cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: Ureteroscopic Biopsy and Specimen Preparation

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare malignancy. Nevertheless, it is a potentially lethal disease, especially when diagnosed in advanced stages. Ureteroscopy with biopsy provides the most accurate diagnosis and is an essential step in the evaluation of upper urinary tract tumors. Alternative modalities including urine studies and contrast imaging have proven less reliable. Systematic “no touch” ureteroscopic techniques should be utilized to survey the involved upper tract system. Tumor biopsy may be most efficiently performed with a flat wire basket or cup forceps. All specimens should be delivered fresh in normal saline to the Cytopathology laboratory as soon as possible for optimal tissue preservation. Samples are then prepared using the Cytospin technique, and a cell block is also prepared if any macroscopically visible tissue is present. Taken together, these ureteroscopic and cytopathology techniques can help obtain an accurate diagnosis and guide treatment decisions. Endoscopic treatment of UTUC with the combination of Holmium:YAG and Neodymium:YAG lasers is a promising alternative to radical nephroureterectomy in selected cases.
THE ITU TREATY NEGOTIATIONS: A CALL FOR OPENNESS AND PARTICIPATION

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is renegotiating its treaty with the 193 countries of the world, and it hopes to expand from the telecommunications arena into the Internet. However, there’s one major problem with this shift in mandate: The ITU is a closed organization and has been for nearly 150 years. The ITU’s rules and processes may have worked for the old state-run telecom monopolies, but they cannot work in regulating the Internet, where standards have been developed in an open manner since its inception. Thus, in order to gain legitimacy with the Internet community, the ITU will need to (1) open its processes for review and comment by civil society, academics, the private sector, and the public; (2) make its TIES database freely and publicly accessible for review and comment; and (3) allow multistakeholder participation in developing standards and protocols, particularly where other groups (like the IETF) are actively developing standards.
Wavelet Analysis of Seafloor Bathymetry: An Example

Abstract 1-D wavelet analysis has been shown to be useful in studying bathymetric profiles [7]. 2-D bathymetric maps are less common than 1-D profiles, but offer immensely more information about seafloor generation processes. 2-D wavelet analysis is applied to swath-mapped bathymetric data from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Both image enhancement and feature identification are performed with excellent results in the identification of the location and scarp facing direction of ridge-parallel faulting. Wavelet image processing techniques enable computer analysis of distribution and spatial patterns in faults to be performed without the tedious job of transcribing hand picked and ruler-measured fault parameters from printed images to a digital data base.
Achievable rates for relay networks using superposition coding

We investigate the superposition strategy and its usefulness in terms of achievable information theoretic rates. The achievable rate of the superposition of block Markov encoding (decode-forward) and side information encoding (compress-forward) for the three-node Gaussian relay channel is analyzed. It is generally believed that the superposition can out perform decode-forward or compress-forward due to its generality. We prove that within the class of Gaussian distributions, this is not the case: the superposition scheme only achieves a rate that is equal to the maximum of the rates achieved by decode-forward or compress-forward individually. We use the insight gathered on superposition forward scheme and devise a new coding scheme. This new scheme is termed as superposition noisy network coding. Superposition noisy network coding combines partial decode-forward with noisy network coding. The novel coding scheme is designed and analyzed for a single relay channel, single source multicast network and multiple source multicast network. The special cases of Gaussian single relay channel and two way relay channel are analyzed for superposition noisy network coding. The achievable rate of the proposed scheme is higher than the existing schemes of noisy network coding, compress-forward and binning.
Abstract 13284: A Novel Formulation of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Attenuates both Acute Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction and the Development of Pulmonary Hypertension

Background: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is an endogenous hormone that is known to relax vascular smooth muscle and has established anti-proliferative and immunomodulatory effects in the pulmonary circulation making it an attractive therapeutic target in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In the current study, a polymer-based nanocarrier (protected graft copolymer - PGC) formulation of VIP, which has been shown to increase the potency and duration of action of VIP, is used to show both acute vasodilatory effects and chronic therapeutic effects in experimental animal models of pulmonary hypertension. Methods: The isolated perfused mouse lung preparation is utilized to test acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) in mice. Two animal models of pulmonary hypertension are used in preventative experiments, chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in mice and monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats. Right ventricular systolic pressure and Fulton’s index (weight ratio of RV/[LV+Septum]) are used for measures of pulmonary hemodynamics and RV hypertrophy respectively. Results: PGC-VIP decreased resting pulmonary artery pressure and attenuated acute HPV elicited by 1% inhaled oxygen tension in a dose dependent manner from 0.1 μM to 1.0 μM. After four weeks of chronic hypoxia, both RVSP measurements and Fulton’s index were significantly decreased in mice receiving 100 mg/kg intraperitoneal PGC-VIP every other day compared to vehicle control. Higher doses were associated with mortality in the treatment group. MCT-PH rats receiving subcutaneous PGC-VIP at a dose of 250 mg/kg failed to show improvement in RVSP or Fulton’s index compared to vehicle control. Conclusion: This novel formulation of VIP demonstrates both acute and chronic vasodilatory effects in the pulmonary circulation. Treatment with PGC-VIP can attenuate the development of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, yet significant mortality is seen at higher doses. Subcutaneous injection failed to attenuate the development of experimental PH in rats, possibly due to an ineffective dose or route of administration. Further studies are underway to identify the ideal dosing strategy necessary to attenuate and potentially reverse experimental PH in animal models.
67 – An Introduction to the Earthquake Response of Structures

