cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Best Practices in Diagnosing Respiratory Viral Disease

Abstract We provide an overview of how respiratory virus testing has evolved over time, with a detailed discussion regarding the performance characteristics of the assays currently in use. We describe several strategies for using these assays to best serve patient needs while accounting for the infrastructure and resources of the testing facility. In this context, the pros and cons of testing strategies using specific patient-centered approaches, as well as testing strategies using more simplified broad approaches, are discussed. We further describe specific challenges common to all strategies. This includes a discussion regarding the effect variables, such as repeat testing (on the same and different specimen types) and proper specimen collection, can have on diagnostic yield. Finally, we address challenges pertaining to result interpretation and emphasize the importance of determining whether a respiratory virus test is even warranted for a given patient.
Moods, Colored Lenses, and Emotional Disconnection: a Comment on Gallegos

In “Moods Are Not Colored Lenses: Perceptualism and the Phenomenology of Moods” (2017) Francisco Gallegos presents a challenge to popular view about the phenomenology of being in a mood that he calls “perceptualism”. In this essay, I offer a partial defense of perceptualism about moods and argue that perceptualism and Gallegos’s preferred Heideggerian alternative need not be viewed as in opposition to one another.
A 6000 year water level history of Europe Lake, Wisconsin, USA

Europe Lake occupies a small, closed, basin that would have been an embayment in Lake Michigan during the high water level events in the larger lake. Cores recovered from the lake reveal late Holocene water level fluctuations in the basin that are inferred from changes in taxa and abundance of molluscs, ostracodes, magnetic susceptibility, organic carbon, and oxygen isotopes.
Regulation of Nuclear Envelope Assembly and Disassembly by ARF and other GTP-Binding Proteins

At the onset of mitosis in higher eukaryotes the nuclear envelope, ER, and Golgi complex are partially or completely converted to small vesicles. After mitosis, these biochemically distinct vesicles must fuse selectively to reassemble each organelle. The potential similarities between this process and the process of vesicular transport through the secretory pathway were pointed out by Warren (1985). Secretion involves the regulated formation of coated vesicles at one compartment and their fusion with a specific target membrane (Rothman and Orci, 1992). Secretion ceases during mitosis (Hesketh et al., 1984; Colman et al., 1985), indicating that vesicle formation and/or vesicle fusion are temporarily inhibited. Warren suggested that a mitotic block to vesicle fusion would be sufficient to cause organelles to vesiculate. Newport and Spann (1987) showed that mitotic disassembly of nuclear membranes required an unknown stoichiometric factor (s), perhaps coat proteins. However, direct evidence for the mechanism of mitotic disassembly of the nuclear envelope, or its relationship to membrane traffic, was lacking.
Routing Multiple Flows Through a Network

Network flow models are some of the most frequently used tools for the planning of logistics systems because there exists a natural correspondence between the mathematical network flow formulation and the elements of the real-world supply chain network. The supply chain network consists of a number of suppliers that generate products transported over transportation channels through various intermediate facilities to a number of customers. Limiting capacities may exist on the transportation channels, the intermediate facilities, and capacity limitations on available goods at the suppliers may also exist. Demand satisfaction of the customers corresponds to a required outflow of products from the network. The mathematical network consists of nodes and arcs. The nodes can be further classified as sources that generate flow, intermediate nodes that neither generate nor consume flow, and destinations that consume flow. The nodes are connected by directional arcs. The arcs may have capacity limitations for individual flow types or jointly for all flows. A network flow schematic is illustrated in Fig. 7.1.
A Cohort Comparison of Predictors of Young Adult Union Formation and Dissolution in the US

The theory of the second demographic transition argues that as educated Americans began valuing self-actualization and individual autonomy, delays in union formation spread through the US. The accelerated adulthood theory suggests that socioeconomic disadvantage distinguishes young adulthood such that those with fewer resources have shorter, more informal (i.e. cohabitation) unions, and those with more resources delay but achieve marriage and have greater union stability. We use two large, nationally representative samples of young adults collected about twenty years apart, the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1979 and 1997 cohorts to examine cohort differences in union formation and dissolution and test interaction effects in demographic and socioeconomic correlates. We found that the NLSY97 cohort 1) entered into unions earlier than the NLSY79 cohort, 2) entered direct marriage (marriage without premarital cohabitation) later than the NLSY79 cohort, and 3) entered cohabiting unions earlier than the NLSY79 cohort. A greater proportion of young adults in the NLSY97 cohort dissolved their first union between ages 16 and 30. We found that socioeconomically disadvantaged young adults had earlier unions by some indicators (e.g. lower maternal education) and later unions by other indicators (e.g. unemployment) in both cohorts. We also found that in both cohorts, socioeconomic disadvantage undermined union stability. We also found evidence for interaction effects; some indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage (e.g. income, employment, and maternal education) had exacerbated effects on union formation and stability in the NLSY97 as compared to the NLSY79 cohorts perhaps because inequality grew over the twenty years between cohorts.
Lung Transplantation in Connective Tissue Disease-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease (CTD-ILD)

Connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) previously was a relative contraindication to lung transplantation primarily due to extra-pulmonary involvement of the disease. Recent published information focusing on the diagnosis and management of the extra-pulmonary complexities associated with CTD-ILD that challenge the success of lung transplantation indicate similar outcomes when compared to idiopathic causes of interstitial lung disease. Recent literature examining appropriate wait-listing criteria, disease management, and outcomes after lung transplantation are discussed. Esophageal dysmotility with or without gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common reason for denying lung transplant candidacy. Recent multiple single-center studies and registry data now show that carefully selected scleroderma and non-scleroderma connective tissue disease patients have acceptable outcomes when compared to matched interstitial lung disease recipients. Connective tissue disease patients have extra-pulmonary manifestations that must be considered and properly managed in the setting of lung transplantation. With appropriate candidate selection and proper management, lung transplantation is an acceptable treatment option for these individuals and should not be immediately abandoned based on extra-pulmonary complexities.
Discovery of a novel azetidine scaffold for colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) Type II inhibitors by the use of docking models.

Abstract We report the discovery of a novel azetidine scaffold for colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) Type II inhibitors by using a structure-based drug design (SBDD) based on a docking model. The work leads to the representative compound 4a with high CSF-1R inhibitory activity (IC50 = 9.1 nM). The obtained crystal structure of an azetidine compound with CSF-1R, which matched our predicted docking model, demonstrates that the azetidine compounds bind to the DFG-out conformation of the protein as a Type II inhibitor.
Changes in the Properties of the Preferred Retinal Locus with Eccentric Viewing Training.

SIGNIFICANCE This study explores whether eccentric viewing training (EVT) changes the properties of the retinal area used for fixation in subjects with bilateral macular disease. The data presented demonstrate the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial on EVT. PURPOSE Patients with bilateral central scotomas adopt other retinal area(s) called preferred retinal locus to substitute the blind fovea. EVT is offered with the goal to improve functional vision by learning how to identify and use a more useful retinal area for fixation-a trained retinal locus-and/or to improve fixation stability with their existing preferred retinal locus. An observational study was conducted to determine whether patients change and adopt a new trained retinal locus location and/or if fixation stability improves after EVT. METHODS Seventy-six patients with bilateral central scotomas received EVT from an experienced rehabilitation therapist. Retinal locations for repeated fixations and sizes of central scotomas of the better eye were recorded before and after EVT with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The position and area of the 95% confidence bivariate ellipse that defines the retinal area in which 95% of fixations occur were analyzed. RESULTS We observed no significant difference between the size of the area of the fitted ellipses before (mean [SD], 26.4° [19.7°]) and after (mean [SD], 24.8° [20.9°]) EVT (P = .54). However, we observed a shift in the preferred retinal locus location after EVT (P < .0001). The mean (SD) shift in the position of the center of fixation after EVT was 7.5° (5.2°; range, 0.45 to 23°). This mean difference was larger than would be expected from average within-subject fixation stability. CONCLUSIONS The location of the retinal area used for fixation changes after EVT. Fixation stability does not change after EVT. These preliminary data are yet to be confirmed with the use of a control group.
Considering Physical Well-Being, Self-perceptions, and Support Variables in Understanding Youth Academic Achievement:

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between measures of students’ physical well-being and self-perception and their academic achievement. Specifically, we look at students’ social...
Shooting the "STAR"

1142 Objectives: Utility of medium-energy collimator in head & neck Tc-99m labeled lymphoscinitigraphy Introduction: Head & neck lymphoscintigraphy is commonly performed with Tc-99m labeled compounds (filtered sulfur colloid or lymphoseek). Due to the low energy of Technetium (140 Kev), imaging is usually performed with low energy collimators as endorsed in the practice guidelines for lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy in melanoma by EANM and SNMMI.1 However, this often results in a star shaped artifact due to septal penetration, which can mask nearby sentinel nodes. This can be dealt with by shielding with lead on planar images, but such shielding is not feasible with SPECT imaging. The star artifact turns into a cone shaped artifact in SPECT images and can result in non-visualization of nodes near the injection site. The solution is to use a medium energy collimator for the SPECT acquisition. Although the spatial resolution and count sensitivity are slightly worse, the septal penetration is completely eliminated. Results: In this exhibit, we describe a case where a low energy collimator was inadvertently used, followed by repeat imaging with a medium energy collimator. The sentinel lymph node was completely hidden when using the low-energy collimator, but was clearly seen with the medium energy collimator SPECT images. Conclusions: Medium-energy collimator imaging is essential for SPECT imaging in sentinel node lymphoscintigraphy. The septal penetration artifacts seen with low energy collimation can result in non-visualization of the sentinel node and a high rate of false negative studies. Reference: 1. Bluemel C, Herrmann K, Giammarile F et al. EANM practice guidelines for lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel lymph node biopsy in melanoma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2015 Oct;42(11):1750-1766.
Extrahepatic Manifestations of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most com mon chronic liver disease and encompasses a spectrum of pathology from simple steatosis to inflammation and signifi cant fibrosis that leads to cirrhosis. NAFLD and its comorbid conditions extend well beyond the liver. It is a multisystemic clinical disease entity with extrahepatic manifestations such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and psoriasis. Indeed, the most common causes of mortality in subjects with NAFLD are cardiovascular disease, followed by malignancies and then liver-related complications as a dis tant third. This review focuses on several of the key extrahe patic manifestations of NAFLD and areas for future investigation. Clinicians should learn to screen and initiate treatment for these extrahepatic manifestations in a prompt and timely fashion before they progress to end-organ damage. (Gut Liver 2020;14:168-178)
On Graph Fall-Coloring: Existence and Constructions

