cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single isocenter treatment planning for homogeneous dose delivery to nonspherical targets in multiarc linear accelerator radiosurgery.

Purpose: Conventional radiosurgery refers to single isocenter focused beam irradiation of small intracranial targets withingle collimator. Conventional radiosurgery is characterized by spherical-shaped isodose surfaces. Nonspherical targets require a different approach to avoid exposing a large volume of nontarget brain tissue to high dose, particularly for lesions larger than 25 mm. Multiple isocenters are frequently used to treat nonspherical large targets, but multiple isocenter treatments are associated with a relative dose inhom~eneity of approximately 100% within the target volume, and may be correlated with an increased rate of compli~tions. The feasibility of confor~lly treating elongate targets to an approximately homogen~us dose using a single &center meth~ology will be demonstrated. Methods and Materials: A prolate ellipsoid of revolution, 25 mm in diameter, 35 mm in length, positioned at five representative locations in a head phantom, was used as a target model. The alignment of the target was taken to be parallel in turn to each of the three principal axes of the head model (A/P, R/L, and C/C). Dose conformation is achieved by nonuniform arc weighting, selective limitation of the extent of individual arcs, and the use of different collimator apertures for the different arcs in accordance with the aperture size required to encompass the target for that arc. Treatment plans were selected based on considerations of dose-volume histograms and conformation of the 80% dose surface with the surface of the target. The goal was that the minimum target dose would not be less than 80% of the maximum dose, Results: Practical treatment plans for which the minimum target dose exceeded 80% were obtained for the three orthogonal orientations of the target for the five target locations. Plan parameters were essentially independent of the target position, dependent only on target orientation. The 80% isodose contour surface enclosed on average 2.8 cm3 larger volume (range: 2.1-3.9 cm3) than the prescribed 11.45 cm3 target. The minimum dose to the target ranged from 80.1 to 84.5%, and the average dose to the target was 94.26%. The 80-t~50% dose volume enclosed au average of 14.8 cm3 of nontarget volume (range: 12.7-15.9 cm3). Average deviation in the principal planes of the 80% isodose lines from the surface of the target volume was 0.95 mm for the 25 mm dimension (range 0.0 to -f-1.9 mm) and 0.86 mm (range 0.0 to + 2.4 mm) for the 35 mm dimension. Conclusion: Standardized single isocenter treatment plans with the isocenter at the center of the target can achieve good conformation of the dose distribution to targets elongated along any of the principal axes, and located anywhere in the brain. Stereotactic radiosurgery, Dosimetry, Linear accelerator, Treatment planning.
A Crossover Study of Risperidone in Children, Adolescents and Adults with Mental Retardation

Risperidone has shown safety and efficacy for aggressive and destructive behaviors in short-term studies. This longer-duration study includes a broad sample. Forty subjects, aged 8–56 years (mean=22), all with mental retardation and 36 with autism spectrum disorders participated in this 22-week crossover study, with 24 weeks of open maintenance thereafter. Of 40 subjects, 23 (57.5%) responded fully (50% decrease in Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Irritability subscale score), while 35 subjects (87.5%) showed a 25% decrease. Gender, mood disorder, and antiseizure medications did not alter response. Increased appetite and weight gain were common. Low dose risperidone was effective for aggressive behavior in persons with MR. More long-term studies are needed, incorporating weight control interventions.
Regulatory Power: Can a Feminist Poststructuralist Engage in Research Oversight?

This personal narrative focuses on a specific experience with the regulation and potential discrediting of diverse forms of research—service as the chairperson of an institutional review board. An attempt to adjust to contemporary legislative expectations for the protection of human participants in research in one institutional setting is described. Because of the complex, ambiguous, multivocal, and political nature of research and research regulation, the author has come to believe that qualitative researchers who become informed critical activists regarding research ethics and regulation are immediately needed as voices in the construction of appropriate practices that would protect all those involved—subjects/participants, researchers, volunteer academic reviewers, individual informants, the general public—while at the same tiome facilitating respect for research diversity. Valued qualitative research constructs—emergence, reflexivity, and the recognition of power and political agendas that place ethic...
Freestanding boron phosphide films

Abstract Boron monophosphide (BP) exhibits several interesting characteristics that may be applied to a wide range of practical applications. Most recent reported advances of BP technology has been developed using CVD films deposited on a silicon substrate. In this work, a technique to prepare freestanding films of BP is presented. Equipment, data on film deposition rate, and proper growth parameters are discussed.
Transforming genes of chicken bursal lymphomas.

