cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-FF-J-63: Improved Dose Accuracy for On-Line Adaptive Radiation Therapy Using Deformable Dose Registration

Purpose: The time available for dose evaluation in daily on‐line adaptive radiotherapy scenarios necessitates the use of fast correction‐based algorithms such as pencil beam (PB) algorithms, but precludes the use of accurate Monte Carlo(MC) algorithms. This study proposes to improve PB dose accuracy by utilizing deformable image registration techniques in a process called deformable dose registration (DDR): MC results on a deformed patient anatomy are approximated based on an MC calculation on a reference anatomy and the deformation field of the PB calculations between the reference and current anatomies.Method and Materials: A 5×5 cm2 6‐MV AP beam incident upon a thoracic CTimage set I 0 (x) was computed with both PB and MCdose‐calculation algorithms resulting in D 0 PB ( x ) and D 0 MC ( x ) . A thoracic case was chosen because of known inaccuracies in the radiological path‐length correction of PBs for lung heterogeneities. The same treatment beam was then computed on a deformed data set, I 1 ( x ) , to obtain D 1 PB ( x ) and D 1 MC ( x ) . Treating D 0 PB ( x ) and D 1 PB ( x ) as images, the (Discrete Cosine Transform) DDR operator Ū 0→1 ( x ) was determined that transformed D 0 PB ( x ) to D 1 PB ( x ), D 1 PB ( x ) = D 0 PB ( Ū 0→1 ( x )) . D 0 MC ( x ) was then transformed to I 1 ( x ) using D 0 MC ( Ū 0→1 ( x )) = D 1 MC ( x ) (∧ indicates an estimated dose distribution). Dose distributions were compared to determine if D 1 PB ( x ) or D 1 MC ( x ) better predicts D 1 MC ( x ) based upon isodose contours, dose differences, distance‐to‐agreement, and gamma‐analysis. Results: Isodoses for D 1 MC ( x ) better predicted D 1 MC ( x ) than those from D 1 PB ( x ) . The mean dose difference for D 1 MC ( x ) is zero, while for D 1 PB ( x ) it is ∼−‐3%. Using a 3%, 3 mm criteria, 70% of D 1 PB ( x ) agreed with D 1 MC ( x ) with γ D 1 MC(x) had γ D 1 MC ( x ) is a better predictor of D 1 MC ( x ) than D 1 PB ( x ) . Conclusion: Using DDR techniques with fast PB results to estimate a more accurate algorithm's dose improves overall dose accuracy compared with using the fast PB algorithm alone. Such techniques may be useful in on‐line adaptive radiotherapy scenarios where dose accuracy is required, but dose calculation time is limited. (Work supported by NIH‐R01‐CA98524)
The Joint Effects of Offender Race/Ethnicity and Sex on Sentence Length Decisions in Federal Courts

The current study examined the main and interactive effects of offender race/ethnicity and sex on sentence length decisions for drug offenders convicted in three federal courts located in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. The additive model showed that females received shorter prison sentences than similarly situated male offenders, but there were no differences between white offenders and minority offenders. However, when the data were partitioned by sex, black males were found to receive lengthier prison terms than white males. There were no differences between white males and Hispanic males, and white females were treated no differently than either black or Hispanic females. Moreover, when the data were partitioned by race/ethnicity, white females were treated no differently than white males. However, black females received shorter sentences than black males and Hispanic females received shorter sentences than Hispanic males. Further analyses showed that black and Hispanic males also received longer sentences than white females and that black males received longer sentences than all other offenders (with the exception of Hispanic male offenders). These findings mesh with those gleaned from other sentencing studies, although they are at odds with theoretical notions that leniency at the sentencing stage is reserved only for white women.
EPFR Formation from Phenol adsorption on Al2O3 and TiO2: EPR and EELS studies.

Abstract We have examined the formation of environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) from phenol over alumina and titania using both powder and single-crystal samples. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of phenol adsorbed on metal oxide powders indicates radical formation on both titania and alumina, with both oxides forming one faster-decaying species (lifetime on the order of 50–100 h) and one slower-decaying species (lifetimes on the order of 1000 h or more). Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) measurements comparing physisorbed phenol on single-crystal TiO2(1 1 0) to phenoxyl radicals on the same substrate indicate distinct changes in the π–π∗ transitions from phenol after radical formation. The identical shifts are observed from EELS studies of phenoxyl radicals on ultrathin alumina grown on NiAl(1 1 0), indicating that this shift in the π–π∗ transition may be taken as a general hallmark of phenoxyl radical formation.
Harm reduction for unintentional poisoning

