cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of rectal dose–wall histogram versus dose–volume histogram for modeling the incidence of late rectal bleeding after radiotherapy

Purpose To compare the fits of normal-tissue complication probability (NTCP) models based on rectal dose–wall histograms (DWHs) vs. dose–volume histograms (DVHs) when the two are used to analyze a common set of late rectal toxicity data. Methods and materials Data were analyzed from 128 prostate cancer patients treated with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC). The DVH for total rectal volume, including contents, was obtained for each patient from the treatment-planning system. A DWH was also computed, using the outer rectal contour plus an autogenerated inner contour that corresponds to an assumed 3-mm rectal wall thickness. The endpoint for analysis was Grade 2 or higher late rectal bleeding within 2 years of treatment; all patients had at least 2 years of follow-up. Four different NTCP models were fitted to the response data by using either the DVH or the DWH to describe the dose distribution to rectum or rectal wall, respectively. The 4 models considered were the Lyman model, the mean dose model, the parallel-architecture model, and a model based on the volume of a organ receiving more than a specified dose (the “cutoff-dose” model). Results For each of the models, the fit to the late rectal bleeding data was slightly improved when the analysis was based on the rectal DWH instead of on the DVH. In addition, the results of the cutoff dose and parallel architecture models were consistent with one another for the DWH data but not for the DVH data. For the DWH data, both models predict a 50% or higher incidence of Grade 2 or worse late rectal bleeding within 2 years if 80% or more of the rectal wall is exposed to doses greater than 32 Gy. A 50% or higher incidence of rectal bleeding is also predicted if the mean dose to rectal wall exceeds 53.2 Gy. Conclusions A consistent, although modest, improvement occurs in the fits of NTCP models to the UTMDACC 2-year late rectal bleeding data when the fit is based on the rectal dose–wall histogram instead of on the dose–volume histogram for entire rectum, including contents.
Multiple-valued logic

The ultimate usefulness of a number system depends on its implementation. Multiple-valued logic has been implemented in charge-coupled devices (CCD). In this technology, logic values are encoded as charge. For example, prototype four-valued logic devices have been implemented at the University of Twente (Enschede, Holland). Hitachi has implemented a 16-valued memory that stores the equivalent of 10/sup 6/ bits. CCD is more compact than any other VLSI technology. Although it is slower than CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor), it is much faster than the disk and has the potential of replacing the disk. The use of multiple-valued logic in CCD increases its storage capacity significantly. Multiple-valued logic has also been implemented in current-mode CMOS. >
Cell cycle regulation of a Xenopus Wee1-like kinase.

Using a polymerase chain reaction-based strategy, we have isolated a gene encoding a Wee1-like kinase from Xenopus eggs. The recombinant Xenopus Wee1 protein efficiently phosphorylates Cdc2 exclusively on Tyr- 15 in a cyclin-dependent manner. The addition of exogenous Wee1 protein to Xenopus cell cycle extracts results in a dose-dependent delay of mitotic initiation that is accompanied by enhanced tyrosine phosphorylation of Cdc2. The activity of the Wee1 protein is highly regulated during the cell cycle: the interphase, underphosphorylated form of Wee1 (68 kDa) phosphorylates Cdc2 very efficiently, whereas the mitotic, hyperphosphorylated version (75 kDa) is weakly active as a Cdc2-specific tyrosine kinase. The down-modulation of Wee1 at mitosis is directly attributable to phosphorylation, since dephosphorylation with protein phosphatase 2A restores its kinase activity. During interphase, the activity of this Wee1 homolog does not vary in response to the presence of unreplicated DNA. The mitosis-specific phosphorylation of Wee1 is due to at least two distinct kinases: the Cdc2 protein and another activity (kinase X) that may correspond to an MPM-2 epitope kinase. These studies indicate that the down-regulation of Wee1-like kinase activity at mitosis is a multistep process that occurs after other biochemical reactions have signaled the successful completion of S phase.
Plasma Accelerators at the Energy Frontier and on Tabletops

Charged particles surfing on electron density waves in plasmas can experience enormous accelerating gradients.
Planned births, unplanned persons: "Population" in the making of Chinese modernity

In this article I suggest that "population" operates as a capacious domain of modern power, with its own imaginaries, discourses, bureaucratic apparatuses, and social effects. Taking China, home to the world's largest population, as my ethnographic case, I examine the role of "birth planning," China's distinctive Marxist-Leninist-Maoist approach to population control, in the construction of "Chinese socialist modernity." I trace the historical, political, and bureaucratic process by which the state's planned birth project, designed to create a modern, planned population, produced not only a large group of planned persons but also a huge outcast group of unplanned, "black" persons who, as legal nonpersons, exist on the margins of society, lacking citizenship rights and state benefits. With its gargantuan population and fearsome birth planning program, China offers striking evidence of the social power of governmental projects of population control—to create new classifications of social life, new types of personhood, and new forms of social and political exclusion, [population, modernity, personhood, China]
Spectroscopic binary stars and the CHARA array