Bursal lymphomas of chickens infected with lymphoid leukosis viruses contain at least two distinct activated transforming genes: (1) a c-myc gene activated by integration of viral DNA and (2) a cellular gene, not linked to viral DNA, which efficiently induces transformation of NIH 3T3 cells. Since lymphomagenesis by lymphoid leukosis viruses appears to be a multistep process, it is possible that activation of these two different genes occurs at different stages of the disease. The bursal lymphoma transforming gene detected by transfection has been isolated by molecular cloning. Hybridization analysis indicates that this gene is homologous to normal chicken DNA sequences.
No Kiss1ng by leptin during puberty

Leptin exerts a permissive action on puberty by stimulating release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in the hypothalamus. However, GnRH neurons lack leptin receptor (LepR), indicating that leptin must indirectly regulate these neurons. The Kiss1 gene produces kisspeptins that stimulate GnRH secretion. Because Kiss1 neurons express LepR and inactivation of Kiss1 causes hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, Donato et al., in this issue of the JCI, assessed whether deletion of LepR from Kiss1 neurons would prevent sexual maturation. Unexpectedly, mice lacking LepR in Kiss1 neurons had normal pubertal development and fertility. In contrast, deletion of LepR from the ventral premammillary nucleus, a region of the brain involved in sexual behavior, prevented puberty and fertility. These findings highlight the complex biology of leptin in reproduction.
PROPERTIES OF THE (DSS)N TRIPLET REPEAT DOMAIN OF RAT DENTIN PHOSPHOPHORYN

Phosphophoryns (PPs) are unique aspartic acid and phosphoserine-rich proteins present in all species of dentin. Rat incisor odontoblast cDNA libraries contain messages encoding several acidic phosphorylated, serine-rich proteins. At least two of these share a common C-terminal domain coding region sequence. The polypeptide sequences in the N-terminal direction immediately adjacent to the conserved C-terminal domains of these two proteins (DMP2, DMP3) are distinctly different. In this domain, the DMP2 has extensive sequences of (DSS)n repeats with n as large as 24. DMP3 has fewer and shorter triplet sequences, n = 3, 4. The major rat incisor PPs (90–95 kDa) probably have the (DSS)n ≫ 3. We propose that the name phosphophoryn be reserved for the extracellular matrix proteins with these extended repeats. DMP1, although strongly acidic, does not fit this category. If the S residues are phosphorylated and n > 3. conformational energy minimization computations show the (DSS)n sequence to assume a unique extended structure with parallel arrays of carboxylate and phosphate groups which may function as Ca2+ ion interaction edges. The phosphorylation of recombinant DMP2 C-terminal domain by various kinases has been examined. The repeat domains are not direct substrates for the CK2-like kinases but the kinases act in concert, so that the phosphorylation is hierarchical, apparently controlled by the presence of specific interruptions between the triplet domains.
Human Cytosolic and Mitochondrial Folylpolyglutamate Synthetase Are Electrophoretically Distinct EXPRESSION IN ANTIFOLATE-SENSITIVE AND -RESISTANT HUMAN CELL LINES

Abstract Folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS) activity in CCRF-CEM human leukemia cells was found in the cytosolic (≈67% of total) and mitochondrial (≈22%) fractions. A polyclonal antipeptide antibody (430Ab) to human FPGS specifically recognized distinct immunoreactive bands (≈60 kDa) present in each subcellular fraction. Human cytosolic FPGS (hcFPGS) migrated more rapidly than mitochondrial FPGS (hmFPGS); their estimated difference in molecular mass was 1 kDa. The human K562 acute nonlymphocytic leukemia and the A253 and FaDu head and neck cancer cell lines also expressed the two FPGS isoforms, and the ratio of hcFPGS to hmFPGS protein in each cell line was similar. Since K562 and A253 cells are intrinsically resistant to pulse methotrexate (MTX) exposure relative to CCRF-CEM and FaDu cells, respectively, because of decreased MTX polyglutamate synthesis (despite having similar levels of total FPGS activity expression), these data suggest that the natural difference in drug sensitivity cannot be explained by compartmentalization of FPGS activity. Higher expression of hmFPGS relative to hcFPGS was observed in some sublines of CCRF-CEM with acquired MTX resistance suggesting that differential expression of the hmFPGS isoform may contribute to MTX resistance caused by decreased FPGS activity.
The Utilization of Nuclear Matrix Proteins for Cancer Diagnosis

There is a great need for improved biomarkers in the areas of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Cancer-specific nuclear matrix proteins may provide clinicians with improved biomarkers for earlier diagnosis as well as improved therapies. The nuclear matrix is the RNA-protein skeleton of the nucleus that has structural and functional roles within the cell. Nuclear matrix proteins of a variety of cell lines and tissues, both normal and cancerous, have now been examined and are beginning to be characterized. After comparison of tumor and normal tissues as well as distinct tissue-specific and cancer-specific differences. It is these proteins differences that provide possible biomarkers that may allow for earlier detection of cancer and thus potentially increase the chance of survival.
Cell viability test after laser guidance