Graph fall-coloring, also known as idomatic partition or independent domatic partition of graphs, was formally introduced by Dunbar, Hedetniemi, Hedetniemi, Jacobs, Knisely, Laskar and Rall in 2000 as an extension of both Graph Coloring and Graph Domination. It asks for a partition of the vertex set of a given graph into independent dominating sets, or equivalently into maximal independent sets. We study two fundamental questions related to this concept: when such a partition of vertices can exist, and how it relates to a proper coloring. We construct graphs with a large number of possible fall-colorings and as a consequence of that we answer a question of Dunbar et al. (J Combin Math Combin Comput 33:257–273, 2000) by constructing a family of graphs with arbitrarily far apart chromatic number and fall-chromatic number. In fact, we construct graphs whose Fall set (collection of k such that the graph has a fall coloring with k colors) is an arbitrarily long arithmetic sequence, thus giving us graphs with Fall set of large order having large gaps between its elements. We give a sufficient condition on the minimum degree for fall-colorable graphs and characterize the sharpness of this bound. Related to this, we also construct families of graphs which have both a k-fall-coloring and a k-coloring that is not a fall coloring for every k, illustrating the complex relationship between idomatic and non-domatic independent partitions.
Experimental investigation of neural network estimator and transfer learning techniques for K-edge spectral CT imaging.

Purpose Spectral computed tomography (CT) material decomposition algorithms require accurate physics-based models or empirically derived models. This study investigates a machine learning algorithm and transfer learning techniques for Spectral CT imaging of K-edge contrast agents using simulated and experimental measurements. Methods A feed forward multilayer perceptron was implemented and trained on data acquired using a step wedge phantom containing acrylic, aluminum, and gadolinium materials. The neural network estimator was evaluated by scanning a rod phantom with varying dilutions of gadolinium oxide nanoparticles and by scanning a rat leg specimen with injected nanoparticles on a bench-top photon-counting computed tomography system. The algorithm decomposed each spectral projection measurement into path lengths of acrylic and aluminum and mass lengths of gadolinium. Each basis material sinogram was reconstructed into basis material images using filtered backprojection. Machine learning techniques of data standardization, transfer learning from aggregated pixel data, and transfer learning from simulations were investigated to improve image quality. The algorithm was compared to a previously published empirical method based on a linear approximation and calibration error look-up tables. Results The combined transfer learning techniques did not improve quantification in the rod phantom and provided only a small qualitative improvement in ring artifacts. Transfer learning from aggregated pixel data and from simulations improved the qualitative image quality of the rat specimen, for which the calibration data were limited. Transfer learning from aggregated pixel data and simulations estimated 3.26, 6.26, and 12.45 mg/mL Gd concentrations compared to true 2.72, 5.44, and 10.88 mg/mL concentrations in the rod phantom. Additionally, the neural networks were able to separate the soft tissue, bone, and gadolinium nanoparticles of the ex vivo rat leg specimen into the different basis images. Conclusions The results demonstrate that empirical K-edge imaging from calibration measurements using machine learning and transfer learning is possible without explicit models of material attenuations, incident spectra, or the detector response.
NDI: A platform-independent data interface and database for neuroscience physiology and imaging experiments

Collaboration in neuroscience is impeded by the difficulty of sharing primary data, results, and software across labs. Here we introduce Neuroscience Data Interface (NDI), a platform-independent standard that allows an analyst to use and create software that functions independently from the format of the raw data or the manner in which the data is organized into files. The interface is rooted in a simple vocabulary that describes common apparatus and storage devices used in neuroscience experiments. Results of analyses - and analyses of analyses - are stored as documents in a scalable, queryable database that stores the relationships and history among the experiment elements and documents. The interface allows the development of an application ecosystem where applications can focus on calculation rather than data format or organization. This tool can be used by individual labs to exchange and analyze data, and it can serve to curate neuroscience data for searchable archives.
Climate change and index insurance demand: Evidence from a framed field experiment in Tanzania

