cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Convolutional neural network application to plant detection, based on synthetic imagery

Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN's) have shown great value in approaching highly challenging problems in image classification. Based on the successes of DCNNs in scene classification and object detection and localization it is natural to consider whether they would be effective for much simpler computer vision tasks. Our work involves the application of a DCNN to the relatively simple task of detecting weeds in lawn grass. We looked at the effects of the choice of CNN hyper-parameters on accuracy and training convergence behavior. In order to obtain a large labeled set of interesting data we generated realistic synthetic imagery. Since our problem is somewhat constrained we were able to run thousands of training experiments and do accurate estimation of the probability density function of the convergence rate. Our results suggest that the use of realistic synthetic imagery is an effective approach for training DCNNs, and that very small DCNNs can be effective for simple image recognition tasks.
Elastic Rational Analysis and Tests of Unbraced Concrete Frames

Members of reinforced concrete structures “shall be designed for the maximum effects of factored loads as determined by the theory of elastic analysis” to satisfy Section 8.3.1 of the ACI Building Code1. However, at any failure limit state, it is known that the actual distribution of forces in a structure will differ significantly from that indicated by elastic analysis. The inelastic redistribution of forces under excess loading tends to permit the frame to sustain limit loads greater than those suggested from elastic analysis. One detrimental influence from inelastic response due to excess loading is the reduction in member stiffness and potential instability of concrete frames as the mass of a structure is displaced laterally toward an unstable overturning mode of failure. Section 10.10 of the Building Code requires designers to consider both local and overall instability of concrete structures rationalized in terms of beam-column effects on compression members. If first order elastic analysis is to serve as the basis of design, Section 10.10.2 permits the use of an approximate evaluation of compression member (and of frame) slenderness effects by means of moment magnifier factors in Section 10.11.
Neurochemical Indices of Autonomic Innervation of Heart in Different Experimental Models of Heart Failure

Parasympathetic neural regulation of the failing heart is impaired. In order to investigate parasympathetic mechanisms in experimental heart failure, measurements were made of choline acetyl-transferase CCAT) activity and [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) binding in hearts of 1) hamsters with skeletal and cardiac myopathy, 2) dogs with pulmonary artery constriction and tricuspid avulsion, and 3) guinea pigs with pulmonary artery constriction. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activities and norepinephrine levels served as indices of sympathetic innervation. In myopathic hearts, total CAT activity decreased (P<0.05) compared to age-matched controls. In canine and guinea pig right heart failure, total CAT activity was normal in contractile and specialized tissues. Alterations in [3h]-QNB binding paralleled CAT activity being decreased (P<0.05) only in myopathic hearts. In all three models, indices of sympathetic innervation were altered in ways qualitatively different from parasympathetic indices; TH and DBH activities were increased (P<0.05) in myopathic ventricles, decreased (P<0,05) in hypertrophied canine and guinea pig ventricles and non-hypertrophied canine ventricles, and normal in non-hypertrophied guinea pig ventricles. These results indicate that alterations in cardiac parasympathetic indices vary depending on the etiology of heart diseases and differ qualitatively from alterations in sympathetic indices. Selective determinants are necessary to explain the varied changes.
Nontangential Maximal Functions and Bounded Lower Oscillation

Characterizations of the space BLO of functions of bounded lower oscillation are obtained in terms of the nontangential maximal function. As a corollary, a description is obtained of the harmonic functions in the upper half-space whose traces lie in BLO.
Quantifying Human-Mediated Carbon Cycle Feedbacks

Author(s): Jones, AD; Calvin, KV; Shi, X; Di Vittorio, AV; Bond-Lamberty, B; Thornton, PE; Collins, WD | Abstract: Changes in land and ocean carbon storage in response to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and associated climate change, known as the concentration-carbon and climate-carbon feedbacks, are principal controls on the response of the climate system to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Such feedbacks have typically been quantified in the context of natural ecosystems, but land management activities are also responsive to future atmospheric carbon and climate changes. Here we show that inclusion of such human-driven responses within an Earth system model shifts both the terrestrial concentration-carbon and climate-carbon feedbacks toward increased carbon storage. We introduce a conceptual framework for decomposing these changes into separate concentration-land cover, climate-land cover, and land cover-carbon effects, providing a parsimonious means to diagnose sources of variation across numerical models capable of estimating such feedbacks.
Revisiting 'awareness contexts' in the 21st century hospital: How fragmented and specialized care shape patients' Awareness of Dying