To precisely control the position of multiple types of cells in a coculture for the study of cell-cell interactions, we have developed a laser micropatterning technique. The technique employs the optical forces generated by a weakly focused laser beam. In the beam's focal region, the optical force draws microparticles, such as cells, into the center of the beam, propels them along the beam axis, and guides them onto a target surface. Specific patterns are created through computercontrolled micromanipulation of the substrate relative to the laser beam. Preliminary data have demonstrated cell viability after laser guidance. This project was designed to systematically vary the controllable laser parameters, namely, intensity and exposure time of the laser on single cells, and thus determine the laser parameters that allow negligible cell damage with functional cellular position control. To accomplish this goal, embryonic day 7 (E7) chick forebrain neurons were cultured in 35 mm petri dishes. Control and test cells were selected one hour after cell placement to allow cell attachment. Test cells were subjected to the laser at the focal region. The experimental parameters were chosen as: wavelength - 800 nm, intensities - 100 mW, 200 mW, and 300 mW, and exposure times - 10 s and 60 s. Results were analyzed based on neurite outgrowth and the Live/Dead assay (Viability/Cytoxicity kit from Molecular Probes). No statistical difference (p >> 0.1, student t-test) in viability or function was found between the control neurons and those exposed to the laser. This confirms that laser guidance seems to be a promising method for cellular manipulation.
Slowing DNA Transport Using Graphene–DNA Interactions

Slowing down DNA translocation speed in a nanopore is essential to ensuring reliable resolution of individual bases. Thin membrane materials enhance spatial resolution but simultaneously reduce the temporal resolution as the molecules translocate far too quickly. In this study, the effect of exposed graphene layers on the transport dynamics of both single (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) through nanopores is examined. Nanopore devices with various combinations of graphene and Al2O3 dielectric layers in stacked membrane structures are fabricated. Slow translocations of ssDNA in nanopores drilled in membranes with layers of graphene are reported. The increased hydrophobic interactions between the ssDNA and the graphene layers could explain this phenomenon. Further confirmation of the hydrophobic origins of these interactions is obtained through reporting significantly faster translocations of dsDNA through these graphene layered membranes. Molecular dynamics simulations confirm the preferential interactions of DNA with the graphene layers as compared to the dielectric layer verifying the experimental findings. Based on our findings, we propose that the integration of multiple stacked graphene layers could slow down DNA enough to enable the identification of nucleobases.
Using CSR Disclosure Quality to Develop Social Resilience to Exogenous Shocks: A Test of Investor Perceptions

ABSTRACT: Our overarching purpose is to propose and test a theory of social resilience to exogenous shocks. The theory posits that high-quality corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure promotes the perception of organizational legitimacy, creating social resilience to exogenous shocks (external events outside management control). Using a path model and data from 100 experienced, nonprofessional investors, we examine whether the quality of a corporation's voluntary CSR disclosure increases its perceived organizational legitimacy and if increases in perceived legitimacy help insulate that organization from negative investor reactions following an exogenous shock. The results provide strong support for the model and show that when CSR disclosures are higher quality, investors perceive organizational legitimacy to be higher, inferring that organizations should emphasize quantifiable, consistent, and comparable reporting. Further, the results indicate that higher levels of perceived organizational legi...
Histone deacetylase inhibitors: from target to clinical trials.

Transformed cells, characterised by inappropriate cell proliferation, do not necessarily lose the capacity to undergo growth arrest under certain stimuli. DNA, genetic information, is packaged in chromatin proteins, for example, histones. The structure of chromatin may be altered by post-translational modifications (e.g., acetylation, phosphorylation, methylation and ubiquitylation) which play a role in regulating gene expression. Two groups of enzymes, histone deacetylases (HDACs) and acetyl transferases, determine the acetylation status of histones. This review focuses on compounds that inhibit HDAC activity. These agents have been shown to be active in vitro and in vivo in causing cancer cell growth arrest, differentiation and/or apoptosis. Several HDAC inhibitors are currently in clinical trials as anticancer agents and, in particular, hydroxamic acid-based HDAC inhibitors have shown activity against cancers at well-tolerated doses.
Enhancement of the low-level components of milling vibration signals by stochastic resonance

AbstractThe enhancement of vibration signals by the addition of a random signal component was investigated. Vibration measurements during end-milling were made using an accelerometer mounted on the workpiece. A large number of tests were run with varying spindle speed, table speed, axial depth of cut, radial depth of cut and tool condition. Vibration signal frequency spectra were dominated by the cutting edge passing frequency, and so individual cutting edge effects such as cutting edge chipping or differences in amount of edge wear could not be identified easily. Similarly, machine characteristics such as spindle runout were overshadowed in vibration spectra by the dominant cutting edge passing frequency. To enhance the low-level signal components, a signal analysis procedure was constructed in which random components were added to accelerometer signals, a threshold signal level set and frequency spectra calculated from signal components exceeding the threshold. Enhancement of spectra peaks associated wi...
15N−15N Proton Assisted Recoupling in Magic Angle Spinning NMR

