cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Periodic cracking of elastic coatings

Abstract In this study the periodic cracking of an elastic coating bonded to a homogeneous substrate is considered. The problem is assumed to simulate the segmentation or “mud-flat” cracking of ceramic layers used as thermal barrier coatings in stationary and aircraft gas turbine engines. By expressing the displacements in terms of a combination of finite and infinite Fourier transforms, the corresponding mixed boundary value problem is reduced to an integral equation with the crack surface displacement as the unknown function. The main objective of the study is the examination of the influence of the length parameters c/b and b/h and the stiffness ratio μ 2 / μ 1 on the crack tip stress intensity factors, the crack opening displacement, the strain energy released as a result of periodic cracking, and the in-plane tensile stress on the coating surface, where c , b , h , μ 1 and μ 2 , respectively, are crack spacing, crack depth, coating thickness, shear modulus of the coating, and shear modulus of the substrate. The case of a periodically cracked strip is investigated separately and the stress intensity factors under fixed-load and fixed-grip conditions are compared. Also, the validity of the assumption made in simple energy balance calculations to the effect that the entire strain energy contained within the volume of the cell is released during periodic cracking is studied. It is shown that such an assumption is valid only for very small values of relative crack spacing c/b .
Notes from the editorial office.

The editorial office for JGIM is at Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis, and we have worked by teleconference and e-mail with Martha Gerrity in Portland along with Bill Tierney in Indianapolis. Our work with JGIM began because of Bill Tierney’s presence here. Cindy had worked with Bill previously on the journal Medical Care, and he asked her to work in the same capacity if he took on JGIM. With that background, she was ready to hit the ground running five years ago. One might say we’ve been running ever since. When we began in 2004, we were working with around 25 deputy editors; under the new editors, we now work with around 50. Working with so many deputy editors is complex and highly variable. We thank JGIM’s many authors, reviewers, and editors for their patience with the two of us. Editorial office life is fast paced and as loaded with deadlines as you might imagine. Especially when managing one or more supplements, we sometimes feel like Lucy Ricardo in the chocolate factory and are thankful that manuscripts are not delivered on a conveyor belt. Bill and Martha have helmed the journal with good humor and great purpose. They have guided JGIM to new heights, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be a vital part of the process. Working for them has been a pleasure, and we have always known that our contributions were appreciated. We thank Bill and Martha for their direction, support, and encouragement. With that encouragement, we gratefully accepted the opportunity to continue with the journal. We are pleased to be continuing with Rich Kravitz and Mitch Feldman as they begin their tenure with JGIM. During the transition, we have already been impressed by their enthusiasm and vision for the future of JGIM. We look forward to that future.
Lymph Node Micrometastases in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Clinical Applications

Abstract A large number of patients are diagnosed every year with non–small-cell lung cancer, and their prognosis and response to treatment are inversely correlated to tumor stage at initial diagnosis. Despite the surgical removal of all apparent malignancy from patients with early disease, many will relapse, presumably as a result of disease that was undetected at initial evaluation. In an effort to identify those patients who have early lymph node involvement by metastatic disease, several groups of investigators have searched for the presence of micrometastases in hematoxylin-eosin–negative lymph nodes using immunohistochemical or molecular methods. Four of six groups of investigators using immunohistochemistry have found a significant incidence of lymph node micrometastases and a direct correlation between the absence of micrometastases and disease-free survival; these are encouraging results that require confirmatory studies. Molecular methods may potentially offer increased sensitivity; however, their high cost and the requirement to process large numbers of samples limits their use to research settings at present.
Colonial Present Legacies of the Past in Contemporary Urban Practices in Cape Town, South Africa

This article historicizes the contemporary urban development and governance strategies in Cape Town, South Africa, by focusing on two periods: the British colonial era (mid to turn of the nineteent...
Lymph node histopathology in Sézary syndrome

Twenty-six lymph node biopsy specimens from twenty-three patients with Sezary syndrome were microscopically evaluated and compared with nodal specimens from six patients with pre-Sezary syndrome and four control patients with dermatopathic lymphadenopathy. Three phases of nodal involvement by cerebriform lymphocytes were perceived. A trend toward greater effacement of lymph node tissue (phase II or phase III) could be related to longer duration of disease. Unchanged stable histologic features were seen in repeated specimens at intervals as long as 6 years. Cases of pre-Sezary syndrome were of phase 0 or phase I, with nodal histology overlapping that of many of the cases of typical Sezary syndrome. In contrast to mycosis fungoides, Sezary syndrome, with its hematogenous circulation of cerebriform cells, features early recognizable nodal infiltration. The degree of nodal involvement does not consistently correlate with the prognosis.
Properties of a chiral honeycomb with a poisson's ratio of — 1