Georgia State University's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) operates a multi-telescope, long-baseline, optical/infrared interferometric array on Mt. Wilson, California. Since its inception, one of the primary scientific goals for the CHARA Array has been the resolution of spectroscopic binary stars, which offer tremendous potential for the determination of fundamental parameters for stars (masses, luminosities, radii and effective temperatures). A new bibliographic catalog of spectroscopic binary orbits, including a calculated estimate of the anticipated angular separation of the components, has been produced as an input catalog in planning observations with the Array. We briefly describe that catalog, which will be made available to the community on the Internet, prior to discussing observations obtained with our 330-m baseline during the fall of 2001 of the double-lined spectroscopic systems β Aur and β Tri. We also describe the initial results of an inspection of the extrasolar planetary system υ And.
Long-term linear growth of children with severe steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome

The present study was designed to evaluate the risk of permanent linear growth impairment in a selected group of 42 children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) and 14 children with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome (FRNS). Longitudinal height measurements were available in all patients from the onset of the disease for a mean follow-up of 11.7±3.5 years. During the prepubertal period, patients lost 0.49±0.6 height SD score (HtSDS) (P<0.001). Twenty-three patients have reached their final height with an average loss of 0.92±0.8 HtSDS from the onset of their disease (P<0.001) and 0.68±0.7 from their target HtSDS (P<0.001). The pubertal growth spurt was mildly delayed in male but not female patients. Steroid therapy, calculated as the mean duration of prednisone (PDN) treatment or as the average cumulative PDN dose, was the only predictor of poor growth evolution. Partial catch-up growth occurred after PDN withdrawal. Children with early onset NS and adolescent patients, who were still receiving PDN after the age of 9 years in girls and 11 years in boys, were at higher risk for HtSDS loss. In conclusion, children with severe steroid-responsive NS are at risk of permanent growth retardation secondary to prolonged courses of steroid treatment.
An ab initio study of the intermolecular potential surfaces of HeCH4 and NeCH4

Abstract The intermolecular potential surfaces for the Van der Waals complexes HeCH 4 and NeCH 4 are studied by ab initio theory using complete fourth-order Moller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP4) with an efficient basis set containing bond functions. For HeCH 4 , the global minimum occurs at R = 3.4 A , θ = 180°, φ = 0° (in a Jacobi coordinate system) with a minimum energy D e = −26.2 cm −1 . For NeCH 4 , the global minimum occurs at R = 3.5 A , θ = 180°, φ = 0° with a minimum energy D e = −59.0 cm −1 . Two saddle points were found for each of the systems. The potential energy surfaces are compared with the semiempirical surfaces and recent ab initio results on the same systems.
Satieties and cross-satieties for three diets in the rat.

Abstract In food-deprived rats, intake of a 2 M glucose solution is independent of deprivation level. However, subsequent intake of laboratory chow does vary with deprivation, though the immediately-preceding glucose meal did not. If deprivation is severe, the rat may eat as much chow as if the prior glucose meal had not occurred. In the converse case, a preload of chow has no suppressant effect whatever on intake of glucose, at any deprivation level. As with chow, intake of milk after a glucose load varies with food deprivation, even though the preceding intake of glucose did not. In contrast to the chow case, however, there is cross-satiety between milk and glucose in both directions; a meal of either one suppresses subsequent intake of the other. We conclude: (1) Intake of different diets is limited (satiated) by different postingestive mechanisms with different functional properties; some are sensitive to deprivation, others not. (2) Offering a new diet can change the properties of satiety, as if it recruited a new satiety mechanism and disengaged the old one. (3) The interactions among different satiety mechanisms are complex and non-reciprocal. Glucose and milk both contribute to a satiety mechanism that limits intake of both. A glucose preload can augment or accelerate satiety for chow, and thus reduce chow meal size; but the converse is not true. A single state or variable, “satiety” in the abstract, probably does not exist.
The Detection of Bacillus thuringiensis in Mass Rearing of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

ABSTRACT A colony of the cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum Berg, suffered a die-off that involved 100% larval mortality in selected rearing containers. Preliminary microscope examination of wet mounts prepared from dead larvae revealed the presence of numerous uniform, highly refractive particles reminiscent of bacterial spores. Utilizing a combination of bacteriological, molecular, and chemical methods the causal agent responsible for this die-off was found to be a strain of the insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. Significantly, larvae that were killed supported bacterial growth and sporulation. The gregarious feeding habit of this insect combined with the ability of this bacterium to amplify in dead larvae explains in part the observed rapid spread of sepsis in the rearing containers. Screening the various diet ingredients demonstrated that the cannellini bean flour harbored a variety of heat resistant bacilli including both Bacillus cereus and B. thuringiensis implicating it as the like...
Designing a "Cognizant Interface" between the user and the simulation software