We describe a new magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR experiment for obtaining 15N−15N correlation spectra. The approach yields direct information about the secondary and tertiary structure of proteins, including identification of α-helical stretches and interstrand connectivity in antiparallel β-sheets, which are of major interest for structural studies of membrane proteins and amyloid fibrils. The method, 15N−15N proton assisted recoupling (PAR), relies on a second-order mechanism, third spin assisted recoupling (TSAR), used previously in the context of 15N−13C and 13C−13C polarization transfer schemes. In comparison to 15N−15N proton-driven spin diffusion experiments, the PAR technique accelerates polarization transfer between 15N’s by a factor of ∼102−103 and is furthermore applicable over the entire range of currently available MAS frequencies (10−70 kHz).
Rough surface scattering results based on bandpass autocorrelation forms

Surface-height autocorrelation forms such as Gaussian and exponential are often used in studies of near-normal incidence rough-surface scattering. Such models require the existence of a constant, a DC, value in the spectrum. The consequences of autocorrelation forms that correspond to spectral processes that are essentially bandpass in nature are examined. One such process is that of ocean wind waves. In this case, the spectral components do not extend down to zero frequency. The physical optics backscatter theory is reexamined relative to such autocorrelation functions. Experimental results obtained from a wavetank are compared to the autocorrelation model used in the analysis. The analysis indicates that Gaussian correlation length or mean-square slope is not an appropriate parameter for narrowband conditions and that significant slope is a more relevant parameter. Inherent in the deep-phase assumption is some form of slope dependency. The analysis given (and variants thereof) can be used to provide insight into the physical effects of separate spectral components and of spectral directionality. >
Integration as a Source of Stress on the European Community System

I intended to assure France primacy in Western Europe by preventing the rise of a new Reich …; to cooperate with East and West and, if need be, contract the necessary alliances on one side or the other without accepting any kind of dependency; … to persuade the states along the Rhine, the Alps and the Pyrenees to form a political, economic, and strategic bloc; to establish this organization as one of the three world powers and, should it be necessary, as the arbiter between the Soviet and Anglo-Saxon camps.
Temporal and spatial modelling of tropical deforestation: a survival analysis linking satellite and household survey data

We estimate a spatially explicit model of the forest clearance process among smallholder farmers in an agricultural frontier of southern Mexico. Our analysis takes as its point of departure a simple utility-maximising model that suggests many possible determinants of deforestation in an economic environment characterised by missing or thin markets. Hypotheses from the model are tested on a data set that combines a time series of satellite imagery with data collected from a survey of farm households whose agricultural plots were geo-referenced using a global positioning system (GPS). We implement a survival analysis to identify the effect of household level explanatory variables on the probability of deforestation. This approach allows us to introduce a measure of the time until clearance as a covariate, thereby affording a control for the effect of potentially important explanatory variables that vary through time but are not directly observable. In addition to identifying several variables relevant for policy analysis, including household demographics, proximity to roads, and government provision of agricultural support, model results suggest that the deforestation process is characterised by non-linear duration dependence, with the probability of forest clearance first decreasing and then increasing with the passage of time.
Taking It To The Streets: Moving Scent Research Out Of The Lab

With a recent surge of interest in the impact of scent on consumers, the trade press and the popular press have been at odds with the academic community regarding the effectiveness of scent in influencing purchase decisions. Academic research has provided scant confirmation of the beliefs, widely accepted throughout industry, that the use of scent has vast power to influence purchase decisions. The bulk of the academic literature has addressed effects other than purchase, and has taken place in the lab, sometimes in “simulated stores.” Most retailers, however, are more concerned with actual sales performance in real stores than with theories about cognitive processes and mediating variables associated with smell and consumer decision making. The growing disparity between popular wisdom and research findings has lead researchers to call for greater collaboration with practitioners and more studies conducted in the field, in a variety of store types, rather than the lab. Shifting research from the controlled lab environment to the field, with its myriad of uncontrollable factors, however, presents special challenges to the researcher which, if ignored, may threaten to invalidate findings regardless of their apparent significance. Following is one account of the difficulties connected with attempting to close the gap between the field and the lab, with implications for researchers and retailers, and recommendations for future research.
Radioactive Aerosols: Atmospheric Sources and Indoor Models

In this chapter we begin a more detailed discussion of the behavior of radioactive aerosols in the atmospheric environment. We want to cover both the indoor and outdoor environments. How do radioactive aerosols get to indoor and outdoor airspaces? How are they transported from one place to the next? How are they removed? In this chapter we focus on sources of indoor and outdoor radioactive aerosols and then discuss indoor models. In the next chapter we will deal with tracer applications, outdoor models, and outdoor transport.
Fine structures and transition wavelengths for 1 s 2 s 2 p P 4 and 1 s 2 p 2 p P 4 of lithiumlike ions

