cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Imaging for Radiotherapy Planning and Response Assessment for Cervical Cancer

Positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) leverages imaging contrast from accelerated and aberrant glucose metabolism, which is a hallmark of cancer. FDG-PET is essential for assessing involved lymph nodes and distant metastases for cervical cancer. It is also utilized for target delineation in radiation treatment planning, with investigations into functional bone marrow sparing intensity modulated radiation therapy. Tumor heterogeneity in FDG-uptake is part of a radiomics approach to potentially escalate treatment to radiation-resistant tumors. Standardizing posttreatment PET surveillance could also allow early surgical salvage of recurrent tumors. The future of molecular imaging in cervical cancer will require development of novel PET tracers to personalize treatments based on tumor biology.
Characteristics of mental health trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov

The ClinicalTrials.gov registry was established in 2000 to address concerns about publication bias and public access to information about clinical trials. We aimed to evaluate differences between for-profit and non-profit sponsors of efficacy mental health trials registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on key trial characteristics that relate to data integrity. We also sought to evaluate whether the registry is fulfilling its purpose as a means of promoting transparency between researchers and the public by providing complete and quality information about the trials it contains. We found that trials tend to be small, use a placebo instead of an active comparator, and employ randomization and blinding. We discuss the implications of these design characteristics and the limitations of the registry.
Direct Tension Test for Characterization of Tensile Behavior of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is characterized by its superior strength, ductility, durability, and particularly its unique post-cracking performance in tension. Dog-bone–shaped specimens are widely used for determination of the tensile behavior of UHPC, but there is no standard test method or specimen design for the characterization of tensile behavior. In this study, an evolving strategy on designing a direct tension test (DTT) specimen is first conducted using numerical finite element analysis. Seven series of DTT specimens made of UHPC and with well-designed dimensions to avoid local stress concentration are then tested experimentally. Results indicate that the post-cracking localization within the gauge measurement region is guaranteed, and the DTT specimen is capable of fully capturing tensile stress–strain responses of UHPC. An idealized constitutive model with three linear phases is proposed to fit the experimental data and thus characterize the linear elastic, strain-hardening, and strain-softening behavior of UHPC in tension. Four tensile material parameters extracted from the experimental stress–strain curves are implemented in the idealized constitutive model from which the multi-phase responses of UHPC in tension are reconstructed. It is found that most tensile material parameters extracted from experimental stress–strain curves, including tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and dissipated energy, increase with the increased volume fraction of steel fibers, curing age, and displacement loading rate, while the strain capacity at the first cracking remains nearly constant. The DTT specimen developed can be used effectively to characterize the tensile behavior of ductile fiber-reinforced cementitious materials.
Liraglutide reduces attenuation coefficient as a measure of hepatic steatosis during 16 weeks' treatment in nondiabetic obese patients: A pilot trial

Background and Aim Liraglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 analog, is approved for the treatment of obesity with improvements in fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and cardiovascular health. Our aim was to measure the impact of liraglutide dose for obesity on hepatic steatosis measured by ultrasound. Methods A single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial was undertaken in nondiabetic obese, otherwise healthy patients aged 18-65 years. Participants were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous liraglutide (3.0 mg) or placebo over 16 weeks with dose escalation following US Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Both groups received standardized nutritional and behavioral counseling during the 16 weeks. Hepatic fat content was measured by ultrasound at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks as an attenuation coefficient (ACE). Effects of treatment were assessed using t-test for the entire groups and for patient subgroup with baseline ACE >0.66 (indicating significant steatosis). Results Among 30 patients (93% female) enrolled, 16 were randomized to placebo and 14 to liraglutide. Baseline body mass indices (BMIs) and average age were similar in the two groups. After 16 weeks, the liraglutide group had a significant improvement in steatosis ACE scores (-0.068 ± 0.02 vs -0.0077 ± 0.02 placebo, P = 0.05). Change in steatosis was positively correlated with change in BMI (R2 = 0.402, P = 0.0007). Within the liraglutide group, patients with baseline ACE >0.66 had improvement in ACE (-0.134 ± 0.03) compared to those without significant steatosis (-0.041 ± 0.02, P = 0.05). Conclusions In this pilot trial, liraglutide, 3.0 mg over 16 weeks, reduced hepatic steatosis; a reduction in hepatic steatosis is correlated with BMI reduction, and effects are particularly evident in those with a significant degree of steatosis by ultrasound imaging.
For the Defense: 28 Shades of EU Class Actions