Abstract A theoretical and experimental investigation is conducted of a two-dimensionally chiral honeycomb. The honeycomb exhibits a Poisson's ratio of —1 for deformations in-plane. This Poisson's ratio is maintained over a significant range of strain, in contrast to the variation with strain seen in known negative Poisson's ratio materials.
Electrospun Fibers Incorporated With Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles and Graphene Nanoflakes for Bone Scaffolding

Sol-gel driven hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles and graphene nanoflakes were incorporated with polycaprolactone (PCL) at different concentrations, and then electrospun at various spinning conditions, such as distance, electrical potential, viscosity and pump speed. The HA nanoparticles were initially amorphous, so they were annealed at elevated temperature (750 °C) for two hours to make them crystalline. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis techniques were conducted on the produced nanocomposite fibers. The studies showed that the HA nanoparticles (20–50 nm) and graphene were well distributed in the PCL fibers (500 nm to 5 μm). We believed that such nanoscale biomaterials can accelerate the bone growth and bone regeneration for many patients who are seeking solutions.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The Relationship Between Demographic Characteristics and Nursing Problems in Home Health Care

The delivery of home health services that are accessible and cost effective is contingent on understanding the characteristics and needs of the aggregates who use the services. This study examined the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and nursing problems among a sample of home health patients. Data were gathered by retrospective record review of all 209 patients with medical-surgical problems who were discharged from home health services during a six-week period. Nursing diagnoses were identified by nurses at the time of the admission assessment. Impaired mobility, the most frequent nursing diagnosis, occurred in 73% of the sample, cardiovascular problems in 52%, and respiratory problems in 48%. Analysis of the data revealed a relationship between source of payment and age with nursing diagnosis. No significant relationship was found between nursing diagnosis and gender, although a weak relationship was identified with living arrangement. Results have important implications for the planning, delivery, and reimbursement of home care services that equitably address populations with the greatest nursing needs. If patients with specific predisposing characteristics have different needs, it may be possible to evaluate patients more accurately early in care delivery so that these needs can be more effectively met.
Corporate Responsibility: Initiatives and Mechanisms

This special issue of Business & Society explores how institutions and actors influence organizational choices regarding corporate responsibility (CR) initiatives and mechanisms. Assuming CR reflects strategic choices made by firms, the authors seek to move discussions from why aspects to aligning the why with the what/how aspects of CR. The articles in this special issue examine CR initiatives at multiple levels (the firm, industry, national, and global) as well as CR mechanisms ranging from “go-it-alone” unilateral activities to collaborative partnerships. The study goals are two-fold. First, the authors focus on firms’ attempt to create and manage a portfolio of corporate responsibilities—social, political, environmental, and economic. These responsibilities involve relationships with a range of stakeholders (investors, employees, consumers, suppliers, and distributors as well as its multiple communities), often simultaneously, and recognizing that the corporation can devote limited resources to manage...
Substrate preferences of scyphozoan Aurelia labiata polyps among common dock-building materials

New habitat on proliferating marine construction may increase jellyfish polyp populations, and thereby increase jellyfish populations worldwide. In this investigation, we examined planula settlement and polyp immigration rates of the scyphozoan Aurelia labiata Chamisso & Eysenhardt, 1821 on six common dock-building materials. The planulae and polyps preferred plastics (expanded polystyrenes, low and high density polyethylene) to rubber and treated wood when choosing habitat on man-made surfaces. Substrate surface texture and the presence/ absence of anti-fouling chemicals are discussed as possible causes for these substrate preferences. This study illustrates the potential effects of different man-made structures on jellyfish populations, and provides useful information to coastal managers and port authorities for reduction of biofouling and jellyfish bloom effects.
Predator-prey relations between age-1+ summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus, Linnaeus) and age-0 winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus, Walbaum): predator diets, prey selection, and effects of sediments and macrophytes.

Abstract Laboratory experiments and weekly trammel net surveys in the Navesink River, New Jersey (USA) were used to examine the predator–prey interaction between age-1+ summer flounder ( Paralichthys dentatus ) and age-0 winter flounder ( Pseudopleuronectes americanus ). Winter flounder (24–67 mm TL) were the dominant piscine prey of summer flounder ( n =95, 252–648 mm TL) collected in trammel nets. We observed a temporal shift in summer flounder diets from sand shrimp ( Crangon septemspinosa) and winter flounder, dominant during June and early July, to blue crabs ( Callinectes sapidus ) and other fishes (primarily Atlantic silversides, Menidia menidia and Atlantic menhaden, Brevortia tyrannus ) later in the summer. Variations in prey selection appeared to be related to changes in the spatial distribution of predators and spatio-temporal variation in prey availability. In laboratory experiments, summer flounder (271–345 mm total length, TL) preferred demersal winter flounder to a pelagic fish (Atlantic silversides) and a benthic invertebrate (sand shrimp) prey, and the vulnerability of winter flounder increased with increasing prey body size from 20 to 90 mm TL. Experiments testing habitat effects showed that mortality of winter flounder in three different size classes (20–29, 40–49, 60–69 mm TL) was not influenced by sediment grain sizes permitting differential burial of the prey. However, vegetation enhanced survival, with fish suffering lower mortality in eelgrass ( Zostera marina , 15±0.04%) than in sea lettuce ( Ulva lactuca , 38±0.04%) or bare sand (70±0.07%) when the macrophytes were planted to produce similar leaf surface areas (5000 cm 2 m −2 ). Prey vulnerability appeared to be related to the role of vision in the predator’s attack strategy and prey activity levels.
On the Stability of Gas Lubricated Triboelements Using the Step Jump Method