Abstract Index insurance has been touted as part of an adaptation strategy to mitigate climate risks among smallholder farmers. However, in the face of increasing drought probabilities, demand for index insurance may decrease compared to a scenario with no climate change, if farmers learn slowly or place considerable weight on prior beliefs. Using data from a framed field experiment in Tanzania, we estimate a structural learning model based on a Bayesian change-point inference method and separately identify the effect of learning, expectations, recency bias, and ambiguity on insurance demand. Furthermore, by simulating the supply-side of the insurance market under a set of plausible assumptions, we show that climate change results in reduced uptake rates in most cases, although demand may increase if the severity of climate change is sufficiently low. Overall, our results provide an alternative explanation for the puzzle of low index insurance demand.
The impact of wheat-based food processing on the level of trichothecenes and their modified forms

Abstract Background Despite its nutritional value, wheat grain can be contaminated with mycotoxins, which cause toxic effects when ingested, and this contamination may persist during food processing. Among the mycotoxins found in wheat and its derivatives, DON, a mycotoxin belonging to trichothecene group B, stands out for its prevalence and range. Scope and approach Processing parameters, such as the time and temperature of thermal treatment used in food preparation, are important to mitigate mycotoxin contamination. Studies have shown that interconversion can occur between DON and its derivatives and interaction with macromolecules during food processing. However, it may also bind or disconnect with macromolecules after the digestion process, resulting in underestimation of trichothecene exposure by wheat product consumption. In this review, focus will be placed on the main studies of trichothecenes occurrence in wheat and their derivatives, as well as which processing step reduces trichothecene contamination. Key findings and conclusions There are few studies focusing on nivalenol occurrence despite its toxic effects. The trends are focused on DON and its conversion into D3G during the food processing steps. There is still little standardization in food production, which has complicated comparisons and the identification of the product that represents the greatest risk to human health. The main challenge for public policy to prevent damage to human health is the evaluation of trichothecenes bioaccessibility along the wheat supply chain.
Insights into the Relationship between Cobamide Synthase and the Cell Membrane.

ABSTRACT Cobamides are cobalt-containing cyclic tetrapyrroles used by cells from all domains of life but only produced de novo by some bacteria and archaea. The “late steps” of the adenosylcobamide biosynthetic pathway are responsible for the assembly of the nucleotide loop and are required during de novo synthesis and precursor salvaging. These steps are characterized by activation of the corrin ring and lower ligand base, condensation of the activated precursors to adenosylcobamide phosphate, and removal of the phosphate, yielding a complete adenosylcobamide molecule. The condensation of the activated corrin ring and lower ligand base is performed by an integral membrane protein, cobamide (5′ phosphate) synthase (CobS), and represents an important convergence of two pathways necessary for nucleotide loop assembly. Interestingly, membrane association of this penultimate step is conserved among all cobamide producers, yet the physiological relevance of this association is not known. Here, we present the purification and biochemical characterization of the CobS enzyme of the enterobacterium Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium strain LT2, investigate its association with liposomes, and quantify the effect of the lipid bilayer on its enzymatic activity and substrate affinity. We report a purification scheme that yields pure CobS protein, allowing in vitro functional analysis. Additionally, we report a method for liposome reconstitution of CobS, allowing for physiologically relevant studies of this inner membrane protein in a phospholipid bilayer. In vitro and in vivo data reported here expand our understanding of CobS and the implications of membrane-associated adenosylcobamide biosynthesis. IMPORTANCESalmonella is a human pathogen of worldwide importance, and coenzyme B12 is critical for the pathogenic lifestyle of this bacterium. The importance of the work reported here lies on the improvements to the methodology used to isolate cobamide synthase, a polytopic integral membrane protein that catalyzes the penultimate step of coenzyme B12 biosynthesis. This advance is an important step in the analysis of the proposed multienzyme complex responsible for the assembly of the nucleotide loop during de novo coenzyme B12 biosynthesis and for the assimilation of incomplete corrinoids from the environment. We proposed that cobamide synthase is likely localized to the cell membrane of every coenzyme B12-producing bacterium and archaeum sequenced to date. The new knowledge of cobamide synthase advances our understanding of the functionality of the enzyme in the context of the lipid bilayer and sets the foundation for the functional-structural analysis of the aforementioned multienzyme complex.
Abstract 17071: Cell Communication Inference in Macrophages

Introduction: Tissue macrophages play diverse roles in the cardiovascular system during health and disease. They have diverse functions within tissues, but our understanding of their dynamics is li...
Cnidarian Pattern Recognition Receptor Repertoires Reflect Both Phylogeny and Life History Traits

Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are evolutionarily ancient and crucial components of innate immunity, recognizing danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and activating host defenses. Basal non-bilaterian animals such as cnidarians must rely solely on innate immunity to defend themselves from pathogens. By investigating cnidarian PRR repertoires we can gain insight into the evolution of innate immunity in these basal animals. Here we utilize the increasing amount of available genomic resources within Cnidaria to survey the PRR repertoires and downstream immune pathway completeness within 15 cnidarian species spanning two major cnidarian clades, Anthozoa and Medusozoa. Overall, we find that anthozoans possess prototypical PRRs, while medusozoans appear to lack these immune proteins. Additionally, anthozoans consistently had higher numbers of PRRs across all four classes relative to medusozoans, a trend largely driven by expansions in NOD-like receptors and C-type lectins. Symbiotic, sessile, and colonial cnidarians also have expanded PRR repertoires relative to their non-symbiotic, mobile, and solitary counterparts. Interestingly, cnidarians seem to lack key components of mammalian innate immune pathways, though similar to PRR numbers, anthozoans possess more complete immune pathways than medusozoans. Together, our data indicate that anthozoans have greater immune specificity than medusozoans, which we hypothesize to be due to life history traits common within Anthozoa. Overall, this investigation reveals important insights into the evolution of innate immune proteins within these basal animals.
THE EXTENT OF MEDIAL QUADRICEPS TENDON FEMORAL LIGAMENT (MQTFL) PATELLAR AND QUADRICEPS ATTACHMENT: A PEDIATRIC CADAVERIC STUDY:

Background:The most common modern procedure for medial patellar stabilization involves reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) and involves reconstructed ligament attachment to ...
Podcasts and Their Potential to Improve Sexual Health Literacy in Adolescents and Young Adults

Low health literacy poses many problems in the public health field and is linked to numerous negative health outcomes, including STIs and unplanned pregnancies. While many interventions focus on gi...
Renal AT 2 Receptors Mediate Natriuresis via Protein Phosphatase PP2A

Background: How signals from activated angiotensin type-2 receptors (AT2R) mediate inhibition of sodium ion (Na+) reabsorption in renal proximal tubule cells (RPTCs) is currently unknown. Protein phosphatases including protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) have been implicated in AT2R signaling in tissues other than kidney. We investigated whether inhibition of protein phosphatase PP2A reduced AT2R-mediated natriuresis and evaluated changes in PP2A activity and localization after renal AT2R activation in normal 4- and 10-week-old control Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and 4-week-old pre-hypertensive and 10-week-old hypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods and Results: In WKY, direct renal interstitial (RI) administration of selective AT2R non-peptide agonist Compound-21 (C-21) increased RI cyclic GMP (cGMP) levels, urine Na+ excretion (UNaV), and simultaneously increased PP2A activity ≅ 2-fold in homogenates of renal cortical tubules. The cGMP and natriuretic responses were abolished by concurrent RI administration of protein phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A (CAL). In RPTCs in response to C-21, PP2A subunits A, B55α and C, but not B56γ, were recruited to apical plasma membranes together with AT2Rs. CAL treatment abolished C-21-induced translocation of both AT2R and PP2A regulatory subunit B55α to apical plasma membranes. Immunoprecipitation of AT2R solubilized from renal cortical homogenates demonstrated physical association of AT2R with PP2A A, B55α, and C but not B56γ subunits. In contrast, in SHR, administration of C-21 did not alter UNaV or PP2A activity and failed to translocate AT2Rs and PP2A subunits to apical plasma membranes. Conclusions: In RPTCs of WKY, PP2A is activated and PP2A subunits AB55αC are recruited to C-21-activated AT2Rs during induction of natriuresis. This response is defective in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive SHR, presenting a potential novel therapeutic target for treating renal Na+ retention and hypertension.
DNA Sequence Signatures for Rapid Detection of Six Target Bacterial Pathogens Using PCR Assays

Using Streptococcus pyogenes as a model, we previously established a stepwise computational workflow to effectively identify species-specific DNA signatures that could be used as PCR primer sets to detect target bacteria with high specificity and sensitivity. In this study, we extended the workflow for the rapid development of PCR assays targeting Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium tetani, and Staphylococcus aureus, which are of safety concern for human tissue intended for transplantation. Twenty-one primer sets that had sensitivity of detecting 5–50 fg DNA from target bacteria with high specificity were selected. These selected primer sets can be used in a PCR array for detecting target bacteria with high sensitivity and specificity. The workflow could be widely applicable for the rapid development of PCR-based assays for a wide range of target bacteria, including those of biothreat agents.
TU-G-BRA-01: Assessing Radiation-Induced Reductions in Regional Lung Perfusion Following Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer

Purpose: The dose-dependent nature of radiation therapy (RT)-induced lung injury following hypo-fractionated stereotactic RT is unclear. We herein report preliminary results of a prospective study assessing the magnitude of RT-induced reductions in regional lung perfusion following hypo-fractionated stereotactic RT. Methods: Four patients undergoing hypo-fractionated stereotactic lung RT (SBRT: 12 Gy x 4 fractions or 10 Gy x 5 fractions) had a pre-treatment SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) perfusion scan providing a 3D map of regional lung perfusion. Scans were repeated 3–6 months post-treatment. Pre- and post SPECT scans were registered to the planning CT scan (and hence the 3D dose data). Changes in regional perfusion (counts per cc on the pre-post scans) were computed in regions of the lung exposed to different doses of radiation (in 5 Gy intervals), thus defining a dose-response function. SPECT scans were internally normalized to the regions receiving <5 Gy. Results: At 3 months post-RT, the changes in perfusion are highly variable. At 6 months, there is a consistent dose-dependent reduction in regional perfusion. The average percent decline in regional perfusion was 10% at 15–20 Gy, 20% at 20–25 Gy, and 30% at 25–30 Gy representing a relatively linear dose response with an approximate 2% reduction per Gray for doses in excess of 10 Gy. There was a subtle increase in perfusion in the lung receiving <10 Gy. Conclusion: Hypo-fractionated stereotactic RT appears to cause a dose-dependent reduction in regional lung perfusion. There appears to be a threshold effect with no apparent perfusion loss at doses <10 Gy, though this might be in part due to the normalization technique used. Additional data is needed from a larger number of patients to better assess this issue. This sort of data can be used to assist optimizing RT treatment plans that minimize the risk of lung injury. Partly supported by the NIH (CA69579) and the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Computer Experience and Interval-Based Hypermedia Navigation

AbstractThis study focused on determining the relationships among student characteristics, such as gender, learning style, and varying prior computer experiences, and students’ linear and non-linear navigation of a hypermedia program. Additionally, the navigation patterns were analyzed at three different intervals to determine the relative temporal influence of these characteristics on linear and nonlinear navigation. It was found that authoring, programming, and gender (specifically female) were positively related to linear navigation during the early interval; that learning style (specifically field independent) and hypermedia experience were negatively related to linear navigation during the early interval; and that word processing experience, database experience, spreadsheet experience, learning style (specifically field independent), and hypermedia experience were positively related to nonlinear navigation during the early interval. At the middle interval, many of the characteristics were no longer d...
RNA fractionation on modified celluloses : I. Ecteola-, ectham-, amino-ethyl-, nucleic acid-, and nitro-cellulose

Abstract While pure cellulose has a very limited scope in the fractionation of RNAs, there is a dramatic increase in the retainability of nucleic acid molecules after modification of the cellulose by substituting with a variety of groups or molecules. Applicability of ECTEOLA-cellulose has been limited to the fractionation of tRNA into two main components. However, the weak binding tendancy of ECTEOLA-cellulose may prove to be useful for the fractionation of isoaccepting species of tRNA. ECTHAM-cellulose has successfully supplanted ECTEOLA-cellulose for the fractionation of active ribosomes without degradation. Its potential with regard to tRNA fractionation remains to be explored. Amino-ethyl-cellulose has a very limited scope in the fractionation of tRNA; its primary use is in the analysis of the primary structure of tRNA. Nucleic acid- and nitro-cellulose columns have proved to be ideal tools for studying sequence homology and for isolating complementary nucleic acid molecules.
Liberating Expression: A Freehand Approach to Business Process Modeling

Tools that support business process modeling are designed for experienced users to draw a process with precision and professional appearance. These tools are not conducive to sketching quick business design ideas.This demo proposal presents Inkus, a non-intrusive business process sketching tool which allows freehand sketches of process ideas and slowly brings the users to the required common business vocabulary. Our goal is to help unleash creativity in business designers and enrich the design process with values beyond drawing.
Children's Attention to Others' Beliefs during Persuasion: Improvised and Selected Arguments to Puppets and People

Until now children's attention to the beliefs of people they wish to persuade has been examined experimentally via tasks that were artificial in important respects. To determine whether such research has underestimated children's psychological perspective taking, two studies that manipulated task elements pertinent to ecological validity were conducted. Children in three age groups (3, 4/5, and 6/7 years) were asked (forced-choice and open-ended formats) how best to persuade puppets and people, with differing beliefs, to pet and play with various toy animals. Children offered as many or more belief-relevant arguments in response to forced-choice as to open-ended questions. Only the oldest group attended to beliefs more when persuading a person compared with a puppet. Even on more realistic tasks, significant improvement with age across task formats confirmed a developmental trajectory in line with extant reports of children's belief reasoning. The findings support the idea that enhanced social competence corresponds specifically to children's increasing attention to beliefs in social interactions such as persuasion.
Remote Sensing of Evaporative Fraction in Big Cypress National Preserve: A Comparison of Methods