Death by unintentional poisoning is prevalent in the USA. A rare occurrence in the very young, unintentional poisoning is behind only road traffic injury and firearm violence as a cause of injury death among those 15–24 years old. It moves into second position for 25–34 year olds and is the leading cause of injury death from 35 to 54 years of age.1 Drug overdose death rates have risen steadily in the USA since 1970, nearly doubling in the last 10 years alone (figure 1). Figure 1 Age-adjusted unintentional poisoning mortality, USA 1999–2007. Data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Available from http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars. The US Centers for Disease Control attribute most of this increase to inappropriate use of prescription opioid medications.2 As clinicians have moved, rightly, towards more aggressive treatment of acute and chronic pain, prescription of narcotic painkillers has skyrocketed.3 While opioids are clearly useful for the treatment of acute pain, they are …
Dietary Fat Is Shunted Away from Oxidation, Toward Storage in Obese Zucker Rats

BESSESEN, DANIEL H, CONNIE L RUPP AND ROBERT H ECKEL. Dietary fat is shunted away from oxidation, toward storage in obese zucker rats. Obes Res. 1995;3:179–189. Previous measurements of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in adipose tissue (ATLPL) of lean and obese Zucker rats have consistently documented increased activity in obese rats relative to lean. Since LPL is considered to be rate limiting for the delivery of triglyceride fatty acids (TGFA) to muscle and adipose tissue, these data have been used to suggest that the metabolic partitioning of TGFA favors storage over oxidation in obese rats. To document the partitioning of TGFA directly, the fate of 14C labeled oleic acid (42nmols) was fed to lean, obese, and obese Zucker rats fed a hypocaloric diet designed to chronically reduce weight 25% below that of obese controls (reduced-obese). The amount of 14C recovered in CO2 over 6 hours following ingestion was significantly less in obese rats compared to lean (0.45 ± 0.06 vs. 0.88 ± 0.09nmols, p=.0004) and less still in the reduced obese group (0.34 ± 0.06nmols p=.00003). Six hours after ingestion, the quantity of label found in adipose tissue was significantly greater in the obese rats compared to lean (14.51 ± 1.92 vs. 1.38 ± 0.29nmols p<.00001), but was intermediate in the reduced-obese group (9.23 ± 0.98nmols p=.0003). At 2.2 hours there was significantly more label in skeletal muscle of lean rats compared to either obese or reduced-obese (2.33 ± 0.24; 1.35 ± 0.04nmols p=.01; 1.41 ± 0.27nm p=.02). However, at 6 hours these differences between groups were no longer present. These findings Indicate that dietary fat is shunted away from oxidation toward storage in obese Zucker rats. Additionally it appears that there may be a relative block in the oxidation of TGFA that is taken up by skeletal muscle in obese rats. Finally the relative normalization of this partitioning defect in reduced-obese rats is at variance with what was suggested by previous measurements of tissue specific levels of LPL, and suggests an enhanced recirculation of fatty acids from adipose tissue to muscle in reduced-obese rats. This could occur through increased delivery of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) to muscle as a result of an increase in net lipolysis.
Behavioral nutrition: consumption of foods of the future by toddlers.

Abstract Behavioral measures of food consumption and tasting were combined with nutrient analysis of foods served at a toddler day-care center to determine whether children at the stage of initial exposure to adult diets would accept textured vegetable protein (TVP) and nonfat dry milk as well as they ate other sources of protein and calcium. Main dishes were prepared alternately with TVP, meat, or neither; others were prepared with or without nonfat dry milk. The variation in ingredients appeared not to affect the amount children ate, the percentage sampling the foods, or the percentage eating half a portion or more. Dishes made with TVP increased protein intake comparable to the amount obtained with meat supplements, and calcium intake increased with nonfat dry-milk supplements. In light of these findings, it appears that TVP and nonfat dry-milk are practical alternative sources of protein and calcium in menus for young children.
Kinetic studies of normal and variant hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferases in intact fibroblasts

Abstract The instability of many mutant enzymes prevents their study by classical in vitro techniques. To gain a better understanding of the enzyme hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT), we have developed a method for measuring the K m of this enzyme for hypoxanthine in intact cultured fibroblasts, using quantitative analysis of the incorporation of labeled hypoxanthine by the cell. This technique made possible the determination of K m values for hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase mutants which were too unstable to be assayed in tissue lysates. Measuring the K m values of the enzymes of four hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase-deficient subjects with this new method showed one to be abnormally low, one normal, and two higher than normal.
Matching preclusion and conditional matching preclusion problems for the folded Petersen cube

The matching preclusion number of an even graph is the minimum number of edges whose deletion results in a graph that has no perfect matchings. For many interconnection networks, the optimal sets are precisely those induced by a single vertex. Recently, the conditional matching preclusion number of an even graph was introduced to look for obstruction sets beyond those induced by a single vertex. It is defined to be the minimum number of edges whose deletion results in a graph with no isolated vertices and no perfect matchings. In this paper, we study this problem for the folded Petersen cube FPQ ( n , k ) via some matching preclusion and conditional matching preclusion results of the Cartesian products of graphs.
Stresses beneath a ramping thrust sheet