The step jump method was developed approximately three decades ago to help determine the stability of gas lubricated triboelements. In the approach, the force contribution from the gas layer is characterized by its step response, which is the transient force response resulting from pressure diffusion in the gas film after a step increase in film thickness. The procedure is broadened by implementing Duhamel's theorem to yield the system characteristic equation. Since its inception in the literature, the step response has been approximated in the equations of motion using a series of Laguerre polynomials, which allows for a closed form analysis. This paper will prove that using Laguerre polynomials can violate the second law of thermodynamics, and a test case will show that stability results predicted by this approach can be inaccurate. It will be proven that a mathematical correlation exists between the dynamic behavior of the gas film and the dynamic behavior of a linear viscoelastic medium. This correlation is advantageous since much of the viscoelastic theory can be applied to the dynamic analysis of gas lubricated triboelements.
Discontinuity in earning reports and managerial incentives

This paper provides a rational explanation for earnings discontinuity in the context of the agency model. A company manager often possesses private information about the project’s expected return. This information is valuable to the firm because early warning that a project is unlikely to succeed allows the firm to fire the manager and to discontinue a project with an expected loss. When issuing a report, the manager can choose to engage in real earnings management and report higher-than-actual earnings for the current period, but as a result, the overall expected cash flow from the project will be undermined. The only way to extract the manager’s private information is to offer him a generous severance payment as compensation for disclosing bad news. It is shown that any optimal contract induces overinvestment and earnings management. Furthermore, discontinuity in earnings reports arises endogenously under most circumstances. For a linear cost of misreporting, the paper presents the closed-form solution for the optimal contract and shows that the existence of an area of discontinuity in the earnings report depends negatively on the firm size and positively on the cost of managerial effort. These results are in line with empirical studies on discontinuity in earnings and executive severance agreements. ∗Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, CA 94720, 510-643-1411, or by email at fedyk@haas.berkeley.edu. I am indebted to Sunil Dutta for continuous encouragement and guidance. I am also grateful for helpful comments from Nicole Bastian-Johnson, Qintao Fan, Botond Koczegi, and John Morgan. Any remaining errors are my own.
The Effect of a Program‐Based Housing Move on Employment: HOPE VI in Atlanta

another public housing unit to those who took a housing voucher. We also compare the change in the probability of employment associated with an exogenous move and a voluntary move and find that both types of moves are associated with a greater probability of employment as
Suppression of hyperglycemia in NOD mice after inoculation with recombinant vaccinia viruses.

In autoimmune (type 1) diabetes, autoreactive lymphocytes destroy pancreatic β-cells responsible for insulin synthesis. To assess the feasibility of gene therapy for type 1 diabetes, recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV) vectors were constructed expressing pancreatic islet autoantigens proinsulin (INS) and a 55-kDa immunogenic peptide from glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), and the immunomodulatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10. To augment the beneficial effects of recombinant virus therapy, the INS and GAD genes were fused to the C terminus of the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB). Five-week-old non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice were injected once with rVV. Humoral antibody immune responses and hyperglycemia in the infected mice were analyzed.
A topology processor that tracks network modifications

Software considerations and test results are given for a topology processor that can track the changes in the network over time. It is expected that by knowing the changes from one cycle to the next, certain steps in the network solution can be avoided or replaced with steps requiring significantly less computation. The steps of particular interest are the ordering and factoring of the network solution matrix. In the operator training simulator, where solution time is critical, the simulation computation slows down when changes take place in the network, but the presented topology processor may provide the means to keep up with real time. In the security analysis real-time time sequence, computation can be saved in the state estimator if its tracking topology processor is used. The use of this topology processor modifies the solution of the tracking mode. For large topology changes, it is the same as the conventional tracking mode. But for the more common small topology changes, the matrices are not rebuilt and considerable computation time is saved. >
Estimating Global Energy Flow from the Global Upper Ocean

The relative significance of short multi-year linear trends in the global integral of 0–700 m ocean heat content anomaly (OHCA) is investigated by examining the overlapping segments of the 16-year OHCA curve from Lyman et al. (Nature 465:334–337, 2010). Segments of 4 years and less are found not to be significantly different from each other or from 0 at the 90% confidence interval. Likewise, short 5- to 7-year segments are not statistically different from each other. Ten-year and longer trends are significant and provide a useful comparison for satellite observations of the radiation imbalance at the top of the atmosphere.
A Battleground of Identity: Racial Formation and the African American Discourse on Interracial Marriage

