cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accessory posterior leg muscles encountered during surgery for achilles tendon pathology: A case series

Abstract Accessory muscles in the posterior leg compartment are commonly encountered. Although accessory muscles are usually asymptomatic, they can lead to symptomatology. Accessory muscles were found in three patients who underwent surgery for symptomatic Achilles tendon pathology . Two patients had a flexor digitorum accessorius longus muscle and one had an accessory soleus muscle. Magnetic resonance imaging is a useful resource to assess tendinopathies. If an accessory muscle is present and identified on mangnetic resonance imaging, the surgeon can tailor their surgical plan accordingly.
Series Connection of 10 kV SiC Current Switches for PWM Current Source Converter Based High Power 7.2 kV Motor Drive Applications

For the first time, two series-connected 10 kV SiC reverse-blocking switch (referred to as the current switch in this paper) consisting of the recently developed 10 kV SiC MOSFET and 10 kV SiC diode is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for a pulse width modulated current source inverter (PWM-CSI) based 7.2 kV motor drive applications. A passive RC snubber-based voltage balancing circuit is demonstrated to show excellent voltage sharing in the hard-switched conditions. The series-connected 10 kV current switch is characterized up to 6 kV blocking voltage. The experimental results show 98.6% efficiency at 10 kHz switching frequency for the 7.2 kV, 150 kVA PWM-CSI motor drive. The high switching frequency results in a 24 times smaller dc link inductor than the 6.5 kV silicon SGCT-based PWM-CSIs switched at 420 Hz.
Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction in Highland Peru

The Andean nation of Peru is currently assessed to be particularly vulnerable to climate change. Andean populations are vulnerable to both disasters and climate change effects due to poverty, food insecurity, poor health and marginalisation. Adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reduction in Peru must address systemic vulnerabilities rather than weather related disaster effects only. Policies must integrate measures to address specific hazards with programs to reduce systemic vulnerabilities and societal inequality.
Characterizations of Probability Distributions by Properties of Order Statistics I

The present paper is the first one attempting to unify and somewhat to extend the theory of characterizing probability distributions by properties of order statistics. Here we discuss the major directions of characterizations for univariate continuous distributions, though the section on characterizing distributions by sequences of moments of order statistics does not make any continuity requirement. In addition, several new results are obtained and many of the proofs of known results are new. The paper is mathematical in nature.
Interaction of hydrogen chloride and water with oxide surfaces. III - Titanium dioxide

The adsorption of hydrogen chloride and water vapors on five TiO2 powders in both the anatase and rutile crystalline forms was studied as a function of temperature, pressure, and outgas conditions. The adsorbents were characterized utilizing X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, surface area analysis, indicator method, microelectrophoresis, XPS, and infrared spectroscopy. It was found that both outgas temperature and adsorption temperature influenced the adsorption of water vapor on TiO2, while water vapor adsorption on TiO2 was completely reversible. It is argued that the number of hydroxyl groups present on the surface determines the adsorption capacity of water on the different titanium dioxides. It was found that heats of immersion in water were affected significantly by outgas temperature. Hydrogen chloride adsorption isotherms at 30 C measured on TiO2 after outgassing at 100-400 C showed that a part of the total HCl adsorbed was irreversibly adsorbed. The highest HCl adsorption capacity per unit area was exhibited by anatase, while pure rutile exhibited the lowest adsorption capacity.
Life after death: Controlling autoreactive CD8+ T-cell responses.

The uptake of apoptotic CD40L+ cells by immature dendritic cells leads to dendritic-cell activation. This mechanism might account for the generation of autoreactive CD8+ T cells in HIV infection and indicates a general mechanism for the regulation of autoimmune T-cell responses during infection. (pages 807–813 )
VESICOVAGINAL FISTULA, RADIATION, AND GYNECOLOGIC CANCER.

Abstract Radiation and combined radiation and surgical procedures were common denominators in 73 vesicovaginal fistulas reviewed at the M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute on the Gynecologic Service. Only 1.2 per cent of 2,729 patients with cervical cancer treated by radiation therapy developed vesicovaginal fistula. The rate was definitely higher in the small number of cases that had combined radiation and hysterectomy. These data show little difference in the rate of fistula formation when correlated with clinical stage of a cervical cancer. The major management experience involved colpocleisis (either complete or partial) and urinary diversion (primarily by ileal conduit but also by sigmoid conduit). Colpocleisis seems best suitable for patients with normal intravenous pyelograms, size and location of fistula permitting partial rather than complete colpocleisis, and a patient who will accept compromise of vaginal depth. Conduit urinary diversion is excellent for the fistula that cannot be closed vaginally. Other techniques, however, for vaginal fistula closure should be explored prior to selecting urinary diversion as the definitive method of management.
On a Distribution Associated with a Stochastic Process in Ecology