Abstract There is a systematic progression of both the timing of motion of thrust sheets and the spacing of thrust ramps during the development of some thrust-dominated foreland fold-and-thrust belts. On the basis of these observations, we suggest that a regional mechanical process that controls frontal ramp formation may dominate local effects such as stratigraphic pinchouts and interaction with basement. To investigate this process we have developed elastic, plane strain models of the state of stress in the footwall of the last formed, or most forward thrust ramp. These models include the load of an overriding thrust sheet and a synorogenic sedimentary cover. The effect of emplacing a thrust sheet or developing a synorogenic sedimentary cover above an incipient thrust sheet is to stabilize the footwall toward the hinterland with respect to failure, and thereby move failure more to the foreland. Failure is localized where there is a favorable trade-off between the spatial rates at which mean stress and differential stress decrease toward the foreland. The models also predict that frontal ramps nucleate well above the basal decollement and propagate upward and downward eventually linking with the regional decollement. Fault trajectories predicted by using a Coulomb criterion are subhorizontal in the hinterland portion of the model and curve upward to the foreland resulting in a curved ‘flat and ramp’ geometry. These analyses show that each successive thrust sheet would be thinner, as well as shorter, than the previous thrust sheet. Based on these results, we propose a model for the formation of the first ‘thin-skinned’ thrust sheet in the external portions of orogenic belts. The synorogenic sediments that form during uplift of the internal zones of mountain belts will cover the preorogenic strata to the foreland. As deformation progresses to the foreland, and deformation becomes more shallow and more brittle in nature, the preorogenic strata will interact with the synorogenic strata and failure will occur creating the first ‘brittle’ thrust sheet. The location of this first thrust will be controlled by the mechanisms outlined in our models. To the foreland of this point, each sucessive thrust fault will localize as a result of the combined effects of an overriding thrust sheet and synorogenic deposits.
Endoscopic palliation of malignant gastric outlet obstruction using self-expanding metal stents: experience in 36 patients

Endoscopic palliation of malignant gastric outlet obstruction using self-expanding metal stents: experience in 36 patients
Projection-operator calculations of the lowest e − -He resonance

The 1s (2s)2:2S Schulz resonance of He(-) is investigated theoretically, applying the full projection-operator formalism developed by Temkin and Bhatia (1985) in a Rayleigh-Ritz variational calculation. The technique is described in detail, and results for five different approximations of the He target state are presented in a table. Good convergence is obtained, but it is found that even the best calculated value of the resonance is about 130 meV higher than the experimentally measured value of 19.367 + or - 0.007 eV (Brunt et al., 1977), a discrepancy attributed to the contribution of the shift in the Feshbach formalism.
Investigation of age-related decline of microfibril-associated glycoprotein-1 in human skin through immunohistochemistry study.

During aging, the reduction of elastic and collagen fibers in dermis can lead to skin atrophy, fragility, and aged appearance, such as increased facial wrinkling and sagging. Microfibril-associated glycoprotein-1 (MAGP-1) is an extracellular matrix protein critical for elastic fiber assembly. It integrates and stabilizes the microfibril and elastin matrix network that helps the skin to endure mechanical stretch and recoil. However, the observation of MAGP-1 during skin aging and its function in the dermis has not been established. To better understand age-related changes in the dermis, we investigated MAGP-1 during skin aging and photoaging, using a combination of in vitro and in vivo studies. Gene expression by microarray was performed using human skin biopsies from young and aged female donors. In addition, immunofluorescence analysis on the MAGP-1 protein was performed in dermal fibroblast cultures and in human skin biopsies. Specific antibodies against MAGP-1 and fibrillin-1 were used to examine protein expression and extracellular matrix structure in the dermis via biopsies from donors of multiple age groups. A reduction of the MAGP-1 gene and protein levels were observed in human skin with increasing age and photoexposure, indicating a loss of the functional MAGP-1 fiber network and a lack of structural support in the dermis. Loss of MAGP-1 around the hair follicle/pore areas was also observed, suggesting a possible correlation between MAGP-1 loss and enlarged pores in aged skin. Our findings demonstrate that a critical “pre-elasticity” component, MAGP-1, declines with aging and photoaging. Such changes may contribute to age-related loss of dermal integrity and perifollicular structural support, which may lead to skin fragility, sagging, and enlarged pores.
Interactions of perhydrohistrionicotoxin with postsynaptic membranes.