Throughout the twentieth century, virtually all European countries that had studied, evaluated, and considered the American class action procedural device for resolving aggregate claims had rejected implementation of the class action as a part of domestic law. In the early twenty-¬first century, however, several European countries began to reconsider their longstanding antipathy to the American class action. After further study and deliberation, the EU Parliament in 2013 issued a Recommendation for Injunctive and Compensatory Collective Redress Mechanisms in Member States (concerning violations of rights granted under Union law). The Recommendation requested that all 28 EU countries – by 2017 – implement some form of collective redress mechanism. The Recommendation set forth a comprehensive list of principles to guide legislative initiatives in developing collective redress law. In May 2018, the Commission issued a Report to the European Parliament, the Council, and the European Economic and Social Committee assessing the practical implementation of the Recommendation four years after its publication. The Commission’s study reveals that the 28 EU countries have developed or enacted a patchwork quilt of differing approaches to class actions or collective redress. Although many EU countries have undertaken some legislative initiatives and implemented some of the Commission’s recommendations, in a number of countries, several of the Commission’s principles have had little or no impact on domestic laws. Perhaps most significantly, the 28 EU countries largely have eschewed implementing any procedural mechanisms that resemble the American class action rule, in efforts to preserve domestic cultural and legal norms, and to avoid American¬style class action abuses. Thus, these European initiatives towards implementing a class action device throughout Europe represent an American class action defense lawyer’s dream. The Commission, based on its assessment of the current state of collective redress in the EU has concluded that “the potential of the principles of the Recommendation in facilitating access to justice for the benefit if the functioning of the single market is still far from being fully exploited.”
Pain, symptom distress, and pain barriers by age among patients with cancer receiving hospice care: Comparison of baseline data.

Abstract Objectives Age group differences have been reported for pain and symptom presentations in outpatient and inpatient oncology settings, but it is unknown if these differences occur in hospice. We examined whether there were differences in pain, symptom distress, pain barriers, and comorbidities among three age groups (20–64 years, 65–84 years, and 85+) of hospice patients with cancer. Materials and Methods Participants were recruited from two hospices. Half were women; 49% White and 34% Black. 42% were 20–64 y, 43% 65–84 y, and 15% 85+ y. We analyzed baseline data for 230 hospice patients with cancer (enrolled 2014–2016, mean age 68.2 ± 14.0, 20–100 years) from a stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial. Measures were the Average pain intensity (API, 0–10: current, least and worst pain intensity during the past 24 h), Symptom Distress Scale (SDS, 13–65), Barriers Questionnaire-13 (BQ-13, 0–5), and comorbid conditions. Descriptive, bivariate association, and multiple regression analyses were performed. Results Mean API scores differed (p Conclusion Older hospice patients with cancer reported less pain and symptoms than younger patients, but all groups reported similar barriers to pain management. These findings suggest the need for age- and race-sensitive interventions to reduce pain and symptom distress levels at life's end.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Succinic Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase Deficiency: A Measure of Maturational Trajectory of Cortical Excitability.

Background Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency (SSADHD) is a disorder of GABA degradation with use-dependent downregulation of postsynaptic GABAA/B receptors. We aim to measure the resulting cortical excitation: inhibition ratio using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Methods In this single-center observational study, 18 subjects with SSADHD and 8 healthy controls underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation. Resting motor threshold, cortical silent period, and long-interval intracortical inhibition were measured in both groups. Resting motor threshold in focal epilepsy patients from an institutional transcranial magnetic stimulation database were also included. Results SSADHD subjects had higher resting motor threshold than healthy controls but lower relative to focal epilepsy patients. Resting motor threshold decreased with age in all groups. Cortical silent period was longer in SSADHD subjects than in healthy controls. No difference was detected in long-interval intracortical inhibition between the 2 groups. Conclusion Findings suggest abnormal corticospinal tract physiology in SSADHD, but with preserved developmental trajectory for corticospinal tract maturation. Defining features of these transcranial magnetic stimulation metrics in SSADHD will be better elucidated through this ongoing longitudinal study.
The Catholic Church and the Northern Ireland troubles, 1968–1998: by Margaret M. Scull, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2019, 236 + xii pp., £65.00 (hardback), ISBN 9780198843214

From a bird’s-eye view, Ireland in the twentieth century experienced two periods – both roughly three decades long – of political upheaval. The first was marked by land agitations that built upon t...
RNA Splicing and Immune-Checkpoint Inhibition.