A cognizant interface exhibits artificially intelligent knowledge and behavior toward the parties it is to serve in its interfacing role. These parties are the human user, on one hand, and the computer-based simulation software, on the other. The interface is therefore viewed as two-sided. To enable users who are neither computer specialists nor simulation experts to take advantage of sophisticated tools for system modeling and simulation, new approaches to interface design are necessary. They must encompass state-of-the-art technology (e.g. computer graphics and networks) as well as utilize techniques available in the areas of artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction. This paper has a three-fold purpose: to present results of a structured review of the simulation + ar tificial intelligence literature; to focus on criteria for engineering a modifiable interface; and to add to that interface the ability to adapt to the user. An illustrative prototype is outlined and a simulation-oriented fram...
How far are LDPC codes from fundamental limits on total power consumption

In order to minimize the transmit power in a communication system, it is well known that it is optimal to operate close to the channel capacity. Recently derived fundamental limits show that this strategy is not optimal when the goal is to minimize total power consumption, i.e., transmit as well as processing power, because of high decoding complexity close to capacity. This paper investigates how close LDPC codes with corresponding message-passing decoders get to the fundamental limits. We focus on some one-bit decoding algorithms, namely Gallager-A and Gallager-B, to decode LDPC codes. We compute the minimum total (transmit and decoding) power consumed using these two decoding algorithms for two decoding models: first where only the computational nodes consume all the power (the “Node Model”), and next where wires consume all the power (the “Wire Model”). For each model and each decoding algorithm, we compare this minimum total power with the (transmit) power required for uncoded transmission and with fundamental lower bounds on power consumption for these models. In some cases, we observe that the transmit power needs to increase unboundedly in order for the total power to be asymptotically (as P e → 0) smaller than that for uncoded transmission. We also observe that the power consumed in the Wire Model asymptotically dominates the power consumed in the Node Model, which suggests the importance of characterizing the wiring complexity of decoding, and not just the number of operations.
Subsoiling effects on four pine seed orchard soils

Abstract Short- and long-term effects of subsoiling four soils were closely related to variations in soil structure and consistence. Penetration resistance decreased when shear failure was accomplished by fracturing. Plastic failure in a near saturated, clayey subsoil did not affect penetration resistance. Penetration resistance of a firm, clayey subsoil with weak to moderately strong structure was lower than presubsoiling levels 2 years after subsoiling. In soils with strong structure, fracturing may occur between peds, which in time settle back to their approximate original configuration. More intra-pedal fracturing probably occurs in soils with weaker structure, thus reducing average ped size and increasing interpedal macropore volume, even after settling. Subsoiling of a loose, sandy soil decreased penetration resistance for at least 4 months, but after 4 years no residual effect was found. Only in the sandy soil did subsoiling have any noticeable effect on soil moisture content. Vertical filling of the blade and mole channels with A1 horizon material resulted in increased moisture content in the mole channel 4 months after subsoiling. After 4 years, moisture content in the A1 horizon remained higher in the vicinity of the channel. This may be due to increased upward movement of water through the more highly organic A1 horizon material that had infiltrated along the blade channel.
Influence of processing parameters on the phase composition of ZrN-Si3N4 synthesized from zircon

The optimum parameters were determined for synthesizing ZrN-Si3N4 composite powder from zircon by carbothermal reduction-nitridation (CTRN) process. The samples were prepared by mixing the carbon black of an average particle size less than 30 μm and the zircon of 40 μm with C/ZrSiO4 mass ratios of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5. The prepared samples were subjected to the CTRN process at temperatures of 1673, 1723, 1753, and 1773 K for 6, 9, and 12 h. The CTRN process was conducted in an atmosphere-controlled tubular furnace in a nitrogen gas flow of 1.0 L/min. All the products were examined by X-ray powder diffraction to determine the transformation. The results showed that the proper transformation of ZrN-Si3N4 occurred at 1773 K for 12 h with a C/ZrSiO4 mass ratio of 0.4.
Narrowband Filtering by a Volume Bragg Grating with a Tunable Spectral Transmission Bandwidth

A moire volume Bragg grating is demonstrated with a transmission bandwidth that is tunable from 30 pm to 100 pm in the near infrared. The grating is holographically recorded in low loss, thermally stable photo-thermo-refractive glass
Geometric uncertainties in finite element analysis