This chapter provides an introduction to the dynamics of earthquake response of buildings and other structures. The emphasis is on linear response, not because all significant earthquake response is within the linear range—certainly major structural damage and collapse are highly important nonlinear phenomena—but because an understanding of linear response provides an important background for formulating and understanding the complex and approximate methods of analysis used to describe nonlinear behavior. In addition, because the typical intent of earthquake-resistant design is to restrict damage to levels that are not significant safety hazards, linear analysis is often applicable to earthquake response because many structures that suffer only slight to moderate damage are capable of being described using equivalent linear properties. From the viewpoint of function and safety, the amplitude of earthquake response of a structure is perhaps best measured against the capacity of the structure to resist motions of different amplitudes, first without damage, then with damage, but without serious threat to the integrity of the structure, and finally against the level of response at which collapse is imminent. The amplitudes and frequency contents of earthquake ground motions corresponding to these levels of structural response obviously differ for different structures. The earthquake response of linear multi-degree-of-freedom structures can be introduced by considering the in-plane response of the simplified three-story building shown in chapter.
Brillouin scattering: beyond threshold

Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) can be the limiting nonlinearity in an optical fiber communications system, can provide optical amplification, or can act as an optical carrier filter. However, the analytical treatment of SBS has been limited to the undepleted pump regime and only numerical analysis is available for when the pump depletion is significant. In particular, the narrowing of the Stokes linewidth is well-known, yet the suppression of narrowing under high-gain, depleted-pump conditions has not been treated. We present a heuristic analysis to quantify pump depletion, which accurately predicts an experimentally observed linewidth minimum.
H II Shells Surrounding Wolf-Rayet Stars in M31

We present the results of an ongoing investigation to provide a detailed view of the processes by which massive stars shape the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM), from parsec to kiloparsec scales. In this paper, we focus on studying the environments of Wolf-Rayet (W-R) stars in M31 to find evidence for W-R wind–ISM interactions, through imaging ionized hydrogen nebulae surrounding these stars. We have conducted a systematic survey for H II shells surrounding 48 of the 49 known W-R stars in M31. There are 17 W-R stars surrounded by single shells, or shell fragments, seven stars surrounded by concentric, limb-brightened shells, 20 stars where there is no clear physical association of the star with nearby Hα emission, and four stars that lack nearby Hα emission. Of the 17 + 7 shells above, there are 12 that contain one or two massive stars (including a W-R star) and that are ≤40 pc in radius. These 12 shells may be classical W-R ejecta or windblown shells. Further, there may be excess Hα point-source emission associated with one of the 12 W-R stars surrounded by putative ejecta or windblown shells. There is also evidence for excess point-source emission associated with 11 other W-R stars. The excess emission may arise from unresolved circumstellar shells or within the extended outer envelopes of the stars themselves. In a few cases, we find clear morphological evidence for W-R shells interacting with each other. In several Hα images, we see W-R winds disrupting, or punching through, the walls of limb-brightened H II shells.
A stacked analog-to-digital converter providing 100 dB of dynamic range

The dynamic range requirements of a modern radar system far exceed the dynamic range attainable with available ADC technology. Traditional ways of overcoming these dynamic range limitations, including STC, AGC, and IF limiting, have serious drawbacks. The stacked ADC concept was developed to address the dynamic range limitations without the drawbacks of the traditional mitigation techniques. To demonstrate the concept, an experimental system based on the concept was built and tested. The resulting system demonstrated a dynamic range improvement over COTS ADCs of 30 dB, providing a total dynamic range of 100 dB.
The Fish Swimming Trace Undichna from the Mississippian Mauch Chunk Formation, Eastern Pennsylvania

Undichna, the swimming trace of fish, was recovered from the middle member of the Mauch Chunk Formation in eastern Pennsylvania in strata of Late Mississippian (Visean) age. These traces represent the only evidence of fish known from the Mauch Chunk Formation and the Carboniferous of Eastern Pennsylvania. The Mauch Chunk Formation in the study area is characterized by an ephemeral fluvial depositional environment that yields a diverse invertebrate ichnoassemblage of the Scoyenia ichnofacies and a tetrapod footprint assemblage dominated by the tracks of temnospondyl amphibians. The Undichna specimens are preserved on fine-grained, mudstone-draped, rippled sandstone. Two specimens, assigned to U. Britannica, consist of pairs of well-defined, narrowly incised, sinusoidal wave traces that are out-of-phase. Two specimens, assigned to U. quina, consist of two pairs of in-phase sinusoidal waves intersected by an additional single wave with a greater amplitude. Two specimens, each composed of a single wave, are a...
Far Infra-red Spectra of Montmorillonite, Kaolinite and Illite

