cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Respirator usage protects brain white matter from welding fume exposure: A pilot magnetic resonance imaging study of welders.

Abstract Welding fume exposure has been associated with structural brain changes and a wide variety of clinical and sub-clinical outcomes including cognitive, behavioral and motor abnormalities. Respirator use has been shown to decrease exposure to welding fumes; however, the associations between respirator use and health outcomes, particularly neurologic health, have been understudied. In this preliminary study, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the effectiveness of respirator use in protecting workers’ white matter (WM) from the harmful effects related to welding fume exposure. Fractional anisotropy (FA), a common DTI measurement of water diffusion properties, was used as a marker of WM microstructure integrity. We hypothesized that FA in brain regions involved in motor and neurocognitive functions would differ between welders reporting respirator use compared to those not using a respirator. We enrolled a pilot cohort of 19 welders from labor unions in the New York City area. All welders completed questionnaires to assess welding history and occupational health. All completed a DTI acquisition on a 3 T Siemens scanner. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), a bioinformatic analytical strategy, was used to model the divergence of WM microstructures in 48 regions defined by the ICBM-DTI-81 atlas between respirator users compared to non-users. This yielded an effective discrimination of respirator users from non-users, with the uncinate fasciculus, the cerebellar peduncle and the superior longitudinal fasciculus contributing most to the discrimination of these groups. These white matter tracts are involved in widespread motor and cognitive functions. To our knowledge, this study is the first to suggest a protective effect of respirator on WM microstructure, indicating that the lack of respirator may present unsafe working conditions for welders. These preliminary findings may inform a larger, longitudinal intervention study that would be more appropriate to investigate the potential protective effect of respirator usage on brain white matter in welders.
Assessing the readiness of numerical relativity for LISA and 3G detectors

Future detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna promise signal-to-noise ratios potentially in the thousands and data containing simultaneous signals. Accurate numerical relativity waveforms will be essential to maximizing the science return. A question of interest to the broad gravitational wave community is: Are the numerical relativity codes ready to face this challenge? Towards answering this question, we provide a new criteria to identify the minimum resolution a simulation must have as a function of signal-to-noise ratio in order for the numerical relativity waveform to be indistinguishable from a true signal. This criteria can be applied to any finite-differencing numerical relativity code with multiple simulations of differing resolutions for the desired binary parameters and waveform length. We apply this criteria to binary systems of interest with the fourth-order MAYA code to obtain the first estimate of the minimum resolution a simulation must have to be prepared for next generation detectors.
Defying the Odds of Sudden Cardiac Death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Abstract We report an unusual case of a patient with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and acquired long QT syndrome who was able to defy the odds of sudden cardiac death in the rarest of circumstances. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)
Article Commentary: Surgical Workforce in the American South

There exists a geographic maldistribution of surgeons with significant regional characteristics, which is associated with surgical access differentials that may be contributing to existing health d...
Federalism and Accountability

In recent years, the Supreme Court has resurrected judicially-enforced limits on federal power. In a series of landmark rulings, including, among others, United States v. Lopez, United States v. Morrison,2 and New York v. United States,3 the Court has relied on two fundamental ideas to reduce the power of Congress to regulate the states: that the federal government is a government of limited, enumerated powers, and that the states are the repositories of residual powers. Part of the justification for this constitutional movement is that limits on federal power protect the "distribution of power fundamental to our federalist system of government."4 This balance of power, in turn, is linked to a conception of democratic accountability, which suggests that, at least in some instances, federal regulation is less directly accountable to citizens than state regulation.5 In reality, however, the relationship between federal power, state power, and democratic accountability is considerably more
Effect of Individual Differences in Predicting Engineering Students' Performance: A Case of Education for Sustainable Development