Abstract This paper demonstrates the use of automatic differentiation in solving finite element problems with random geometry. In the area of biomechanics, the shape and size of the domain is often known only approximately. Stochastic finite element analysis can be used to compute the variability in the structural response as a result of variability in the shape of the structural domain. Automatic differentiation can be used to compute the shape sensitivites accurately and effortlessly. Unlike randomness in material properties, the response variability can be the same as or greater than the variability in the input. When both the Young's modulus and geometry are random, it is likely that randomness in geometry will dominate randomness in Young's modulus.
Steering controls for constrained controllability problems with application to magnetic suspension

A method is presented for determining a control which steers a system to a specified target when there are magnitude constraints on the control. The method is suitable for numerical computation since it only involves solving finite-dimensional optimization problems. The effectiveness of the technique is illustrated by applying it to the problem of suspending a ferromagnetic rotor in a magnetic field.
Coevolution between invasive and native plants driven by chemical competition and soil biota

Although reciprocal evolutionary responses between interacting species are a driving force behind the diversity of life, pairwise coevolution between plant competitors has received less attention than other species interactions and has been considered relatively less important in explaining ecological patterns. However, the success of species transported across biogeographic boundaries suggests a stronger role for evolutionary relationships in shaping plant interactions. Alliaria petiolata is a Eurasian species that has invaded North American forest understories, where it competes with native understory species in part by producing compounds that directly and indirectly slow the growth of competing species. Here I show that populations of A. petiolata from areas with a greater density of interspecific competitors invest more in a toxic allelochemical under common conditions. Furthermore, populations of a native competitor from areas with highly toxic invaders are more tolerant to competition from the invader, suggesting coevolutionary dynamics between the species. Field reciprocal transplants confirmed that native populations more tolerant to the invader had higher fitness when the invader was common, but these traits came at a cost when the invader was rare. Exotic species are often detrimentally dominant in their new range due to their evolutionary novelty; however, the development of new coevolutionary relationships may act to integrate exotic species into native communities.
Endurance Exercise Training and Reproductive Endocrine Dysfunction in Men Alterations in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis

Research indicates that endurance exercise training has significant effects upon the reproductive endocrine system of humans. Until recently, this effect was thought to be limited primarily to women. However, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that the male reproductive endocrine system is also effected. Specifically, the circulating hormonal levels of testosterone are found to be at low concentrations; and, the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis that regulates testosterone production is altered in endurance trained men. The physiological mechanism inducing the lower testosterone is currently unclear; but in many respects, these men display hypogonadotropic hypogonadism characteristics. Currently, the time course of the changes in the reproductive endocrine system is unresolved and in need of much furthers scientific investigation. The evidence available, however, suggests that a slowly developing process requiring years of exercise training results in these changes. Potentially, the lowered testosterone levels of the endurance-trained male could disrupt some of their anabolic or androgenic dependent processes. To date, there are only a limited number of findings suggesting that a consistent disruption of testosterone dependent processes occur due to endurance exercise training (e.g., oligo-spermatogenesis). Conversely, the alterations in testosterone concentration brought about by endurance training could have cardiovascular protective effects and thus be beneficial to the health of these men.
Role of proneuregulin 1 cleavage and human epidermal growth factor receptor activation in hypertonic aquaporin induction

Mammalian cells are confronted with changes in extracellular osmolality at various sites, including the aqueous layer above the lung epithelium. Hypertonic shock induces the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and the expression of a defined set of genes, including aquaporins. We investigated upstream components of the response to hypertonicity in lung epithelial cells and found that before extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation and aquaporin synthesis, the membrane-bound prohormone neuregulin 1-beta is cleaved and binds to human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3). The signaling is prevented by matrix metalloproteinase inhibition, inhibition of neuregulin 1-beta binding to HER3, and inhibition of HER tyrosine kinase activity. Inhibition of HER activation interferes with the hypertonic induction of two different aquaporins in three distinct cell lines of mouse and human origin. We propose that ligand-dependent HER activation constitutes a generalized signaling principle in the mammalian hypertonic stress response relevant to aquaporin expression.
Thermoluminescence dosimetry measurements of brachytherapy sources in liquid water

Radiation therapy dose measurements are customarily performed in liquid water. The characterization of brachytherapy sources is, however, generally based on measurements made with thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), for which contact with water may lead to erroneous readings. Consequently, most dosimetry parameters reported in the literature have been based on measurements in water-equivalent plastics, such as Solid Water. These previous reports employed a correction factor to transfer the dose measurements from a plastic phantom to liquid water. The correction factor most often was based on Monte Carlo calculations. The process of measuring in a water-equivalent plastic phantom whose exact composition may be different from published specifications, then correcting the results to a water medium leads to increased uncertainty in the results. A system has been designed to enable measurements with TLDs in liquid water. This system, which includes jigs to support water-tight capsules of lithium fluoride in configurations suitable for measuring several dosimetric parameters, was used to determine the correction factor from water-equivalent plastic to water. Measurements of several 125I and 131Cs prostate brachytherapy sources in liquid water and in a Solid Water phantom demonstrated a correction factor of 1.039 +/- 0.005 at 1 cm distance. These measurements are in good agreement with a published value of this correction factor for an 125I source.
Three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations of void coalescence during dynamic fracture of ductile metals

