type associated with specific epidemiologic factors, namely recurrent urinary infections and proteinuric end-stage renal disease. Although distinctly rare, protein matrix stones provide opportunity to investigate basic biochemical mechanisms underlying stone formation.
Equipoise of outcome is sufficient to justify the laparoscopic approach for colorectal cancers.

We read with interest the study on lymphadenectomy by laparoscopic resection in rectal cancer. Over the past 10 years, laparoscopic surgery has been increasingly applied to resection of cancers. Level 1 evidence is now available providing strong support for similar oncological outcomes (both short-term surrogate end-points as well as long-term end-points like disease-free and overall survival) between laparoscopic surgery and open surgery for colon cancers. The colorectal surgical community needs to be congratulated for producing this robust evidence, which now needs to be emulated for other GI sites also being approached by the laparoscopic technique (gastric, pancreatic, small intestine, etc.). The present study reports a 51% adequate harvest of lymph nodes (n≥12, according to AJCC TNM staging requirements), which raises some concerns. The authors have mentioned that their two groups were equally matched in terms of pre-operative radio-chemotherapy, but they need to report this proportion, in case that can explain the relatively low proportion of adequacy in number of nodes excised. We have recently published our experience on long-term outcomes of patients undergoing curative laparoscopic surgery for mid and low rectal cancer, and we feel the excellent long-term survival (both overall and disease-free) was directly related to the adequacy of surgical resection (both total mesorectal excision and lymph nodal resection). Placing the above in context and recognizing the true current impact of laparoscopic surgery, i.e., superior patient satisfaction and short-term outcomes, equipoise of longterm outcomes is a sufficient argument in favor of the laparoscopic approach.
Positive Airway Pressure Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Positive airway pressure (PAP) is the treatment of choice for patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that PAP can effectively reduce the apnea-hypopnea index and improve subjective and objective sleepiness. Some studies have also demonstrated benefits in sleep quality and quality of life for both the patient and bed partner. Observational studies have shown a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events in OSA patients treated with PAP compared to untreated patients. Since continuous PAP (CPAP) treatment of OSA was described, additional modes of pressure delivery have been developed (bilevel PAP, autoadjusting PAP, flexible PAP). While none of the variants of PAP improves adherence in unselected patients compared to CPAP, individual patients may respond to a change in pressure mode. Attended PAP titration remains the standard of practice for selecting a treatment pressure. However, use of autotitrating PAP devices in the unattended setting can provide an effective titration alternative with careful patient selection and review of titration results. More choices of mask interface are now available to improve comfort and intervene for mask or mouth leaks. However, despite the increase in PAP treatment options, lack of acceptance and inadequate adherence to PAP therapy remain the major causes of treatment failure. Some studies suggest that heated humidification can improve PAP adherence, especially in patients with nasal congestion or dryness. A systematic approach to PAP treatment including education, objective adherence monitoring, early intervention for side effects, and telephone and clinic support is essential to optimize adherence.
State and Community Reactions to the Federal Air Pollution Program

The Federal Air Pollution Program is growing rapidly. Its activities are affecting state and local programs both directly and indirectly. Some of these activities are discussed and suggestions are made for developing closer cooperation in the areas of program grants, motor vehicle emission control, Federal abatement procedures, and technical assistance.
Carbon Tetrachloride Reduction by Fe2+, S2-, and FeS with vitamin B12 as Organic Amendment

The reductive dechlorination of carbon tetrachloride (CT) was examined in the presence of free iron ions (Fe2+), sulfide ions (S2-), and freshly precipitated ferrous sulfide (FeS) as reducing agent...
Beamformer bank optimization for true time delay beam-space processing

The authors examine optimization of the antenna array beamformer bank for a technique to apply coherent signal subspace processing in the beam-space of a bank of true time delay beamformers. This technique offers computational expense advantages over element-space methods, Mean Square Error (MSE) performance similar to wideband coherent subspace techniques and is frequency invariant. This article reports on simulation experiments to improve the true time delay beamformer bank configuration so as to optimize MSE performance of source direction resolution for closely spaced wideband sources. Simulations include pattern search, genetic algorithm and simulated annealing global optimization methods. Results indicate that performance can be significantly improved by applying these methods to the beamformer bank design.
An electronic, adjustable-waveform spark source for basic and applied emission spectrometry