ALTHOUGH infra-red spectra of many of the common rock-forming minerals have been presented by several investigators1–5, few results are available for the diagnostic analysis of clay minerals in the far infra-red spectral region (below 400 cm−1). This communication presents the far infra-red spectra of montmorillonite, kaolinite, and illite for the portion of the spectrum between 90 and 400 cm−1.
CAVEAT TO PROTEIN REPLACEMENT THERAPY FOR GENETIC DISEASE: IMMUNOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ACCURATE MOLECULAR DIAGNOSIS

Abstract Replacement therapy with normal protein is being tried more and more often in cases where the specific protein abnormality in a genetic disease has been identified. Results are sometimes dramatic, but mutants who produce none of the protein in question may treat the normal replacement protein as a foreign antigen and mount an immune response which could lead to treatment failure and iatrogenic disease. Where replacement therapy is contemplated the susceptibility of the mutant can be determined by searching for cross-reactive material (C.R.M.). C.R.M.-negative patients are more likely to respond unfavourably to replacement therapy than C.R.M.-positive (and C.R.M.- reduced) mutants.
COMPARISON OF PER‐RECTAL PORTAL SCINTIGRAPHY USING 99mTECHNETIUM PERTECHNETATE TO MESENTERIC INJECTION OF RADIOACTIVE MICROSPHERES FOR QUANTIFICATION OF PORTOSYSTEMIC SHUNTS IN AN EXPERIMENTAL DOG MODEL

Per-rectal portal scintigraphy using tech-netium-99m pertechnetate (99mTcO4-) was performed in 8 normal dogs before and after surgical creation of a portacaval shunt. Shunt fractions were calculated by computer assisted analysis of dynamic images (IMG) and compared to shunt fractions determined by mesenteric venous injection of radioactive microspheres (MIC). The mean pre-operative shunt fraction was 1.59% using IMG and 3.00% using MCI. The mean postoperative shunt fraction was 64.56% using IMG and 69.56% using MIC. There was excellent correlation between both methods (r2 0.94). Per-rectal portal scintigraphy is an easily performed, inexpensive method to diagnose and quantify portosystemic shunts in dogs.
Observations on the Vasodilator Properties of Urine

These experiments trace the recent interest in the vasodilator properties of urine. This interest was triggered by the incidental observation of a potent coronary dilator influence when urine was introduced into the reservoir of the isolated supported heart preparation. A comparison of human urine with nitroglycerin then revealed that 10 ml. of urine had 2 to 3 times the dilator potency of 0.6 mg. nitroglycerin. Neither agent altered myocardial oxygen consumption or efficiency at the peak of their effect. The development of a simple, rapid and reproducible bioassay technic which would permit the comparative examination of numerous samples in the same preparation was a necessary precursor to realizing the broader objective of ascertaining whether the vasodilator substance in urine has physiologic significance for circulatory regulation. Accordingly, a re-examination was made of the limitations of the femoral arterial flow technic. The irregularity in the amplitude and contour of sequential responses to the...
Acceleration of Cosmic Rays in Supernova Remnants

If the electromagnetic wave theory of pulsars is correct, then particle acceleration occurs within the nebulous debris of the supernova explosion. Model calculations show that each event produces about ${10}^{49}$ erg in ionic cosmic rays. Particle energies range from ${10}^{9}$ to ${10}^{16}$ eV (with spectral index \ensuremath{\sim} 2 before corrections for losses), and the chemical composition is mostly that of matter processed through several stages of nuclear burning. Both the electronic and the ionic components of the galactic cosmic rays can be maintained by particles accelerated in supernova remnants.
Mobility and diagenesis of Pb and 210Pb in peat

Peatlands long have been considered to preserve the record of atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic contaminants such as Pb. In the past two decades, {sup 210}Pb has been widely used to data recent strata of peat and to calculate accumulation rates. The assumption that Pb and {sup 210}Pb are immobile and not subject to diagenesis in peat has been questioned but not rigorously tested. The authors attempted to determine if Pb is mobile in peatlands and if Pb profiles are altered by diagenic processes by constructing a mass balance for Pb about a small peatland, by comparing inventories, concentrations, and accumulation rates of Pb and {sup 210}Pb in peatlands across northeastern North America, and by examining the relationship between concentrations of Pb in bog waters and peat in numerous sites. The results clearly demonstrate that Pb and {sup 210}Pb are mobilized by the organic-rich waters of peatlands. Profiles of Pb and {sup 210}Pb at depths below the water table do not preserve the record of atmospheric deposition, and inventories of Pb and {sup 210}Pb are depleted in peatland hollows. Concentrations of Pb in bog waters are regulated by the concentration of Pb in the peat and the concentration of dissolved organicmore » carbon. The mass balance for one bog indicated that over the specific three-year period of study more than 30% of inputs of Pb were not retained within the peat. As a result of this mobility, dates based on {sup 210}Pb can be biased and inaccurate by as much as 30 years. Dates based on {sup 210}Pb should be verified by other techniques, especially when the inventory of {sup 210}Pb is less than that expected from local rates of deposition.« less
The essential role of MEKK3 signaling in angiotensin II-induced calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T-cells activation.