Using an $\mathrm{LSJ}$ coupling scheme and a configuration-interaction wave function, the relativistic energies, fine structures, and transition wavelengths of the $1s2p2p^{4}P$ and $1s2s2p^{4}P$ states are studied. The relativistic correction, Breit-Pauli operator, and mass-polarization correction are calculated for ions from Li I through F VII and for Mg X. Excellent agreement with experimental data is obtained in most cases. For example, the calculated transition wavelengths of Be II, B III, and C IV are 2324.96, 1701.77, and 1344.22 \AA{}, respectively. It is to be compared with the corresponding experimental data of 2324.6, 1701.4, and 1344.2 \AA{}. However, a few questions are raised concerning some part of the experimental data. For the fine structure of Mg X, a 5% error appears in the present calculation. The validity and limitation of the present method is also discussed.
A Ship-in-a-Bottle Strategy To Synthesize Encapsulated Intermetallic Nanoparticle Catalysts: Exemplified for Furfural Hydrogenation

Intermetallic compounds are garnering increasing attention as efficient catalysts for improved selectivity in chemical processes. Here, using a ship-in-a-bottle strategy, we synthesize single-phase platinum-based intermetallic nanoparticles (NPs) protected by a mesoporous silica (mSiO2) shell by heterogeneous reduction and nucleation of Sn, Pb, or Zn in mSiO2-encapsulated Pt NPs. For selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol, a dramatic increase in activity and selectivity is observed when intermetallic NPs catalysts are used in comparison to Pt@mSiO2. Among the intermetallic NPs, PtSn@mSiO2 exhibits the best performance, requiring only one-tenth of the quantity of Pt used in Pt@mSiO2 for similar activity and near 100% selectivity to furfuryl alcohol. A high-temperature oxidation–reduction treatment easily reverses any carbon deposition-induced catalyst deactivation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows the importance of surface composition to the activity, whereas density functional theor...
Simulations of Ion Thruster Plume Contamination with a Whole Grid Sputtered Mo Source Model

A particle simulation based source model is developed to calculate the density distribution of the sputtered Mo atoms for a whole ion optics grid. The source model is used in PIC simulation of ion thruster plume contamination for 3-grid and 2-grid ion thrusters. The results show that the commonly used point-source approximation for sputtered Mo atoms is oversimplified and would lead to over-prediction of contamination deposition.
Nanofibrous Microfiltration Membrane Based on Cellulose Nanowhiskers

A multilayered nanofibrous microfiltration (MF) membrane system with high flux, low pressure drop, and high retention capability against both bacteria and bacteriophages (a virus model) was developed by impregnating ultrafine cellulose nanowhiskers (diameter about 5 nm) into an electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous scaffold (fiber diameter about 150 nm) supported by a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nonwoven substrate (fiber diameter about 20 μm). The cellulose nanowhiskers were anchored on the PAN nanofiber surface, forming a cross-linked nanostructured mesh with very high surface-to-volume ratio and a negatively charged surface. The mean pore size and pore size distribution of this MF system could be adjusted by the loading of cellulose nanowhiskers, where the resulting membrane not only possessed good mechanical properties but also high surface charge density confirmed by the conductivity titration and zeta potential measurements. The results indicated that a test cellulose nanowhisker-based MF membrane exhibited 16 times higher adsorption capacity against a positively charged dye over a commercial nitrocellulose-based MF membrane. This experimental membrane also showed full retention capability against bacteria, for example, E. coli and B. diminuta (log reduction value (LRV) larger than 6) and decent retention against bacteriophage MS2 (LRV larger than 2).
The (s)pace of international relations: Simulation, surveillance, and speed

Against the neorealist claim that the “reflectivist” or postmodernist approach is a dead-end unless it merges with the “rationalist” conception of research programs, this essay argues that new technological and representational practices in world politics require not synthesis but theoretical heterogeneity to comprehend the rise of chronopolitics over geopolitics. The theoretical approaches of Baudrillard, Foucault, and Virilio are drawn upon to investigate three global forces in particular: simulation, surveillance, and speed. They have eluded the traditional and re-formed delimitations of the international relations field—the geopolitics of realism, structural political economy of neorealism, and neoliberal institutionalism—because their power is more “real” in time than space, it comes from an exchange of signs rather than goods, and it is transparent and diffuse rather than material and discrete. This essay offers an alternative, poststructuralist map to plot how these and other new forces are transforming the traditional boundaries in international relations between self and other, domestic and international, war and peace.
Epistemic Communities and Collaborative Research, History of