Providing Grist for Antitumor Immunity A growing body of evidence supports aberrant splicing as both a cause and a potential Achilles’ heel of cancers, especially when it comes to the effects of im...
An Introduction to the Structure of Time-Shared Computers

“Time-sharing” is the name given to the computer technology established to provide on-line access to a large computer through remote terminals and better utilization of equipment by having more than one user share a computer. The problem of defining the term time-sharing (as applied to a computer system) is rather perilous. Nonetheless, the following early definitions by pioneers in the field are quite good and are still appropriate: “By a time-sharing computer system I shall mean one that interacts with many simultaneous users through a number of remote consoles. Such a system will look to each user like a large private computer” [McCarthy (1)]. Also, “By time-sharing systems we mean those systems in which the facilities of a computer complex are rapidly commutated among independent users who are each on-line at a remote console” [Glaser and Corbato (2)]. While these definitions do not touch upon important secondary benefits of time-sharing, such as allowing a community of users to work together, they do contain the central characteristics of nonlocal on-line usage, multiple simultaneous users, and short, but frequent, access to a computer facility that is similar to having access to a large private computer.
Gender Gap Trends on Mathematics Exams Position Girls and Young Women for STEM Careers

Nine years of results on 4.2 million of Indiana's Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) mathematics (math) exams (grades 3–10) taken after the implementation of No Child Left Behind have been used to determine gender gaps and their associated trends. Sociocultural factors were investigated by comparing math gender gaps and gap trends for (a) state public schools, (b) state nonpublic schools, (c) a low-performing metropolitan school, and (d) a high-performing suburban school. To control for changing sociocultural factors, multiregression analyses were conducted to predict grade-level (3–10) gender gaps and math scale scores using socioeconomic and ethnicity variables. The underrepresentation of females in earning advanced STEM degrees was investigated by determining the gender of the highest performer on the ISTEP math exams in grades 3–10 for each of state's 292 school corporations. Boys' percentages were higher across all grades by about a 2:1 ratio, similar to high-end results on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) math exams. Simulations of distributions for d = .27 and variance ratio = 1.13 fitted 2013 college-bound SAT math empirical data. Results of the analyses of the state's ISTEP math exam data and the 2013 SAT math scores of college-bound seniors support the arguments that girls and young women possess the abilities to pursue STEM careers that require advanced mathematical skills.
Encounters with Paul Erdős

My first encounter with Paul Erdős was curiously indirect. As a pre-undergraduate at Cambridge (England) in 1934, I learned from one of the Trinity College tutors that a mathematician named Erdős, passing through Cambridge, had mentioned an intriguing conjecture (attributed to Lusin, I believe), implying that a square could not be dissected into a finite number of unequal smaller square pieces. I passed this problem on to three fellow-students, and we eventually found methods that produced counterexamples ([1]). Of recent years the advent of high-speed computing has given rise to a considerable industry listing large numbers of dissections of squares into unequal squares ([2] and [6] for example), an industry that could continue indefinitely as there are infinitely many different dissections of this kind.
Steering data streams in distributed computational laboratories

This research supports the interactive access to large-scale scientific data by creation of active user interfaces (AUIs). An AUI continuously emits events describing its current information needs, based on which methods may be developed for controlling the potentially immense information streams directed at the interface. More precisely the purposes of stream control are twofold. First, stream control is performed to deal with heterogeneity in underlying systems, where low end displays may receive only small portions of the data shown at high end displays. Second, stream control is used to achieve scalability with respect to the size and complexity of data streams directed at a user interface, by filtering the data stream and by offloading certain computations from the AUI to the information generators or to information routing sites, by dynamically migrating such computations to appropriate locations, and by adapting these computations in order to effect tradeoffs in the amount of data moved across network links vs. the computations required.
Richard E. Ocejo (Ed.), Ethnography and the City: Readings on Doing Urban Fieldwork (New York: Routledge, 2013).

There are a great many books and readers on the topic of urban ethnography. Richard Ocejo, a sociologist on the faculty of John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), has produced a new edited vol...
Quadratic assignment as a general data analysis strategy.

The quadratic assignment paradigm developed in operations research is discussed as a general approach to data analysis tasks characterized by the use of proximity matrices. Data analysis problems are first classified as being either static or non-static. The term ‘static’ implies the evaluation of a detailed substantive hypothesis that is posited without the aid of the actual data. Alternatively, the term ‘non-static’ suggests a search for a particular type of relational structure within the obtained proximity matrix and without the statement of a specific conjecture beforehand. Although the static class of problems is directly related to several inference procedures commonly used in classical statistics, the major emphasis in this paper is on applying a general computational heuristic to attack the non-static problem and in using the quadratic assignment orientation to discuss a variety of research tactics of importance in the behavioral sciences and, particularly, in psychology. An extensive set of numerical examples is given illustrating the application of the search procedure to hierarchical clustering, the identification of homogeneous object subsets, linear and circular seriation, and a discrete version of multidimensional scaling.
Ripple reduction in AC-DC power converters via a Lyapunov approach