Summary 3H labeled perhydrohistrionicotoxin binds to acetylcholine receptor enriched membrane fragments with a Kd of 0.43 ± 0.19 μM and a stoichiometry of 0.26 ± 0.03 [3H]perhydrohistrionicotoxin molecules bound per α-bungarotoxin site. This corresponds to a stoichiometry of one molecule of perhydrohistrionicotoxin binding per molecule of acetylcholine receptor present in the membranes. In the presence of 10 μM carbamylcholine the dissociation constant was lowered to 0.29 ± 0.04 μM, but the number of binding sites did not change. Perhydrohistrionicotoxin (3 μM) did not affect densensitization processes. It is possible that histrionicotoxin binds to elements involved in ion translocation.
Targeted Transduction Patterns in the Mouse Brain by Lentivirus Vectors Pseudotyped with VSV, Ebola, Mokola, LCMV, or MuLV Envelope Proteins

Lentiviral vectors have proven to be promising tools for transduction of central nervous system (CNS) cells in vivo and in vitro. In this study, CNS transduction patterns of lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with envelope glycoproteins from Ebola virus, murine leukemia virus (MuLV), lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), or the rabies-related Mokola virus were compared to a vector pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G). Mokola-, LCMV-, and VSV-G-pseudotyped vectors transduced similar populations, including striatum, thalamus, and white matter. Mokola-pseudotyped vectors were the most efficient of the three. MuLV-pseudotyped lentivirus efficiently transduced striatum and hippocampal dentate gyrus. In contrast, no transduction resulted from injection of Ebola-pseudotyped virus in the CNS. The same pattern was observed in vitro with primary cultured oligodendrocytes. LCMV, MuLV, and Ebola pseudotypes were the most stable. These results demonstrate that targeted transduction in the CNS can be achieved using specific envelope glycoproteins to pseudotype lentiviral vectors, and support the use of Mokola-pseudotyped and MuLV-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors as efficient and stable alternatives to VSV-G-pseudotyped vectors for experiments in the mouse CNS.
Making Genomic Medicine a Reality

First, I want to express my deep appreciation for the honor of serving as president of our Society and for the opportunity to share some thoughts with you today. For the theme of my address, I propose to ask how genetic advances will impact the practice of medicine over the next decade or two—and what we, as members of the American Society of Human Genetics, should be doing to influence these developments. I will focus on dilemmas that I perceive in prenatal genetics, on population-based genotyping to bring significant changes to the practice of adult medicine (considering both single-gene disorders and more-complex traits), and on the potential to make greater use of family-based genotyping for autosomal dominant disorders.
A particle swarm optimization based control strategy for plug-in hybrid electric vechicles at residential networks level

With the increasing awareness on environmental protection and energy resources reservation, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are being developed and deployed around the world. However, the large-scale deployment of PHEVs will impose a great burden on the residential power grid, so effective control strategies, especially those for vehicle-to-grid (V2G), are much needed. In this paper, the stochastic behaviors of PHEVs are examined in real scenarios, and the V2G process is modeled considering various limits. Possible exchange power trajectories are enumerated and pruned based on the proposed load distance for each PHEV in order to generate the optimized solution space. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied for several time-steps with the updating of load profile and PHEV groups for global optimization. Some simulation studies are carried out with different fitness functions considering the load variance, cost and comfort of PHEV users. Simulation results show that the proposed optimization method is able to shave the residential peak load effectively, and its performance with different fitness functions are analyzed and compared.
Attitude control of flexible communications satellites

This paper investigates alternate control techniques for the attitude control of a three axis stabilized flexible communications satellite consisting of a large reflector and a solar array. The control configurations consisted of three classes: Class 1 sensors and actuators co-located on the central body, Class 2 actuator on the central body and sensors distributed, and Class 3 -actuators and sensors distributed. Criteria are developed for modal truncation. The results indicate that Class 2 can cause instability and. is not generally a desirable design approach. An experimental setup to study the effects of flexibility on attitude control per-formance during slew maneuvers and wheel desaturation is also discussed.
José Julio García Arranz: Symbola et emblemata avium. Las aves en los libros de emblemas y empresas de los siglos XVI y XVII

Recension critica del liibro de Jose Julio Garcia Arranz: Symbola et emblemata avium. Las aves en los libros de emblemas y empresas de los siglos XVI y XVII, SIELAE y Sociedad de Cultura Valle Inclan, A Coruna, 2010.
Sage II: An overview

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) aboard the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite was launched from Shuttle in October 1984. SAGE II is a seven-channel sun-photometer measuring stratospheric aerosols, ozone, water vapor, and nitrogen dioxide during each spacecraft sunrise and sunset. In addition to stratospheric information, mid-tropospheric and higher water vapor, ozone, and aerosol data are being produced in cloud-free regions, and cloud data everywhere else. Aerosol information is being produced at three wavelengths and, together with water vapor data, is providing a global microphysical description of the aerosol.
Liver regeneration after liver resection: clinical aspects and correlation with infective complications.

Liver regeneration after liver resection: Clinical aspects and correlation with infective complications
The temporal relationship of the onsets of alcohol dependence and major depression: using a genetically informative study design.