Poisson processes {X(t), t > 0} are suitable models for a broad variety of counting processes in Ecology. For example, when analyzing data that apparently came from Poisson population, over-dispersion [i.e. V(X(t)) > E(X(t))] or under-dispersion [i.e. V(X(t)) < E(X(t))] is encountered. This led CONSUL and JAIN (1973), and JANARDAN and SCHAEFFER (1977) to consider a generalization of the Poisson distribution called Lagrangian Poisson distribution. JANARDAN (1980) modified the Poisson process and derived a stochastic model for the number of eggs laid by a parasite on a host. This distribution is very suitable for fitting data with over- (or under-) dispersion. JANARDAN et al. (1981) considered this stochastic model and applied it to study the variation of the distribution of chromosome aberrations in human and animal cells subject to radiation or chemical insults. Here, we present a new approach for the derivation of this distribution and provide some alternative chance mechanisms for the genesis of the distribution. Moments, moment properties, and some applications are also given.
Importance of anion in hypotonic volume regulation of rabbit proximal straight tubule.

Rabbit proximal straight tubules rapidly swell to a maximum volume when abruptly immersed into hypotonic medium. However, in a second, slower phase, termed volume regulatory decrease (VRD), tubules...
Downstaging of hepatocellular cancer before liver transplant: Long-term outcome compared to tumors within Milan criteria

We report long-term intention-to-treat outcome of 118 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing down-staging to within Milan/UNOS T2 criteria before liver transplantation (LT) since 2002, and compare the results with 488 patients listed for LT with HCC meeting T2 criteria at listing in the same period. The down-staging subgroups include 1 lesion >5 cm and ≤8 cm (n=43), 2 or 3 lesions at least one >3 cm and ≤5 cm with total tumor diameter ≤8 cm (n=61), or 4 to 5 lesions each ≤3 cm with total tumor diameter ≤8 cm (n=14). In the down-staging group, 64 patients (54.2%) had received LT, and 5 (7.5%) developed HCC recurrence. Two of the 5 patients with HCC recurrence had 4–5 tumors at presentation. The 1- and 2-year cumulative probabilities for dropout (competing risk) were 24.1% and 34.2% in the down-staging group, versus 20.3% and 25.6% in the T2 group (p=0.04). The Kaplan-Meier 5-year post-transplant survival and recurrence-free probabilities were 77.8% and 90.8%, respectively, in the down-staging group, versus 81% and 88%, respectively, in the T2 group (p=0.69 and p=0.66, respectively). The 5-year intention-to-treat survival was 56.1% in the down-staging group, versus 63.3% in the T2 group (p=0.29). Factors predicting dropout in the down-staging group included pre-treatment alpha-fetoprotein ≥1000 ng/mL (multivariate HR 2.42, p=0.02) and Child’s B versus Child’s A cirrhosis (multivariate HR 2.19, p=0.04). Conclusion: Successful down-staging of HCC to within T2 criteria was associated with a low rate of HCC recurrence and excellent post-transplant survival, comparable to those meeting T2 criteria without down-staging. Due to the small number of patients with 4–5 tumors, further investigations are needed to confirm the efficacy of down-staging in this subgroup.
Construction of filter vectors for the information-efficient spectral imaging sensor

The information-efficient spectral imaging sensor (ISIS) seeks to improve system performance by processing hyperspectral information in the optical hardware. Its output may be a gray scale image in which one attempts to maximize the contrast between a given target and the background. Alternatively, its output may be a small number of images, rather than a full data cube, that retain the essential information required in the application. The principal advantage of ISIS is that it offers the discrimination of hyperspectral imaging while achieving the signal-to-noise ratio of multispectral imaging. The paper focuses on construction of the filter vectors that are needed to program ISIS. The instrument produces an image which is essentially a dot product of the scene and the filter vector. Both single vector and multiple vector approaches are considered. Also, they discuss some subtle points related to optimizing the filter vectors.
Development of a crack type index

Many automated systems for crack analysis have been developed to measure the extent and severity of pavement cracking objectively. However, the accuracy of such an automated crack analysis system has not been satisfactory. This paper presents a crack type index (CTI) that can be easily adopted to determine the crack type objectively as longitudinal, transverse, and alligator cracking. The CTI is based on the spatial distribution of the image tiles rather than image pixels, where a tile is defined as a subimage of a whole digital image. The spatial distribution of image tiles is analyzed vertically and horizontally, with a resulting single index, which can be used to identify a spatial orientation of cracking. To determine the accurate CTI threshold values for longitudinal, transverse, and alligator cracks, 150 pavement images were captured with a digital video camera mounted on a sport-utility vehicle: 50 images for each of three types of cracking. These 150 images were analyzed automatically to compute t...
Influence of spectral quality on the growth response of intact bean plants to brassinosteroid, a growth-promoting steroidal lactone. II. Chlorophyll content and partitioning of assimilate