The evaporative fraction (EF) of available radiation energy (A) is useful for determining evapotranspiration in the landscape. This paper compares three methods for the remote sensing of EF. These methods utilize surface temperature (T) calculated with LANDSAT band 6. The first method is a version of the triangle method utilizing relationship between T and NDVI. The second method fits a linear relationship between EF and T using eddy flux tower measurements. The third method is based on the residual method assuming a constant surface roughness so that sensible heat (H) can be linearly related to T. The 3 methods were applied to 2 study areas: 1) Big Cypress National Preserve and 2) Waldo, Fl and vicinity. Method 1 consistently over estimates EF compared to method 2 and 3. Method 2 and 3 have very little difference on average, but the variance of the difference is significant. These differences form spatial patterns where method 2 over/under estimates EF compared to method 3 depending on surface type. Determining whether method 2 outperforms method 3 will require validation data which can be difficult since the availability of eddy flux data is limited and needed for calibration.
Examining the motivations for e-government from an institutional theory perspective: evidence from turkey

The objective of this study is to understand why e-government projects are initiated at the first place. I define an e-government project as an effort by a government agency by itself or by partnership with other government agencies, private firms and/or civil societal organizations to use information and communication technologies (hereafter ICTs; they are technologies that capture, transmit and display data and information electronically) to provide government information or services to citizens, businesses, other government agencies or civil societal organizations.
Dress (clothing and adornment)

Clothing and adornment cover the body, providing shelter from the elements and ensuring bodily comfort and protection. But the act of dressing is also social, providing visual communication about identity. The archaeology of dress investigates the remnants left behind. Although limited in number due to curation, perishability, and other factors, sartorial artifacts are among the remains that were lost, abandoned, or discarded at most archaeological sites. Items of clothing and adornment were used to construct a physical appearance and convey information about status, occupation, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality. Keywords: adornment; archaeology; clothing; embodiment; identity materiality; small finds
A Review of “The Handbook of Geographic Information Science”

An edited volume consisting of thirty-four chapters by forty-six authors, The Handbook of Geographic Information Science is a welcome addition to the growing library of GIScience and GISystems refe...
Experiences in building an open area test site

The author discusses experience gained from the construction of an open-area test site (OATS) in an urban area with high ambient radiofrequency wave levels. It is shown that a high-quality site (as determined by site attenuation measurements) can be achieved by adhering to basic design practices and using conservative design practices when uncertain. The design approach taken to minimize site anomalies while minimizing OATS cost is discussed. Site attenuation performance as measured by the method given in ANSI Standard C63.4 is given for measurement setups with 3- and 10-m separation distances. Construction details are given. >
Two different types of double-strand breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are repaired by similar RAD52-independent, nonhomologous recombination events.

Inhaploid rad52Saccharomyces cerevisiaestrains unable toundergo homologous recombination, a chromosomal double-strand break(DSB) canberepaired byimprecise rejoining ofthebroken chromosome ends. We haveusedtwodifferent strategies togenerate broken chromosomes: (i) asite-specific DSBgenerated attheAMT locus byHO endonuclease cutting or(ii) a randomDSBgenerated bymechanical rupture during mitotic segregation ofaconditionally dicentric chromosome. Broken chromosomes were repaired bydeletions that were highly variable insize, allofwhichremoved more sequencesthan was required either toprevent subsequent HO cleavage ortoeliminate a functional centromere, respectively. Thejunction ofthedeletions frequently occurred wherecomplementary strands fromtheflanking DNA could anneal toform1to5bp, although 12%(4of34)oftheevents appeartohaveoccurred byblunt-end ligation. These typesofdeletions areverysimilar tothejunctions observed intherepair ofDSBsbymammalian cells (D.B.RothandJ.H. Wilson, Mol.Cell. Biol. 6:4295-4304, 1986). Whenahighlevel ofHO endonuclease, expressed inall phases of thecell cycle, was usedtocreate DSBs, we also recovered alarge class ofverysmall (2- or3-bp) insertions in theHO cleavage site. Theseinsertions appeartorepresent still another mechanism ofDSBrepair, apparently byannealing andifiling intheoverhanging 3'endsofthecleavage site. These types ofevents havealso beenwell documented forvertebrate cells.
A runtime implementation of OpenMP tasks

Many task-based programming models have been developed and refined in recent years to support application development for shared memory platforms. Asynchronous tasks are a powerful programming abstraction that offer flexibility in conjunction with great expressivity. Research involving standardized tasking models like OpenMP and nonstandardized models like Cilk facilitate improvements in many tasking implementations. While the asynchronous task is arguably a fundamental element of parallel programming, it is the implementation, not the concept, that makes all the difference with respect to the performance that is obtained by a program that is parallelized using tasks. There are many approaches to implementing tasking constructs, but few have also given attention to providing the user with some capabilities for fine tuning the execution of their code. This paper provides an overview of one OpenMP implementation, highlights its main features, discusses the implementation, and demonstrates its performance with user controlled runtime variables.
Surgical pathologic findings of extratemporal-based intractable epilepsy: a study of 133 consecutive resections