The academic performance of engineering students continues to receive attention in the literature. Despite that, there is a lack of studies in the literature investigating the simultaneous relationship between students' systems thinking (ST) skills, Five-Factor Model (FFM) personality traits, proactive personality scale, academic, demographic, family background factors, and their potential impact on academic performance. Three established instruments, namely, ST skills instrument with seven dimensions, FFM traits with five dimensions, and proactive personality with one dimension, along with a demographic survey, have been administrated for data collection. A cross-sectional web-based study applying Qualtrics has been developed to gather data from engineering students. To demonstrate the prediction power of the ST skills, FFM traits, proactive personality, academic, demographics, and family background factors on the academic performance of engineering students, two unsupervised learning algorithms applied. The study results identify that these unsupervised algorithms succeeded to cluster engineering students' performance regarding primary skills and characteristics. In other words, the variables used in this study are able to predict the academic performance of engineering students. This study also has provided significant implications and contributions to engineering education and education sustainable development bodies of knowledge. First, the study presents a better perception of engineering students' academic performance. The aim is to assist educators, teachers, mentors, college authorities, and other involved parties to discover students' individual differences for a more efficient education and guidance environment. Second, by a closer examination at the level of systemic thinking and its connection with FFM traits, proactive personality, academic, and demographic characteristics, understanding engineering students' skillset would be assisted better in the domain of sustainable education.
A scoping review on the use of machine learning in research on social determinants of health: Trends and research prospects.

Abstract Background Machine learning (ML) has spread rapidly from computer science to several disciplines. Given the predictive capacity of ML, it offers new opportunities for health, behavioral, and social scientists. However, it remains unclear how and to what extent ML is being used in studies of social determinants of health (SDH). Methods Using four search engines, we conducted a scoping review of studies that used ML to study SDH (published before May 1, 2020). Two independent reviewers analyzed the relevant studies. For each study, we identified the research questions, Results, data, and algorithms. We synthesized our findings in a narrative report. Results Of the initial 8097 hits, we identified 82 relevant studies. The number of publications has risen during the past decade. More than half of the studies (n = 46) used US data. About 80% (n = 66) utilized surveys, and 70% (n = 57) employed ML for common prediction tasks. Although the number of studies in ML and SDH is growing rapidly, only a few studies used ML to improve causal inference, curate data, or identify social bias in predictions (i.e., algorithmic fairness). Conclusions While ML equips researchers with new ways to measure health outcomes and their determinants from non-conventional sources such as text, audio, and image data, most studies still rely on traditional surveys. Although there are no guarantees that ML will lead to better social epidemiological research, the potential for innovation in SDH research is evident as a result of harnessing the predictive power of ML for causality, data curation, or algorithmic fairness.
Redox-mediated carbon monoxide release from a manganese carbonyl-implications for physiological CO delivery by CO releasing moieties.

The dynamics of hydrogen peroxide reactions with metal carbonyls have received little attention. Given reports that therapeutic levels of carbon monoxide are released in hypoxic tumour cells upon m...
Evaluating Stock Price Volatility: The Case of Reits

One of the most controversial topics in modern financial economics is 'excess volatility': the notion that stock prices move too much to be explained by fundamental economic and firm-specific factors. This research measures the extent of excess volatility in a special class of equities: real estate investment trusts (RIETs). The structure of REITs, specifically, the constraints on dividend payout, the passive approach to asset management and the detailed data available on REIT composition, make them ideal for this investigation. The tests are conducted using the Shiller-West variance bounds methodology and by estimating the volatility of the underlying assets. We find that despite the absence of dividend smoothing behavior, REITs exhibit approximately the same level of excess volatility as determined in Shiller's work. This finding of excess volatility is confirmed in the second part of our analysis and suggests that dividend smoothing cannot explain excess volatility. Furthermore, it suggests that prices of securitized real estate vehicles like REITs follow a stochastic process that is very different from the process driving the underlying real assets.
Fundamentals of Physical Layer Transmission

This chapter contains sections titled: Information Transmission Transmission Techniques and Signal Constellation Performance of the Physical Layer Wideband Modems Questions Problems Projects
THE FREQUENCY OF CONJUGATIVE TRANSPOSITION OF TN916 IS NOT DETERMINED BY THE FREQUENCY OF EXCISION

Excision and formation of a covalently closed circular transposon molecule are required for conjugative transposition of Tn 916 but are not the only factors that limit the frequency of conjugative transposition from one host to another. We found that in gram-positive bacteria, an increase in the frequency of excision and circularization of Tn 916 caused by expression of integrase (Int) and excisionase (Xis) from a xylose-inducible promoter does not lead to an increase in the frequency of conjugative transposition. We also found that the concentration of Int and Xis in the recipient cell does not limit the frequency of conjugative transposition and that increased excision does not result in increased expression of transfer functions required to mobilize a plasmid containing the Tn 916 origin of transfer. We conclude that in gram-positive hosts in which the Tn 916 functions Int and Xis are overexpressed, the frequency of conjugative transposition is limited by the availability of transfer functions.
Z-Contrast Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Of Nanometer-Scale Coated Particulate Materials