The chlorophyll content and partitioning of assimilate of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Pinto′) plants were determined 6 days after treatment of the second internode (I2 with 5 μg of brassinosteroid (BR), a growth-promoting steroidal lactone. Plants were grown for 6 days under equal levels (90 μmol s-1 m-2) of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) provided by cool white fluorescent (CWF) or incandescent (INC) lamps and equal levels of far-red (28 W m-2, 700–800 nm) radiation provided by the same INC or far-red (FR) fluorescent lamps. Brassinosteroid treatment had no appreciable effect on total biomass production but caused a decrease of 15–20% dry matter distribution in the upper portion of the shoot, a small (4%) but constant increase in dry matter in l2 and a large (11–16%) increase in dry matter in the lower portion of the shoot (especially I1). Treatment with BR increased assimilate accumulation in the primary leaves, especially under INC and FR lamps, and reduced dry matter in the trifoliate leaves. BR also caused a 16–21% reduction in total leaf area and even a greater reduction in area of the trifoliate leaves, but significantly increased specific leaf weight of the primary leaves and the first trifoliate leaf and the amount of dry matter in the lateral shoots under all radiation sources. In comparison to controls, BR treatment increased dry matter accumulation in the treated internode 3.3x under CWF and 1.6x under INC or FR. BR treatment also increased chlorophyll content in the primary leaves under all radiation sources and in the trifoliate leaves under CWF and INC lamps. These findings suggest a possible mobilization role of BR and establish the importance of adequate PPFD (and photosynthate) for maximum swelling and splitting response to brassinosteroid.
Enhancing national solidarity through the deployment of verbal categories: How the Albanian Admirative participates in the construction of a reliable self and an unreliable other

The deployment of the Albanian admirative as well as the evidential particles kinse ‘allegedly’ and gjoja ‘supposedly’ in Kosovar electronic news sources to render either dubitative or neutral reports — depending on both the source and the timing — contributed to the project of an independent Kosovo. The usages can be divided into three periods: 1994–1997, 1998–1999, and post-1999. During the first period, usage was exclusively dubitative and deployed for Serbian news sources. During the second period, which corresponded to the intensification of the armed uprising, usage shifted to neutrality, and during the third period, after the NATO bombing campaign, it returned somewhat to dubitativity, this time aimed at UN and NATO sources. The discussion demonstrates how pragmatics and grammatical categories contribute to the construction of political narratives and argues that a socially informed linguistic analysis is crucial to understanding how politics is performed in the world.
An architectural pattern for non-functional dependability requirements

We address the research question of transforming dependability requirements into corresponding software architecture constructs. by proposing first that dependability needs can be classified into three types of requirements and second, an architectural pattern that allows requirements engineers and architects to map dependability requirements into three corresponding types of architectural components. The proposed pattern is general enough to work with existing requirements techniques and existing software architectural styles, including enterprise and product-line architectures.
Electronic Funds and Benefits Transfers, E-Government, and the Winter Commission

This article examines how electronic funds transfers and electronic benefit transfers have become integral com ponents of digital government. These technologies have forwarded many of the principles of the Winter Com mission including the development of lean, responsive government. The greater efficiency and cost savings for the federal and most state governments have not been achieved without encountering and dealing with serious matters related to customer service, contracting, col laboration, management, and implementation. These issues arise in the normal daily use of electronic payment technologies, but they are magnified in crisis situations, as demonstrated by disaster relief operations during Hurricane Katrina.
Probabilistic routing in on-body sensor networks with postural disconnections

This paper presents a novel store-and-forward packet routing algorithm for Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) with frequent postural partitioning. A prototype WBAN has been constructed for experimentally characterizing on-body topology disconnections in the presence of ultra short range radio links, unpredictable RF attenuation, and human postural mobility. A probabilistic packet routing protocol is then developed using a stochastic link cost, reflecting the body postural trends. The performance of the proposed protocol is evaluated experimentally and via simulation, and is compared with a generic probabilistic routing protocol and a specialized on-body packet flooding mechanism that provides the routing delay lower-bounds. It is shown that via successful modeling of the spatio-temporal locality of link disconnection patterns, the proposed algorithm can provide better routing delay performance compared to the existing probabilistic routing protocols in the literature.
Studying L2 writers’ digital writing: An argument for post-critical methods

Abstract Because the fields of digital writing and second language (L2) writing both have rich methodological traditions, researchers designing a study that examines issues at the intersection of these two fields have multiple methodological traditions to draw upon. Recognizing the choices that researchers face, we advocate adopting post-critical methodologies, as articulated by Patricia Sullivan and James E. Porter for these digital/L2 inquiries. A post-critical approach, we believe, enhances these studies by emphasizing their interdisciplinary and ideological nature. After defining what a post-critical methodology entails, we connect it to recent research trends in digital writing, L2 writing, and L2 studies. To help future researchers design digital/L2 writing studies, we explain the implications of these approaches.
A three-dimensional morphed potential of Ne–HCl including the ground state deuterated Σ bending vibration

Abstract The ground state submillimeter spectrum of the Σ bending vibrations of 20 Ne–D 35 Cl and 20 Ne–D 37 Cl have been recorded in a coaxially-configured supersonic jet and band origin frequencies determined at 259.1348291(22) and 258.0180035(22) GHz, respectively. The recorded data were analyzed and included with other available experimental data to generate a fully three-dimensional morphed potential energy surface for the Ne–HCl potential having V min (0°) = −90.2(37) cm −1 , R min (0°) = 3.45(1) A, and V min (180°) = −74.8(30) cm −1 , R min (180°) = 3.13(1) A with a barrier height of 46.7(41) cm −1 . This morphed potential energy surface is compared with previously generated ab initio and semi-empirical potentials for Ne–HCl.
C2 crossing laminar screws: cadaveric morphometric analysis.