Void coalescence and interaction in dynamic fracture of ductile metals have been investigated using three-dimensional strain-controlled multimillion atom molecular dynamics simulations of copper. The correlated growth of two voids during the coalescence process leading to fracture is investigated, both in terms of its onset and the ensuing dynamical interactions. Void interactions are quantified through the rate of reduction of the distance between the voids, through the correlated directional growth of the voids, and through correlated shape evolution of the voids. The critical intervoid ligament distance marking the onset of coalescence is shown to be approximately one void radius based on the quantification measurements used, independent of the initial separation distance between the voids and the strain rate of the expansion of the system. The interaction of the voids is not reflected in the volumetric asymptotic growth rate of the voids, as demonstrated here. Finally, the practice of using a single void and periodic boundary conditions to study coalescence is examined critically and shown to produce results markedly different than the coalescence of a pair of isolated voids.
Abstract 2145: PSMA-specific anti-tumor activity of the targeted-tubulysin conjugate, EC1169.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a biomarker that is overexpressed on prostate cancer, and it's also present on the neovasculature within many non-prostate solid tumors. We previously reported on EC0652, a 99mTc-labeled small molecule that specifically binds to PSMA-positive tumors and is currently being clinically evaluated for diagnostic imaging applications. Herein, we report on the construction and biological testing of novel tubulysin B-containing, companion therapeutic agents for the treatment of PSMA-expressing cancer. One of these compounds, EC1169, recently emerged as a lead candidate for preclinical development. This water-soluble conjugate was shown to have high affinity for PSMA-positive cells. When tested in vitro, EC1169 was found to inhibit the growth of PSMA-positive cells, but it displayed no activity against PSMA-negative cells. Brief treatment of nude mice bearing PSMA-positive LNCaP human xenografts with EC1169 led to complete remissions in 5/7 mice, and cures (i.e. tumor free >90 days post implantation) in 2/7 mice. Furthermore, this activity occurred in the absence of weight loss or major organ tissue degeneration. In contrast, the non-targeted tubulysin B drug proved to be inactive against the LNCaP tumor model when administered at doses near to or greater than the maximum tolerated level. PSMA-negative KB tumors did not appreciably respond to EC1169 therapy, thereby confirming this compound's targeted specificity for PSMA-expressing cells. Finally, treatment of LNCaP-bearing mice with docetaxel (the most active chemotherapeutic agent approved for prostate cancer), was found to produce only modest anti-tumor activity (2/4 partial responses, 1/4 cures), and this outcome was also associated with severe weight loss (18%). Taken together, these results strongly indicate that PSMA-positive tumors may be more effectively treated using highly potent, PSMA-targeted small-molecule drug conjugates using regimens that do not cause unwanted toxicity. Citation Format: Joseph A. Reddy, Alicia Bloomfield, Ryan Dorton, Melissa Nelson, Marilynn Vetzel, Spencer Hahn, Iontcho Vlahov, Christopher Leamon. PSMA-specific anti-tumor activity of the targeted-tubulysin conjugate, EC1169. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2145. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2145
Satellite Pulmonary Nodule in the Same Lobe (T4N0) Should Not Be Staged as IIIB Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background Treatment of non–small cell lung cancer depends on stage. Patients with T4 lesions represent a heterogeneous group. Methods A case-control study of patients with pathologically proven, node-negative T4 lesions (T4 N0 M0) was conducted. Patients with T4 disease were stratified as T4 from a satellite nodule (T4-satellite) or T4 from local invasion (T4-invasion). T4-satellite patients were matched 1:4 for sex and histology with resected control patients with stage IA, IB, and IIA non–small cell lung cancer and matched 1:3 with stage II non–small cell lung cancer. Survival and the maximal standardized uptake value on F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography scans were compared. Results There were 337 patients, 26 patients with T4-satellite lesions, 25 with T4-invasion lesions, and 286 controls (104 patients with T1 N0 M0, 104 with T2 N0 M0, and 78 with T1 N1 M0 or T2 N1 M0 lesions). The two T4 groups were similar for age, race, sex, and neoadjuvant therapy rates. The 5-year survival was 80% for the T1 N0 M0 patients, 68% for T2 N0 M0, 57% for T4-satellite N0 M0, 45% for T1 N1 M0 or T2 N1 M0, and 30% for the T4-invasion N0 M0 patients ( p = 0.016). Multivariate analysis showed that only the type of T4 impacted survival ( p = 0.011). The median maximal standardized uptake values of the cancers were 4.2 for T1 N0 M0, 4.8 for T4-satellite, 5.4 for T2 N0 M0, 7.8 for T1 N1 M0 or T2 N1 M0, and 8.8 for the T4-invasion patients. Conclusions Larger studies are needed; however, patients with T4-satellite non–small cell lung cancer who undergo complete resection have survival and maximal standardized uptake values similar to patients with stage IB and stage IIA lesions. Their survival is significantly better than those with T4-invasion. Patients with T4-satellite N0 M0 lesions should not be classified as stage IIIB and should not be grouped with patients with T4-invasion, and resection should be considered.
An analysis of the data representation constructs of the ANSI NDL and SQL standards