Particulate materials with unique functional properties have been the focus of much attention in recent years. Of particular interest, due to their considerable scientific and technological importance, are particles coated with nanoparticles. These have greatly stimulated interest for their novel structure and properties. In these kinds of particulate materials, the interface structures between the support particle and the nanoparticle play a crucial role in controlling their properties. Consequently, imaging of the atomic structures at the interfaces can provide deep understanding of the relationship between the particulate and the corresponding properties. Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) provides a new view of materials on the atomic scale, a direct image of atomic structure composition which can be interpreted without the need for any preconceived model structure. Therefore it is a powerful tool in the study of particulate materials. In this report, the authors present the structures of 18 micron diameter alumina particles coated with Ag nanoparticles. Particulates were prepared by a laser ablation technique, which involves laser ablation of the target material (Ag) onto a fluidized bed of core particles (alumina). The core alumina particles were fluidized inside the deposition system using a mechanical vibration method. For the STEM analysis, themore » particulates were lightly crushed in water using a pestle and mortar, then diluted in ethanol and deposited on a TEM grid coated with an amorphous carbon thin film.« less
Menopause, obesity and inflammation: interactive risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder, the development of which is regulated by several environmental and genetic risk factors. Two factors theorized to contribute to the initiation and/or progression of AD pathogenesis are age-related increases in inflammation and obesity. These factors may be particularly problematic in women. The onset of menopause in mid-life elevates the vulnerability of women to AD, an increased risk that is likely associated with the depletion of estrogens. Menopause is also linked with an abundance of additional changes, including increased central adiposity and inflammation. Here, we review the current literature to explore the interactions between obesity, inflammation, menopause and AD.
Vaccine protection against functional CTL abnormalities in simian human immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus monkeys.

Accumulating evidence suggests that HIV-specific CD8 + CTL are dysfunctional in HIV-infected individuals with progressive clinical disease. In the present studies, cytokine production by virus-specific CTL was assessed in the rhesus monkey model for AIDS to determine its contribution to the functional impairment of CTL. CTL from monkeys infected with nonpathogenic isolates of simian and simian-human immunodeficiency virus expressed high levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2 after in vitro exposure to a nonspecific mitogen or the optimal peptide representing a dominant virus-specific CTL epitope. However, similarly performed studies assessing these capabilities in CTL from monkeys infected with pathogenic immunodeficiency virus isolates demonstrated a significant dysfunction in the ability of the CTL to produce IL-2 and TNF-α. Importantly, CTL from vaccinated monkeys that effectively controlled the replication of a highly pathogenic simian-human immunodeficiency virus isolate following challenge demonstrated a preserved capacity to produce these cytokines. These experiments suggest that defects in cytokine production may contribute to CTL dysfunction in chronic HIV or SIV infection. Moreover, an AIDS vaccine that confers protection against clinical disease evolution in this experimental model also preserves the functional capacity of these CTL to produce both IL-2 and TNF-α.
Dielectric Properties and Electronic Applications of Aerogels

Among their other exceptional properties, aerogels also exhibit unusual dielectric properties due to their nano-sized structures and high porosities. For example, our measurements of the dielectric constants and loss tangents for several aerogel varieties at microwave frequencies show that they both vary linearly with the aerogel density, indicating that the dielectric behavior of aerogels is more gas-like than solid-like. We have also measured the dielectric strength of silica aerogels and find that they are better than ceramics for high voltage insulation. The low dielectric constants and loss tangents of aerogels, along with their controllable thermal expansion properties, make them desirable materials for use as thin films in high speed integrated digital and microwave circuitry.
The factors affecting strategic information systems applications: an empirical assessment

Abstract The strategic potential of information systems (IS) is now well accepted. This paper examines some key characteristics of strategic IS applications and investigates their relationship with contextual factors representing the industry environment, the organization structure, and the IS function. Empirical analysis of 81 strategic IS applications in large companies shows that these applications contribute mainly to functions involving customers or competitors, primarily to reduce cost or provide some differentiation. They have limited effect on suppliers. However, the effect on suppliers is greater in decentralized organizations and in heterogeneous environments. Moreover, a heterogeneous environment and a mature IS function enhance the role of information storage. The implications for future research and for IS practice are examined.
Reit Executive Compensation, Performance, and Management Power: Evidence from Panel Data