OBJECTIVE C2 screw fixation through the pars or pedicle involves a small but finite risk of vertebral artery injury. Recently, C2 crossing laminar screws were described as a method for rigid fixation of the axis. This technique, confined to the dorsal aspect of C2, presents minimal chance of injury to the neighboring neural or vascular structures. METHODS Morphometric analysis was performed on 38 cadaveric spines obtained from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Critical measurements were determined for screw entry points, trajectories, and lengths for application of the technique, as described by Wright, using 3.5 and 4.0 mm screws. RESULTS The average maximal screw length was 32 mm with a range of 27 to 37 mm. The minimal total laminar cross sectional area averaged 75 mm2, and the cancellous bone cross sectional area averaged 39 mm2. The minimal laminar cross sectional diameter was determined to be too small to accommodate a 3.5-mm diameter screw, assuming a 1 mm tolerance on each side, in 16 sides of 14 specimens, and to be too small to accommodate a 4.0 mm diameter screw, assuming a 1 millimeter tolerance, in 32 sides of 18 specimens. CONCLUSION C2 laminar screw placement is straightforward and carries little risk of injury to the neural and vascular structures as long as the implants remain intraosseous. However, the highly variable thickness of the C2 lamina necessitates preoperative computed tomographic scanning to ensure that the patient's anatomy can accommodate screws entirely within the bone.
Factor of safety method, application to air and noise pollution

Abstract Using an array of air quality indices we calculate air pollution factors of safety for 82 cities in the United States. These factors of safety are based upon reported concentrations of the five major pollutants: TSP, SO 2 , CO, NO 2 and O 3 . Significant correlations are found between the various factors of safety. The ICAAS index based upon a bi-quadratic form provides a continuous mathematical function which correlates well with the pollution standard index. In addition, some noise pollution factors of safety are given for a number of cities. We consider an adaptation of our procedure which uses a combinatorial rule on risk rather than on scaled concentrations. Some examples of the applications of these indices are discussed; in particular the utilization of the indices for air quality decision making. Special consideration is given to the impact of the recently changed oxidant standard.
The fragmentation of exo-5-norbornenyl-2-oxychlorocarbene: stereochemistry and mechanism

The fragmentation of (S)-exo-5-norbornenyl-2-oxychlorocarbene (3) affords (S)-exo-5-norbornenyl-2-chloride (4), (R)-endo-5-norbornenyl-2-chloride (5), and (S)-3-nortricyclyl chloride (6) with varying degrees of enantiomeric excess. A weighted blend of SNi fragmentation and escape to norbornenyl/nortricyclyl ion pairs rationalizes the stereochemical results.
Role of NHERF and scaffolding proteins in proximal tubule transport.

Eukaryotic cells coordinate specific responses to hormones and growth factors by spatial and temporal organization of “signaling components.” Through the formation of multiprotein complexes, cells are able to generate “signaling components” that transduce hormone signals through proteins, such as PSD-95/Dlg/ZO-1(PDZ)-containing proteins that associate by stable and dynamic interactions. The PDZ homology domain is a common protein interaction domain in eukaryotes and with greater than 500 PDZ domains identified, it is the most abundant protein interaction domain in eukaryotic cells. The NHERF (sodium hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor) proteins are PDZ domain-containing proteins that play an important role in maintaining and regulating cell function. NHERF-1 was initially identified as a brush border membrane-associated phosphoprotein essential for the cAMP/PKA-induced inhibition of the sodium hydrogen exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3). Mouse, rabbit and human renal proximal tubules also express NHERF-2 (E3KARP), a structurally related protein, which in model cell systems also binds NHE3 and mediates its inhibition by cAMP. PDZK1 (NHERF-3) and IKEPP (NHERF-4) were later identified and found to have similar homology domains, leading to their recent reclassification. Although studies have revealed similar binding partners and overlapping functions for the NHERF proteins, it is clear that there is a significant amount of specificity between them. This review focuses primarily on NHERF-1, as the prototypical PDZ protein and will give a brief summary of its role in phosphate transport and the development of some forms of nephrolithiasis.
Remote Sensing of Ammonia and Sulfur Dioxide from On-Road Light Duty Vehicles

This study reports the largest data set of on-road, fuel-based mass emissions of ammonia and sulfur dioxide from vehicles of known make, model year, and fuel type. Ammonia is the first pollutant observed for which the emissions decrease with increasing fleet age from 10 to 20 years. The fixed nitrogen emission ratio is 15.0% by mass and 24.7% by mole, larger than current models predict. Diesel fueled vehicles emit more SO2 than gasoline, and unexpectedly, gasoline SO2 emissions decrease continuously with newer model year vehicles.
Leukocyte Chemotaxis to the Dermal-Epidermal Junction of Human Skin Mediated by Pemphigoid Antibody and Complement: Mechanism of Cell Attachment in the in Vitro Leukocyte Attachment Method