In 1965, Glaser and Strauss (1965) offered the concept of "awareness contexts" to explain what patients in hospitals do or don't know about their death trajectories. Awareness ranges from closed (where patients are completely unaware and family and providers protect "the secret") to open (where all parties communicate openly and honestly). While closed awareness was the norm in 1960s, open awareness is now considered standard practice in US, a reflection of mounting evidence that patients, families, and providers benefit from clear and honest communication at end of life (Seale et al., 1997; Wright et al., 2008). Despite the known benefits of open awareness, many terminal patients remain unaware or confused about their prognoses (Chen et al., 2017). This paper asks why, in an era of open awareness, are patients and families uncertain about dying? To answer this question, we focus on an aspect of Glaser and Strauss's theory that remains relatively understudied by researchers, namely the role of institutional and organizational realities in shaping awareness contexts. Based on interviews with 43 family members of deceased patients who died at General Hospital in the Midwestern US, we argue that two related conditions in hospitals-the increased specialization of medical professionals and the fragmentation of patient care-serve as important context for the death awareness of patients and families.
Drivers of Bridge Decommissioning in the United States

Extending the useful life of bridges through better design, construction, and management is a shared effort among the bridge management community. Data in the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) is val...
Eating disorders: Binge Eating

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a chronic illness characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating without the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors seen in bulimia nervosa. Based on a growing body of research supporting its diagnostic validity and clinical utility, BED is likely to be included as an eating disorder in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This article reviews issues related to the assessment, etiology, presentation, and treatment of BED. Evidence-supported psychosocial and pharmacologic interventions are described, and guidelines for selecting treatments for individual patients are provided.
Total Microfluidic chip for Multiplexed diagnostics (ToMMx).

Microfluidic technologies offer new platforms for biosensing in various clinical and point-of-care (POC) applications. Currently, at the clinical settings, the gold standard diagnostic platforms for multiplexed sensing are multi-step, time consuming, requiring expensive and bulky instruments with a constant need of electricity which makes them unsuitable for resource-limited or POC settings. These technologies are often limited by logistics, costly assays and regular maintenance. Although there have been several attempts to miniaturize these diagnostic platforms, they stand short of batch fabrication and they are dependent on complementary components such as syringe pumps. Here, we demonstrated the development and clinical testing of a disposable, multiplexed sensing device (ToMMx), which is a portable, high-throughput and user-friendly microfluidic platform. It was built with inexpensive plastic materials and operated manually without requiring electrical power and extensive training. We validated this platform in a small cohort of 50 clinical samples from patients with cardiovascular diseases and healthy controls. The platform is rapid and gives quantifiable results with high sensitivity, as low as 5.29 pg/mL, from only a small sample volume (4 μL). ToMMx platform was compared side-by-side with commercial ELISA kits where the total assay time is reduced 15-fold, from 5 h to 20 min. This technology platform is broadly applicable to various diseases with well-known biomarkers in diagnostics and monitoring, especially with potential future impact at the POC settings.
Intracranial glioma xenograft model rapidly reestablishes blood–brain barrier integrity for longitudinal imaging of tumor progression using fluorescence molecular tomography and contrast agents

Significance: The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a major obstacle to detecting and treating brain tumors. Overcoming this challenge will facilitate the early and accurate detection of brain lesions and guide surgical resection of tumors. Aim: We generated an orthotopic brain tumor model that simulates the pathophysiology of gliomas at early stages; determine the BBB integrity and breakdown over the time course of tumor progression using generic and cancer-targeted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent molecular probes. Approach: We developed an intracranial tumor xenograft model that rapidly reestablished BBB integrity and monitored tumor progression by bioluminescence imaging. Sham control mice were injected with phosphate-buffered saline only. Fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) was used to quantify the uptake of tumor-targeted and passive NIR fluorescent imaging agents in orthotopic glioma (U87-GL-GFP PDE7B H217Q cells) tumor model. Cancer-induced and transient (with focused ultrasound, FUS) disruption of BBB integrity was monitored with NIR fluorescent dyes. Results: Stereotactic injection of 50,000 cells into mouse brain allowed rapid reestablishment of BBB integrity within a week, as determined by the inability of both tumor-targeted and generic NIR imaging agents to extravasate into the brain. Tumor-induced BBB disruption was observed 7 weeks after tumor implantation. FUS achieved a similar effect at any time point after reestablishing BBB integrity. While tumor uptake and retention of the passive NIR dye, indocyanine green, was negligible, both actively tumor-targeting agents exhibited selective accumulation in the tumor region. The tumor-targeting molecular probe that clears rapidly from nontumor brain tissue exhibits higher contrast than the analogous vascular-targeting agent and helps delineate tumors from sham control. Conclusions: We highlight the utility of FMT imaging for longitudinal assessment of brain tumors and the interplay between the stages of BBB disruption and molecular probe retention in tumors, with potential application to other neurological diseases.
Quality of care at safety-net hospitals and the impact on pay-for-performance reimbursement.