Calcineurin is a serine/threonine protein phosphatase that plays a critical role in many physiologic processes, such as T-cell activation, apoptosis, skeletal myocyte differentiation, and cardiac hypertrophy. We determined that active MEKK3 was capable of activating calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) signaling in cardiac myocytes and reprogramming cardiac gene expression. In contrast, small interference RNA directed against MEKK3 and a dominant negative form of MEKK3 caused the reduction of NFAT activation in response to angiotensin II in cardiac myocytes. Genetic studies showed that MEKK3-deficient mouse embryo fibroblasts failed to activate calcineurin/NFAT in response to angiotensin II, a potent NFAT activator. Conversely, restoring MEKK3 to the MEKK3-deficient cells restored angiotensin II-mediated calcineurin/NFAT activation. We determined that angiotensin II induced MEKK3 phosphorylation. Thus, MEKK3 functions downstream of the AT1 receptor and is essential for calcineurin/NFAT activation. Finally, we determined that MEKK3-mediated activation of calcineurin/NFAT signaling was associated with the phosphorylation of modulatory calcineurin-interacting protein 1 at Ser108 and Ser112. Taken together, our studies reveal a previously unrecognized novel essential regulatory role of MEKK3 signaling in calcineurin/NFAT activation.
What is stressful on the road? Analysis on aggression-inducing traffic situations through self-report

An exploratory study was designed to understand how drivers perceive and interpret aggression and stress-inducing traffic situations. The goals of the study were to identify the most stressful situ...
Determinants of Performance Measurement: An Investigation into the Decision to Conduct Citizen Surveys

This article develops and tests a comprehensive framework explaining the decision to measure performance, specifically the decision of local governments to conduct citizen surveys. It is structured around a fundamental distinction between subjective performance measures obtained for use in decision making and those that are produced solely for their symbolic value. The author suggests that the field of public administration may be taking a simplified view concerning the promotion and adoption of citizen surveys, overlooking important aspects of the decision-making process of performance-oriented public managers and neglecting the impact of politics and symbols. Political rationality may undercut managerial rationality in the decision to adopt citizen surveys, and symbolic adoption may be the underlying cause of low levels of information use. This study identifies policies to increase adoption of citizen surveys but cautions that simply promoting the adoption of surveys as inherently good may be a naive and wasteful course of action. Practitioners who have already made the decision to measure subjective performance through citizen surveys, or are facing such a decision, can find in this analysis a structure to assess past decisions or guide future decisions.
The Rorschach technique: A re-evaluation

Summary Recent research on the Rorschach has not brought forth any substantial evidence that would alter the negative evaluations of earlier reviewers. If anything, recent studies add support to the conclusion that the Rorschach as a clinical instrument has too inadequate reliability and too meagre validity, even in the hands of the most expert, to justify any claims for its practical usefulness. The strong bias toward pathology in Rorschach reports on non-psychiatric subjects can lead to harmful consequences in non-psychiatric settings, such as in schools and in industry. Even in cases where harm might not result, one must weight the scant validity of the test against the fact that of all psychological assessment techniques it is the most time consuming and requires by far the most extensive training of its practitioners. Many psychologists who have looked into the matter are agreed that the 40 years of massive effort which has been lavished on the Rorschach technique has proven unfruitful, at least so far as the development of a useful psychological test is concerned. Until proponents of the Rorschach can produce evidence which substantially contradicts this verdict—and thus far such evidence is conspicuously lacking in the Rorschach textbooks—it seems not unreasonable to recommend that the Rorschach be altogether abandoned in clinical practice, and that students of clinical psychology not be required to waste their time learning the technique. The question of why the Rorschach still has so many devotees and continues to be so widely used is quite another problem and is beyond the scope of this review. A satisfactory explanation of the whole amazing phenomenon is a task for future historians of psychology and will probably have to wait upon greater knowledge of the psychology of credulity than we now possess. Meanwhile, the rate of scientific progress in clinical psychology might well be measured by the speed and thoroughness with which it gets over the Rorschach.
Continuous-flow fast atom bombardment: recent advances and applications*

Abstract Continuous-flow fast atom bombardment is a sensitive ionization technique for the analysis of charged and polar organic molecules. Advances in probe design have led to extremely stable operating conditions over many hours of use. The on-line capability of the technique for the introduction of flow-injected samples, effluent from separation techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis or microdialysis, remains a major advantage. Spectral interpretation is facilitated by the production of singly-charged species, giving the technique a useful mass range up to about 6000 u. Examples of applications are provided to illustrate the scope and utility of the technique in biological research.
The psychopathology of anancastic endogenous depression.