This paper develops a systematic state-space approach to modeling of boost type AC-DC converters and reduction of the output ripples. The bridge rectifier voltage is modeled as a periodic disturbance whose harmonics have given frequencies but uncertain phases and magnitude. This type of disturbances are described as the output of an external autonomous linear system, called an exogenous system, with uncertain initial conditions. The exogenous system is integrated with the boost converter as a whole system in statespace description. The whole system is a nonlinear system whose differential equations has a bilinear term, which is handled by an inclusion. Via a recently developed Lyapunov framework, the problem of ripple reduction is converted into a numerically efficient optimization problem which involves linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The resulting feedback law is a simple linear state-feedback. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the theoretical approach and design method.
Design of single layer antireflection coatings for InP/In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As/InP photodetectors for the 1200–1600-nm wavelength range

Single layer antireflection coatings have been designed and fabricated for frontside illuminated InP/In0.53Ga0.47As/InP photodetectors with normal incident light over the 1200–1600-nm wavelength range. The design treats the InP and InGaAs layers as the bottom two layers of a triple layer antireflection coating. A coating fabricated using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride demonstrated <0.5% reflected power at both 1312- and 1559-nm wavelengths simultaneously. The design method used, four antireflection coating designs, and measurement results from fabricated samples using two of the designs are presented.
Frustrated tunneling ionization during laser-induced D 2 fragmentation: Detection of excited metastable D * atoms

In a recent Letter, Manschwetus et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 113002 (2009)] reported evidence of electron recapture during strong-field fragmentation of H${}_{2}$---explained using a frustrated tunneling ionization model. Unusually, the signature of this process was detection of excited H${}^{*}$ atoms. We report here an extensive study of this process in D${}_{2}$. Our measurements encompass a study of the pulse duration, intensity, ellipticity, and angular distribution dependence of D${}^{*}$ formation. While we find that the mechanism suggested by Manschwetus et al. is consistent with our experimental data, our theoretical work shows that electron recollision excitation cannot be completely ruled out as an alternative mechanism for D${}^{*}$ production.
Scanned-tip reflection-mode near-field scanning optical microscopy

Abstract Super-resolution near-field scanning optical microscopy is demonstrated in reflection mode with a scanned tip probe. Using visible illumination, opaque samples with features as small as 60 nm are imaged. The interaction of the incident illumination with the probe-sample system is also explored. Detected intensity versus probe-sample separation plots are presented and compared to a model of traveling waves on the sample surface modulated by the optical cavity resulting between the probe and sample. An optical resonance peak detected near the surface will provide a new means of optical feedback, which could be used to accurately determine surface topography.
Purification and Structural Characterization of Insulin from the Lesser Siren,Siren intermedia(Amphibia: Caudata) ☆

Abstract Insulin has been isolated from an extract of the pancreas of a salamander, the lesser siren Siren intermedia, and its primary structure was established as: A-chain, Gly-Ile-Val-Glu-Gln-Cys-Cys-His-Asn-Thr 10 -Cys-Ser-Leu-Tyr-Gln-Leu-Glu-Asn-Tyr-Cys 20 -Asn, and B-chain, Val-Pro-Asn-Lys-Pro-Leu-Cys-Gly-Ala-His 10 -Leu-Val-Glu-Val-Met-Tyr-Phe-Val-Cys-Gly 20 -Asp-Arg-Gly-Phe-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Ser-Ser-Thr 30 . Although those amino acid residues considered to constitute the receptor-binding region of insulin have been retained, siren insulin contains several substitutions (Gln → Lys at B4, Ser → Ala at B9, Ala → Val at B14, Leu → Met at B15, Leu → Phe at B17, Pro → Ser at B28, and Lys → Ser at B29) of amino acid residues that are conserved in insulins from species of other amphibian orders. The biological activity of siren insulin was not investigated in this study but the substitutions at B28 (involved in dimer formation) and at B14 and B17 (involved in hexamer formation) may be expected to influence conformation and therefore biological potency. The data are consistent with the view that the Sirenoidea represent an early divergence from the ancestral stock of salamanders.
Morphometric analysis of the uterine endometrium of swine on days 12 and 16 postestrus.