Studies of epistemic communities and collaborative research in the social sciences have deepened the understanding of how science works, and more specifically how the social dimensions of scientific practice both enable and impede social scientists in realizing their epistemic goals. Two types of studies of epistemic communities are distinguished; general theories of epistemic communities aim to construct accounts of theoretical change applicable to all social scientific specialties, whereas historical studies emphasize the contingencies that affect specific social scientific disciplines, subfields, or institutions. Although collaborative research plays a less pronounced role in the social sciences than in the natural sciences, collaboration has enabled social scientists to investigate topics that would otherwise be difficult to investigate.
Advantages of optimized detection of Lactobacillus

The accuracy of detection of Lactobacillus can be improved by using Lactobacillus-friendly cultivating techniques. The advantages of optimized detection of Lactobacillus are remarkably shown when anaerobic adhesive plate testing, bi-anti-TJA and CO2 box are used instead of conventional detection methods. It's concluded that Lactobacillus cultivated under optimized conditions is easy to identify. Characterized by simple experimental techniques and accurate results, the method has high promoting potentials.
Enabling Military Coalition Command and Control with Interoperating Simulations as a System of Systems

This paper reports on development of standardized methods for military coalitions to interoperate command and control (C2) systems with simulation systems (C2SIM). Such a system-of-systems results in improved functionality and timeliness for participants in national configurations, with even more benefit in coalitions. Command and control software systems enable commanders, staffs, and other participants to exchange tasking information (Orders) and status information for situational awareness (Reports). Simulations are useful as C2 system elements for analysis and to stimulate training and mission rehearsal. C2SIM enables plug-and-play interoperation of C2 and simulation systems. It has particular value in a coalition environment, where participants from each nation use their own C2 system and simulations. The paper focuses on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) activities in C2SIM, describing the technical approach and software used to achieve interoperability, and provides examples of success.
The Persistence of Privilege: British Medical Qualifications and the Practice of Medicine in the Empire

The transnational movement of people has been a preoccupation of discussions about the nature of globalization during and since the Cold War era. This has been a leading explanatory framework for tracking the presence of Commonwealth doctors of color in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). Their relation to the NHS and the domestic medical profession has generally been framed as a set of post-Second World War conjunctures, defined and reconciled by the symbiosis of the needs of the developing world and opportunities in the developed world. The needs referred to the dearth of advanced training resources for professionals from developing countries such as India and Pakistan, among others. The opportunities reflected the persistent medical staffing deficiencies within the NHS together with the availability of coordinated medical training in established and emerging specialities. Meanwhile, the career disparities experienced by Commonwealth doctors within the NHS have been analyzed mainly through the lens of immigration in two related ways: the experience of racism within the medical establishment, or the uneven cultural and professional competencies of black doctors. As an optic for understanding the relationship between race and the medical profession, the immigration framework has certainly attended to the physical presence of doctors of color from the Commonwealth.
Integrated likelihood computation methods

Suppose a model has parameter $$\theta =(\psi , \lambda )$$ź=(ź,ź), where $$\psi $$ź is the parameter of interest and $$\lambda $$ź is a nuisance parameter. The integrated likelihood method eliminates $$\lambda $$ź from the likelihood function $$L(\psi , \lambda )$$L(ź,ź) by integrating with respect to a weight function $$\pi (\lambda | \psi )$$ź(ź|ź). The resulting integrated likelihood function $$\bar{L}(\psi )$$L¯(ź) can be used for inference for $$\psi $$ź. However, the analytical form for the integrated likelihood is not always available. This paper discusses 12 different approaches to computing the integrated likelihood. Some methods were originally developed for other computation purposes and they are modified to fit in the integrated likelihood framework. Methods considered include direct numerical integration methods such as Monte Carlo integration method, importance sampling, Laplace method; marginal likelihood computation methods; and methods for computing the marginal posterior density. Simulation studies and real data example are presented to evaluate and compare these methods empirically.
SamplePGO: the power of profile guided optimizations without the usability burden

Profile-guided optimizations (PGO) offer more optimization opportunities that are typically hard to obtain with static heuristics and techniques. In several application domains, significant performance can be gained by using runtime profiles to guide optimization. However, traditional PGO techniques that rely on compiler instrumentation are difficult enough to use that they have not become very popular.This paper describes SamplePGO, an LLVM implementation of a profile-guided technique that addresses the usability problem. Instead of using compiler-generated instrumentation to generate profiles, it relies on profile information gathered by external sampling profilers. These profilers use commonly available hardware counters to inspect the execution of a program.In our experience with large applications in video/image processing, logs processing, web search and ads, we have obtained, in our GCC implementation, performance improvements of up to 30% using SamplePGO over statically optimized code.While the LLVM implementation is fully functional as of LLVM 3.5, not many optimization passes in LLVM make use of profile information. Therefore, the speedups we have been able to obtain using LLVM are much more modest (up to 5% over statically optimized code).
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-a) Blockade and Risk of Lymphoma: Systematic Review and Analysis of Literature