Abstract A conceptually new type of electronic spark source is described. A parallel combination of a hydrogen thyratron and a diode is used as the switch element. The switch operates by providing parallel paths for current oscillating from capacitors discharging through inductive loads. The same principle is used to route current through the analytical spark gap. Either the switch current or the spark current can be adjusted in waveform from fully oscillatory to fully unidirectional simply by changing the value of a single inductor, without changing capacitance, resistance, or the voltage at which the source operates. The electrical circuitry is singularly simple, thus producing a source that is characterized by reliable, long term operation, precise ignition with low time jitter ( ca . 5 nsec) and low conducted or radiated radio-frequency interference. Because of the latter, modern electronic devices (such as microprocessors and minicomputers) can be used in conjunction with and in direct control of the spark source, i.e., while the spark is conducting current. The source functions equally well for industrial spectrochemical analysis and for basic research on optical emission phenomena. A partial circuit analysis is included here. The current commutation between the hydrogen thyratron and shunt diode is characterized. Electronic circuitry appropriate for source operation at variable repetition rate is described. The types of spark current waveforms that can be obtained under electronic control are illustrated.
What's for Lunch: Ideas for Nutrition Education

(2002). What's for Lunch: Ideas for Nutrition Education. American Journal of Health Education: Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 373-375.
The extracellular matrix and disease: an interview with Zena Werb

Zena Werb’s pioneering efforts brought recognition to the idea that the extracellular matrix has a profound influence in determining cell fate. Here, she discusses how a ‘rocky’ start in geophysics led her to a career that is changing the way we think about cancer.
Freaks, Geeks, and Strongmen: Warsaw Jews and Popular Performance, 1912-1930

Eastern European Jewry is indelibly marked by the terms of a folkloric, shtetl-dwelling existence, according to conventional perception. However, the history of the urban milieu of early-20thcentury Poland debunks this notion, revealing that Jews created and participated in a variety of public entertainments. Tightrope walkers, fakirs, and professional wrestlers, among others, entertained Jewish audiences, but also allowed both the performers and their fans to express their ethnic and national affiliations.
High Temperature mechanically pumped fluid loop for space applications - working fluid selection

Mechanically pumped single-phase fluid loops are increasingly being used for heat rejection purposes in space applications. Examples of Earth orbiting missions using this technology include NSTS Shuttles (water and Freon-based loops) and the International Space Station (water and ammonia-based loops). For deep space missions, both the Mars Pathfinder (1996) and Mars Exploration Rover (2003) missions used mechanically pumped Freon-I 1 loops for their primary Heat Rejection Systems (HRS.) Mechanically pumped loops are particularly well suited for rejecting large amounts of waste heat from spacecraft and future missions incorporating components with extremely high thermal energy dissipation (e.g. radar instruments, Radioisotope-based power sources) are ideal candidates for their use. However, previous implementations of mechanically pumped loops were designed for moderate temperatures (below 6OOC) and, thus, would require relatively large radiators to reject high heat loads to space. Loops designed for a higher operating temperature would allow large amounts of heat to be rejected within the constraints of a mass efficient thermal control system.
Eight habits of highly effective, value-add information developers

At one time or another, most information developers/technical communicators have had to collaborate with scientific/technical professionals who were the authors of their own research projects or product documentation. As a group, engineers more so than scientists do not view writing documentation as a critical part of the product or their job description, especially as product delivery schedules slip. The information development team in Motorola's Imaging and Storage Division has adopted eight strategies developed by the author that will help get engineers, programmers, and other technical professionals clamoring for the services of information developers. This paper addresses these eight strategies, which are becoming habits of the information development team.
The New Outlook in Ecology

Ecology may be called the science of the relations of animals and plants to their environment and to one another. But this is only true if we remember that the word “animals” includes man. We like to think of man as in a class by himself, spiritually or intellectually. But as an influence on the earth, man's role is that of an animal that has managed to multiply enormously, both in numbers and in capacity to affect other parts of nature, usually for the worse, and usually without noticing it.
Multiple local optima in vector quantizers (Corresp.)