In a previous study a functional interaction between pemphigoid antibodies, pemphigoid antigen, serum complement, and leukocytes was shown using the leukocyte attachment method for detecting immune complexes in skin. In the method, leukocytes suspended in fresh serum attached in a specific linear pattern to the dermal-epidermal junction of skin sections pretreated with pemphigoid sera containing complement-binding anti-basement membrane zone antibodies. In this study, the mechanism of the attachment reaction has been investigated using a modification of the method as a visual assay of leukocyte migration on skin. Using the visual assay it was shown that leukocyte attachment is dependent on directed migration of cells to the dermal-epidermal junction. Chemotaxis mediated by pemphigoid antibodies and fresh serum was confirmed by continuous observation, analysis of time-sequence photomicrographs of cell migration and cinematography. A requirement for leukocyte migration in the standard leukocyte attachment assay was supported by showing that attachment could be inhibited by leukocyte "deactivation" and by treatment of cells with the inhibitors of migration, cytochalasin B and colchicine. Using decomplemented sera, C2-deficient serum and skin-antibody-complement intermediates, leukocyte chemotaxis and attachment to the junction was shown to require complement and functional evidence for activation via the classical pathway and a role for C5 demonstrated. These studies show that leukocyte attachment is dependent on chemotaxis and that pemphigoid antibody-mediated complement activation can support one (chemotaxis) and probably 2 (immune adherence) inflammatory cell functions. Furthermore, they provide additional functional evidence that pemphigoid antibodies may be important in the pathogenesis of cutaneous inflammation in bullous pemphigoid.
Eph and ephrin signaling in the formation of topographic maps.

Abstract The axonal connections between the retina and its midbrain target, the superior colliculus (SC), is mapped topographically, such that the spatial relationships of cell bodies in the retina are maintained when terminating in the SC. Topographic map development uses a Cartesian mapping system such that each axis of the retina is mapped independently. Along the nasal–temporal mapping axis, EphAs and ephrin-As, are graded molecular cues required for topographic mapping while the dorsal–ventral axis is mapped in part via EphB and ephrin-Bs. Because both Ephs and ephrins are cell surface molecules they can signal in the forward and reverse directions. Eph/ephrin signaling leads to changes in cytoskeletal dynamics that lead to actin depolymerization and endocytosis guiding axons via attraction and repulsion.
Temperature, stability, and the hydrophobic interaction

Changes in free energy are normally used to track the effect of temperature on the stability of proteins and hydrophobic interactions. Use of this procedure on the aqueous solubility of hydrocarbons, a standard representation of the hydrophobic effect, leads to the conclusion that the hydrophobic effect increases in strength as the temperature is raised to approximately 140 degrees C. Acceptance of this interpretation leads to a number of far-reaching conclusions that are at variance with the original conception of the hydrophobic effect and add considerably to the complexity of interpretation. There are two legitimate thermodynamic functions that can be used to look at stability as a function of temperature: the standard Gibbs free energy change, deltaG degrees, and deltaG degrees/T. The latter is proportional to the log of the equilibrium constant and is sometimes called the Massieu-Planck function. Arguments are presented for using deltaG degrees/T rather than deltaG degrees for variations in stability with temperature. This makes a considerable difference in the interpretation of the hydrophobic interaction, but makes little change in the stability profile of proteins. Protein unfolding and the aqueous solubility of benzene are given as examples. The contrast between protein unfolding and the hydration of nonpolar molecules provides a rough estimate of the contribution of other factors that stabilize and destabilize protein structure.
Lake Rudolf as an Iconic Geographic Space in East Africa

Iconic geographic spaces come into being because they are unique and offer opportunities for self-challenge and accomplishment. Lake Rudolf (Lake Tur- kana) in East Africa has been such an iconic space during the precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial eras. While a number of early travelers to the lake pursued objec- tives such as hunting, scientific inquiry, and furthering the aims of colonial powers, they also frequently derived self-satisfaction from having ''reached'' this iconic geo- graphic space. An examination of some of these travelers' experiences reveals the centrality of the lake's iconic space attraction for them and how it met individual needs for self-fulfillment and accomplishment. Lake Rudolf, now known as Lake Turkana, lies in the eastern arm of the Rift Valley in East Africa. Fed by the Omo River, which flows south from the Ethiopian highlands, it lies mostly within independent Kenya (Butzer 1971: 136). However, in previous decades, when the lake's level was con- siderably higher, much of the northern end lay in Ethiopia. Situated in an inhospitable landscape of dormant volcanoes, windswept desert, and old lava flows, the lake's waters are brackish because they have no outlet. The lake is about 155 miles long and from 10 to 15 miles wide. Of little value in terms of commerce, industry, or transportation, Lake Rudolf rapidly became an iconic geographic space in East Africa at the end of the nineteenth century. Early interest in it by Europeans was driven by a variety of motivations, including exploration, hunting, ivory trading, and, most important, colonial expansion. For at the time Lake Rudolf was believed to be a possible source of the Nile, and thus crucial to European colonial ambitions to control the river. Although Great Britain eventually
Gelation and interaction in plasticizer/PVC solutions