BACKGROUND Pay-for-performance reimbursement ties hospital payments to standardized quality-of-care metrics. To the authors' knowledge, the impact of pay-for-performance reimbursement models on hospitals caring primarily for uninsured or underinsured patients remains poorly defined. The objective of the current study was to evaluate how standardized quality-of-care metrics vary by a hospital's propensity to care for uninsured or underinsured patients and demonstrate the potential impact that pay-for-performance reimbursement could have on hospitals caring for the underserved. METHODS The authors identified 1,703,865 patients with cancer who were diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 and treated at 1344 hospitals. Hospital safety-net burden was defined as the percentage of uninsured or Medicaid patients cared for by that hospital, categorizing hospitals into low-burden, medium-burden, and high-burden hospitals. The authors evaluated the impact of safety-net burden on concordance with 20 standardized quality-of-care measures, adjusting for differences in patient age, sex, stage of disease at diagnosis, and comorbidity. RESULTS Patients who were treated at high-burden hospitals were more likely to be young, male, Black and/or Hispanic, and to reside in a low-income and low-educated region. High-burden hospitals had lower adherence to 13 of 20 quality measures compared with low-burden hospitals (all P < .05). Among the 350 high-burden hospitals, concordance with quality measures was found to be lowest for those caring for the highest percentage of uninsured or Medicaid patients, minority patients, and less educated patients (all P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Hospitals caring for uninsured or underinsured individuals have decreased quality-of-care measures. Under pay-for-performance reimbursement models, these lower quality-of-care scores could decrease hospital payments, potentially increasing health disparities for at-risk patients with cancer.
The Dignitary Confrontation Clause

For seventeen years the Supreme Court’s Confrontation Clause jurisprudence has been confused and confusing. In Crawford v. Washington (2004), the Court overruled prior precedent and held that “testimonial” out-of-court statements could not be admitted at trial unless the defendant had an opportunity to cross-examine the declarant, even when the statement would be otherwise admissible as bearing indicia of reliability under an exception to the rule against hearsay. In a series of contradictory opinions over the next several years the Court proceeded to expand and then seemingly roll back this holding, leading to widespread chaos in common types of cases, particularly those involving statements to law enforcement officers and written affidavits of crime lab technicians. In these subsequent cases, for apparently pragmatic reasons, various pluralities of the Court appear to have redefined “testimonial” to mean, at least in part, “potentially unreliable,” thereby contradicting the goal of Crawford. To help courts resolve this confusion this Article proposes an overlooked, residual constitutional value, distinct from reliability, implicated in cases where defendants do not get to confront witnesses who give testimony against them. Integrating historical and narrative analysis of the origins of the confrontation right in Anglo-American law with the psychological literature on guilt and deceit, it argues that a criminal defendant has a relational interest in asserting his moral presence against a potentially deceitful witness. It further argues that this interest harmonizes with the contemporary function of dignity in criminal constitutional jurisprudence. The Article concludes that criminal defendants have a distinct dignitary interest in confronting witnesses against them. It urges courts to untangle the contradictory web of Crawford and its progeny by considering the dignitary dimensions of the Confrontation Clause.
Role of Option Prices in Analyzing the Valuation Impact of Corporate Events

Event study, panel regression, and difference-in-difference techniques are among the most prominent research methodologies in corporate finance. However, these techniques are inappropriate if corporate events are anticipated to some degree, as most events are. This paper proposes options as an additional model-free source of information to identify the likelihood and impact of corporate events. We show how to quantify event impact in a simple example and assert that few restrictions on the state space are required for the approach to work in more complex settings.
Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become the standard of care for potential heart transplant patients with life-threatening heart failure refractory to medical therapy. Significant advances in both the technology and the clinical experience have taken place. In addition, indications for placement of ventricular assist devices (VADs) have broadened to include patients previously thought unsuitable for device insertion. There is a wide array of devices available and in development. These range from univentricular percutaneous driveline-powered devices to fully implantable total artificial hearts (TAHs). Both patient and device selection have a great impact on outcome. In addition, the improving long-term success with device support has led to the possibility of permanent support. This review describes indications for VAD placement, reviews current devices, and discusses postoperative management.
A Novel Optical Package for ATLAS Pixel Detector

An optical package of novel design has been developed for the ATLAS pixel detector. The package contains two VCSELs and one PIN diode to transmit and receive optical signals. The design is based on a simple connector-type concept and is made of radiation-har d material. Several packages have been fabricated and show promising results. The ATLAS pixel detector1 consists of three barrel layers and three forward and backward disks. The detector covers the pseudo-rapidity region \r}\ < 2.5 and provides at least three space point measurements. The signal from the digit alization electronics of the pixel detector is converted into an optical signal using a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL)2 and is transmitted to the counting room via a fibre. The 40-MHz beam crossing clock, encoded with the command signal, from the counting room, is transmitted to a PIN diode3 via a fibre. The VSCEL and PIN couple to the two fibres inside an optical package located in close proximity to the pixel detector. In this paper, we describe the performance of a more complicated package which contains two VSCELs and one PIN diode. The simpler version with no redundancy is adopted by the ATLAS pixel collaboration due to the severe space constraints around the pixel detector region.
Parity Reversion in Real Exchange Rates: A Puzzle or a Nonissue?