The uterine endometrium of swine is comprised of luminal epithelial, glandular epithelial, and stromal cells that secrete the luteolysin, prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)), during late diestrus. However, which of these cells contribute the most to luteolytic PGF(2alpha) secretion is unknown because the cellular composition of the endometrium has not been quantified. Therefore, this study quantified the cellular composition of the endometrium on days 12 and 16 postestrus by histologic and morphometric analyses. On day 12, the endometrium consisted predominantly of stromal cells (47% of total cell quantity) and glandular epithelial cells (37%), whereas luminal epithelial cells represented only 16% of the total of the three cell types. The number of glandular epithelial cells tended to increase (P < 0.10) between days 12 and 16, such that they comprised 45% of the endometrium by day 16, while the number of stromal and luminal cells did not change and accounted for 45% and 10% of the cells, respectively. Luminal epithelial cells had a 58% greater cross-sectional area (P < 0.001) than glandular epithelial cells, whereas glandular epithelial cells had a 22% greater area (P < 0.001) than stromal cells. Glandular epithelial cells decreased (P < 0.001) in cross-sectional area between days 12 and 16, whereas the area of luminal epithelial and stromal cells remained unchanged. These results indicate that the porcine endometrium is comprised predominantly of stromal and glandular epithelial cells that are likely to contribute substantially to endometrial PGF(2alpha) secretion during luteolysis. The contribution of glandular epithelium to luteolytic PGF(2alpha) secretion probably increases during diestrus as the number of these cells increases.
Measurement of temperature and emissivity of specularly reflecting glowing bodies

A new method of measuring the thermodynamic temperature of an object as well as the surface emissivity based on laser reflectivity has been developed. By using rotator analyzer ellipsometry, the light reflected from the sample at a specific angle of incidence can be analyzed for its ellipticity. The normal incidence reflectivity and emissivity are then extracted using standard relations. The thermodynamic temperature of the body is obtained simultaneously by measuring the intensity of emitted light at the same angle of incidence. Room temperature measurements are carried out on selected metals to test the system. Elevated temperature measurements on platinum foils show that this technique is reliable and accurate for monitoring and measuring the temperature and emissivity of specularly reflecting, glowing bodies.
The Measurement of Entrepreneurial Orientation

This article explores how the concept of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has been portrayed and assessed in prior research. The challenges and decision criteria associated with formative versus reflective measurement approaches are reviewed. It is argued that, as a latent construct, EO exists apart from its measures and that researchers are free to choose whichever measurement approach best serves their research purposes, recognizing that unidimensional versus multidimensional EO measurement models are consistent with fundamentally different conceptualizations of the EO construct. Recommendations are offered regarding potentially appropriate formative and reflective measures of EO.
Imaging cathepsin B up-regulation in HT-1080 tumor models using fluorescence-mediated molecular tomography (FMT).

Medical imaging has been used for more than a century to non-invasively assess tissue pathology. The progress of many diseases is associated with conformational or physiological changes in the surrounding environment that sustain contrast to a wide spectrum of radiation. Originally, medical imaging targeted structure; X-ray imaging and computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography have traditionally looked into architectural tissue malformations to identify disease. Interest however was later steered towards imaging physiology as a complement or surrogate to structural signatures. Targeting vascularization, tissue permeability, blood flow and other functional parameters revealed information on disease function and enhanced the diagnostic information available. But probing into the understanding of pathogenesis requires interrogation of tissue at the molecular level. Formerly just a tool for the biologist, molecular interrogation rapidly propagates to in vivo applications and acquaints itself with radiologists. Molecular imaging, the non-invasive mapping of cellular and subcellular events in living organisms, represents an evolving and largely unexplored field in imaging sciences that is expected to have a major impact in biomedical research and diagnostic imaging (1). The ability to image molecular events in vivo could improve detection limits by identifying abnormalities on their molecular onset, before anatomical or physiological changes become apparent. Therapeutic effectiveness of various treatments could be continuously monitored by imaging their effect on cellular function rather than their retarded result on physiology or structure. Genetic processes responsible for neoplasia could be non-invasively identified and understood thus originating novel drug development and therapeutic strategies. Currently there are many limitations in imaging molecular events in vivo. There are many biologic processes that cannot be easily or directly monitored by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) or nuclear imaging because key molecules in these processes are not distinguishable from each other with these imaging techniques. Furthermore one of the major drawbacks of CT and MRI contrast agents has been the need to deliver them at micro-molar tissue concentrations, as well as their lack of molecular specificity. Nuclear medicine offers five orders of magnitude higher sensitivity than MR and CT but also attains non-specific uptake of labelled molecular markers and is often impractical for prolonged studies and for human use due to the ionising radiation it employs. In the quest for improved ways to perform molecular interrogation of tissue with high specificity, interest has been turned to the development of smart probes and use of other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Recent advances on the technology of targeted NIR fluorochromes for molecular interrogation of tissue in vivo has opened new pathways for molecular imaging (1). Acad Radiol 2002; 9(suppl 2):S323–S325
Ultrastructure and histogenesis of the renal tumors of childhood: an overview.