BACKGROUND: TNF-α plays a critical role in the regulation of cytokine mediated cancer immunosurveillance. Evidence suggests that depletion of TNF-α may result in abrogated anti-tumor immunity and increase in the risk of malignancies. Anti-TNF-α therapy (infliximab, adalimumab and etanercept) is known to halt the progression of certain inflammatory disorders and has been approved for the treatment of at least five autoimmune/inflammatory conditions. Given the widespread use of these biological agents, it is vital to explore the associated increased risk of malignancies especially lymphoma. OBJECTIVE: Risk of lymphoma associated with anti-TNF-α therapy is controversial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and has not been extensively studied in other inflammatory disorders. With the expanding role of anti-TNF-α therapy, we evaluated the risk of lymphoma among all approved indications for which they are currently in use. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a systematic electronic search of MEDLINE using the terms TNF-α, infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept, rheumatoid, psoriasis, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, ankylosing spondylitis from January 1998 to December 2007. Studies analyzed were restricted to those in English language, full text published articles, randomized controlled trials (RCT), meta-analysis (MT), review articles, extension studies, reports from national databases (ND) and postmarketing surveillance studies. Risk of lymphoma from ND was obtained as odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. Incidence of lymphoma reported from RCT was analyzed as percentage fraction of the total number of patients enrolled in the study and follow up. RESULTS: Overall 51 studies (2 MT, n=10,370; 4 ND, n=29,099 and 45 RCT, n=54,637) that included anti-TNF-α therapy in inflammatory disorders were analyzed. Treatment/follow up period were variable from 12 weeks to 8 years. Ten patients (0.09%) from MT treated with anti-TNF-α therapy developed lymphoma vs 0 in the non-anti-TNF-α group. Report from one of the 3 ND showed an increased risk (11.5 RR 95% CI 3.7–26.9) of lymphoma among the anti-TN-α exposed group. Among the RCT, 16 patients (0.02%) in the anti-TNF-α group developed lymphoma vs 3 (0.005%) in the control group. CONCLUSION: Existing data suggests that anti-TNF-α therapy in rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an increased risk of lymphoma but this may be attributed to the severity of the disease itself. Among other inflammatory disorders, a rise in lymphoma risk could not be established. Whether anti-TNF-α therapy in the long term can in fact decrease the incidence of lymphoma by altering the disease severity remains to be determined.
Robust password system based on dynamic factors

Knowledge-based authentication systems have several drawbacks, but many systems, such as Facebook and Bank of America, still use this method to authenticate legitimate users. Traditional passwords can be easily compromised and the security process jeopardized. More specifically, hackers can capture password information on a network and replay it to gain unauthorized access to a system. Knowledge-based systems that simply use a password are susceptible to this replay attack. This research proposes a new password protocol that improves password security and mitigates replay attacks. Instead of a single static password to authenticate an individual, passwords are created based on a user's input as well as a random ordering of internal and external factors such as system time and weather. A hacker can capture a password generated by one set of factors, but a replay attack will be mitigated due to the non-deterministic factor order. This research proposes a dynamic system architecture that makes any captured data worthless.
Enhanced optical absorption in semiconductor nanoparticles enabled by nearfield dielectric scattering

The optical absorption of semiconducting AgBr nanocubes is significantly increased by up to 5 times in the measured spectral range when they are bonded to the surface of dielectric SiO2 nanospheres through electrostatic interaction. The absorption enhancement factor depends on the wavelength and the size of the SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). Finite-difference time-domain calculations provide the nearfield intensity mapping of a heterostructure that is composed of a AgBr nanocube in close contact with a SiO2 nanosphere. The electric-field distributions indicate the field enhancement near the SiO2/AgBr interface due to light scattering and absorption enhancement in the AgBr nanocube, implying that the enhanced scattering nearfield increases the absorption cross section of the AgBr nanocube. The absorption cross-section spectra calculated using Mie theory agree with the experimental observations. This discovery sheds light on the utilization of dielectric spherical particles to increase the absorption in semiconductor NPs, thus improving the light-harvesting efficiency for solar-energy conversion.
The effect of task difficulty on motor performance and frontal-striatal connectivity in cocaine users.

Abstract Background There is growing recognition that chronic cocaine users have alterations in sensorimotor control that are positively related to low frontal-striatal connectivity within the motor system. These frontal-striatal motor circuits however, are modulated by circuits governing attention, which are also disrupted in cocaine users. This study’s aim was to determine if sensorimotor control deficits are positively related to the difficulty of a motor task or exist independent of the increasing cognitive demand. Methods Functional MRI data was collected from 40 individuals (20 non-treatment seeking chronic cocaine users, 20 age and gender matched non-drug using controls) as they mimicked an unpredictable finger-tapping sequence at various speeds. Dependent measures included task accuracy, percent BOLD signal change in sensorimotor regions of interest (ROIs), and functional connectivity (temporal correlations) between ROIs. Results In both groups, as speed increased, the BOLD signal change increased in the primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), cerebellum, and anterior cingulate cortex. Compared to controls, cocaine user SMA-Caudate and ACC-Putamen connectivity was lower at all speeds in the contralateral hemisphere. Furthermore, as speed increased there was a decrease in connectivity between additional ROI pairs among users. Conclusions These data support previous observations of sensorimotor performance deficits and dorsal frontal-striatal connectivity impairments among cocaine users. While previous studies demonstrate these deficits when performing a finger-tapping task at a single speed, we show that these same impairments exist at multiple levels of task difficulty. These data suggest that previously observed frontal-striatal connectivity in cocaine users during sensorimotor task performance are stable and not directly related to cognitive demands of the task.
Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease: Current Concepts.