This study focuses on REIT CEO compensation. We utilize five different definitions for CEO compensation: salary, bonus, cash compensation, total compensation, and option awards. To capture the determinants of CEO compensation, we use the following performance measures: three-year stock returns, MVA (market value added), and Tobin's q. We also examine the impact of managerial power on compensation. We utilize a panel data set to capture both the time-series and cross-sectional effects. Our panel data set captures both the time-series and cross-sectional effects. Previous work on REIT executive compensation has chiefly looked at compensation data on cross-sectional basis. We find performance and size do not influence the CEO's salary while, risk, term, title, ownership, and age have significant impacts. Contrary to previous findings and our expectations, bonuses are not influenced by risk, CEO power, or size.
Exchange diffusion in one dimension: Liquid electrolytes and mixed conductor membranes

Abstract The concurrent diffusion of redox ions and electrons is analyzed statistically. For point charge ion jumps with second order collision electron transfer, intrinsic ion D 's show no effect of electron transfer. For ion jumps and electron jumps across space an enhancement of ion D 's is predicted, but with a different form from that of Dahms and Ruff to allow for a decreased probability of ion jumps when electron hopping can also occur. Corrections are made in the Dahms and Ruff analysis by deriving the apparent electron D ϵ , from the gradient of the electron chemical potential. Generalization using the electron electrochemical potential gives Levich's result for the electric field-enhanced migration term and the numerically corrected Dahms-Ruff “diffusion” coefficient. The analysis applies to electrolytes and to redox polymer membranes. Crossed flux conditions and counterion motions are described. A form for the high field electron flux is also postulated.
Developing a Global Community: A Social Psychological Perspective

This chapter employs social psychological knowledge of group formation, development, and functioning as well as personal identification with the group to discuss development of the global community. To manage the urgent problems effectively that the people on planet Earth face [such as climate change, war, injustice, economic disruptions, disease pandemics, and the poor education of most of the planet’s children], it is urgent to form a cooperative global community. In forming such a community, problems and conflicts will emerge that will require constructive, cooperative, problem-solving negotiations if they are to be resolved effectively and harmoniously. We consider four such social psychological problems: the dilemma of the commons, closed-mindedness rather than open-mindedness, short time perspectives, and destructive processes of negotiation and conflict resolution. Finally, we consider nonviolent methods of influence to apply when the other is unwilling to engage in cooperative processes of negotiation and conflict resolution.
Harnessing Knowledge Exchange Among Overseas Professionals of Afghanistan, People's Republic of China, and Philippines

Developing country governments and international donors are taking notice of diasporas' potential contributions to economic development. Attention has primarily focused on financial remittances, which are estimated to outpace official development assistance. Yet overseas professionals can also benefit their home countries through social remittances and knowledge exchange. This paper reviews such diaspora contributions, and government policies and programs to support them, in three case studies of China, the Philippines, and Afghanistan. The cases provide empirical and anecdotal data relating to skills exchange/transfer, its potential relationship to financial remittances, diaspora motivations, and home country policies and programs. The potential for diaspora knowledge exchange suggests greater opportunities for gain than may be currently recognized and realized.
Resampling Methods of Estimation

This article is reproduced from the previous edition, volume 19, pp. 13216–13220, © 2001, Elsevier Ltd., with an updated Bibliography section supplied by the Editor.
The role of robotic surgery in endometrial cancer

Robotic surgery for endometrial cancer has less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and less postoperative complications compared to laparotomies. Robotic technologic advantages over laparoscopic technique are most pronounced in obese patients. The shorter learning curve may explain the greater utilization of the robotic technique. Robotic surgery will continue as a mainstay in the treatment of uterine cancers as we become more efficient and cost conscious while maintaining the high quality outcomes that have been reported.
Activity measurement in psychology and medicine

In his treatment of activity measurement in the fields of medicine and psychology, Tryon gives us a book that clearly accomplishes the three purposes set out in its preface. The reader is definitely encouraged to wrestle with the concepts ofbehavior and activity in terms of "dynamic physical quantities." Moreover, the reader cannot help but become familiarized with the technology available for performing activity measurements. Motivation to use some of this technology is enhanced by the very extensive summary of other people's uses of it provided throughout the book. Readers may find the book provocative on a number of Ievels. It is concep- tually provocative to those of us struggling with understanding basic issues in the assessment and measurement of behavior. It is practically provocative to those of us working with various forms of behavioral difference, especially in clinical popula- tions. The book provokes because it is essentially an unfinished exploration, open- ing us to numerous pathways that, when traveled, reveal still more paths to explore. In this sense the book should be heuristically useful both in the more traditional empirical sense, and in terms of its Stimulation of conceptual discussion.
Physical and computational fluid dynamics models for the hemodynamics of the artiodactyl carotid rete