This article utilizes a sample of letters to the editor from African American newspapers to investigate racial identity formation. Drawing on an analysis of 234 letters, published predominantly between 1925 and 1965, I examine how African American writers discussed black-white intermarriage. Writers used the issue of intermarriage to negotiate conceptions of racial identity and the politics of racial emancipation. Because of its strong symbolic implications, the intermarriage discourse became a “battleground of identity” for the conflict between two competing racial ideologies: integrationism and separatism. The battleground concept elucidates why some debates become polarized, and why it is so difficult to arbitrate them. I argue that identity battlegrounds may emerge around emotionally charged and concrete but heavily symbolic issues that densely link to key ideas in the ideological systems of two or more conflicting movements. They must be issues that none of the movements can cease to compete over without surrendering their political essence.
Mining for trigger events with survival analysis

This paper discusses a new application of data mining, quantifying the importance of responding to trigger events with reactive contacts. Trigger events happen during a customer's lifecycle and indicate some change in the relationship with the company. If detected early, the company can respond to the problem and retain the customer; otherwise the customer may switch to another company. It is usually easy to identify many potential trigger events. What is needed is a way of prioritizing which events demand interventions. We conceptualize the trigger event problem and show how survival analysis can be used to quantify the importance of addressing various trigger events. The method is illustrated on four real data sets from different industries and countries.
RNA and capsid accumulation in cowpea protoplasts that are resistant to cowpea mosaic virus strain SB.

Abstract Leaf protoplasts from the Arlington line of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) support only a limited increase of cowpea mosaic virus strain SB (CPMV-SB), whereas cowpea severe mosaic virus, another member of the comovirus group, replicates efficiently in Arlington cowpea protoplasts. CPMV-SB replicates efficiently in protoplasts of cowpea line Blackeye 5. Some characteristics of the virus-specific resistance of Arlington protoplasts to CPMV-SB are reported. Differences between progeny CPMV-SB from Arlington and Blackeye 5 protoplasts were not detected. Inoculation with CPMV-SB RNA, rather than virions, did not make Arlington protoplasts fully susceptible. These results favor, for likely involvement in the CPMV-SB restriction phenomenon, events in the virus life cycle that occur after exposure of virion RNA to the cytoplasm and before assembly of particles is completed. The accumulation of CPMV-SB RNAs of both polarities was found to be depressed in inoculated Arlington protoplasts. However, (+)RNA (virion RNA polarity) accumulated to no lesser extent, per unit of (−)RNA, in Arlington protoplasts than in, Blackeye 5 protoplasts. Capsid antigen accumulation, per unit of (+)RNA, was reduced in Arlington protoplasts as compared to Blackeye 5 protoplasts. A working hypothesis consistent with the above and other observations is that Arlington protoplasts have an inhibitory substance that interferes with the production or/and function of CPMV-SB specified proteins.
Recruiting, Redefining, and Recommitting: The Quest to Increase Socioeconomic Diversity at Amherst College

While many selective and moderately selective schools have attempted to increase the numbers of low-income students and students of color in their student body, few have successfully done so. In this qualitative case study, I examine the efforts of an elite, private, liberal arts school, Amherst College, as it increased the socioeconomic diversity of its student body, and I highlight the College's comparative success in this endeavor. Using Bourdieu's social reproduction theory as an analytic frame, I argue that Amherst's success is a result of its historic commitment to diversity and equality as well as its contemporary initiatives and the combination of multiple efforts that transcend simple rhetoric. These initiatives include widening the applicant pool by intensifying recruitment efforts and broadening definitions of merit, hiring a dynamic president as the voice and leader of the diversity movement, and garnering widespread institutional support. This article also includes a survey of the status of l...
State of Florida hurricane loss projection model: Atmospheric science component

The State of Florida has developed an open, public model for the purpose of probabilistic assessment of risk to insured residential property associated with wind damage from hurricanes. The model comprises atmospheric science, engineering, and financial/actuarial components and is planned for submission to the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology. The atmospheric component includes modeling the track and intensity life cycle of each simulated hurricane within the Florida threat area. When a model storm approaches within a damage threshold distance of a Florida zip code location, the wind field is computed by a slab model of the hurricane boundary layer coupled with a surface layer model based on the results of recent GPS sonde research. A time series of open terrain surface winds is then computed for each zip code in the threatened area. Depending on wind direction, an effective roughness length is assigned to each zip code based on the upstream fetch roughness as determined from remotely sensed land cover/land use products. Based on historical hurricane statistics, thousands of storms are simulated allowing determination of the wind risk for all residential zip code locations in Florida. The wind risk information is then provided to the engineering and loss models to assess damage and average annual loss, respectively.
Fine Structures of Starches from Long‐Grain Rice Cultivars with Different Functionality