Two results are presented on vector quantizers meeting necessary conditions for optimality. First a simple generalization of well-known centroid and moment properties of the squared-error distortion measure to a weighted quadratic distortion measure with an input dependent weighting is presented. The second result is an application of the squared-error special case of the first result to a simulation study of the design of 1 bit per sample two- and three-dimensional quantizers for a memoryless Gaussian source using the generalized Lloyd technique. The existence of multiple distinct local optima is demonstrated, thereby showing that sufficient conditions for unique local optima do not exist for this simple common case. It is also shown that at least three dimensions are required for a vector quantizer to outperform a scalar quantizer for this source.
NMR illuminates the pathways to ALS

A combination of NMR techniques is able to explore the structure of short-lived protein conformations.
Software framework for human neuromuscular behavior

In this paper we present our low-level software framework that allows human neuromuscular properties and behaviors to be programmed modularly onto biologically inspired prosthetic devices. Specifically this software framework is used at the lowest level of the Anatomically Correct Testbed (ACT) Hand. It abstracts away from the robotic details and allows users including biologists to program individual muscle physiology, multiple muscle synergistic activities, neural commands, etc. independently. Our system has been designed to be fault-tolerant with the idea of safe and continued operation of prostheses if a new prototype behavior were to perform incorrectly or outright fail. Example coding of Hills model is shown.
The contribution of the vaccine adverse event text mining system to the classification of possible Guillain-Barré syndrome reports.

Background: We previously demonstrated that a general purpose text mining system, the Vaccine adverse event Text Mining (VaeTM) system, could be used to automatically classify reports of anaphylaxis for post-marketing safety surveillance of vaccines. Objective: To evaluate the ability of VaeTM to classify reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) of possible Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Methods: We used VaeTM to extract the key diagnostic features from the text of reports in VAERS. Then, we applied the Brighton Collaboration (BC) case definition for GBS, and an information retrieval strategy (i.e. the vector space model) to quantify the specific information that is included in the key features extracted by VaeTM and compared it with the encoded information that is already stored in VAERS as Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) Preferred Terms (PTs). We also evaluated the contribution of the primary (diagnosis and cause of death) and secondary (second level diagnosis and symptoms) diagnostic VaeTM-based features to the total VaeTM-based information. Results: MedDRA captured more information and better supported the classification of reports for GBS than VaeTM (AUC: 0.904 vs. 0.777); the lower performance of VaeTM is likely due to the lack of extraction by VaeTM of specific laboratory results that are included in the BC criteria for GBS. On the other hand, the VaeTM-based classification exhibited greater specificity than the MedDRA-based approach (94.96% vs. 87.65%). Most of the VaeTM-based information was contained in the secondary diagnostic features. Conclusion: For GBS, clinical signs and symptoms alone are not sufficient to match MedDRA coding for purposes of case classification, but are preferred if specificity is the priority.
Range sizes and shifts of North American Pleistocene mammals are not consistent with a climatic explanation for extinction

Abstract The cause of the terminal Pleistocene extinctions in North America is debated but is most commonly ascribed to climate change or anthropogenic overkill. Based on contemporary extinction theory from conservation biology, we predict that in a climatically induced extinction event, species with small geographic ranges are most likely to suffer extinction. We use two methods to reconstruct Pleistocene range sizes for 194 taxa using data from the FAUNMAP database to conduct analyses in ArcGIS. Furthermore, because this extinction event was size selective, we reconstruct range shifts between the Pleistocene and Holocene for 157 species to assess whether climate change preferentially impacted extant large-bodied species. We find that the extinction event did not preferentially impact taxa with small geographic ranges, and that displacement distances were no different for large- and small-bodied species. These results are not consistent with an extinction induced by climate change but may be concordant w...
High-resolution displays enhancing geo-temporal data visualizations

Intelligence analysis is difficult due to the volume and complexity of the data, as well as the subtlety of the connections that have to be made in order to identify threats. Information visualization techniques are necessary for human interpretation of this data, but many use a single monitor that lack the resolution and area needed to effectively display it. We developed an application specifically for a high resolution tiled display, taking advantage of its increased area and pixel count to show a detailed and thorough geospatial and timeline view of terrorist activity. These displays were well suited for intelligence analysis visualization due to their ability to provide access to numerous details from multiple views, and allowed users to maintain the context of data. This work showcased the ability of high resolution visualizations to assist intelligence analysts.
Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in estrogen receptor-α knockout and wild-type mice

We investigated the function of estrogen receptor-α in global myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury in male estrogen receptor-α knockout (ERKO) and wild-type mice. Mouse hearts were subjected ...
Medical Writing Pointers and Pitfalls