In the mammalian order Artiodactyla, the majority of arterial blood entering the intracranial cavity is supplied by a large arterial meshwork called the carotid rete. This vascular structure functionally replaces the internal carotid artery. Extensive experimentation has demonstrated that the artiodactyl carotid rete drives one of the most effective selective brain cooling mechanisms among terrestrial vertebrates. Less well understood is the impact that the unique morphology of the carotid rete may have on the hemodynamics of blood flow to the cerebrum. It has been hypothesized that, relative to the tubular internal carotid arteries of most other vertebrates, the highly convoluted morphology of the carotid rete may increase resistance to flow during extreme changes in cerebral blood pressure, essentially protecting the brain by acting as a resistor. We test this hypothesis by employing simple and complex physical models to a 3D surface rendering of the carotid rete of the domestic goat, Capra hircus. First, we modeled the potential for increased resistance across the carotid rete using an electrical circuit analog. The extensive branching of the rete equates to a parallel circuit that is bound in series by single tubular arteries, both upstream and downstream. This method calculated a near-zero increase in resistance across the rete. Because basic equations do not incorporate drag, shear-stress, and turbulence, we used computational fluid dynamics to simulate the impact of these computationally intensive factors on resistance. Ultimately, both simple and complex models demonstrated negligible changes in resistance and blood pressure across the arterial meshwork. We further tested the resistive potential of the carotid rete by simulating blood pressures known to occur in giraffes. Based on these models, we found resistance (and blood pressure mitigation as a whole) to be an unlikely function for the artiodactyl carotid rete.
Sources of variability in macroalgal primary productivity: sampling and interpretative problems

Abstract Previous macroalgal production studies have been plagued by broad ranges of variability within experimental replicates that often exceed the seasonal or other parameters under investigation. As a first step toward understanding the factors responsible, eight rocky intertidal and subtidal macroalgae were examined for intrinsic sources of variation in photosynthetic performance and respiration relative to season, age, thallus part, reproductive state, external morphology, crowding, macrohabitat, microhabitat, desiccation, and physical injury. Corallina officinalis L. var. chilensis (Decaisne) Kutzing and Egregia menziesii (Turn). Areschoug showed different seasonal production patterns with the minimum for Corallina and the maximum for Egregia occurring in the summer. The productivity of juvenile E. menziesii was 2.5 times higher than in structurally-differentiated mature individuals. Halidrys dioica Gardner had 2.8 times greater productivity in terminal vegetative branches than in basal fronds, while mature branches of E. menziesii were only half as productive as the young less-differentiated branches, indicating that as fronds mature, photosynthesis per unit of weight is effectively lowered as a result of increases in structural components. If the values for the least and most active thallus parts were used separately in production calculations, discrepancies of 250% for Halidrys and 130% for Egregia would be the result. The fertile terminal branches of H. dioica produced at a higher rate than either the basal fronds or vegetative terminal branches. Conversely, sporophylls of Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Agardh showed no measurable net photosynthesis while vegetative blades fixed 2.01 mg C g dry wt.−1 h−1. Respiration rates in fertile blades of both H. dioica and M. pyrifera were significantly lower than in vegetative fronds. More robust and highly-branched thalli of Gigartina canaliculata Harvey showed significantly (P
Failure of X-rays and actinomycin D to prevent the response of renal and hepatic thymidylate kinase to thymidine treatment in vivo

Abstract Thymidylate kinase activity was assayed in the supernatant extracts of liver and kidney from adult rats previously injected with thymidine. Prior X-ray and actinomycin D treatment did not affect the increased level of activity found 1 h after the deoxyribonucleoside was administered. Starvation up to 72 h also had little if any influence on the response to thymidine. Thus, the elevations of thymidylate kinase activity found after hepatectomy or thymidine injection are disparate in their reaction to X-ray and actinomycin D treatment. The thymidine response also differs from other substrate-responsive enzyme systems in rat liver.
SOLAR CORONAL STRUCTURE AND STRAY LIGHT IN TRACE