The attempt by Cashin and McDermott (2006) to "test the validity" of the purchasing power parity (PPP) theorem by means of a refined measurement of the turnaround time of changes in real exchange rates calls for a brief comment. Their article, "Parity Reversion in Real Exchange Rates: Fast, Slow, or Not at All," appeared in IMF Staff Papers, Volume 53, Number 1. Ever since Rogoff's (1996) seminal paper, this subject has flourished under the name of the "PPP puzzle," which Rogoff defined as follows: "How is it possible to reconcile the extremely high short-term volatility of real exchange rates with the glacial rate (15 percent per year) at which deviations from PPP seem to die outj" (p. 664). Rogoff's analysis starts out from the grandfather of PPP, the law of one price (LOP), which, as he states, holds mainly in the breach. He concludes by suggesting an explanation of the PPP puzzle that runs entirely in terms of the impediments to the working of the LOP. "It is simply this: international goods markets, though becoming more integrated all the time, remain quite segmented, with large trading frictions across a broad range of goods. These frictions may be due to transportation costs, threatened or actual tariffs, nontariff barriers, information costs, or lack of labor mobility" (p. 665). Rogoff closes his paper with the admission that "[t]his is not an entirely comfortable conclusion, but for now there is no really satisfactory alternative explanation to the purchasing power parity puzzle." I would agree that trading frictions is where one should look for an explanation of the failure of prices of individual commodities to converge across borders. But one
A Novel Multitrace Boundary Integral Equation Formulation for Electromagnetic Cavity Scattering Problems

We present a new multitrace boundary integral equation (BIE) formulation for the solutions of the time-harmonic electromagnetic (EM) scattering from large and deep cavities. Comparing to previously integral equation formulations, the new formulation has two major benefits: 1) it leads to a well-conditioned system equation after multiplicative Schwarz preconditioning and 2) the localized impedance matrices arising from decomposed boundary value problems are immune from cavity resonance effects. We outline the key technical aspects of the new multitrace formulation, give the details of the numerical analysis and report numerical experiments verifying the analysis, and display the capabilities of the proposed methods.
Navigating oceans of data

Some science domains have the advantage that the bulk of the data comes from a single source instrument, such as a telescope or particle collider. More commonly, big data implies a big variety of data sources. For example, the Center for Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction (CMOP) has multiple kinds of sensors (salinity, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll A & B) on diverse platforms (fixed station, buoy, ship, underwater robot) coming in at different rates over various spatial scales and provided at several quality levels (raw, preliminary, curated). In addition, there are physical samples analyzed in the lab for biochemical and genetic properties, and simulation models for estuaries and near-ocean fluid dynamics and biogeochemical processes. Few people know the entire range of data holdings, much less their structures and how to access them. We present a variety of approaches CMOP has followed to help operational, science and resource managers locate, view and analyze data, including the Data Explorer, Data Near Here, and topical "watch pages." From these examples, and user experiences with them, we draw lessons about supporting users of collaborative "science observatories" and remaining challenges.
Weak Lensing Constraints on Cluster Structural Parameters

We study the reliability of dark matter (DM) profile determinations for rich clusters of galaxies based on weak gravitational lensing measurements. We consider three functional forms for the mass distribution: a softened isothermal sphere (SIS), the Navarro, Frenk, & White model (NFW) and the Klypin, Kravstov, Bullock, & Primack model (KKBP). A maximum likelihood parametric method is developed and applied to simulated images of background galaxies (z=2.0) lensed by clusters at z=0.2, 0.5, and 0.8. The images have field size (~10 arcmin) and angular resolution (~0.5 arcsec) characteristic of the new generation of 8-10 meter-class ground-based telescopes. The method recovers the correct virial mass of the DM halo, M_{200}, to within ~10% at all redshifts. The recovered values of \delta_c and r_s are only accurate to ~25%; however, their correlated errors are such that greater accuracy is obtained for the mass. Clusters with an SIS density profile are recognized by the method, while NFW and KKBP clusters are recognized as not being SIS. The method does not discriminate between NFW and KKBP profiles for clusters of a given mass, because they are too similar in their outer regions. Strongly lensed arcs near the cluster centers would be needed to distinguish NFW from KKBP.
Diversity and Distribution of Floral Resources Influence the Restoration of Plant–Pollinator Networks on a Reclaimed Strip Mine

Plant–pollinator mutualisms are one of the several functional relationships that must be reinstated to ensure the long-term success of habitat restoration projects. These mutualisms are unlikely to reinstate themselves until all of the resource requirements of pollinators have been met. By meeting these requirements, projects can improve their long-term success. We hypothesized that pollinator assemblage and structure and stability of plant–pollinator networks depend both on aspects of the surrounding landscape and of the restoration effort itself. We predicted that pollinator species diversity and network stability would be negatively associated with distance from remnant habitat, but that local floral diversity might rescue pollinator diversity and network stability in locations distant from the remnant. We created plots of native prairie on a reclaimed strip mine in central Ohio, U.S.A. that ranged in floral diversity and isolation from the remnant habitat. We found that the pollinator diversity declined with distance from the remnant habitat. Furthermore, reduced pollinator diversity in low floral diversity plots far from the remnant habitat was associated with loss of network stability. High floral diversity, however, compensated for losses in pollinator diversity in plots far from the remnant habitat through the attraction of generalist pollinators. Generalist pollinators increased network connectance and plant-niche overlap. As a result, network robustness of high floral diversity plots was independent of isolation. We conclude that the aspects of the restoration effort itself, such as floral community composition, can be successfully tailored to incorporate the restoration of pollinators and improve success given a particular landscape context.
Toward cost-sensitive modeling for intrusion detection and response