ABSTRACTBackgroundAlthough alcohol dependence (AD) and major depression (MD) are highly comorbid, their causal relationship is unclear. In this longitudinal study, we used a genetically informative population-based twin sample to examine the age-at-onset distributions and the temporal relationship o
Two Color RNA Intercalating Probe for Cell Imaging Applications

Here we report on a phenanthridine derivative which has a covalently linked fluorescein molecule in order to increase the light absorption and hence fluorescence signal intensity when bound to duplex RNA. Steady-state fluorescence shows that the energy transfer efficiency from the fluorescein to the phenanthridine fluorophore is approximately 77%, which results in the probe being over 5x brighter than other phenanthridine derivatives when bound to RNA. Due to the relatively long lifetime (approximately 20 ns) of the probe, time-resolved fluorescence is used to increase the signal to background ratio in cell growth medium from 7 (steady-state value) to over 40. Moreover, fluorescence images of cells containing the probe show that the fluorescein signal is readily apparent along with that of the intercalated fluorophore, allowing this probe to be used as a dual color probe which simultaneously reports the probes' location and that of RNA.
Covariance-based hardware selection-Part II: equivalence results for the sensor, actuator, and simultaneous selection problems

Recently, a number of covariance-constrained hardware selection problems have been proposed. However, underlying each is the choice of a compensating element (i.e., the state estimator for the sensor case, the feedback controller for the actuator case, and both for the simultaneous case). The subtlety is whether these compensators should be optimal or suboptimal. In this paper, we present formulations using both types of compensators and then prove that the global solution for each type of formulation is independent of the compensator assumption. However, in spite of this equivalence of solutions, the computational perspective indicates that one choice will always have an advantage. While the computational difference is minor in the sensor selection case, significant advantages can be found in the suboptimal controller version of the actuator selection problem. In particular, the suboptimal version can be used to find global solutions to the previously intractable optimal controller formulation. In the simultaneous case, similar results are presented and lead to the first global solution scheme for the covariance-based simultaneous sensor and actuator selection problem.
An undergraduate's experience in interdisciplinary research

A s an undergraduate student at Northern Kentucky University, I never strongly considered participating in research. My impression was that it took place indoors sitting in front of computers or in labs, and as an environmental science major and outdoor enthusiast I was concerned that research would conflict with my passion for the outdoors. However, I began to consider undergraduate research when I learned about its many experiential and personal benefits. I wanted to be better suited for a career in environmental science, and I wanted to gain further life experience through travel. I applied for a summer research position with my professor to work at the University of California, Davis (UCD) on an existing research project and was accepted. As I learned from this experience, research is in fact very diverse. The overarching goal of the project is to gain an understanding of how elevated soil lead levels may affect urban gardening activities in Sacramento, CA. With more people interested in access to healthy foods, many have turned to urban gardening as an affordable solution. Lead, which has accumulated in urban soils from historic sources, is sometimes viewed as a barrier to urban gardening. Renewed interest in urban gardening and concern over elevated soil lead levels has created the dual opportunity to 1) investigate the distribution of soil lead levels in the city, and 2) inquire into how knowledge of that information may affect the local community. In partnership with Ubuntu Green, a Sacramento non-profit aimed at increasing access to healthy food, researchers working with UCD addressed questions from a combined biogeophysical and social science perspective. Since this research involves more than one discipline it is considered interdisciplinary research, defined as research that involves the use of multiple academic disciplines in order to develop a deeper understanding of scientific questions (Committee on Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research, 2004). The social science team is investigating how knowledge of elevated soil lead may influence an individual’s sense of place and empowerment. The biogeophysical team is interested in identifying the spatial distribution of lead at multiple scales, including the garden, home, and city scale. Collectively, the group is working to increase opportunities for healthy urban gardening in Sacramento. Project goals have been advanced through the joint development of research questions, shared methodology, and sustained feedback throughout the project between both teams as well as community partners. There are many benefits that undergraduates can gain from participating in research, especially interdisciplinary work. Science that diCorrespondence to: koenigd1@nku.edu
Sol-Gel Processing of Amorphous Nanoporous Silicas: Thin Films and Bulk

The preceding discussion has illustrated that sol-gel processing is a versatile means of preparing ceramics with controlled nanostructures. Using simple strategies such as aggregation of fractals, controlled drying shrinkage, pyrolysis of organic templates, partial sintering and surface derivatization, pore sizes may be controlled in the nanometer and subnanometer ranges of interest for sensors, membranes, and catalysis. Compared to zeolites, sol-gel processing exploits internally generated pressures (capillary pressures) rather than hydrothermal conditions to create comparably sized pores exhibiting molecular sieving.
Influence of porosity on mechanical properties and in vivo response of Ti6Al4V implants