This review discusses the ultrastructural and immu-nohistochemical features of the common childhood renal tumors, with an emphasis on their diagnostic usefulness. Speculations regarding their histogenesis also are presented, with the hope that these may serve to diminish some of the confusion surrounding the classification of these morphologically diverse lesions.
Towards a Gendered Regional Geography: Women and Work in Rural Appalachia

Regional studies has reemerged in recent decades as an important area of geographic analysis. In contrast to the traditional regional school which offers static descriptions of particular places and people, reconstructed regional geography approaches the region as a dynamic process where social relations are linked to spatial structures. Reconstructed regional geography, however, has largely neglected gender as a social category and focuses on class as the fundamental social relation under capitalism. This paper demonstrates how regions are constructed through social processes which include gender as well as class. Historical and contemporary analyses of women and household economic strategies in rural Appalachia illustrate the intersection of gender, place, and scale. Specifically, employment and poverty conditions are examined using county-level data and household strategies are analyzed through intensive interviews with West Virginia women. This paper concludes that gender relations at the household, subregional, and regional scales are critical to the analysis of social and spatial processes in regional geography.
Fluency in Aphasia: Correlation with Radioactive Scan Localization

Summary The obvious differences in verbal output of individual aphasics has been noted and an attempt made to evaluate these differences. In order to accomplish this a set of variable characteristics of aphasic speech was described. There were ten such features; rate of speaking, prosody, pronunciation, phrase length, effort, pauses, press of speech, perseveration, word use and paraphasia. It was noted that certain of these characteristics occurred together naturally so that two distinct clusters of clinical features were outlined. 100 aphasic patients were then studied, each of the characteristics being rated separately and it was found that the majority of patients (64%) readily fell into one of the two groups. Correlation of these two clinical groups with the underlying anatomical lesion was obtained through use of radioisotope brain scan results. Almost without exception the lesion producing one cluster of characteristics was located anterior to the Fissure of Rolando while the other cluster had a posterior lesion. The cluster with the anterior lesion had speech characterized by low verbal output, dysprosody, dysarthria, considerable effort and predominant use of substantive words while the posterior group were normal or near normal in all these features but often had paraphasia, press of speech and a distinct lack of substantive words. Thus it was felt that an anterior or posterior localization could be realiably diagnosed in many cases of aphasia based solely on the characteristics of verbal output. Several significant exceptions to this simple clinical observation were noted.
A Cost-Effective Approach to Avionics Integration in Multiple Airborne Platforms

The cost of avionic systems has been increasing at twice the rate of other areas of defense spending yet their useful lives are only five to seven years. The design life of the aircraft hosting the avionics systems is 20 years. With both the costs and the number of modifications increasing, a cost-effective approach to multiple platform avionics integration must be implemented. The factors driving the cost of modi fyi ng aircraft are discussed and an approach that can realistically reduce the total cost of a United States Air Force Class V modification program is described. This approach accelerates the involvement of platform managers in the avionics design process so that the constraints peculiar to each aircraft can be identified and influence the design requirements of the avionic system.
Fundamental aspects of ion beam surface modification: defect production and migration processes

Abstract Ion beam modification of metals is generating increasing scientific interest not only because it has exciting technological potential but also because it has raised fundamental questions concerning radiation-induced diffusion processes. In addition to the implanted species, several defect production and migration mechanisms contribute to changes in the near-surface composition of an alloy during ion bombardment, e.g. atoms exchange positions via displacements and replacement sequences, preferential sputtering effects arise, and radiation-enhanced diffusion and radiation-induced segregation occur. The last two defect migration mechanisms are of particular significance since they can alter the composition to depths which are much greater than the implanted ion range. By altering various parameters such as irradiation temperature, ion mass, energy and current density and by changing the initial alloying distributions, a rich variety of near-surface composition profiles can be created. We have utilized changes in ion mass and energy and irradiation temperature to distinguish defect production from defect migration effects. Experimental results are presented which provide a guide to the relative efficiencies of different mechanisms under various irradiation conditions.
A method for obtaining and analysing undisturbed oceanic sediment samples

Abstract A German coring device ( Reineck , 1958) has been improved to obtain oriented, undisturbed cores at any depth of water. The samples are rectangular in shape, 8 × 12 inches in plan and a maximum of 18 inches high. Good cores have been obtained from clayey material as well as from gravelly sand. No disturbances due to coring were observed on the collected samples. These large samples make it possible to conduct many varieties of investigations, such as study of living organisms and shear strength measurements, as soon as the sample is on deck of a ship; radiography on slices, peeling and impregnation techniques, granulometry, mineralogy, porosity, fossil content, etc. Construction and use of the box corer and applications of some of these analytical techniques are described.
An improved apparatus for producing stress-induced cleft palate in mice.