Intrusion detection systems (IDSs) must maximize the realization of security goals while minimizing costs. In this paper, we study the problem of building cost-sensitive intrusion detection models. We examine the major cost factors associated with an IDS, which include development cost, operational cost, damage cost due to successful intrusions, and the cost of manual and automated response to intrusions. These cost factors can be qualified according to a defined attack taxonomy and site-specific security policies and priorities. We define cost models to formulate the total expected cost of an IDS, and present cost-sensitive machine learning techniques that can produce detection models that are optimized for user-defined cost metrics. Empirical experiments show that our cost-sensitive modeling and deployment techniques are effective in reducing the overall cost of intrusion detection.
Detailed Characterization of 2D and 3D Scatter-to-Primary Ratios of Various Breast Geometries Using a Dedicated CT Mammotomography System.

With a dedicated breast CT system using a quasi-monochromatic x-ray source and flat-panel digital detector, the 2D and 3D scatter to primary ratios (SPR) of various geometric phantoms having different densities were characterized in detail. Projections were acquired using geometric and anthropomorphic breast phantoms. Each phantom was filled with 700ml of 5 different water-methanol concentrations to simulate effective boundary densities of breast compositions from 100% glandular (1.0g/cm3) to 100% fat (0.79g/cm3). Projections were acquired with and without a beam stop array. For each projection, 2D scatter was determined by cubic spline interpolating the values behind the shadow of each beam stop through the object. Scatter-corrected projections were obtained by subtracting the scatter, and the 2D SPRs were obtained as a ratio of the scatter to scatter-corrected projections. Additionally the (un)corrected data were individually iteratively reconstructed. The (un)corrected 3D volumes were subsequently subtracted, and the 3D SPRs obtained from the ratio of the scatter volume-to-scatter-corrected (or primary) volume. Results show that the 2D SPR values peak in the center of the volumes, and were overall highest for the simulated 100% glandular composition. Consequently, scatter corrected reconstructions have visibly reduced cupping regardless of the phantom geometry, as well as more accurate linear attenuation coefficients. The corresponding 3D SPRs have increased central density, which reduces radially. Not surprisingly, for both 2D and 3D SPRs there was a dependency on both phantom geometry and object density on the measured SPR values, with geometry dominating for 3D SPRs. Overall, these results indicate the need for scatter correction given different geometries and breast densities that will be encountered with 3D cone beam breast CT.
Surviving in a Hostile Multi-agent Environment: How Simple Affective States Can Aid in the Competition for Resources

In this paper, I will argue that agents with simple affective inner states (that can be interpreted as "hunger" and "mood") can have an advantage over agents without such states if these states are used to modulate the agents' behavior in specific ways. The claim will be confirmed using results from experiments done in a simulation of a multi-agent environment, in which agents have to compete for resources in order to survive.
Cocoa polyphenolics inhibit lipid accumulation and, along with leucine, increase leptin production in 3T3‐L1 pre‐adipocytes (642.10)

Certain bioactive food components have been reported to increase satiety and fat metabolism. Whey protein intake has been reported to decrease total body fat while increasing satiety. Cocoa phenoli...
Computational biomolecular science

In this century, the study of the molecules of life has transformed the practice of biology as a whole. Molecular thinking now influences the research agenda for scientists studying both the behavior of individual cells and organisms, and the relationships between organisms as in natural history. Even ecology and anthropology are being influenced by this molecular revolution. It is impressive that this transformation has, to a large extent, been made possible by simply identifying (with very clever strategies!) active biological molecules and cataloging their information content through their sequences. One result of all this activity is that raw data about life at the molecular level have become abundant, but understanding its biological meaning remains, in many if not most respects, perplexing. Fortunately, just at this stage, new approaches to understanding the connection between biomolecular sequence and physiological behavior are coming forward. Computation, theory, and novel experimental approaches that utilize the combinatorial power of the genetic code allow us to begin to understand biomolecular function from both the bottom-up atomistic point-of-view of the physical sciences and the top-down view usually associated with the evolutionary perspective. The …
Calibration of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for quantitative measurements of lead in bone