ABSTRACT The structural features of rice starch that may contribute to differences in the functionality of three long-grain rice cultivars were studied. Dried rough rice samples of cultivars Cypress, Drew, and Wells were analyzed for milling quality, grain physical attributes, and starch structures and physicochemical properties. Drew was lower in head rice yield and translucency and higher in percentage of chalky grains compared with Cypress and Wells. Apparent amylose content (21.3–23.1%), crude protein (8.3–8.6%), and crude fat (0.48–0.64%) of milled rice flours were comparable, but pasting properties of rice flours as measured by viscoamylography, as well as starch iodine affinity and thermal properties determined by differential scanning calorimetry were different for the three cultivars. Drew had higher peak, hot paste, and breakdown viscosities, and gelatinization temperature and enthalpy. Molecular size distribution of starch fractions determined by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography s...
Effect of microsurgical and carbon dioxide and argon laser resection on recurrence of the intracerebral 9L rat gliosarcoma

The intracerebral 9L rat brain tumor was resected from 38 rats with the use of standard microsurgical techniques, the carbon dioxide laser, or the argon laser. The extent of resection was evaluated by histological examination, and the effect on survival of the three methods was compared. All three methods achieved histologically verifiable gross total resection, and tumor recurrence after resection by all three methods occurred at the same rate.
Immunohistochemical study of enteric nervous system after small bowel transplantation in humans

The neurohormonal structures of two human intestines removed due to rejection 22 months and eight months after intestinal transplantation were studied by an indirect immunohistochemical method and compared with normal ileum. The distribution and density of neurons immunoreactive for tyrosine hydroxylase, substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, neuropeptide Y, vasoactive intestinal peptide, galanin, gastrin-releasing peptide,l-enkephalin, and somatostatin were examined. Mucosal endocrine cells immunoreactive for somatostatin, peptide YY, and glucagon were also examined. Extrinsic adrenergic fibers and perivascular fibers were absent in all intestinal layers of the failed grafts. The distribution of intrinsic neurons was unchanged; however, the density was decreased by one rank. Distribution of endocrine cells of the first graft was similar to the normal. Extrinsic fibers were not detected by immunohistochemistry in human small intestinal grafts following long-term survival and eventual rejection, while the immunohistochemical expression of intrinsic neural and endocrine transmitters were well preserved.
The use of statins and lung function in current and former smokers.

Background Smokers are affected by a variety of inflammatory diseases, including COPD. Statins, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors, are used for their lipid-lowering characteristics but also appear to have antiinflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. We assessed their ability to preserve lung function in current and former smokers. Methods All smokers and ex-smokers seen at the Oklahoma City VA hospital in 2005 with abnormal baseline spirometry findings and two or more pulmonary function tests done 6 months apart were classified into obstructive and restrictive groups based on the initial PFT result. Statin use, annual decline in FEV 1 and FVC, and need for respiratory-related urgent care (emergency department or inpatient) were compared. Results Approximately one half, 215 of 418 patients, were receiving a statin. Compared to the control group, statin users had a lower decline in FEV 1 (− 0.005 ± 0.20 L/yr vs 0.085 ± 0.17 L/yr, p Conclusion In smokers and former smokers, statins are associated with a slower decline in pulmonary function, independent of the underlying lung disease. Clinical implication Prospective, randomized trials are needed to study the effect of statins on lung function.
Lattice-ordered groups whose lattices of convex l-subgroups guarantee noncommutativity

Paul Conrad has asked whether for every lattice-ordered group G, there exists an Abelian N sharing its lattice C(G) of convex l-subgroups, i.e., such that C(N)≃C(G). Several counter-examples are exhibited, including all free l-groups of uncountably infinite rank. Also, for A(ℝ) the l-group of order-automorphisms of the real line ℝ, it is shown that any N sharing its C would have to be an l-subgroup of the l-group C(ℝ) of continuous real-valued functions-and that C(C(ℝ))≄C(A(ℝ)).
Entering foster care: Foster children's accounts

Abstract This paper examines children's accounts of the events leading up to their entry into foster care. Using C. Wright Mills' concept of vocabularies of motives, these accounts are treated as rationales with which informants explain deviant living arrangements to representatives of the dominant culture. The paper distinguishes between accounts which describe how informants were drawn into foster care unwillingly and those in which they reported that they or their parents chose to use foster care to solve family problems. In the latter set of accounts, informants described how family members used foster care to reinforce a traditional family division of labor. Fathers relied on foster care because they could not take responsibility for housework and childcare; mothers for help in controlling and disciplining their children, and teenagers for assistance in expanding their opportunities and their freedom from parental control. These accounts reveal more about shared assumptions and understandings surrounding the concept of “normal” family relations than they do about the “real reasons” for the status of foster children.
Radiocarbon dates and the genesis of phytogenic near-shore sediments on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, USA