What do medical writers do right, and what do they sometimes do wrong? Chapter 4 tells the habits of experienced, successful writers, also how to deal with some of the problems writers face, such as “writer’s block” and the tendency to make “rookie errors.” Also discussed are some of the advantages and issues that arise when there are coauthors. The chapter also describes the Fog Index, the problem of factual errors, and the selection of the best title for an article or book.
Phosphodiesterase 4D acts downstream of Neuropilin to control Hedgehog signal transduction and the growth of medulloblastoma

Alterations in Hedgehog (Hh) signaling lead to birth defects and cancers including medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric brain tumor. Although inhibitors targeting the membrane protein Smoothened suppress Hh signaling, acquired drug resistance and tumor relapse call for additional therapeutic targets. Here we show that phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) acts downstream of Neuropilins to control Hh transduction and medulloblastoma growth. PDE4D interacts directly with Neuropilins, positive regulators of Hh pathway. The Neuropilin ligand Semaphorin3 enhances this interaction, promoting PDE4D translocation to the plasma membrane and cAMP degradation. The consequent inhibition of protein kinase A (PKA) enhances Hh transduction. In the developing cerebellum, genetic removal of Neuropilins reduces Hh signaling activity and suppresses proliferation of granule neuron precursors. In mouse medulloblastoma allografts, PDE4D inhibitors suppress Hh transduction and inhibit tumor growth. Our findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism of Hh transduction, and highlight PDE4D as a promising target to treat Hh-related tumors.
Archives and Manuscripts at the Rutgers University Center of Alcohol Studies

The Center of Alcohol Studies began in the wake of the repeal of National Prohibition. Although alcohol problems remained, Americans no longer had a national legislative policy to deal with them. Gradually, the scientific community moved into this void, focusing on alcohol's effects on the body and behavior. Noted physiologist Yandell Henderson, director of the Laboratory of Applied Physiology at Yale University, began research on alcohol metabolism in the early 1930s. His colleague and successor, Howard W. Haggard, continued his work and established the Section of Alcohol Studies at the laboratory in 1943, with E. M. Jellinek as the first director. A biometrician, Jellinek had directed a review for the Research Council on Problems of Alcohol that analyzed the existing literature on the effects of alcohol on the individual. This was the beginning of an extensive and continuing interdisciplinary effort to investigate and document the role of alcohol in society. In the next decades, the Center of Alcohol Studies, so named in 1950, became a leading authority on alcohol problems as its staff pursued basic and applied research on all aspects of beverage alcohol and its use. In 1940, Haggard established the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol (later the Journal of Studies on Alcohol), and soon thereafter the center began issuing the Classified Abstract Archive of the Alcohol Literature (CAAAL)abstracts of alcohol-related literature printed on punched cards for manual subject retrieval. CAAAL was a continuation of Jellinek's literature review. In 1943 the center set up the Summer School of Alcohol Studies to train counselors, prog am administrators, educators, and others active in the field.
Static and dynamic elastic properties of fractal-cut materials