From a sample of 1,005 patients admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital in Aarhus for the first time during the period 1950–1959 and diagnosed as suffering from manic-depressive psychosis or endogenous depression (affective psychoses), a subsample of 104 manic-depressive patients with anancastic symptoms in the history was selected. The 104 probands were individually matched with 104 non-anancastic probands with affective psychoses. The study was designed as a follow-up study, and the patients who were still living were seen personally. In the search for factors which could be used to distinguish affective psychoses with anancastic symptoms from affective psychoses without these traits, the incidence of a number of psychopathological features was evaluated based on the case histories and the information given by the patients at the follow-up. There was no difference as far as atypical, schizophrenia-like symptoms were concerned between the anancastic probands and the controls. Manic and hypomanic features were more frequent among the controls, corresponding to a greater number of bipolar psychoses among them. At the same time, the controls showed a significant preponderance of decidedly psychotic symptoms such as disturbances of consciousness, delusions and delusion-like ideas and hallucinations. Furthermore, retardation was more frequent among the controls. There was no difference in the suicidal behaviour of the two groups. Symptoms which were more often met among the anancastic depressives were: anxiety, agitation, diurnal variation of mood and early awakening. Seasonal variation in symptomatology was also more frequent among the anancastic probands. The same held true for depersonalization. The anancastic probands showed a significant preponderance of anancastic premorbid personality features. A positive correlation was found between the number of anancastic personality features and the following symptoms: agitation, anxiety, diurnal fluctuation, seasonal variation, hypochondriacal attitude and depersonalization. On the other hand, objective retardation or flight of ideas showed a significant negative correlation. The pattern of the anancastic symptoms was rather uniform; aggressive obsessions, mostly in the form of suicidal and homicidal obsessions, were present in more than two thirds of the cases. The anancastic depressions were often less severe than non-anancastic depressions in that the latter were more often complicated by decidedly psychotic symptoms. It is possible to interpret the symptomatology of anancastic depressions as a pathoplastic influence of the anancastic personality, but it cannot be excluded that some of the symptoms like anxiety and agitation are linked to the presence of anancastic symptoms as such.
Temporal patterns of gene expression of G1‐S cyclins and cdks during the first and second mitotic cell cycles in mouse embryos

Cell-cycle progression in somatic cells is regulated by a family of cyclins and cyclindependent kinases (cdks) that form specific complexes as a function of cell-cycle progression. However, the transcript abundance of G1-S cyclins and cdks during the meiotic and mitotic cell cycles of mammalian embryos has not been previously reported. Using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that detects changes in either mRNA abundance or polyadenylation state, we examined the relative levels of gene expression for the G1-S cyclins and cdks, as well as for p21, p27, and the retinoblastoma (Rb) gene in mouse oocytes, metaphase II-arrested eggs, and 1-2-cell embryos. The PCR products for cyclins D1, D3, and A, as well as cdk4, p21, and Rb, displayed similar levels in meiotically incompetent and competent oocytes, as well as in metaphase II-arrested eggs. The levels of PCR products for cyclin D2, p27, and two forms of cdk2 were similar in meiotically incompetent and competent oocytes but decreased during oocyte maturation. Finally, the level of PCR products for cyclin E and cdk2 gradually decreased during the progression from meiotically incompetent oocytes to metaphase II-arrested eggs. When the levels of PCR products for the G1-S regulatory genes were evaluated during the first and second mitotic cell cycles, four main patterns were found: 1) steady levels for cyclin A; 2) steady levels followed by a 2-3-fold increase during the G2 phase of the second mitotic cell cycle for cyclins D1, E, cdk2, and p21; 3) a transient increase during the S and/or G2 phases of the first mitotic cell cycle for p27, cyclin D3, and the two forms of cdk2; and 4) higher levels during the first cell cycle and then a decrease with lower levels during the second mitotic cell cycle for cyclin D2 and Rb. cdk4 expression displayed a combination of patterns 2 and 3. The increase in the amount of PCR product for the cdk4 gene during the first mitotic cell cycle was due to polyadenylation, whereas the increase in the amount of PCR product for cdk4, cdk2, and cyclins D1 and E in the second mitotic cell cycle was a product of activation of the embryonic genome.
Phase stability and elasticity of C15 transition-metal intermetallic compounds