St. Catherines Island consists of a complex association of Pleistocene and Holocene sediments. The geographic location of the island at the center of Georgia Bight, a prominent re-entrant in the coastline of the southeastern USA, has resulted in the development of a very complex depositional and erosional history. For over 40,000 years the island has experienced a variety of physical, biological, and anthropological changes brought about by climatic, biotic, depositional, and anthropogenic events. Sedimentary deposits have been studied using diverse research tracks including palynology, dendrology, sedimentology, geophysics, and radiocarbon chronology, as well as archaeological techniques. This research focused on the interpretation of environments of deposition of strata that are exposed within the present surf zone, yet which bear the distinct signatures of upland/inland environments of deposition. Data derived from Late Pleistocene and Holocene accumulations of peat and mollusc- and wood-bearing muddy strata of certain on-shore and near-shore origins reveal diverse events relating to shoreline dynamics, plant community changes, and net shoreward migration of this island during the Late Holocene.
WE-A-BRA-02: First Commercial Hybrid MRI-IMRT System

The first commercially available MRI‐guided IMRT (MRIGRT) system (ViewRay, Cleveland, OH) has been installed at Washington University in St. Louis. This novel medical instrument combines magnetic resonance imaging and intensity modulated radiation therapy at a single isocenter for simultaneous use during therapy along with automated tissue tracking and beam control based on images of soft tissue acquired in real time rates of 2–4 FPS simultaneous to the delivery. The purpose of this presentation is to describe and evaluate the technical aspects of the instrument as well as its adaptive and image guided radiotherapy workflows. The ViewRay system consists of a 0.35‐T double‐doughnut MRI coupled with a gantry that houses three radiotherapy heads containing 15,000‐Ci Co‐60 sources (120° apart). IMRTdelivery is enabled by 3 doubly‐focused MLCs that serve as the only collimators for each head, allowing a maximum field size of 27 cm2 at the 105‐cm isocenter. MRIimaging is used prior to and during delivery for patient setup evaluation, adaptive radiotherapy, and tissue tracking and beam control based on real time 2–4 FPS imaging (2 FPS in 3 parallel planes or 4 FPS in a single plane). The fast MRimaging coupled with fast autocontouring, image fusion that can transfer tissue densities (via contours through bulk density or from fused CT imaging), and dose calculation facilitate real time dosedelivery evaluation, on couch reoptimization, and replanning when necessary. The instrument's multiframe per second MRimaging enables motion correlated delivery based on the actual target volumes rather than on surrogates. Following treatment, the image, contours, and control system data produce a record of the delivery that is automatically recorded and registered to the orginal plan for evaluation. All imaging and adaptive features are controlled by clinician directives at the planning stage and can be set as required, optional, or prohibited. The design and capabilities of the system create several novel concepts and promising capabilities in RT delivery from imaging and treatment to workflow and QA/QC. This presentation discusses the initial assessment of these features and their implementation and the early clinical experience with the system including validation of its capabilities. Learning Objectives: 1. To describe technical design and capabilites of ViewRay system 2. To describe adaptive and image guided RT workflow with this system 3. To present initial validation assessment of the system
Modulation of chromatin structure in the regulation of the maize Adh1 gene

Promoter DNA sequences that are important for gene regulation have been shown to be hypersensitive to nuclease digestion in the transcriptionally active chromatin of animals and their viruses. Restriction endonuclease digestion of nuclei reveals sensitivity in the 5′ flanking region of the maize Alcohol dehydrogenase-1 (Adh1) gene. There is a direct correlation between degree of sensitivity and the transcriptional state of the gene, and there are strong indications that developmental and environmental controls over Adh1 regulation operate by different mechanisms.
Effect of serum folate status on total folate and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in human skin

Background: It has been suggested that human skin color adapts to balance the need for vitamin D synthesis in comparison with the protection of DNA and folate from photodegradation. However, the folate content of human skin is unknown and may affect the effectiveness of the antifolate methotrexate for the treatment of psoriasis. Objectives: We examined whether total folate and 5-methyl-(6S)tetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) in human skin can be predicted by serum concentrations and whether there are differences in the proportion of 5-MTHF in dermis compared with epidermis. Design: Total folate (by using a microbiological assay) and 5MTHF (by using high-pressure liquid chromatography) were measured in fasting serum and fresh skin obtained at surgery by using a recovery validated extraction method. Results: Total folate in human epidermis was shown to be low compared with in many other tissues, and dermal folate was an order-of-magnitude even lower. These concentrations were directly and linearly linked to serum folate status. Although the percentage of 5-MTHF of the total in the dermis was similar to that in other organs, it was especially high in the epidermis and increased to .65% as serum folate decreased. Conclusions: The high proportion of 5-MTHF in the epidermis, which is further emphasized in subjects with a lower (10–20-nM) serum folate status, points to a special role for this form of folate in skin, perhaps as a protectant from ultraviolet-induced photosensitization reactions. 5-MTHF may also maintain methylation reactions that influence the proliferative activity. These results may help to individualize the treatment of psoriasis patients with methotrexate and folate. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.057562.
Detection of aberrant methylation of four genes in plasma DNA for the detection of breast cancer.