Abstract We investigate the static and dynamic (phononic) elastic behavior of fractal-cut materials. These materials are novel in the sense that they deform by rotation of “rigid” units rather than by straining these units, can be fabricated by exploiting a simple cutting paradigm, and have properties that can be manipulated by control of the cut pattern and its hierarchy. We show that variation of fractal-cut level and cut pattern can be exploited to manipulate the symmetry of the elastic constant tensor, the elastic limit of deformation, and, therefore, the elastic response. By studying phonon behavior, we demonstrate how some cut symmetries naturally open acoustic band gaps. Several of the important features of the band structure can be directly related to the static elastic properties. Based upon our phonon calculations, we predict the acoustic transmission spectrum of an example fractal-cut structure and validated it through 3D printing and sound attenuation experiments.
Four-dimensional computed tomography prediction of inter- and intrafractional upper gastrointestinal tumor motion during fractionated stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Abstract Purpose Respiratory-induced tumor motion of upper gastrointestinal (GI) tumors during radiation therapy is often assessed using a single 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) and presumed to be representative during fractionated treatment regimens. The purpose of this study was to examine the intra- and interfraction correlations of tumor motion between pretreatment 4D-CT and real-time fiducial-based motion tracking in patients treated with fractionated stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for upper GI malignancies. Methods and materials Fourteen patients with upper GI tumors underwent fractionated SBRT using the CyberKnife radiosurgical system with Synchrony respiratory motion management. Before treatment, each patient underwent a free-breathing 4D-CT scan and fiducial motion was tracked for each phase of the respiratory cycle. Real-time fiducial positions recorded during delivery of each SBRT fraction were extracted from the CyberKnife planning system. Displacements were compared between those predicted by 4D-CT and those recorded by Synchrony during treatment in the left-right (LR), anteroposterior (AP), and superoinferior (SI) directions. Results The 4D-CT scans demonstrated little correlation with real-time mean fiducial displacement as determined by Pearson correlation with coefficients of 0.45, 0.52, and 0.63 in the SI, AP, and LR directions, respectively. Cohort-averaged maximum fiducial displacements based on 4D-CT and real-time tracking were measured to be 3.86 ± 1.40 mm versus 10.73 ± 7.03 mm, 2.29 ± 1.02 mm versus 4.44 ± 3.33 mm, and 1.45 ± 0.49 mm versus 2.67 ± 2.49 mm in the SI, AP, and LR directions, respectively. Mean fiducial displacements were greater than that predicted by the maximum displacements on the corresponding 4D-CT scan in 39%, 22%, and 25% of SBRT fractions in the SI, AP, and LR directions, respectively. Conclusions Comparison of 4D-CT with real-time fiducial tracking demonstrated significant inter- and intrafractional discrepancies, particularly in the SI direction, which could result in compromise of target coverage when planning with a single free-breathing 4D-CT.
When Welfare Recipients Fail to Comply with Work Requirements: Indiana's Experience with Partial Benefit Sanctions

This article examines whether a partial benefit sanction provides sufficient motivation for adult welfare recipients to comply with welfare-to-work participation rules. Our analysis uses administrative data from Indaina, one of the few states that continues to rely solely on a partial benefit sanction (rather than a full-family sanction or some combination of the two). Using detailed administrative data, we follow adult recipients to the sanctions. Our analysis shows that the majority of sanctioned clients come into compliance or voluntarily leave welfare altogether, calling into question the assumption that partial benefit sanctions do not provide sufficient motivation for adults to comply with welfare-to-work program rules.
Why are widows so poor

The economic status of older Americans has improved tremendously during the last 50 years. Today the old-age poverty rate is about one third of its mid-20th century level, and poverty among the elderly is roughly the same as that among the non-elderly. Poverty rates for older non-married women, however, remain very high. This brief investigates why this group of the population is particularly vulnerable. One reason is that widowhood creates economic hardship, as Social Security benefits and pensions from employer-sponsored plans drop. In addition, those most likely to be widowed have lower incomes than intact couples even before they lose their husbands. Their lower incomes reflect less education on the part of both the husband and wife and poorer health on the part of the husband than couples that remain intact.
Sustainable Hazard Mitigation: Exploring the Importance of Green Infrastructure in Building Disaster Resilient Communities

Natural disasters continue to plague the United States, undermining the nation’s ability to build disaster resilient communities. Although structural and non-structural mitigation measures are currently in place to lessen the impact natural disasters have on society, little attention has been given to the construction of green infrastructure as a sustainable hazard mitigation strategy. The purpose of this article is to explore the benefits of green infrastructure as a sustainable hazard mitigation strategy and offer recommendations to public sector entities to build disaster resilient communities.
Federalism in Cyberspace Revisited

Transborder flow of digitized goods and services has become a major feature in the debate over Internet regulation. Some commentators have argued that the architecture of the Internet changes everything; others have replied that it changes nothing. This updated article addresses federalism issues raised by on-line interjurisdictional competition, arguing that despite the suggestions of the "unexceptionalist" school of commentary, Internet regulation remains anything but "business as usual." Analysis of interstate competition in law as a product is appropriate in determining the proper scope of state regulation of on-line activity. Two lines of constitutional cases define the parameters of proper interstate regulatory competition: those dealing with personal jurisdiction, and those dealing with the dormant commerce clause. Inherent in the Supreme Court's Due Process holdings is the principle that interstate diversity in law products is desireable and central to a federal system. The minimum contacts test of International Shoe and subsequent cases preserves the individual's right to vote with his feet in selecting among the law products offered by the several states. Competition for law as a product can only be maintained if states are prevented from externalizing the costs of their local regulations. The Supreme Court holdings regarding the dormant commerce clause indicate that this constitutional doctrine serves to prevent states from exporting their law products to other jurisdictions by attempting to control wholly extraterritorial activity. Although the Internet may in some cases facilitate externalization of state regulatory costs, centralized regulation by the federal government, rather than overreaching by the states, is the proper solution to such externalities.
Demographics of Adult Heritage Language Speakers in the United States: Differences by Region and Language and Their Implications