Metallic biomaterials are widely used to restore the lost structure and functions of human bone. Due to the large number of joint replacements, there is a growing demand for new and improved orthopedic implants. More specifically, there is a need for novel load bearing metallic implants with low effective modulus matching to that of bone in order to reduce stress shielding and consequent increase in the in vivo life-span of the implant. In this study, we have fabricated porous Ti6Al4V alloy structures, using Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS™) to demonstrate that advanced manufacturing techniques such as LENS™ can be used to fabricate low-modulus, tailored porosity implants with a wide variety of metals/alloys, where the porosity can be designed in areas based on the patient's need to enhance biological fixation and achieve long-term in vivo stability. The effective modulus of Ti6Al4V alloy structures has been tailored between 7 and 60 GPa and porous Ti alloy structures containing 23 to 32 vol. % porosity showed modulus equivalent to human cortical bone. In vivo behavior of porous Ti6Al4V alloy samples in male Sprague-Dawley rats for 16 weeks demonstrated significant increase in calcium within the implants indicating excellent biological tissue ingrowth through interconnected porosity. In vivo results also showed that total amount of porosity plays an important role in tissue ingrowth.
Contested Ecologies: Environmental Activism and Urban Space in Immigrant Paris

In 2007, the City of Paris unveiled the Jardins d'Eole, a new park built in a low-income, predominately immigrant district of the city. The park resulted from an environmentalist mobilization led by residents and is an innovative example of sustainable urban design. This article highlights the spatial contestation surrounding the mobilization to build and design the park, and its impact upon class-based, gendered, and ethno-racial inequalities in Paris. It suggests that a complex environmental arena is reshaping the urbanization process in contradictory ways, at times providing residents a new means to confront injustices, while at other moments reproducing socio-spatial inequalities.
Cost of an informatics-based diabetes management program.

OBJECTIVES The relatively high cost of information technology systems may be a barrier to hospitals thinking of adopting this technology. The experiences of early adopters may facilitate decision making for hospitals less able to risk their limited resources. This study identifies the costs to design, develop, implement, and operate an innovative informatics-based registry and disease management system (POPMAN) to manage type 2 diabetes in a primary care setting. METHODS The various cost components of POPMAN were systematically identified and collected. RESULTS POPMAN cost 450,000 dollars to develop and operate over 3.5 years (1999-2003). Approximately 250,000 dollars of these costs are one-time expenditures or sunk costs. Annual operating costs are expected to range from 90,000 dollars to 110,000 dollars translating to approximately 90 dollars per patient for a 1,200 patient registry. CONCLUSIONS The cost of POPMAN is comparable to the costs of other quality-improving interventions for patients with diabetes. Modifications to POPMAN for adaptation to other chronic diseases or to interface with new electronic medical record systems will require additional investment but should not be as high as initial development costs. POPMAN provides a means of tracking progress against negotiated quality targets, allowing hospitals to negotiate pay for performance incentives with insurers that may exceed the annual operating cost of POPMAN. As a result, the quality of care of patients with diabetes through use of POPMAN could be improved at a minimal net cost to hospitals.
Preventing the Pain of PTSD

A selective opioid receptor agonist prevents fear memory consolidation in the amygdala in a mouse model of posttraumatic stress disorder (Andero et al.).
Community Development Approaches for Early Intervention

This study assessed the impact of a project that used a community development framework to implement change in early care and intervention services in two culturally diverse communities. Two aspects of community development are emphasized: the change process, which involves creating a community planning team to identify and implement change strategies; and empowerment theory, to develop and test new ways of giving consumers a voice in shaping community-based reform. This article describes how community forums and parent leadership training assisted in change efforts, reports results associated with four short-term outcomes, and discusses lessons learned from implementing and evaluating reforms in culturally diverse and traditionally underserved communities.
Contextualization and value-in-context: How context frames exchange:

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of context in service provision and, more broadly, in market co-creation. We oscillate foci from an individual actor at the micro level to a market at the macro level to make the scaleable influence of context more salient. This reveals the meso level, which is nestled between the micro and macro levels. We discuss how these market levels influence one another. We conceptualize markets as simultaneous, continuous exchanges that are bounded by each of these levels of context.
Application of multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) to AVIRIS imagery for coastal salt marsh mapping: a case study in China Camp, CA, USA

Multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) was applied to the Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) imagery of a salt marsh in China Camp at San Pablo Bay, California. A nine‐endmember set representing materials within the scene was used including: two Salicornia and two soils, and Grindelia, Spartina, dry grass, water and shade. The resultant abundance maps were used to investigate the spatial distribution of the marsh vegetation species, Salicornia virginica, Grindelia Stricta and Spartina foliosa. The Spartina abundance map exhibited a well‐defined zone bordering the water and the lower marsh, which is in good agreement with the field observations made in 2002. Comparison of the Salicornia map with all six field global positional system (GPS) polygons indicates Salicornia was classified with high accuracy. The proposed approach did a good job in classifying Spartina and Salicornia which cover 93.81% of the total marsh. The Grindelia fraction image underestimates in some ...
Drugs for a new millennium

A millennium, a century, even a decade is a long time-frame for speculation about anything. Advances in biomedical research in the last few decades have been so extraordinary and escalating at an ever-accelerating pace that any prophecy is a risky proposition. However, it is possible to divine the big, unanswered questions and envisage ways in which they might reasonably be approached in the next few decades, a task which I will try to essay. So many drugs treat so many different medical conditions that a detailed and comprehensive coverage would probably be tiresome. Instead, I will address certain broad themes and diseases that offer both immense challenges and great potential for advances. Rather than review detailed experimental issues, I will confine myself to the 'big picture' issues, providing examples of specific research only in a few instances drawing largely from areas I know best.
Thermodynamics and General Relativity Could Determine the Symmetry of the Universe