Gelation of PVC solutions is generally agreed to result from network formation. The proposed network linkages include crystallites, hydrogen-bonds, and entanglements brought about by spinodal decomposition. The objective of this work is to relate the phase behavior or compatibility of PVC/plasticizer solutions to their gelation behavior. The thermoreversible sol-gel transition of plasticized PVC was studied using a simultaneous light scattering and dynamic viscoelastic analysis technique, in parallel with a thermal optical analysis (TOA). PVC solutions of 1% to 15% in different types of phthalate and sebecate plasticizers were used. Preliminary results suggest phase separation in the less compatible plasticizer during gelation process while more compatible plasticizer/PVC solutions gel without phase separation. This suggests that the gelation process can be relatively independent of the liquid-liquid phase equilibria in the system.
Aurelianis civitas: Student Unrest in Medieval France and a Conductus by Philip the Chancellor

Among the three principal medieval musical genres now commonly associated with the repertory of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, the conductus has habitually received less- scholarly attention than the organa and motets from the same sources. The only surviving contemporaneous report of the Orleans riot that prompted the composition of Aurelianis civitas occurs in the Chronica maiora of the English Benedictine monk and historian Matthew Paris. The initial victims of deadly violence were students, young men engaged in programs of study at the budding university schools in Orleans. In both Matthew Paris's chronicle and Aurelianis civitas the attention devoted to students is conspicuous and significant. Any allusion to education in the context of thirteenth-century France would immediately bring the University of Paris to mind. By the end of the twelfth century, educational resources in Paris had grown into a large phalanx of schools, staffed by masters who had migrated to the city to teach for pay.
Viability and patch occupancy of a swamp rabbit metapopulation at the northern edge of its distribution

Abstract Swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) are state-endangered in Indiana, USA, and population decline has been attributed to habitat loss. We conducted pellet surveys as part of a long-term survey effort that has been conducted at approximate 10-year intervals over the last 40 years. We modeled patch occupancy and conducted a spatially-explicit population viability analysis (PVA). Although occupancy of individual patches varied over time, occupancy rate has been constant for the last 30 years, and Indiana swamp rabbits exist as a metapopulation that appears to be stable. Metapopulation dynamics were best characterized as being stationary, but area was an important factor in extinction rates; occupied patches (142 ± 37 ha) were significantly larger (P = 0.01) than unoccupied patches (79 ± 20 ha). We did not find strong support for models with colonization rates as a function of distance to neighboring patches, nor was distance to contiguous patches of habitat significantly different (P = 0.12) for occupied and unoccupied sites. Population viability analysis corroborated our findings based on occupancy modeling, and evaluation of the PVA model using occupancy data for the period 1985–2006 resulted in predictions that nearly matched our field observations (33% observed patch occupancy vs. 25% predicted patch occupancy). Population viability was most sensitive to reductions in survival and fecundity rates, but was otherwise robust to changes in parameters such as initial abundance and carrying capacity. Our findings provide novel insights into a poorly studied member of Sylvilagus and into species metapopulation dynamics at the edge of the range.
Could labeled neuronal progenitor cells be used to target glioma tumor endothelium

Murine Neuronal Progenitor Cells are Preferentially Recruited to Tumor Vasculature via a4-Integrin and SDF-1a Dependent MechanismsJennifer R Allport, Vivek R Shinde Patil and Ralph Weissleder
Phenobarbital promotion in diethylnitrosamine-initiated infant B6C3F1 mice: influence of gender.

Phenobarbital (PB) promotes hepatic tumorigenesis when chronically administered to male B6C3F1 mice after initiation with diethylnitrosamine (DENA) at 30 days of age. In contrast, when male B6C3F1 mice were initiated with DENA at 15 days of age, an inhibition of hepatic tumorigenesis occurred. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of gender on the inhibiting ability of PB in the 15 day old DENA-initiated B6C3F1 mouse. Mice were injected with either DENA (5 micrograms/g) or saline at 15 days of age. At weaning mice were given either PB (500 p.p.m.) containing drinking water or deionized drinking water for 24 weeks. Male mice treated with DENA and PB demonstrated a significant decrease in the number of hepatocellular adenomas compared to males receiving DENA only. In contrast, females exposed to DENA and PB exhibited an enhancement of hepatic adenoma number compared to those receiving only DENA. In an additional experiment, individual preneoplastic foci from male and female B6C3F1 mice initiated with DENA at 15 days of age were examined for their responsiveness to the mitogenic stimuli of PB. Mice were exposed to either PB-containing or PB-free drinking water for 7 days. In non-PB treated males and females, preneoplastic hepatocytes demonstrated higher rates of DNA synthetic labelling compared to normal hepatocytes with no gender difference noted. Males exposed to PB exhibited increased levels of DNA synthesis in normal cells but not in preneoplastic foci. Females treated with PB, however, demonstrated significant increases in DNA synthesis in both preneoplastic and normal hepatocytes compared to non-PB treated females and PB-treated males. These findings suggest that in male mice initiated with DENA at 15 days of age, the preneoplastic foci are refractory to the proliferative effects of PB which may account for the observed inhibition of hepatic tumorigenesis by PB in this mouse strain.
SU‐E‐I‐16: CBCT with Flexible Imaging Trajectories to Improve Image Quality and Longitudinal Coverage — Concept, Simulation and Digital Phantom Study