Among the many extra-articular complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), interstitial lung disease (ILD) contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. Prevalence estimates for RA-ILD vary widely depending on the specific clinical, radiographic, and functional criteria used to establish the diagnosis. A key unresolved issue is whether early, subclinical forms of RA-ILD represent a precursor to end stage, fibrotic lung disease. Based on uncertainties surrounding the natural history of RA-ILD, incomplete understanding of underlying disease pathogenesis, and lack of controlled clinical trials, evidence-based therapeutic strategies remain largely undefined. Correlative clinico-epidemiological studies have identified key risk factors for disease progression. Complementing these findings, the identification of specific molecular and serological markers of RA-ILD has improved our understanding of disease pathogenesis and established the foundation for predictive biomarker profiling. Experience from case series and cohort studies suggests that newer biological agents such as rituximab may be viable treatment options. RA-ILD continues to have a major impact on “disease intrinsic” morbidity and mortality. Increased understanding of disease pathogenesis and the natural history of subclinical RA-ILD will promote the development of more refined therapeutic strategies.
Activity of Southeastern Bats Along Sandstone Cliffs Used for Rock Climbing

Abstract Bats in the eastern United States are facing numerous threats and many species are in decline. Although several species of bats commonly roost in cliffs, researchers know little about use of cliffs for foraging and roosting. Because rock climbing is a rapidly growing sport and may cause disturbance to bats, our objectives were to examine use of cliff habitats by bats and to assess the effects of climbing on their activity. We used radiotelemetry to track small-footed bats Myotis leibii to day roosts, and Anabat SD2 detectors to compare bat activity between climbed and unclimbed areas of regularly climbed cliff faces, and between climbed and unclimbed cliffs. We tracked four adult male small-footed bats to nine day roosts, all of which were in various types of crevices including five cliff-face roosts (three on climbed and two on unclimbed faces). Bat activity was high along climbed cliffs and did not differ between climbed and unclimbed areas of climbed cliffs. In contrast, overall bat activity w...
The Kinks: A Thoroughly English Phenomenon

In June of 2012, Ray Davies, leader of the Kinks, performed ‘Waterloo Sunset’ at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics. The song, released in 1967, celebrates the ‘paradise’ of Waterloo Stati...
Systematic risk factors and bank failures

Abstract We investigate the impact on bank failures of two systematic risk factors—the stress in the interbank funding market and conditions in the local housing market—in the two banking crises during the period from 1985 to 2011. We find that local housing market conditions had a stronger relation with bank failures during the first episode than during the second episode. By contrast, the interbank funding market condition only weakly helped to predict bank failures before 2005, but it had a very strong impact on bank failures during the latest banking crisis. Therefore, banking crises seemed to be driven by episode-specific risk factors. Accordingly, even though it is common wisdom at present that overall banking risk is more than just the sum of risks at the individual bank level and that macro-prudential overlay is important in bank regulation, finding the right systematic risk factors for the next banking crisis or correctly gauging their impact on bank failures might be challenging.
Sexual dysfunction during antidepressant treatment.

Background The reported incidence of sexual dysfunction associated with antidepressant medication varies from 1.9% to 92%. The majority of studies reporting incidences were not systematically conducted. Method We interviewed 60 patients (22 men and 38 women, with anxiety and mood disorders) who were being treated with various antidepressants. We used a questionnaire focused on sexual side effects and other side effects. Results The incidence of sexual dysfunction during antidepressant use in our study is 43.3%. The sexual dysfunction was not limited to any particular diagnostic group nor to any particular antidepressant. There was no significant correlation between sexual dysfunction and anticholinergic side effects. The incidence of painful orgasm with antidepressants was 18% among males in our study. Conclusion The relatively high incidence of sexual dysfunction associated with antidepressant treatment in this systematic study emphasizes the importance of a detailed inquiry about sexual side effects as this interferes with treatment compliance.
Quality Problem Solving: Scope and Prospects

Total quality management (TQM) has come to embrace virtually all organizational activities. While the TQM movement has historically included a problem-solving component, quality problem solving (QPS) is often viewed rather narrowly as finding and fixing..