First-principle quantum mechanical calculations based on the local-density-functional theory have been performed to study the electronic, physical and metallurgical properties of C15 intermetallics MV{sub 2} (M = Zr, Hf, or Ta). The elastic constants of C15 HfV{sub 2} + Nb were measured by the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy technique. The phase stability of C15 HfV{sub 2} + Nb was studied by specific heat measurements and by transmission electron microscopy in a low temperature specimen holder. The total energies and their lattice volume dependence were used to obtain the equilibrium lattice constants and bulk modulus. The band structures at the X-point near the Fermi level were employed to understand the anomalous temperature dependence of shear modulus of the C15 intermetallics. It was found that the double degeneracy with a linear dispersion relation of electronic levels at the X-point near the Fermi surface is mainly responsible for the C15 anomalous elasticity. The density of states at the Fermi level, N(E{sub F}), and the Fermi surface geometry were obtained to understand the low temperature phase instability of C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2} and the stability of C15 TaV{sub 2}. It was proposed that the large N(E{sub F}) and Fermi surface nesting are the physical reasons for the structural instability of the C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2} at low temperatures. The relation between anomalous elasticity and structural instability of C15 HfV{sub 2} and ZrV{sub 2} is also discussed.
Comparison of kinetic data for K/V and Cs/V sulfuric acid catalysts

Abstract Intrinsic kinetics of SO2 oxidation were measured on K V and Cs V catalysts to determine the differences for the two catalysts. An external recirculation reactor was used to obtain differential reaction rates as a function of SO2 and O2 concentrations, temperatures, and catalyst properties at conversions above 90%. To eliminate effects of the support, an inert controlled pore glass silica supported the active vanadium composition. Experimental results showed significantly higher oxidation activity below 425 °C for the Cs V catalysts than for the K V catalysts. Catalysts with higher ratios of Cs V had lower activation energies below 400 °C. Distinct breaks in the Arrhenius plots occurred at 425 °C for K V = 3 and at 400 °C for Cs V = 3 . The kinetic results indicate that a V4+ species is crystallizing out of the molten salt solution more readily for the K V catalyst and for the lower Cs V ratios. A kinetic model based on a proposed reaction mechanism is shown to fit the kinetic data very well.
MO‐E‐342‐02: Quantitation in Nuclear Medicine

The quantification of function and activity plays an important role clinically in nuclear medicine. Examples include the analysis of tracer kinetics to quantify dynamic function, the determination of the fraction of the cardiac blood pool ejected during contraction, the comparison of regional localization of uptake within the heart to that of a database to facilitate the recognition of perfusion defects in cardiacimaging, and the localization of F‐18 labeled FDG in potential lesions. Despite the present clinical utility of quantification a number of factors limit current methods. The successful addressing of these factors would expand the clinical utility of quantification and are the subject current and future investigations. This lecture will provide an introduction to the application of quantification within nuclear medicine. It will point out some current deficiencies, and potential research directions aimed at over coming them. Educational Objectives: 1. Understand the various types of quantification employed in nuclear medicine. 2. Recognize some of the limitations to robust application of quantification clinically. 3. Appreciate some of the proposed methods to overcome these limitations.
Electric Field Formation during Combustion of Single Metal Particles

A strong electric field formed during the initial stage of the combustion of single Zr, Ti, Fe, and Ni particles. The electric field lasted for 20-400 ms and decayed before the particle temperature reached its maximum. A low voltage was generated during the combustion of particles initially surrounded by a thick oxide film or when the ambient oxygen concentration was low. A decrease in the rate of oxygen transport to the reaction zone generated a bipolar signal during the combustion of Zr and Ti and/or electric oscillations of 0.5-10 Hz. Melting of either the reactants, or intermediate or final products annihilated the electrical field. The maximum voltage and current were attained for particles of ∼0.8 mm diam. The largest unipolar electric voltage and current were produced during the combustion of either a Zr or a Ti particle (∼2 V and --100 mA). A rapid increase in the rate of temperature rise in Zr and Ti particles followed the annihilation of the electric field. It may have been caused by Joule heating following electric breakdown through the oxide film. A shift from homogeneous to relay-race combustion occurred upon increasing the distance between particles in a row. This shift affected the qualitative features of the generated electric field as well as the temperature at which it formed.
Different circular permutations produced different folding nuclei in proteins: a computational study.

Abstract There have been many studies about the effect of circular permutation on the transition state/folding nucleus of proteins, with sometimes conflicting conclusions from different proteins and permutations. To clarify this important issue, we have studied two circular permutations of a lattice protein model with side-chains. Both permuted sequences have essentially the same native state as the original (wild-type) sequence. Circular permutant 1 cuts at the folding nucleus of the wild-type sequence. As a result, the permutant has a drastically different nucleus and folds more slowly than wild-type. In contrast, circular permutant 2 involves an incision at a site unstructured in the wild-type transition state, and the wild-type nucleus is largely retained in the permutant. In addition, permutant 2 displays both two-state and multi-state folding, with a native-like intermediate state occasionally populated. Neither the wild-type nor permutant 1 has a similar intermediate, and both fold in an apparently two-state manner. Surprisingly, permutant 2 folds at a rate identical with that of the wild-type. The intermediate in permutant 2 is stabilised by native and non-native interactions, and cannot be classified simply as on or off-pathway. So we advise caution in attributing experimental data to on or off-pathway intermediates. Finally, our work illuminates the results on α-spectrin SH3, chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 and β-lactoglobulin, and supports a key assumption in the experimental efforts to locate potential nucleation sites of real proteins via circular permutations.
Threat or coping appraisal: determinants of SMB executives’ decision to adopt anti-malware software