Abstract This paper carefully examines the data structuring concepts underlying the two ANSI standards for data languages: the Network Data Language (NDL) adopted in 1986, and the Structured Query Language (SQL) adopted in 1986, its 1989 addenda with some integrity constraints, and the more continuing, advanced developments of SQL2 as of 1988 (not yet adopted). Using an initial presentation of semantic data modeling constructs, the data structuring and definition (not data manipulation) facilities of the two languages are systematically compared. This is done by looking at the surface semantics as reflected in the BNF syntax, then by looking at the underlying semantics of the two languages. The comparison reveals what is in both languages, in one but not the other, and what is in neither language. Given such a comparison, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the languages can be evaluated.
Preface: Special Topic on the Glass Transition

This Special Topic on the Glass Transition contains a perspective article and a collection of original research articles that showcase recent experimental and theoretical advances in the field. This special issue provides a timely discussion of modern developments in our understanding of the behavior of supercooled liquids and amorphous materials, which have implications in diverse fields ranging from biology to materials science.
An experimental investigation of the role of microfracture surfaces in controlling quartz precipitation rate: Applications to fault zone diagenesis

Abstract We present the results of quartz growth experiments, which were designed to assess the role of microfracture surfaces in controlling quartz-precipitation rates during fault-zone diagenesis. Experiments were run in hydrothermal cold-seal vessels at 300–450 °C and 150 MPa confining pressure for up to 1344 h. Microfractures routinely form at grain contacts during these experiments. Microfracture kinematic-aperture distributions indicate that microfractures form within the first 48 h of each experiment. Regardless of experimental temperature or duration, microfracture-sealing cements account for approximately the same amount of new quartz cement in each experiment. With increasing experimental duration, sealed microfractures were progressively overgrown by grain-boundary overgrowth cements. Spatial and temporal trends in the distribution of overgrowth- and microfracture-sealing cements indicate that precipitation rates on newly formed microfractures greatly exceed those on detrital-grain boundaries. This effect persists regardless of natural iron-oxide grain coatings present in a subset of our experiments. While our results agree with previous research that demonstrated increased growth rates on fracture surfaces in faults in fully lithified rock, fundamental differences in the nature of deformation in our experiments provide insight into quartz cementation in cataclastic deformation bands in faults offsetting high-porosity sandstones.
In pursuit of the sorcerer's power: sacred diagrams as technologies of potency

Drawing upon research for a dissertation on lived religion in Myanmar as it pertains to various religious cults and followers whose devotions are directed towards Buddhist sorcerer saints (weizzā), this article examines the technologies at work in potency practices involving the production and use of in (cabbalistic squares) and sama (diagrams and drawings using specific Burmese syllables). In particular, the paper will examine how such devices are used by the devout traversing the weizzā path and explain how in and sama are employed to transform one's self into a full-fledged weizzā. The paper will conclude with a discussion on how such an examination can help us reshape our understanding of Burmese Buddhism in contemporary Myanmar.1
Partial purification and properties of a nuclease from Schizophyllum commune with a preference toward single-stranded nucleic acid