Using the 2004 Venus transit of the Sun to constrain a semiempirical point-spread function (PSF) for the TRACE EUV solar telescope, we have measured the effect of stray light in that telescope. We find that 43% of 171 A EUV light that enters TRACE is scattered, either through diffraction off the entrance filter grid or through other nonspecular effects. We carry this result forward, via known-PSF deconvolution of TRACE images, to identify its effect on analysis of TRACE data. Known-PSF deconvolution by this derived PSF greatly reduces the effect of visible haze in the TRACE 171 A images, enhances bright features, and reveals that the smooth background component of the corona is considerably less bright (and hence more rarefied) than might otherwise be supposed. Deconvolution reveals that some prior conclusions about the Sun appear to have been based on stray light in the images. In particular, the diffuse background "quiet corona" becomes consistent with hydrostatic support of the coronal plasma; feature contrast is greatly increased, possibly affecting derived parameters such as the form of the coronal heating function; and essentially all existing differential emission measure studies of small features appear to be affected by contamination from nearby features. We speculate on further implications of stray light for interpretation of EUV images from TRACE and similar instruments, and advocate deconvolution as a standard tool for image analysis with future instruments.
The role of child welfare managers in promoting agency performance through experimentation

Abstract Child welfare agencies and managers are devoting increasing effort to the improvement of organizational performance and accountability. While there has been a rise in evidence-supported interventions in child welfare, the diffusion and applicability of many of these evidence-based programs to child welfare client populations remains limited. This paper introduces three models of managerial experimentation, each of which seeks to improve organizational performance through trial-and-error experimentation and continuous evaluation of staff activities and program outcomes. This article highlights the managerial tensions between the evidence-supported intervention approach and these different models of experimentation. Attention is paid to the role of the child welfare manager in trial-and-error program improvement processes and to the conditions under which managers are allowed to adapt, combine, and discontinue programs in response to changing agency conditions and client information. The implications of managerial experimentation and the rising focus on child welfare agency organizational performance for the development of child welfare programming that is both evidence-based and culturally-responsive are also discussed.
TU‐B‐AUD C‐01: Deformable Image Registration: Methods and Clinical Endpoints

Acquisition of anatomic and functional data from magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear medicine studies is becoming increasingly common for patient management in radiation therapy. These data can help improve tumor localization and normal tissue delineation for treatment planning and may provide information about treatment efficacy during or after a course of radiotherapy. Time series data from serial and 4D CT before and during the treatment course, including CT data acquired in the treatment room at the time of treatment, is also helping to estimate motion and shape changes of relevant anatomy. In order to fully realize the benefits of these data, the different imaging studies must be registered to each other or to a common coordinate system. The geometric transformation required to register the different image data can range from simple rotate‐translate to account for differences in patient orientation to 3D or 4D deformation models to account for changes in internal anatomy during and over the course of therapy. Once registered, data derived from the various studies such as anatomic outlines and computed dose can be integrated or fused to help construct a more complete and accurate representation of the patient. This lecture will focus on the mechanics of registering and displaying data from different imaging studies using distinct modalities or a single modality over time. A taxonomy of the different methods will be described. Methods for display and interaction with multimodality data will also be presented. The overall goal is to provide the basic knowledge required to understand what is happening “under‐the‐hood” of the different registration systems one might encounter in the clinic, the different ways these systems are being used for patient management and their limitations. Educational Objectives: 1. Understand the basic mechanics of deformable image registration and data fusion techniques. 2. Understand the tools used to combine, display & interact with multimodality/4D image and dose data. 3. Understand the clinical use and limitations of these techniques for Tx planning, Tx delivery and plan adaptation.
A Novel Protein Encoded by the InaD Gene Regulates Recovery of Visual Transduction in Drosophila

Abstract InaD P215 is a point mutation that affects photoreceptor function in Drosophila. To understand the molecular basis of the defect, we isolated the InaD gene and found it encodes a photoreceptor-specific polypeptide of 674 residues. Within its sequence are two repeats that share remarkable homology with a family of cytoskeleton-associated proteins that are involved in signal transduction. Patch-clamp recordings from isolated photoreceptor cells of InaD p215 show a slow deactivation of the light-induced current. This defective deactivation of InaD appears dependent on calcium influx; removal of extracellular calcium masks its abnormal phenotype. Moreover, InaD photoreceptors show increased sensitivity to dim light. We propose that InaD is involved in the negative feedback regulation of the light-activated signaling cascade in Drosophila photoreceptors.
Habitus et hybridité: une interprétation du syncrétisme dans la religion afro-catholique d’après Bourdieu