This study presents an empirical investigation of factors affecting small- and medium-sized business (SMB) executives’ decision to adopt anti-malware software for their organizations. A research model was developed by adopting and expanding the protection motivation theory from health psychology, which has successfully been used to investigate the effect of threat and coping appraisal on protective actions. A questionnaire-based field survey with 239 U.S. SMB executives was conducted, and the data were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS). This study demonstrates that threat and coping appraisal successfully predict SMB executives’ anti-malware software adoption intention, leading to SMB adoption. In addition, considerable variance in adoption intention and actual SMB adoption is addressed by social influence from key stakeholders and situation-specific variables, such as IT budget and vendor support. Further, the generalizability of the model was tested using industry type and IS expertise. The adoption intention of IS experts and IT intensive industries was mainly affected by threat appraisal and social influence, while that of non-IS experts and non-IT intensive industries was significantly influenced by coping appraisal and IT budget. Vendor support was a key facilitator of the anti-malware adoption for IS experts and IT intensive industry groups, while IT budget was for non-IS expert and non-IT intensive industry groups. Key implications for theory and practice are discussed.
The split carbonyl band in the infrared spectra of halogen derivatives of 4-hydroxy-2,4-pentadienoic acid lactone

Abstract The IR spectra of a series of halogen derivatives of 4-hydroxy-2,4-pentadienoic acid lactone (protoanemonin) show, with one exception, split CO peaks commonly associated with conjugated unsaturated CO groups of small ring compounds. The intensity ratio of the two components, e max high energy: e max , low energy, decreases significantly on changing from carbon tetrachloride to chloroform solvent. The components of the split CO bands show frequency shift trends on changing the nature of the halogen or its position of substitution. The 3,5-dichloro and 3,5-diiodo derivatives possess CO bands split into triplets. The origin of the split CO bands is suggested to involve symmetric-asymmetric coupling of the CO and CC bonds of the OCC group.
Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions from herbicide-treated soybean plants

Abstract Herbicide-treated soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr. var. “Amsoy”] leaves and intact plants formed NO and NO 2 within the leaves and released them into the surrounding atmosphere. These gaseous products are thought to be due to reactions between herbicide-caused free nitrite accumulations and plant metabolites. Untreated soybean leaves and plants did not accumulate free nitrite nor evolve these nitrogen oxide gases. At relatively low concentrations of free nitrite in green leaves only NO was detected. Higher nitrite concentrations were required for NO 2 evolution. Emissions of NO and NO 2 were proportional to the amount of herbicide used. The technique for detection and measurement of NO x emissions from soybean plants is described.
An improved corresponding states method for polar fluids: Correlation of second virial coefficients

An improved four-parameter corresponding states method that includes polar fluids has been developed. The four parameters are the critical temperature, the critical pressure, the radius of gyration, and a newly developed polarity factor based on the second virial coefficient. These parameters have been used to empirically correlate pure and interaction second virial coefficients of a variety of fluids.
New dopamine receptor stimulant drug.

Es wird der Nachweis erbracht, dass2(p-nitrobenzylthio)-Imidazolin (3H) · HCl (NBTI) Dopamin-Rezeptoren von Mausen, Ratten und Affen direkt zu stimulieren vermag.
Universal critical amplitudes in finite-size scaling

It is argued that there is no nonuniversal, system-dependent, multiplicative metric factor in the finite-size scaling relation for the singular part of the free energy near a bulk critical point. New universality properties for various critical-point amplitudes follow: one universal ratio is $\frac{L}{{\ensuremath{\xi}}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}}({T}_{c})}$ in finite-size transfer-matrix calculations.
A roundup of recently published articles relevant to thoracic oncology.

Abstract We selected six publications for the "best of the month," published recently in peer-reviewed journals, covering a broad range of topics including second-hand smoking, intensive care unit admissions for patients with lung cancer, role of aspirin in preventing lung cancer, bleeding events in patients undergoing treatment with bevacizumab and requiring full anticoagulation, level of evidence used to support the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, and the use of prophylactic cranial irradiation in patient with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Metaphors of Adult Education: Beyond Penance Toward Family

Metaphoric expressions offer insight into the meanings created within given cultures. The culture of adult education is explored in this study through an analysis of metaphors elicited from weekend students. Focus group interviews produced metaphoric themes of "blessing and penance," "running and juggling," and "addiction for learning." In addition, the metaphor of "family" was cited frequently as an ideal for adult education programs. A discussion of the metaphors and suggestions for applications are provided.
Personality profiling of the modern surgical trainee: insights into generation X.