Purpose Novel approaches to breast cancer screening are necessary, especially in the developing world where mammography is not feasible. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that blood-based biomarkers have potential for biomarkers for breast cancer. Patients and Methods We first determined the frequency of aberrant methylation of four candidate genes (APC, GSTP1, Rassf1A, and RAR2) in primary breast cancer tissues from West African women with predominantly advanced cancers. We used a high-throughput DNA methylation assay (quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction) to examine plasma from 93 women with breast cancer and 76 controls for the presence of four methylated genes. Samples were randomly divided evenly into training and validation data sets. Cutoff values for gene positivity of the plasma-based assay and the gene panel were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves in the training data set and subsequently evaluated as a screening tool in the validation data set. Results Methylation of at least one gene resulted in a sensitivity of 62% and a specificity of 87%. Moreover, the assay successfully detected 33% (eight of 24) of early-stage tumors. Conclusion These data suggest that epigenetic markers in plasma may be of interest for detection of breast cancer. Identification of additional breast cancer specific methylated genes with higher prevalence in early stage cancers would improve this approach.
A standards-based approach to distributed air traffic management simulation

Organizations across the aviation domain are currently defining and developing a standards-based environment for sharing simulation capabilities and conducting joint experiments to meet the challenges that lie ahead for global aviation. This paper discusses an aviation community research project to define an open, standards- based set of object models, protocols, and software, designed to let simulations connect via the public Internet for research and development in air traffic management (ATM). Known as AviationSimNetreg (AviationSimNet is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation), this environment builds on existing aviation and distributed simulation standards to simulate ATM voice and data communications. It enables distributed evaluation of concepts at reduced time and cost and lowered risks. This paper begins with some historical context on the evolution of distributed simulation and then describes the AviationSimNet research results, architecture, performance characteristics, and applications. Two specific applications of the technology are discussed: a multi-organizational demonstration of airborne precision spacing and a multi-organizational experiment for defining future traffic flow management and en route interoperability requirements.
Disabling Globalization: Places of Power in Post‐Apartheid South Africa. By Gillian Hart

(2005). Disabling Globalization: Places of Power in Post-Apartheid South Africa. By Gillian Hart. Economic Geography: Vol. 81, No. 1, pp. 123-125.
Clinical Application of Dose Reconstruction Based on Full-Scope Monte Carlo Calculations: Composite Dose Reconstruction on a Deformed Phantom

†† ‡ § † The purpose of this study was to develop a system of clinical application of reconstructed dose that includes dose reconstruction, reconstructed dose registration between fractions of treatment, and dose-volume-histogram generation and to demonstrate the system on a deformable prosta te phantom. To achieve this purpose, a deformable prostate phantom was embedded into a 20 cm-deep and 40 cm-wide water phantom. The phantom was CT scanned and the anatomical models of prostate, seminal vesicles, and rectum were contoured. A coplanar 4-field intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plan was used for this study. Organ deformation was simulated by inserting a “transrectal” balloon containing 20 ml of water. A new CT scan was obtained and the deformed structures were contoured. Dose responses in phantoms and electronic portal imaging device (EPID) were calculated by using the XVMC Monte Carlo code. The IMRT plan was delivered to the two phantoms and integrated EPID images were respectively acquired. Dose reconstruction was performed on these images using the calculated responses. The deformed phantom was registered to the original phantom using an in-house developed software based on the Demons algorithm. The transfer matrix for each voxel was obtained and used to correlate the two sets of the reconstructed dose to generate a cumulative reconstructed dose on the original phantom. Forwardly calculated planning dose in the original pha ntom was compared to the cumulative reconstructed dose from EPID in the original phantom. The prescribed 200 cGy isodose lines showed little difference with respect to the “prostate” and “seminal vesicles”, but appreciable difference (3%) was observed at the dose level greater than 210 cGy. In the rectum, the reconstructed dose showed lower volume coverage by a few percent than the plan dose in the dose range of 150 to 200 cGy. Through this study, the system of clinical application of reconstructed dose was successfully developed and demonstrated. The organ deformation simulated in this study resulted in small but observable dose changes in the target and critical structure.
A Triple Helix-Loop-Helix/Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Cascade Controls Cell Elongation Downstream of Multiple Hormonal and Environmental Signaling Pathways in Arabidopsis