A/J mice were restrained for 48 hours beginning on day 14 of pregnancy in an improved cage so constructed that the mouse could drink in its usual manner. This was an improvement over previously used restraining cages in which potato was supplied as a substitute for water. A cleft palate frequency of 15.7% obtained with this new cage was significantly greater than that in the control group and demonstrated that resraint can be teratogenic.
Amount‐weighted annual isotopic (δ18O) values are affected by the seasonality of precipitation: A sensitivity study

[1] Year to year differences in the isotopes of precipitation (δ18O) are typically attributed to corresponding interannual changes in mean annual temperature. However, changes in the seasonal distribution of precipitation are one of the main complicating factors in interpreting year to year variability of isotopes of precipitation. Using a five year dataset with 73 sites across the United States, we investigate the influence of changes in seasonal distribution of precipitation on annually averaged δ18O. Based on these δ18O measurements, and using multi-decadal records of variability of monthly precipitation amounts, we identify areas within the United States where records of isotopes in precipitation are susceptible to changes in the seasonal distribution of precipitation. For the three regions, Northern Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southwest, seasonality effects could be misinterpreted as 1°C to 3°C temperature changes between years. These findings will improve and possibly change our interpretation of climate isotopic climate records and provide spatially explicit areas where classic interpretations require caution.
Wach, Eliade, and the Critique From Totality

"The task of the history of religions is to delineate the religious meaning of humankind's religious experience and its expressions through the integration and 'significant organization' of diverse forms of religious data.... For historians of religions, all particular religious traditions are 'parts' of the 'whole' of humankind's religious experience, and should be studied from the perspective of the whole."'With these words, Joseph Kitagawa succinctly states the program of that movement in the history of religions with which his name is a virtual synonym. Established byJoachim Wach and catapulted to prominence in the late 1950s and the 1960s under the tutelage especially of the late Mircea Eliade, the "Chicago school" has been a dominating force in the history of religions for the last 40 years. As the quote indicates, it has promoted a hermeneutical approach to religion that insists upon religious meaning as a unique, nonreducible dimension of human life, a sort of meaning that invites us to comprehend it in its uniqueness and its totality. We can gauge the prominence of the Chicago school in part from the criticism that its exemplars have received, intense and sometimes scathing criticism. The most vehement and persistent critics have taken issue precisely with the school's hermeneutical orientation, although not always explicitly. They have preferred analytical to hermeneutical modes of thought, whether in the tradition of logical empiricism, the direction toward which most North American critics have inclined, or in the tradition of a critical, positivistic notion of history, as has been more often the case in Europe. The contributions of these critics should not be overlooked. Crucial to their cause is the demand-fundamental to all of
Binding properties and solubility of single-chain T cell receptors expressed in E. coli.

Abstract The diversity and domain structure of αβ T cell receptors (TCR) are similar to immunoglobulins based on sequence homologies, but the three-dimensional structure of the αβ-heterodimer has not been solved. To begin structure/function studies, we have compared the properties of a soluble single-chain VαVβ TCR (scTCR) expressed in three E. coli systems. The Vα and Vβ regions were expressed with pelB or ompA signal sequences or as a thioredoxin fusion protein. The scTCRs were detected only in the insoluble fraction of the cells and could be solubilized in guanidine and renatured to obtain properly folded scTCR from each system. Only a small fraction (1–5%) of the ompA and pelB scTCRs folded properly. In contrast, the thioredoxin fusion protein exhibited high total yields and a solubility that was ten times higher than the other scTCRs. The thioredoxin fusion protein also bound specifically to the peptide/MHC ligand with a K D of ∼0.7 μM, as shown by a competitive inhibition assay with Fab fragments that recognize the MHC complex. Furthermore, estimates from saturation binding with antibodies that react with the native TCR indicated that up to 80% of the thioredoxin fusion protein was in the properly folded from. The improved yield, solubility, and binding activity of the thioredoxin-scTCR should make it useful for various structure/function studies.
FORMAL AND INFORMAL PATRONAGE AMONG JEWS IN THE ISLAMIC EAST : EVIDENCE FROM THE CAIRO GENIZA

This paper investigates the political culture of the Islamic East under Fatimid and Buwayhid rule (tenth-twelfth centuries) via relationships between patrons, clients, proteges, and partners. The main body of evidence I utilize are letters and petitions from the Cairo Geniza that employ the same specialized vocabulary of patron-client relationships one finds in Arabic histories of the period: idioms referring to the exchange of benefit, reciprocal service, protection, oversight, patronage, and loyalty. The Geniza letters, written without regard for posterity, suggest that these idioms were used well beyond the courts and were understood and deployed by men and women, the literate and illiterate, the important and the inconsequential. Yet the use of certain terms in Judaeo-Arabic also differs from their use in Arabic: some reflect devaluation over time, while others hardened into formulaic phrases. These differences suggest that some forms of patronage did not thrive beyond the hothouse of the court; viewed from another perspective, they also suggest that even outside courtly literature, one can retrieve fossils of older forms of patronage in the terms used to describe relationships between leaders and their followers as well as among people more nearly equal in station. A society’s use of social metaphors reveals something of what its members value, what they choose to retain and perpetuate from the past, how they function in moments of crisis, and how successfully their rulers have managed to convince them of the legitimacy of the social and political order. Conversely, the vocabulary of patronage was a social technique that allowed Jews to conduct business, engage in politics and communal regulation, and to amass and retain followers in a variety of spheres, including that of the rabbinic academies who proffered the construction of Judaism that became hegemonic over the course of the Middle Ages.
Influence of Glucocorticoids on Skeletal Muscle Proteolysis in Normal and Diabetic-Adrenalectomized Eviscerated Rats