Abstract Background.—Surgical management of intractable epilepsy continues to be important in select cases to achieve seizure control. Design.—This study retrospectively reviews the pathologic findings in 133 consecutive cases of extratemporal lobe epilepsy experienced during a 17-year period. Results.—The study group consists of 133 patients (78 males) who underwent extratemporal lobe resection for epilepsy at a mean age of 21.1 years (range, 3 months to 57 years). In 50 patients (37.6%), cortical dysplasia (neuronal migration abnormalities) was identified. The most common patterns of dysplasia observed included diffuse architectural disorganization in 46 cases, neuronal cytomegaly in 30 cases, increased numbers of molecular layer neurons in 30 cases, and balloon cells in 18 cases. Tumors were identified in 37 cases (27.8%) and included 13 astrocytomas, 7 gangliogliomas, 6 dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors, 6 glioneuronal hamartomas, 4 oligodendrogliomas, and 1 oligoastrocytoma (mixed glioma). Twen...
"Presidential Address." Political Pawns in an Educational Endgame: Reflections on Bryant, Briggs, and Some Twentieth-Century School Questions.

The whole question of whether or not homosexual teachers should be allowed in the classroom is academic. We are in the classroom, in virtually every school in the country, teaching effectively at every level in both public and private schools. —Michael Greene, 1977 Newsweek ran an article on “The Homosexual Teacher” in December 1978. At the end of a tumultuous two-year period framed by Anita Bryant's anti-gay campaign in South Florida and John Briggs' proposition to bar gay and lesbian educators from working in California public schools, reporters concluded, “Most homosexual teachers are deeply plagued by job anxiety.” That observation likely came as no surprise.
College Men as Perpetrators of Acquaintance Rape and Sexual Assault: A Review of Recent Research

This article reviews literature since 1980 on college men as perpetrators of acquaintance rape and other forms of sexual assault. Topics include (1) the definition and incidence of acquaintance rape and sexual assault; (2) perpetrator characteristics; (3) situations associated with sexual assault; and (4) men's misperception of women's sexual intent. An integrated theory of sexual assault is proposed, along with implications for the development of effective rape-prevention programs for men.
Catalytic ozonation of gaseous reduced sulfur compounds using wood fly ash

The feasibility of reusing wood ash as an inexpensive catalyst in a catalytic ozonation process has been demonstrated. Catalytic ozonation was demonstrated to oxidize H2S, methanethiol (MT), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) at low temperatures (23-25 degrees C). The process oxidized 25-50% of an inlet MT stream at 70 ppmv without the formation of DMDS (contrary to ash plus oxygen in air), oxidized 90-95% of an 85 ppmv stream of DMS, and oxidized 50% of a 100 ppmv DMDS stream using 2 g of wood ash at a space velocity of 720 h(-1) using ozone concentrations ranging from 100 to 300 ppmv. Similarly, 60-70% conversion of a 70 ppmv H2S stream was achieved with 2 g of ash in 1.1 s without catalytic deactivation (approximately 44 h). The overall oxidation rate of H2S, DMS, and DMDS increased with increasing ozone concentration contrary to the oxidation rate of MT, which was independent of ozone concentration. Dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone were identified as the primary end products of DMS oxidation, and SO2 was the end product of H2S and MT oxidation.
Automated visual inspection system based on HAVNET architecture

ABSTRACT In this study, the HAusdorff-Voronoi NETwork (HAVNET) developed at the UMRSmart Engineering Systems Lab is tested in the recognition of mounted circuit componentscommonly used in printed circuit board assembly systems. The automated visual inspectionsystem used consists of a CCD camera, a neural network based image processing software and a data acquisition card connected to a PC. The experiments are run in the SmartEngineering Systems Lab in the Engineering Management Dept. of the University ofMissouri-Rolla. The performance analysis shows that the vision system is capable ofrecognizing different components under uncontrolled lighting conditions without being effected by rotation or scale differences. The results obtained are promising and the systemcan be used in real manufacturing environments. Currently the system is being customizedfor a specific manufacturing application.INTRODUCTIONAutomated visual identification and classification of objects has been an importantproblem in manufacturing for some time. Such technology can be used for such tasks asguiding a robot to perform assembly[3,4], or for sorting ofvaried parts on a conveyor[2]. Animportant application of neural network based vision is in automated visual inspection toinsure quality of manufactured goods.
What do standard transformational grammars produce? — A computational study

The base rules and transformations of a recently published elementary grammar of English are transcribed into a computer format and tested. Problems encountered in transcribing the grammar are explored and it is suggested that the emphasis on formal argumentation in linguistics is not justified by the current level of syntactic theory.
Retrospective analysis of survival outcomes and the role of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with urethral carcinomas referred to medical oncologists.

Objectives Primary carcinomas of the urethra (PCU) are rare and often advanced when diagnosed. Treatment standards are lacking. We studied treatment response and survival in a cohort of patients with PCU, with emphasis on modern platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens plus surgery for advanced disease.