Purpose Surgical education is undergoing a revolution in its approach to training. Duty-hour limitations, the need for strong teamwork, and increased cross-coverage have all impacted the culture of a surgical residency. This, combined with the profound shift in our culture at large has led to the suggestion that our specialty is attracting a different or more "modern" trainee (Generation X) with personality attributes that differ considerably from previous surgical residents. Historically, personality profiling of surgeons (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) has favored the ESTJ personality type [extroversion (E), sensing (S), thinking (T), and judging (J)]. We hypothesized that the changing surgical training paradigms are attracting a different personality profile. To test this, we administered the MBTI examination to a large cohort of surgical trainees in one academic surgical training program. Methods In 2009, with Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, we administered online MBTI Step I form M tests to all 41 categorical surgery residents from our Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited general surgery program. The test results were distributed by a certified MBTI consultant and compared with previously published data of staff surgeons. The data were analyzed using a χ 2 analysis to determine differences between groups (α = 0.05). Results Of the 41 categorical surgery residents, 39 (95%) residents completed the MBTI assessment, (54% male). The most frequent preferential personality type of the resident surgeon was ISTJ [introversion (I)], 30.8%, n=12. When the results were compared with previously published personality profiles of practicing surgeons, there was a significant difference (p = 0.009) between E and I, contrasting the 2 groups (Table 1). However, the preferences of sensing, thinking, and judging (STJ) over all others was not significantly different (p = 0.203). Conclusion Most current surgical trainees demonstrate the I personality type. This finding contrasts with established literature, which showed a preference for the E personality type among surgeons trained under the apprenticeship model of residency. As surgical training continues to evolve, it is imperative that we consider the personality traits of the modern trainee and how they might impact the development and implementation of our educational objectives and affect relationships among staff and resident trainees.
Observations on the biology and behavior of Macrocheles mycotrupetes Krantz and Mellott (Acari: Macrochelidae)

Abstract The life history and behavior of Macrocheles mycotrupetes were examined in the laboratory. Unmated females failed to produce progeny, suggesting a mode of reproduction unlike that heretofore observed in other phoretic Macrocheles species. A discussion is presented on possible means of intergallery transfer by M. mycotrupetes based on its behavior in sand substrates and on seasonal activity of Mycotrupes gaigei and Geotrupes egeriei, its primary and secondary beetle phoronts. Laboratory observations suggest that lateral transfer of M. mycotrupetes occurs between subsurface beetle galleries, and verifies that mite movement through the sand substrate is triggered and guided by a beetle-generated kairomonal stimulus.
Saffman-Taylor fingers with anisotropic surface tension.

We present complete results for the selected width of Saffman-Taylor fingers at large velocities with and without anisotropy in the surface tension. We solve a nonlinear eigenvalue problem to obtain the scaling laws and constants relating finger width, surface tension, and anisotropy. Excellent agreement with McLean's numerical solution of the full isotropic problem is obtained. The effect of anisotropy is to allow all finger widths. We discuss the relevance of these results to recent experimental findings.
Instream flow predictions and management options for biota affected by peaking-power hydroelectric operations

Recent studies on the impact of peaking hydropower have indicated that impacts directly associated with peaking releases can be categorized as those which result from the hydraulic surge during start-up of generation and the chronic effects of frequent flow fluctuations to biota occupying the fluctuation zones. The instream flow incremental methodology (IFIM) was not designed for application to dynamic flows. In order to determine if such an application was appropriate, we chose to conduct exacting habitat descriptions at the unique zones associated with peaking hydropower (degradation, aggradation, and recovery) and combine this information with suitability criteria for the banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae) and stage/discharge records to obtain weighted usable habitat estimates under typical peaking releases. The results demonstrate that habitat declines as the peaking surge passes an area and rises during low flow periods. However, the difficulties in interpretation of the results remain. That is, the biological response (lateral or longitudinal movement or entrainment) as well as the refuge value of certain hydraulic conditions remain to be investigated. This suggests that the present management value of IFIM applied to peaking hydropower is in examining minimum habitat values that occur during the generation cycle and a comparison of gains or losses in the minimum (greatest amount of hydraulic refuge available) WUA estimates under various proposed release scenarios.
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ESCHATOLOGIES AND THEIR RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Contemporary Protestant Christians hold differing views of the future that affect their attitudes toward the environment. Dispensationalism tends to use ecological deterioration as a gauge to predict Christ's return and the end of the present age. Postmillennialism teaches that the natural and human world will improve up to Christ's return and puts responsibility on Christians for that improvement. Amillennialism and Historic Premillennialism teach that the possibility of ecological and social improvement is limited in the present age though Christians are to attempt to heal the earth's wounds to show evidence of a future renewed earth.
Dual actions of lanthanides on ACTH-inhibited leak K+ channels

Bovine adrenal zona fasciculata cells express background K+ channels (I ACchannels) whose activity is potently inhibited by ACTH. In whole cell patch clamp recordings, it was discovered that the tr...