The effect on skeletal muscle proteolysis of acute (20-hour) glucocorticoid treatment (dexamethasone 1.5 mg/kg, subcutaneously [SC]) was tested using the eviscerated rat preparation. According to this method, the peripheral tissues (primerily the skeletal muscles) are isolated by functional hepatectomy-nephrectomy. Total proteolysis is estimated from the rate of rise of plasma tyrosine concentration in the presence of cycloheximide to block protein synthesis. Myofibrillar proteolysis is measured from the rate of release into the plasma of the nonreutilized, nonmetabolized amino acid 3-methylhistidine (3MH), in the absence of cycloheximide. In normal rats, dexamethasone increased total proteolysis by 20% and myofibrillar proteolysis by 75% (both P < .025 v saline controls). In diabetic-adrenalectomized rats prepared 2 weeks earlier (65 mg/kg streptozocin [STZ] followed by adrenalectomy), dexamethasone caused much greater increments in rates of total proteolysis (94%) and myofibrillar proteolysis (240%) (both P < .001 v saline controls). Because diabetic animals are extremely sensitive to glucocorticoid-induced proteolysis, we also examined whether the acute proteolytic effect of diabetes itself might be mediated by adrenal cortical hormones. Previously adrenalectomized rats studied 20 hours after STZ showed a 40% augmentation of total proteolysis (P < .01), an effect similar to that produced by acute diabetes in rats with intact adrenals. We conclude that glucocortical hormones cause a catabolic effect on total and myofibrillar skeletal muscle protein which is exaggerated when the counteracting action of insulin is reduced, but that the excess proteolysis of acute insulin deficiency is independent of the endogenous glucocorticoids secretion.
Modeling RBRT adoption and its effects on cost of capital

Abstract In the capital market, firms compete to obtain capital at a lower cost than their rivals. In order to do so, firms may try to increase their information disclosure by adopting new information technologies, such as a real-time business reporting technology (RBRT). The financial accounting literature has empirically provided positive evidence of increased transparency (e.g., resulting from RBRT adoption). We attempt to link the transparency and cost of capital literatures and extend organizational innovation adoption theory. We adapt some constructs from existing innovation adoption theory, as well as contribute some that apply to a RBRT context, to develop a mathematical model on the relationship between RBRT adoption and the cost of capital. The model considers both micro-(firm) level factors and macro-level factors that affect the adoption decision. We argue that cost of capital savings, uncertainty, risk aversion, transaction and transformation costs, and governmental policy affect a firm's decision of whether and when to adopt a RBRT. A number of propositions are derived, based on our model, which may help firms formulate their adoption strategy. Our model also provides a basis for further empirical study on this new issue.
Experience with pilonidal disease in children

Background. Controversy exists regarding the optimum treatment for pediatric pilonidal disease. It is a complex disease process with a high rate of recurrence. A spectrum of surgical strategies exists, including drainage, cyst marsupialization, complete cyst and sinus tract excision with primary versus secondary closure, and excision utilizing flap closure. There is little published in the pediatric literature; therefore, we reviewed our experience in an attempt to document how various interventions affect the natural history. Methods. A retrospective review was conducted in which all patients who underwent surgical intervention for pilonidal disease at our institution from January 2000 to June 2010 were identified. Data collection included demographics, surgical procedure performed, presence of wound breakdown, presence of infection, recurrence, total procedures performed, number of follow-up visits, and total hospital days. Results. In the study period, 120 patients were identified, and 58% were female. Mean age was 14.9 y old (1‐19 y). These patients were then subdivided into closed versus open groups based on the status of their operative wound. In the closed group, 74 patients underwent excision with midline closure and 18 underwent excision with flap closure. There were 28 patients left open after excision. In the closed group, wound breakdown occurred in a total of 41 patients (45%). There was no difference in breakdown between midline and flap closure. Postoperative wound infectionoccurredin15%ofallpatients.Themidlineclosure group had a higher infection rate (20%) compared with those with flap closures (11%), which was not significant (P [ 0.30). There was no difference in recurrence rate between patients who were primarily closed and