Abstract A nuclease active at neutral pH and with a preference for single-stranded nucleic acid was purified from the Basidiomycete fungus, Schizophyllum commune (SC nuclease). Purification was up to 300-fold. The molecular weight of the native purified enzyme is estimated at 34 000 by gel filtration. This nuclease discriminates between single-stranded and double-stranded nucleic acid but does not discriminate between ribo- and deoxyribonucleic acids. The enzyme is a zinc or cobalt-metalloprotein with a mode of action that is endonucleolytic, generating dinucleotide products that terminate with 5′-phosphates. Although the above characteristics place SC nuclease in the same class (EC 3.1.30.1) as S 1 nuclease from Aspergillus oryzae , two additional useful features of SC nuclease not described for other nucleases of this class have been identified: sensitivity to anions and to zinc concentration. Anions such as chloride, phosphate, succinate, bromide, carbonate, oxalate, propionate and sulfate specifically activate the enzyme, whereas others such as fluoride, pyrophosphate and citrate inhibit activity. Enzyme activity was very sensitive to the concentration of zinc: 1.0 μM ZnCl 2 fully restored activity after chelators were added, whereas 50 mM ZnCl 2 restored only 50% of the activity. The characteristics determined for SC nuclease would make it a useful tool in research for the preferential hydrolysis of single-stranded nucleic acid. SC nuclease has the added advantages over S 1 and mung bean nucleases of functioning at physiological pH rather than at acid pH and of inactivation by fluoride.
Discrete Event Systems for autonomous mobile agents

Abstract Discrete Event Systems (DES) are a special type of dynamic system. The ‘state’ of these systems changes at discrete instants in time and the term ‘event’ represents the occurrence of discontinuous change (at possibly unknown intervals). Different Discrete Event Systems models are currently used for specification, verification, synthesis as well as for analysis and evaluation of different qualitative and quantitative properties of existing physical systems. The focus of this paper is the presentation of the automata and formal language model for DES introduced by Ramadge and Wonham and its application to the domain of mobile manipulator/observer agents. We demonstrate the feasibility of the DES framework for modeling, analysis and synthesis of some visually guided behaviors of agents engaged in navigational tasks and address synchronization issues between different components of the system. The use of DES formalism allows us to synthesize complex behaviors in a systematic fashion and guarantee their controllability.
The transition state transit time of WW domain folding is controlled by energy landscape roughness.

Protein folding barriers can be so low that a substantial protein population diffusing in the transition state region can be detected. The very fast kinetic phase contributed by transition state transit is the molecular phase. We detect the molecular phase of the beta-sheet protein FiP35 from 60 to 83 °C by T-jump relaxation experiments. The molecular phase actually slows down slightly with increasing temperature. Thus the friction that controls the prefactor in Kramers’ transition state model does not scale with solvent viscosity. Instead, we postulate that an increase in the energy landscape roughness as the hydrophobic effect strengthens with increasing temperature explains the slowing of the molecular phase. We measured that the duration τm of the molecular phase depends slightly on the size of the T-jump, in agreement with this explanation. The τm measured here provides the best current estimate for the transit time from folded to unfolded state of a single protein molecule. We confirm this by direct...
Approximate Feedback Linearization: A Normal Form Approach

The emerging field of nonlinear control theory has attempted to alleviate the problem associated with applying linear control theory to nonlinear problems. A segment of nonlinear control theory, called exact feedback linearization, has proven useful in a class of problems satisfying certain controllability and integrability constraints. Approximate feedback linearization has enlarged this class by weakening the integrability conditions, but application of both these techniques remains limited to problems in which a series of linear partial differential equations can easily be solved. By use of the idea of normal forms, from dynamical systems theory, an efficient method of obtaining the necessary coordinate transformation and nonlinear feedback rules is given. This method, which involves the solution of a set of linear algebraic equations, is valid for any dimensional system and any order nonlinearity provided it meets the approximate feedback linearization conditions.
Overexpression of RbAp46 facilitates stress-induced apoptosis and suppresses tumorigenicity of neoplastigenic breast epithelial cells.

We have found previously that the retinoblastoma (Rb) suppressor associated protein 46 (RbAp46) is a gene upregulated by the Wilms' tumor suppressor, WT1, and functions as a potent growth inhibitor. To investigate the effect of RbAp46 overexpression on early development of breast cancer, we established stable cell lines from neoplastigenic breast epithelial cells, MCF10AT3B, a cell line derived from a model of human proliferative disease, to constitutively express exogenous RbAp46. We have found that expression of RbAp46 suppressed colony formation of MCF10AT3B cells in soft-agar, and inhibited tumor formation of these cells in nude mice. Expression of RbAp46 sensitized MCF10AT3B cells to apoptosis induced by serum deprivation and hydrocortisone withdrawal. Furthermore, we have found that the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway and GADD45, a growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible gene, are constitutively activated in RbAp46-expressing cells. Our data suggested that high levels of RbAp46 expression inhibit the tumorigenicity of neoplastigenic breast epithelial cells by facilitating JNK-dependent apoptotic cell death. Our data also suggested that dysregulation of RbAp46 gene may be involved in the early development of breast cancer. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Surface recombination current of AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors

Abstract Electron-hole recombination at the surface of a GaAs-related compound is more significant compared to that of Si. This leads to non-negligible emitter and base surface recombination currents in AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) due to considerable electron-hole recombination taking place at the surface of the emitter and base peripheries. Thus, unlike Si bipolar transistors in which surface recombination can be neglected, it is imperative to include surface recombination current when modeling the HBT base current. Based on the finite-difference approach and relevant device physics such as the Shockley-Read-Hall recombination statistics and Fermi level pinning, this paper develops a physics-based model for predicting emitter and base surface recombination currents of AlGaAs/GaAs HBTs. All components of the HBT base current calculated from the present model are compared, and their relative importance assessed. We show that base surface recombination current depends on exp(qV/2kT) whereas emitter surface recombination current follows an exp(qV/kT) dependence. Furthermore, it is suggested that the importance of base surface recombination current decreases as the emitter-base voltage increases, and vice versa for emitter surface recombination current. Emitter surface recombination current also becomes more significant as the ratio of emitter-base junction perimeter to area increases resulting from HBT dimension scaling. Our theoretical predictions compare favorably with numerical simulations and an empirical model available in the literature.
The downside of being sexually restricted: The effects of sociosexual orientation on relationships between jealousy, rejection, and anger

Why do some people become more jealous than others? Some people require emotional closeness before sexual intercourse, whereas others are less restricted sexually. Because restricted people may invest more in relationships, they may feel greater rejection and anger when jealous. We tested this hypothesis in a daily diary study of 50 heterosexual dating couples. Participants completed a sociosexual orientation questionnaire to measure sexual restriction. Daily partner-related feelings of rejection, jealousy, and anger were assessed for 30 days. The more jealousy participants experienced, the greater their feelings of rejection and anger; this relationship was strongest for sexually restricted participants. These findings suggest that sexual restriction may increase risk of feelings of rejection and anger in the wake of jealousy.
PROBLEMS IN RACIAL GEOGRAPHY

(1971). PROBLEMS IN RACIAL GEOGRAPHY. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 61, No. 3, pp. 630-632.
Justice as a frame for health reform.

America is clamoring for health reform, but the current debate feels a bit like recitations of the tax code, with candidates from both parties arguing about mandates, tax credits, tax subsidies, market deregulation, and vouchers. Such a debate is more likely to make the American public's eyes glaze over than move it toward universal coverage. In this issue of the Report, David DeGrazia takes an important step toward a better debate. DeGrazia tries to defend a health care reform plan on specifically moral grounds, thereby making the debate turn on values. Unfortunately, he also gives up on the value most likely to win that debate. DeGrazia claims that a single-payer system with managed care is the "most cost-effective means of achieving the goals of health care and therefore is the most morally defensible." But cost-effectiveness does not have enough moral heft to effect change. Following Aristotle's axiom that "in justice is the whole of virtue," the best way to make the moral case is to appeal to justice. Bioethics can best contribute to health reform by insisting that this is the moral issue at stake, and that justice entails that health care become a right. DeGrazia considers and rejects this argument. He writes, "The strategy of justifying a health care reform plan on the basis of a theory of justice is undermined by persistent, deep disagreement even among reasonable people about which theory is best." That there is disagreement over theories of justice is certainly true, but that is not reason to throw up our hands. And DeGrazia does not escape disagreement anyway: as he notes, the reform he supports is closest to that endorsed by the Democratic candidates Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel, whose campaigns are widely seen as doomed. It is too soon to give up on justice as the best way to frame the health care reform debate. The way to do this is to build the argument around the injustice induced by the current system. As Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart famously wrote about the difficulty of defining obscenity, "I know it when I see it." Likewise, we do not need to agree on a theory of justice to be revolted by injustice. Framing is increasingly recognized as a valuable tool for garnering public attention and approbation. It is a device that some fundamentalists have used to great advantage, as when their side in the evolution debate successfully promoted "intelligent design." As the linguistics scholar George Lakoff writes in Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate, "Frames are mental structures that shape the way we see the world. …
10 micron detection of the hard X-ray transient GRO J0422+32: Free-free emission from an X-ray-driven accretion disk wind?

We report the detection of 10 micrometer emission from the transient low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB) and optical nova GRO J0422+32 near the maximum of its outburst. We discuss this result in terms of (1) a 'standard' model according to which low-energy radiation of LMXB is caused by reprocessing of X-rays in an accretion disk; (2) emission from a cool secondary star; (3) emission from dust grains heated by the transient X-rays, and (4) free-free emission from an X-ray-driven wind from the accretion disk. Only the fourth alternative provides a viable explanation for the observed 10 micrometer emission, with a mass-loss rate in the disk wind that may be substantially higher than the rate of accretion onto the compact star. The presence of such a wind may have a profound effect on the evolution of the binary, and contribute to the solution of the 'birthrate problem' of millisecond ratio pulsars.