We introduce a suggestive model where certain quantities in Friedmann models are treated like their thermodynamic counterparts; temperature entropy, Gibbs energy, and so on. Within this model, changes in the symmetry of the universe are interpreted as first- or second-order phase transitions. The thermodynamics we introduce give us a new way of determining the geometry of the universe. By choosing a specific local equation of state (P=αρ), we show that with respect to the thermodynamics we have introduced, it is always more advantageous for the universe to be in a Bianchi V (open) symmetric state.
Improved detection of recurrent bladder cancer using the bard BTA stat test

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the BTA stat Test in the detection of recurrent bladder cancer. Methods Sensitivity and specificity were determined using frozen voided urine samples from patients with recurrent bladder cancer, volunteers, patients with nonurologic conditions, and patients with a history of bladder cancer but free of disease. Results of cytology and the original BTA Test were compared with the sensitivity of the BTA stat Test in a large subgroup of the patients with cancer. Results The BTA stat Test detected 147 (67%) of 220 recurrent cancers. For those urine samples with previous cytologic and BTA Test results available, cytology had a sensitivity of 23%, the BTA Test 44%, and the BTA stat Test 58% for detection of recurrent cancer ( P stat versus cytology). The specificity of the BTA stat Test was 72% for benign genitourinary disease and 95% in healthy volunteers. Conclusions The BTA stat Test has high sensitivity and is significantly superior to voided urine cytologic analysis in the detection of recurrent bladder cancer.
Imperial Brett in The Sun Also Rises

Hemingway, as we know, wrote on the iceberg principle, omitting details, even facts, to encourage reader participation and, to judge from subsequent critics, to test readers' awarenesses. H. R. Sto...
Development of a low-color, color stable, dual cure dental resin

Abstract Dual-cure (DC) resins are mainly used as cements due to high initial color (generally yellow) and large color shift (ΔE*) after polymerization as compared to light-cured resins. However, even as cements, this color shift is clinically unacceptable, especially when used to cement thin veneers. Objective To develop a novel DC initiator system with both lower initial color (less yellow, i.e., whiter) and smaller ΔE*. Methods The effect of using an allyl thiourea (T)/cumene hydroperoxide (CH) self-cure (SC) initiator system in combination with a photo-co-initiator, p-octyloxy-phenyl-phenyl iodonium hexafluoroantimonate (OPPI), in a commercial DC resin cement (PermaFlo DC, Ultradent Products, Inc.) was investigated. Initial color and ΔE* were assessed for 6 weeks in vitro under accelerated aging conditions (75 °C water bath). Rockwell15T hardness was used to assess degree of cure (DoC) and the three-point bending test was used to assess mechanical properties. Results PermaFlo DC (control) was significantly harder than all experimental groups without OPPI but had up to three times higher initial color and four times greater color shift (ΔE* = 27 vs. 8). With OPPI, hardness in the experimental groups increased significantly and several were comparable to the controls. Initial color and ΔE* increased slightly (ΔE* = 9), but was still 3 times less than that of PermaFlo DC. DC samples containing OPPI had comparable modulus and ultimate transverse strengths to those of the controls. Conclusions DC resins that use the T/CH initiator system are weaker but have extremely low color and ΔE*. The addition of OPPI increases DoC and mechanical properties to clinically acceptable levels and maintains extremely low color and ΔE*. Significance With this novel initiator system, DC resins potentially can now have comparable color and color stability to light-cure resins and be used in broader esthetic dental applications to improve color stability and reduce shrinkage stress in restorative composites.
Role of CTR4 in the Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans

While research has identified an important contribution for metals, such as iron, in microbial pathogenesis, the roles of other transition metals, such as copper, remain mostly unknown. Recent evidence points to a requirement for copper homeo- stasis in the virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans based on a role for a CUF1 copper regulatory factor in mouse models and in a human patient cohort. C. neoformans is an important fungal pathogen that results in an estimated 600,000 AIDS-related deaths yearly. In the present studies, we found that a C. neoformans mutant lacking the CUF1-dependent copper transporter, CTR4, grows normally in rich medium at 37°C but has reduced survival in macrophages and attenuated virulence in a mouse model. This reduced survival and virulence were traced to a growth defect under nutrient-restricted conditions. Expression studies us- ing a full-lengthCTR4-fluorescent fusion reporter construct demonstrated robust expression in macrophages, brain, and lung, the latter shown by ex vivo fluorescent imaging. Inductively coupled mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) was used to probe the copper quota of fungal cells grown in defined medium and recovered from brain, which suggested a role for a copper-protective func- tion ofCTR4in combination with cell metallothioneins under copper-replete conditions. In summary, these data suggest a role forCTR4in copper-related homeostasis and subsequently in fungal virulence. IMPORTANCE Crytococcus neoformans is a significant global fungal pathogen, and copper homeostasis is a relatively unexplored aspect of microbial pathogenesis that could lead to novel therapeutics. Previous studies correlated expression levels of a Ctr4 copper transporter to development of meningoencephalitis in a patient cohort of solid-organ transplants, but a direct role for Ctr4 in mammalian pathogenesis has not been demonstrated. The present studies utilize a ctr4mutant strain which revealed an important role for CTR4 in C. neoformans infections in mice and relate the gene product to homeostatic control of copper and growth under nutrient-restricted conditions. Robust expression levels of CTR4during fungal infection were exploited to demonstrate expression and lung cryptococcal disease using ex vivo fluorescence imaging. In summary, these studies are the first to directly demonstrate a role for a copper transporter in fungal disease and provide an ex vivo imaging tool for further study of cryptococcal gene expression and pathogenesis.
Clinical practice. Prevention and treatment of seasonal influenza.

Fever developed in a previously healthy 15-year-old girl, with a peak temperature of 102°F (38.9°C) and mild upper respiratory congestion. Oseltamivir therapy was initiated, but the fever persisted, and she began to vomit. She was taken to an emergency room, where she was found to be hypotensive. Despite intensive resuscitative efforts, she died 12 hours later. A viral culture confirmed influenza A (H1N1) infection.
Parallel Folding Pathways in the SH3 Domain Protein

The transition-state ensemble (TSE) is the set of protein conformations with an equal probability to fold or unfold. Its characterization is crucial for an understanding of the folding process. We determined the TSE of the src-SH3 domain protein by using extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the Go model and computing the folding probability of a generated set of TSE candidate conformations. We found that the TSE possesses a well-defined hydrophobic core with variable enveloping structures resulting from the superposition of three parallel folding pathways. The most preferred pathway agrees with the experimentally determined TSE, while the two least preferred pathways differ significantly. The knowledge of the different pathways allows us to design the interactions between amino acids that guide the protein to fold through the least preferred pathway. This particular design is akin to a circular permutation of the protein. The finding motivates the hypothesis that the different experimentally observed TSEs in homologous proteins and circular permutants may represent potentially available pathways to the wild-type protein.
An Introduction to TRIPS

This chapter provides a brief overview of TRIPS, with emphasis on provisions that impact patented and generic drugs. In particular, this chapter discusses what TRIPS requires in terms of what must be patented, the scope of patent rights, and how patent rights are enforced for WTO member countries. In addition, this chapter discusses the TRIPS requirement to protect some clinical data. This chapter aims to provide a fundamental overview that will serve as a foundation for chapters focused on flexibilities under TRIPS, compulsory licenses, TRIPS-Plus standards, and regulatory protection of drugs.
“Virtual Climate” and Climate Change Assessment: Paving the Way for Workable Climate Change Policies

Global change research has been focused predominantly on the need to resolve uncertainties surrounding physical processes that explain global change. Reducing physical science uncertainties is crucially important. However, if our goal is to guide the development of workable strategies for dealing with the societal impacts of climate change, we must also understand the interactions between climate and society.
Signal Transduction in Human Hematopoietic Cells by Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Related Protein, a Novel Ligand for the FLT4 Receptor

We have recently identified a novel ligand of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family termed VEGF-related protein (VRP), which specifically binds to the FLT4 receptor. To characterize the signaling events after VRP engagement of its cognate receptor in hematopoietic cells, a population of human erythroleukemia (HEL) cells, termed HEL-JW, expressing high levels of FLT4 receptor was isolated. Stimulation of HEL-JW cells with VRP alone and in combination with the c-kit ligand/stem cell factor increased cell growth. VRP induced tyrosine phosphorylation of various proteins, including the FLT4 receptor. Further characterization of these tyrosine phosphorylated molecules revealed that Shc, Grb2, and SOS form a complex with the activated FLT4 receptor. HEL-JW cells also expressed RAFTK, a recently identified member of the focal adhesion kinase family. RAFTK was phosphorylated and activated upon VRP treatment, and there was an enhanced association of this kinase with the adaptor protein Grb2. Furthermore, the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), involved in growth activation and shown to mediate RAFTK signaling in other cell types, was activated by VRP stimulation. We also observed that VRP treatment of HEL-JW cells resulted in the phosphorylation of the cytoskeletal protein paxillin. This treatment resulted in an increased association of paxillin with RAFTK, which was mediated by the C-terminal region of RAFTK. These studies indicate that VRP stimulation induced the formation of a signaling complex at its activated receptor as well as activation of RAFTK. VRP-mediated activation of RAFTK may facilitate signal transduction to the cytoskeleton and downstream to the JNK pathway in FLT4-expressing blood cells.