Environmental and endogenous signals, including light, temperature, brassinosteroid (BR), and gibberellin (GA), regulate cell elongation largely by influencing the expression of the paclobutrazol-resistant (PRE) family helix-loop-helix (HLH) factors, which promote cell elongation by interacting antagonistically with another HLH factor, IBH1. However, the molecular mechanism by which PREs and IBH1 regulate gene expression has remained unknown. Here, we show that IBH1 interacts with and inhibits a DNA binding basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein, HBI1, in Arabidopsis thaliana. Overexpression of HBI1 increased hypocotyl and petiole elongation, whereas dominant inactivation of HBI1 and its homologs caused a dwarf phenotype, indicating that HBI1 is a positive regulator of cell elongation. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that HBI1 directly bound to the promoters and activated two EXPANSIN genes encoding cell wall–loosening enzymes; HBI1’s DNA binding and transcriptional activities were inhibited by IBH1, but the inhibitory effects of IBH1 were abolished by PRE1. The results indicate that PREs activate the DNA binding bHLH factor HBI1 by sequestering its inhibitor IBH1. Altering each of the three factors affected plant sensitivities to BR, GA, temperature, and light. Our study demonstrates that PREs, IBH1, and HBI1 form a chain of antagonistic switches that regulates cell elongation downstream of multiple external and endogenous signals.
R-MAC: An Energy-Efficient MAC Protocol for Underwater Sensor Networks

Underwater sensor networks are significantly different from terrestrial sensor networks in that sound is mainly used as the communication medium. The long propagation delay and limited bandwidth of acoustic channels make the existing MAC protocols designed for radio networks either unpractical or not energy efficient for underwater sensor networks. In this paper, we propose a reservation-based MAC protocol, called R-MAC. The major design goals of R-MAC are energy efficiency and fairness. R-MAC schedules the transmissions of control packets and data packets to avoid data packet collision completely. The scheduling algorithms not only save energy but also solve the exposed terminal problem inherited in RTS/CTS-based protocols. Furthermore, the scheduling algorithms allow nodes in the network to select their own schedules, thus loosening the synchronization requirement the protocol. Additionally, R-MAC supports fairness. By simulations, we show that R-MAC is an energy efficient and fair MAC solution for underwater sensor networks.
Microelectrode array recordings of cardiac action potentials as a high throughput method to evaluate pesticide toxicity

The threat of environmental pollution, biological warfare agent dissemination and new diseases in recent decades has increased research into cell-based biosensors. The creation of this class of sensors could specifically aid the detection of toxic chemicals and their effects in the environment, such as pyrethroid pesticides. Pyrethroids are synthetic pesticides that have been used increasingly over the last decade to replace other pesticides like DDT. In this study we used a high-throughput method to detect pyrethroids by using multielectrode extracellular recordings from cardiac cells. The data from this cell-electrode hybrid system was compared to published results obtained with patch-clamp electrophysiology and also used as an alternative method to further understand pyrethroid effects. Our biosensor consisted of a confluent monolayer of cardiac myocytes cultured on microelectrode arrays (MEA) composed of 60 substrate-integrated electrodes. Spontaneous activity of these beating cells produced extracellular field potentials in the range of 100 microV to nearly 1200 microV with a beating frequency of 0.5-4 Hz. All of the tested pyrethroids; alpha-Cypermethrin, Tetramethrin and Tefluthrin, produced similar changes in the electrophysiological properties of the cardiac myocytes, namely reduced beating frequency and amplitude. The sensitivity of our toxin detection method was comparable to earlier patch-clamp studies, which indicates that, in specific applications, high-throughput extracellular methods can replace single-cell studies. Moreover, the similar effect of all three pyrethroids on the measured parameters suggests, that not only detection of the toxins but, their classification might also be possible with this method. Overall our results support the idea that whole cell biosensors might be viable alternatives when compared to current toxin detection methods.
Comparative Study of In Vivo Lymphatic Sealing Capability of the Porcine Thoracic Duct Using Laparoscopic Dissection Devices

Purpose: Sealing the lymphatic vessels during abdominal and pelvic surgery is important to prevent the leakage of lymphatic fluid and its resultant sequelae. To our knowledge we compared for the first time the quality of lymphatic sealing by each of 4 commonly used laparoscopic dissection devices.Materials and Methods: A total of 12 domestic pigs were used to test dissecting devices, including monopolar scissors (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, Ohio), Harmonic ACE™ Scalpel, LigaSure™ V, EnSeal™ and Trissector™. A midline incision was made from mid sternum to umbilicus, the diaphragm was divided and the porcine thoracic duct was isolated. In all animals each device was used to seal an area of the duct and each seal was placed at least 2 cm from the prior seal. In group 1 the thoracic duct of 6 pigs was cannulated with a 5Fr catheter and the seal was subjected to burst pressure testing using a burst pressure measuring device (Cole-Parmer, Vernon Hills, Illinois). In the 6 pigs in group 2 each seal was imm...