Lead accumulates in bone over many years or decades. Accordingly, the study of lead in bone is important in determining the fate of ingested lead, the potential for remobilization, and for the application of bone lead measurements as a biomarker of lead exposure. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to measure the spatial distribution of lead in bone on the micrometer scale. In general, LA-ICP-MS studies are somewhat limited by the lack of matrix-matched standards and/or reference materials for calibration and validation purposes. Here we describe the application of pressed pellets prepared from New York State Department of Health candidate reference materials for Lead in Bone (levels 1 through 4), to provide a linear calibration for 208Pb/43Ca in the concentration range <1 to 30 μg g−1. The limit of detection was estimated as 0.2 μg g−1. The measured lead values for pelletized NIST SRM 1486 Bone Meal and SRM 1400 Bone Ash were in good agreement with certified reference values. Using this approach, we quantitatively measured the spatial distribution of lead in a cross-section of goat metacarpal from a lead-dosed animal. The lead content was spatially variable in the range 2–30 μg g−1 with a complex distribution. In some sections, lead appeared to be enriched in the center of the bone relative to peripheral areas, indicating preferential accumulation in trabecular (spongy) rather than cortical bone. In addition, there were discrete areas of lead enrichment, or hot spots, of 100–200 μm width.
Virtual HDR CyberKnife SBRT for Localized Prostatic Carcinoma: 5-Year Disease-Free Survival and Toxicity Observations.

PURPOSE Prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may substantially recapitulate the dose distribution of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, representing an externally delivered “Virtual HDR” treatment method. Herein we present 5-year outcomes from a cohort of consecutively treated Virtual HDR SBRT prostate cancer patients. METHODS Seventy-nine patients were treated from 2006 - 2009, 40 low-risk and 39 intermediate-risk, under IRB-approved clinical trial, to 38 Gy in 4 fractions. The planning target volume (PTV) included prostate plus a 2-mm volume expansion in all directions, with selective use of a 5-mm prostate-to-PTV expansion and proximal seminal vesicle coverage in intermediate-risk patients, to better cover potential extraprostatic disease; rectal PTV margin reduced to zero in all cases. The prescription dose covered > 95% of the PTV (V100 >= 95%), with a minimum 150% PTV dose escalation to create “HDR-like” PTV dose distribution. RESULTS Median pre-SBRT PSA level of 5.6 ng/mL decreased to 0.05 ng/mL 5 years out and 0.02 ng/mL 6 years out. At least one PSA bounce was seen in 55 patients (70%) but only 3 of them subsequently relapsed, Biochemical-relapse-free survival was 100% and 92% for low-risk and intermediate-risk patients, respectively, by ASTRO definition (98% and 92% by Phoenix definition). Local relapse did not occur, distant metastasis-free survival was 100% and 95% by risk-group, and disease-specific survival was 100%. Acute and late grade 2 GU toxicity incidence was 10% and 9%, respectively; with 6% late grade 3 GU toxicity. Acute urinary retention did not occur. Acute and late grade 2 GI toxicity was 0% and 1%, respectively, with no grade 3 or higher toxicity. Of patients potent pre-SBRT, 65% remained so at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS Virtual HDR prostate SBRT creates a very low PSA nadir, a high rate of 5-year disease-free survival and an acceptable toxicity incidence, with results closely resembling those reported post-HDR brachytherapy.
GMM estimation with cross sectional dependence

This paper presents a spatial model of dependence among agents using a metric of economic distance. Measurements of this economic distance provide cross-sectional data with a structure similar to that provided by the time index in time-series data. Generalized method of moments estimators using such dependent data are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal. This paper presents a class of non-parametric, positive semi-definite covariance matrix estimators that allow for general forms of dependence characterized by economic distance. These covariance matrix estimators are shown to remain consistent when economic distances are not precisely observed.
The extent of intracellular acidification during anoxia in the catch muscles of two bivalve molluscs

Intracellular pH (pHi) changes during anoxia in in vitro preparations of the posterior adductor muscle of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis and the byssus retractor muscle of the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa were observed using phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. During 12 h of experimental anoxia, the pHi in M. edulis muscles fell from 6.96 to 6.70. Over the same time period, the pHi in G. demissa muscle fell from 6.95 to 6.56. The relatively small degree of intracellular acidification probably reflects low rates of anaerobic energy metabolism in these muscles. However, the degree of pHi change may be sufficient to have important regulatory effects on energy metabolism in catch muscle.
Strain-collapsed metamorphic isograds in a sillimanite gneiss dome, Seward Peninsula, Alaska

Unusually closely spaced Barrovian series isograds have been described along the flanks of the Kigluaik Mountains, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, where they separate a high-grade gneiss complex intruded by granites of Cretaceous age from surrounding, regionally developed, blueschist to greenschist facies rocks. Structural mapping of the transition zone between the two metamorphic types indicates that their juxtaposition was aided by significant syn- to late-metamorphic solid-state flow that served to attenuate the overlying rock column and thus collapse the field metamorphic gradient. On the basis of field relations, structural data, petrography, and geochronologic data, strain appears to have accompanied the rapid (adiabatic) rise of high-temperature rocks from several tens of kilometers to less than 10 km depth during the Cretaceous, in an event younger than the unrelated to high-P metamorphism. Granite-cored gneiss domes on the Seward Peninsula may have formed during extension of previously thickened continental crust, resulting in the {approximately}35-km-thick crust and near-sea-level elevations of the region today.
Tetanus. Its prophylaxis and treatment.