Heritage language (HL) speakers have received scholarly attention in recent years as an interdisciplinary research theme, but relatively less attention has been paid to their demographics. Existing studies of HL speakers' demographics often focus on young children in areas of high immigrant concentration (i.e., California, Florida, and New York); no study has systematically investigated cross-regional and chronological demographic patterns of adult HL speakers. From the perspective of HLs as a national resource, such demographic data on adult HL speakers are useful to gauge the availability of a bilingual workforce and determine structures needed to support and develop a bilingual U.S. population. Using the Integrated Public User Microdata Series (Ruggles & Sobek, ), which is based on data from the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey, this study makes geographical and chronological comparisons among groups of adult HL speakers from 1980 to 2010. The data show major differences in the demographics of adult HL speakers in different regions. The analyses also reveal differences by language, specifically between the adult HL speakers of Spanish and other languages. Implications of these patterns are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
A PATIENT-CENTERED APPROACH TO SAME DAY DISCHARGE AFTER COMPLEX PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION

Same day discharge (SDD) after PCI has been evaluated in low risk patients. Its routine adoption in clinical practice has been limited in complex and high risk patients. There are no SDD protocols that use a ‘patient-centered’ approach to proactively identify and mitigate patient-specific risks
A Re-assessment of Narragansett Bay Benthic Habitat Quality Between 1988 and 2008

The first bay-wide synoptic survey of benthic habitat quality in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA, was conducted in August of 1988. Twenty years later, we revisited the same sampling locations as the original survey using similar sediment profile imagery technology and analysis tools. Like estuaries throughout the US, increased temperatures and reductions to anthropogenic nutrient inputs have cumulatively affected Narragansett Bay in the intervening 20 years. To understand how these changes may have influenced benthic organic enrichment and habitat quality, we compared the prevalence and spatial arrangement of benthic biotopes (i.e., biotic and abiotic benthic descriptions) between 1988 and 2008 surveys. Biotopes dominated by Ampelisca spp. tubiculous amphipods increased >fivefold between 1988 and 2008, and expanded into the more urban, anthropogenically stressed Providence River estuary. Ampelisca beds occurred at critical boundaries in organic enrichment and habitat quality in both years and indicated the quantity of organic matter reaching the benthos. In general, benthic biotopes reflect the degree of benthic-pelagic coupling and are an important link between estuarine water quality and other marine life. As estuaries globally cope with the effects of increased warming and legislated anthropogenic nutrient reductions, rapid assessments of benthic biotopes will be critical for understanding changes to whole-estuary condition as a result of these cumulative stressors.
A Diagnostic Dilemma: PCR or Serology to Detect Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia in Children

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends testing children hospitalized with signs and symptoms suspicious for MP. The standard laboratory diagnosis relies mainly on PCR and/or serology. The objective of this study was to: (1) assess the value of each test and (2) determine which one should be performed based on duration of symptoms. We conducted a chart review of patients between 1-18 years of …
Removing sand from putting green clipping samples substantially reduces clipping weight measurement error

Accurate determination of turfgrass yield via clipping harvest can be problematic on closely mowed research putting greens because sand often contaminates samples. Scientists reporting putting green clipping yields rarely mention if or how sand was removed from clippings. The two objectives were: (i) evaluate the efficacy of three clipping cleaning methods (water decantation, forced air, and a vibrating pan method) and (ii) evaluate the effect of sand contamination on field data variability. All three clipping cleaning methods effectively removed coarse sand from the sample while only the vibrating pan method effectively removed the fine sand fraction. Turf clippings were collected from four different research putting greens, dried, weighed, cleaned, and reweighed to calculate percent sand and treatment variability. Debris mass ranged from 0.01 to 0.92 kg kg ―1 (0.001-0.535 cm 3 cm ―3 ) and averaged 0.26 kg kg ―1 sand with a standard deviation of 0.18 kg kg ―1 . Cleaning clippings reduced the standard deviation and coefficient of variation of all treatments (n = 104) by 0.92 g m ―2 and 15%, respectively. Sand debris varied spatially across each green regardless of sand topdressing. Sand debris in golf putting green clipping samples constitutes a large enough percentage of total mass to justify its removal.
Density Estimates of the Endangered Key Largo Woodrat and Cotton Mouse (Neotoma floridana smalli and Peromyscus gossypinus allapaticola), Using the Nested-Grid Approach