Purpose: Cone beam CT(CBCT)image quality and volumetric coverage are very important for patient treatments.LINAC ‐mounted CBCT (Varian Trilogy) has limited 17 cm longitudinal coverage, not enough for many clinical sites including head‐neck. CBCT also suffers from poor image quality especially in the most superior and inferior slices. These problems hold back the usage of CBCT in many quantitative studies, including tumor response evaluation and daily dose computation. In this study, we evaluated a new idea of flexible X‐ray source trajectory CBCT to overcome these limitations. Methods: The core concept is to combine gantry rotation with simultaneous couch motion during CBCT acquisition. Longitudinal coverage can therefore be extended without interruption. Image quality can be enhanced by improving the image reconstruction algorithms which supports the flexible imaging‐trajectory utilizing all the projection data. To test these new ideas, we implemented CBCT simulation software tools to compute the projection images of digital phantoms according to any flexible source trajectories. We improved the FDK algorithm to reconstructimages from the simulation projection data. Results: We studied a few different source trajectory models including double circle and helical. The initial results were encouraging. The longitudinal coverage was extended. Image quality has been improved even with simple FDK reconstruction algorithm, comparing to multiple individual scans with a couch shift in‐between. Conclusions: We are still at the beginning of the project. It is quite clear that the new CBCT method has great potential. We are developing better reconstruction algorithms to fully take advantages of the new methods for image quality improvement. We are optimizing the source trajectory designs, mathematically and with simulation, to improve image quality, dose exposure and scan time. Anthropomorphic phantom studies with Varian TrueBeam, which could support this proposed CBCT method, are also planned. This projection is partially supported by a Varian MRA grant with Washington University in Saint Louis.
Changes in adenylyl cyclase isoforms as a mechanism for thyroid hormone modulation of cardiac β-adrenergic receptor responsiveness

Although thyroid hormones are known to modulate cardiac β-adrenergic receptor expression, the physiologic implications of these changes in the cardiac manifestations of altered thyroid hormone metabolism have been disputed. This study examined whether thyroid hormone modulates signaling via the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway by regulating cardiac adenylyl cyclase (AC) isoform expression. Northern blot analyses and AC enzyme assays were performed on preparations ffrom hypothyroid, euthyroid, and hyperthyroid rat ventricles. Steady-state levels of cardiac AC mRNA types V and VI in hypothyroid ventricles were 173% ± 8% and 149% ± 12%, respectively, of the values in euthyroid ventricles ( P P
Commentary on Skye Haberman's “Multiple Meanings of Primitive Symbolic Play: Whose Poop Is It? Case Presentation of the Four Year Treatment of a Latency Age Girl”

In reading this fascinating paper, I have had an unusual difficulty. The paper is about a mother and child: Susan is the mother; Lily is the child. In reading it and thinking about it, I have diffi...
Longitudinal Variations in the Ichthyofaunal Assemblages of the Upper Cahaba River: Possible Effects of Urbanization in a Watershed

ABSTRACT We conducted an ichthyofaunal bioassessment on the upper Cahaba River in north central Alabama during the fall of 1995, the spring and fall of 1996, and the spring of 1997. There were trends denoting a loss of habitat stability in areas impacted by anthropogenic sources of pollution, particularly siltation. Negative longitudinal trends were recorded for the index of biotic integrity, sum of studentized residuals (after linear regression of various metrics on drainage area), and the Jaccard index. Several species of cyprinids and percids, which are sensitive to anthropogenic disturbances, are becoming less abundant in the system. We conclude that these changes are related to point and non-point sources of pollution from metropolitan Birmingham.
Remembrances of Frisch

Abstract The paper reviews Frisch's enormous contribution in the progress of economics over the last decades. Special attention is paid to Frisch's work on ‘macrodynamic modelling’, utility measurement from demand data index number theory and axiomatics in economics.
Specific chromosome defect associated with human small-cell lung cancer; deletion 3p(14-23)

A specific, acquired chromosomal abnormality (deletion 3p) has been found in at least one chromosome 3 in 100 percent of the metaphases in 12 of 12 cell lines cultured from human small-cell lung cancer tissue and in 2-day tumor culture specimens from three patients. Analysis of the shortest region of overlap shows the deletion to be 3p(14-23). This specific change was not seen in five of five lung cancer cell lines other than small-cell lung cancer or in two lymphoblastoid lines cultured from cells of small-cell lung cancer patients whose tumors had the 3p deletion.
Preventing severe hypoxia during emergent intubation: is nasopharyngeal oxygenation the answer?