Summary Thirty-eight patients with tetanus have been treated at The University of Wisconsin Hospitals between the years 1944 and 1964. The results of treatment of these patients are summarized and the method of prevention is emphasized. Various modalities in the treatment of tetanus are discussed. The changes in the management of clinical tetanus during the past twenty years are those of refinements of older technics the addition of new antibiotics, and the use of human hyperimmune globulin; we await observations on the applications of hyperbaric oxygen. Public health measures are our mainstay. Active immunization with tetanus toxoid results in longstanding protective antibody titers, which are likely to last up to fifteen to twenty years [ 9,16 ], with rapid recall of the antibody titer upon administration of a booster dose of fluid toxoid. Universal tetanus toxoid immunization should be considered as a desirable public health measure. In addition to toxoid administration, early and thorough surgical debridement is most important in the prevention and treatment of this disease. Tetanus infections have all gradations of severity and the intensity of treatment depends on the intensity of the disease. The following are pertinent to treatment: 1. Early recognition and early therapy are essential for success. 2. In cases of severe tetanus a high intensity care unit with a team effort should be inaugurated promptly. 3. Efforts should be made to reduce noxious stimuli such as distended bladder or bowel. 4. An open wound should be debrided and cultured, and a suspicious closed wound should be opened, debrided, and irrigated with dilute hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate. 5. Intensive antibiotics should be started, preferably penicillin or oxytetracycline. 6. Tetanus antitoxin should be administered as follows: 400,000 units intramuscularly and 400,000 units intravenously in 250 ml. of normal saline solution. Additional tetanus antitoxin should be injected locally around the wound. 7. Attention should be directed to control of the airway since most deaths are caused by problems in this area. A tracheostomy is suggested for critically ill patients, drug addicts, and children in order to avoid spasms and control secretions. 8. Muscular spasms should be controlled. We suggest Meprobamate and if necessary Curare. 9. The patient should be given nutritional support. 10. Finally, active immunization should be initiated in the convalescent period.
Creatinine clearance following cimetidine for estimation of glomerular filtration rate.

Simultaneous inulin (C in ) and creatinine clearance (C Cr ) studies were performed on 53 pediatric renal patients using a cimetidine protocol. Since cimetidine blocks the tubular secretion of creatinine, it was hypothesized that C Cr measured following cimetidine would closely approximate the C in . C in was compared with C Cr with the latter calculated from: (1) a 24-h urine collection, (2) plasma creatinine, height, and a proportionality constant, (3) the same plasma and urine specimens used for calculating C in , and (4) from the plasma and urine specimens of the four 30-min clearance periods treated as a single 2-h clearance. The C in was very closely approximated by the C Cr calculated from the same specimens used for the C in and by the 2-h clearance. The cimetidine protocol, with C Cr derived from a 2-h urine collection obtained under supervision in the office or clinic, provides a convenient and inexpensive procedure for estimation of glomerular filtration rate in a clinical setting.
Random-field critical scattering at high-magnetic concentration in the Ising antiferromagnet Fe0.93Zn0.07F2

Abstract The high-magnetic concentration Ising antiferromagnet Fe 0.93 Zn 0.07 Fe 2 does not exhibit the severe critical scattering hysteresis at low temperatures observed in all the lower concentration samples studied. The system, therefore, provides equilibrium neutron scattering line shapes suitable for determining random-field Ising model critical behavior.
In vitro regeneration and morphogenesis studies in common bean

An efficient protocol for high frequency in vitro regeneration of multiple shoots and somatic embryos from the embryonic axis of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) was developed. Ten common bean cultivars representing a wide range of diversity among current commercial market classes were used for in vitro regeneration evaluation in our study. These cultivars were tested on 63 different media formulations consisting of combinations of cytokinins, namely benzyladenine (BA) and thidiazuron (TDZ) at concentration levels of 0.0, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg l−1 and auxin, namely naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at concentration levels of 0.0, 0.05, 0.1 and 1.0 mg l−1. P. vulgaris cv. Olathe pinto bean performed the best producing over 20 multiple shoots per explant while cv. Condor black bean was the poorest with nine multiple shoots per explant. The optimum media for regeneration of multiple shoots was 4.4 mg l−1 Murashige and Skoog (MS) containing 2.5 mg l−1 BA and 0.1 mg l−1 IAA supplemented with 30 mg l−1 silver nitrate. Adventitious shoots and somatic embryos were regenerated on 4.4 mg l−1 MS medium containing 1 mg l−1 TDZ and 0.05 mg l−1 NAA supplemented with 30 mg l−1 silver nitrate or activated charcoal. Efficient and effective rooting of plantlets was achieved by dipping the cut end base of in vitro regenerated shoots in 1.0 mg l−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) solution and culturing on media containing 4.4 mg l−1 MS supplemented by 0.1 mg l−1 IAA, NAA or IBA.
A comparison of three rock phosphates for use in forest soils.