Densities of Neotoma floridana smalli and Peromyscus gossypinus allapaticola were estimated in tropical forest on northern Key Largo, Florida, by use of large, nested-trapping grids and probability models from computer program CAPTURE. The assumption of population closure was satisfied. Population density in most grids was nonuniform, probably because rodents were attracted to grids. A model that included assumption of heterogeneous capture probabilities usually was selected for estimating densities. Three grids near housing subdivisions averaged 3.1 woodrats and 15.5 cotton mice/ha, and three distant from such development averaged 12.2 woodrats and 26.9 cotton mice/ha. Extrapolation over the 851 ha of occupied forest suggests total populations of approximately 6,500 woodrats and 18,000 cotton mice.
The role of antibody in immune hemolysis.

been interpreted as due to the presence in varying proportions of at least two hemolysins which differ in hemolytic efficiency.2 The demonstration of antibody of varying hemolytic efficiency has led to an inquiry into the factors which determine the capacity of antibody to produce biological injury. The preceding paper postulated that the different hemolysin molecules induce hemolysis by somewhat different mechanisms. As a result of studies on the relation of hemolysin concentration to velocity of hemolysis, it was concluded that a bimolecular complex of the relatively large and efficient hemolysin was necessary to produce hemolysis. On the same basis, the hemolytically inefficient small
Why Privacy and Accountability Trump Security

In this paper I will argue that establishing and maintaining practices promoting privacy and accountability will typically trump security concerns. While it is true that in specific instances security may outweigh privacy, this is not true once we glance upward to the level of practices. Along the way I will present and critique four prominent pro-security arguments entitled: “Just Trust Us,” “Nothing to Hide,” “the Consent Argument,” and “Security Trumps.”
Spatiotemporal Variation Analysis of the Land Ecological Vulnerability in Ning′an City,Heilongjiang Province

The study on spatiotemporal variation of regional land ecological vulnerability contributes to using land resources and protecting the fragile eco-environment to local conditions,and has the important guiding significance for regional sustainable development.This paper took Ning′an City,Heilongjiang Province,as the study area to construct models to evaluate the vulnerability of landscape types and the regional land ecological vulnerability based on remote sensing of 1991,2000 and 2010.Finally,ordinary Kriging interpolation was conducted to get the distribution map of the land ecological vulnerability in study area.The results showed in 1991,2000 and 2010,the vulnerability degree of each landscape type followed the the order of farmlandconstruction landother land useswater areagrasslandforestland.Land ecological vulnerability index of the 61.7%of the sample areas increased,proportion of the middle-high vulnerability area increased,proportion of slightly vulnerability area decreased,the land ecological vulnerability exacerbated.The distribution map of the land ecological vulnerability showed that the vulnerability index was the highest in north-central part,extension gradually reducing and middle-high vulnerability area gradually expanded in the study area.
Chemoreception by the red‐jointed fiddler crab Uca minax (Le Conte): Spectral tuning properties of the walking legs

The red‐jointed fiddler crab Uca minax is one of the most abundant macroinvertebrates inhabiting the temperate western Atlantic salt marshes, along the eastern and southern coasts of the United States. Dactyl chemoreception is the primary sensory modality involved in food detection. Ninety‐six chemoreceptor cells from 69 male and female second and third legs were tested with 20 compounds known to be stimulatory in other decapods. Each compound was tested as 1 s pulses at 10‐3M. Overall, chemoreceptor cells on the dactyls responded strongest to glutamate and ammonium chloride followed by citric acid. Glutamate‐ and ammonium chloride‐best cells formed the most prominent cell populations and were relatively narrowly tuned. Individual cells exhibited a range of tuning breadths based on responses to single compounds. Amines were moderately stimulatory. Surprisingly, hexose sugars which cause strong behavioural responses in U. minax elicited only weak physiological responses. Glutamate sensitivity separates U. ...