Critically ill patients requiring emergent endotracheal intubation are at risk for life-threatening hypoxemia during the intubation procedure, particularly when the patient is apneic and not receiving any supplemental oxygen. In a current study, Engstrom and colleagues investigated the effect of nasopharyngeal oxygenation in eight anesthetized pigs with induced acute lung injury. The investigators confirmed, even in this model, that pharyngeal oxygenation significantly prolonged the time to desaturation during periods of apnea. Recognizing the limitations of directly extrapolating these experimental results to critically ill human subjects, the findings do support the contention that, until proven otherwise, nasopharyngeal oxygenation should at least be considered as one technique to diminish hypoxemic complications in very sick patients, particularly those with underlying pulmonary impairment.
Mass Center of Planar Mechanisms Using Auxiliary Parallelograms

Center of mass is an important property of a mechanism. In biomechanics, in many studies, one monitors the motion of this point. The center of mass has importance in development of gravity compensated exercise machines and test beds on earth that mimic the behavior of systems in space. In this paper, a method is described where auxiliary parallelograms are added to a planar mechanism to identify the location of the center of mass of the original mechanism. In this procedure, the original and the augmented mechanisms have the same number of degrees-of-freedom. During motion, the center of mass is a physical point which can be monitored or used for purposes motivated from the application.
Quality Improvement Efforts Under Health Reform: How To Ensure That They Help Reduce Disparities—Not Increase Them

Despite persistent evidence of continued racial and ethnic disparities in health care, little explicit attention has been paid to how quality improvement activities might affect disparities. As the nation focuses on the practical realities of implementing health care reform and concurrent quality improvement provisions under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, it is important to recognize that overall improvements in the US health care system might not automatically benefit all segments of the population equally. In this article we highlight challenges to ensuring that quality improvement efforts reduce racial and ethnic disparities. These include making certain that quality improvement efforts measure disparities and improvements in them, notwithstanding providers’ reputational concerns; that such efforts not create perverse incentives for providers to avoid serving minority patients; that they be applied to institutions where minority patients are most likely to receive care; and that they fully engage min...
Assembly of High Order Gαq-Effector Complexes with RGS Proteins

Transmembrane signaling through Gαq-coupled receptors is linked to physiological processes such as cardiovascular development and smooth muscle function. Recent crystallographic studies have shown how Gαq interacts with two activation-dependent targets, p63RhoGEF and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2). These proteins bind to the effector-binding site of Gαq in a manner that does not appear to physically overlap with the site on Gαq bound by regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins, which function as GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Herein we confirm the formation of RGS-Gαq-GRK2/p63RhoGEF ternary complexes using flow cytometry protein interaction and GAP assays. RGS2 and, to a lesser extent, RGS4 are negative allosteric modulators of Gαq binding to either p63RhoGEF or GRK2. Conversely, GRK2 enhances the GAP activity of RGS4 but has little effect on that of RGS2. Similar but smaller magnitude responses are induced by p63RhoGEF. The fact that GRK2 and p63RhoGEF respond similarly to these RGS proteins supports the hypothesis that GRK2 is a bona fide Gαq effector. The results also suggest that signal transduction pathways initiated by GRK2, such as the phosphorylation of G protein-coupled receptors, and by p63RhoGEF, such as the activation of gene transcription, can be regulated by RGS proteins via both allosteric and GAP mechanisms.
Interference of the IGF system as a strategy to inhibit breast cancer growth.

Experimental evidence suggests that human breast cancer cells can be regulated by the IGF-I and IGF-II present in the tumor stromal elements and/or by the endogenous tumor cell IGF-II in a paracrine or autocrine fashion. Thus, blockade of the receptor signalling pathway could lead to diminished tumor growth. Blockade of the type I IGF receptor by a monoclonal antibody (αIR3) has been used as a strategy to demonstrate the importance of the IGF pathway. Although αIR3 could not block serum-free growth of breast cancer cell lines, it could inhibit anchorage independent growth in most cell lines in the presence of serum. In vivo, αIR3 administered at the time of tumor cell inoculation could inhibit MDA-MB-231 tumor formation in athymic mice; however, inhibition of established tumors was not seen. Moreover, αIR3 could not inhibit tumor formation of the MCF-7 cell line in vivo. These results suggest that blockade of the type I IGF receptor can inhibit the growth of some breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Future anti-growth factor strategies include the combination of anti-IGF receptor antibodies with IGF neutralizing modalities, the dual blockade of growth factor receptors (epidermal growth factor receptor and type I IGF receptor), and combinations of steroid hormone antagonists and anti-growth factor treatments to maximize tumor inhibition.
Gauging the Success of Late Registrants in Community Colleges

Community colleges are known for their multiple missions. One of those missions is providing open access and open admissions to students. While this mission is necessary and admirable, it can be problematic if students are allowed to register for classes after those classes have begun. This critical analysis article addresses the issue of late registration by providing the reader with a concise literature review on the effects of late registration on student success and the results of a case study involving 121 new freshmen from a midsize community college. Also provided are recommendations designed to eliminate the conflict between a late registration practice that does not promote student success and institutional goals of promoting student success.