The use of rock phosphates in forestry is an important and economic alternative to soluble phosphorus sources for some soils. Interactions of tree rhizosphere processes and rock phosphates may increase availability and uptake efficiency, but interactions of rock phosphates in different forest soils may reduce availability. This study examined phosphorus diffusion rates in three forest soils fertilized with either of three rock phosphates of varying solubility. Diffusion rates were calculated from phosphorus buffer powers determined by desorption in pH adjusted solutions. Diffusion rates and rock phosphate solubilities were compared to quantities of phosphorus in whole-seedlings of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) grown in the experimental soils fertilized with the experimental rock phosphates. Results indicated that phosphorus uptake varied by rock phosphate solubility, but the pattern was different for each soil. Increasing solubility did not always increase phosphorus uptake. Diffusion rates with and without pH adjustment proved superior in predicting phosphorus availability in each soil and therefore may provide a better index for forestry use than rock phosphate solubility.
Visualizing Vibrational Normal Modes on the Macintosh Microcomputer

Computational methods for evaluating the energy and intensity of vibrational transitions are valuable for spectral interpretation. To facilitate mode assignments, most routines for determining normal mode energies also provide a listing of the atom-based Cartesian displacements associated with each vibrational mode. While modes can often be assigned by inspection of the displacement coordinates, this procedure can be tedious when large molecules or complicated vibrational motions are involved.
Privatización de los servicios de salud: las experiencias de Chile y Costa Rica

This study questions the premises that justify the neoliberal privatization of financing, managing and delivering health services. It also analyses the meaning of privatization and its strategies. We compare privatization in Chile and Costa Rica and suggest that the more limited, selective and locally designed privatization process in Costa Rica has resulted in a more equitable, and efficient health system than the imported privatization model introduced in Chile. The Costa Rican system also produces greater patient satisfaction and at the same time preserves the solidarity principle.
Ultrastructure and function of alveolar macrophages from cystic fibrosis patients.

Summary macrophages. Experimental observations are presented which suggest that the CF ilveolar macrophage is intrinsically normal but Alveolar macrophages were isolated from three cystic fibrosis that it may be affected by extrinsic factors present in the CF lung. patients, and the structure and function of these cells were combared to that of normal alveolar macrophages. The cystic fibrosis (CF) and normal alveolar macrophages were able to phagocytize Pseudomonas in the presence of normal serum, but cells from both sources had decreased phagocytosis of Pseudomonas in the presence of CF serum. Phagocytosis of Staphy1ococcu.s was not inhibited. Ultrastructural studies showed CF macrophages to be morphologically normal, however. in contrast to CF polymorphonuclear cells, they had not been heavily engaged in phagocytosis. The similarities between CF and normal macrophages suggest that the chronic pulmonary infection of CF may be due to an extrinsic factor in an altered lung environment rather than to any intrinsic cellular defect of the alveolar macrophage. Speculation Functional and morphologic observations indicate that cystic fibrosis alveolar macrophages are not providing an adequate phagocytic defense against Pseudomonas. This defective phagocytosis does not appear to arise from an intrinsic problem with the macrophages, but rather appears to be due to extrinsic factors, i.e.. an altered lung environment together with a substance(s) present in cystic fibrosis serum which selectively inhibit Pseudomonas phagocytosis.
A unified approach to the surgical exposure of pancreatic and duodenal injuries

One of the greatest challenges to any surgeon is the introperative detection and surgical management of duodenal and pancreatic injuries. A uniform approach to the surgical exposure of all suspected pancreatic and duodenal injuries will decrease their morbidity and mortality by identifying all injuries. Proper intraoperative assessment and grading will help with procedure selection from the broad surgical armamentarium available to manage these injuries.
Effects of recombinant interleukin-1 beta on phospholipase A2 activity, phospholipase A2 mRNA levels, and eicosanoid formation in rabbit chondrocytes

We have investigated the effects of recombinant interleukin-1 beta (rIL-1 beta) on phospholipase A2 activity (PLA2), PLA2 messenger RNA levels, and eicosanoid production in rabbit chondrocytes. Phospholipase A2 activity increased 5 fold with exposure to 1.6 x 10(-11) M rIL-1 beta for 20 hours. An mRNA specific for an extracellular PLA2 was detected by RNA blot hybridization after treatment of the cells with rIL-1 beta. Hydroxylated derivatives of arachidonic acid, including prostaglandins, leukotriene B4, 5-hydroxyeicosa 6E, 8Z, 11Z, 14Z-tetraenoic acid, 12-hydroxyeicosa 5Z, 8Z, 10E, 14Z-tetraenoic acid and 15-hydroxyeicosa 5Z, 8Z, 11Z, 13E-tetraenoic acid increased in cells after rIL-1 beta treatment.