The meeting of traditional African religion and Catholicism in the Americas has produced some of the most significant and most analyzed examples of syncretism in the history of religions. Much scholarly discussion of this phenomenon, however, tends to portray religions such as Candomble in Brazil and Voodou in Haiti as formalistic conglomerations of Euro-Catholic ‘‘items’’ and African ‘‘survivals’’, thereby blurring the integrative theological creativity of Africans and their New World progeny. Employing Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of ‘‘habitus’’ and ‘‘capital’’ to theorize specific historical and contemporary examples of Kongolese influences on Haitian religion, the author aims to help clarify the epistemological role of African agency in Afro-Catholic syncretism.
mTOR‐dependent stimulation of the association of eIF4G and eIF3 by insulin

Insulin stimulates protein synthesis by increasing translation initiation. This response is mediated by mTOR and is believed to result from 4EBP1 phosphorylation, which allows eIF4E to bind eIF4G. Here, we present evidence that mTOR interacts directly with eIF3 and that mTOR controls the association of eIF3 and eIF4G. Activating mTOR signaling with insulin increased by as much as five-fold the amount of eIF4G bound to eIF3. This novel effect was blocked by rapamycin and other inhibitors of mTOR, and it required neither eIF4E binding to eIF4G nor eIF3 binding to the 40S ribosomal subunit. The increase in eIF4G associated with eIF3 occurred rapidly and at physiological concentrations of insulin. Moreover, the magnitude of the response was similar to the increase in eIF4E binding to eIF4G produced by insulin. Thus, increasing eIF4G association with eIF3 represents a potentially important mechanism by which insulin, as well as amino acids and growth factors that activate mTOR, stimulate translation.
Biliopancreatic Diversion is More Effective Than Sleeve Gastrectomy.

The study by Sucandy and coworkers[1] deals with a frequently neglected topic in bariatric surgery, related to the importance of the results in terms of weight loss in the selection of the procedure to be performed. The recently developed and highly fashionable sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is compared to the time honored and successful biliopancreatic diversion in the duodenal switch version (BPD-DS).. The article presents two series each of 100 obese patients submitted to SG or BPD-DS. A significant percentage of patients have been lost to the follow-up; nevertheless data show that BPD-DS attains greater success in terms of body mass index (BMI) reduction 18 months after surgery. The effects of malabsorption appear very early, with differences between the two procedures already evident after 6 months. The great diffusion of SG is mainly due to its technical ease and to its “natural” ending in patients with inadequate weight loss: being SG the first step of BPD-DS, an eventual failure can be corrected performing the duodenal switch. Several papers deal with the failure in weight loss after SG and disclose the related statistics. Patients in these reports often show young age and relatively low BMI values, and thus the results are quite good.[2] In the present paper[1] both group showed mean age and BMI values around 50. The treatment of the more severe cases of obesity actually emphasizes the more successful procedure. A second relevant point concerns the presentation of the results. Bariatric surgery is expected to bring obese patients towards a condition of lower morbidity and mortality and possibly of a lower healthcare expenditure.[3,4] reaching BMI values <30 or <35, that means absence of obesity or slight obesity, according to the definition of success of the surgical treatment.[5,6] In the present article.[1] The authors show the percentage of patients reaching BMI < 35 after surgery. They found values of 60% after SG and 85% after BPD-DS. This allows a more readily understandable comparison of the results between the two different procedures. It is very unusual to find in the literature universally accepted criteria to define success of bariatric operations and this paper shows the role of BMI, not only in selecting patients for surgery, as generally practiced, but also in checking the results of the treatment.[7] Moreover, the distribution of the BMI is not of the Gaussian type and thus the variations of mean values do not reflect the real clinical results. Generally, in presenting data, it is more significant the number of patients reaching a specific BMI during the follow-up, as the authors actually did. This study[1] confirms the superiority of BPD-DS in dealing with obese patients with high BMI values. The role of SG has to be further investigated, particularly to identify in advance the population with low risk of weight loss failure to avoid reoperative surgery. It is highly desirable that, in clinical papers, authors present their data referring success of surgical procedures to the percentage of patients reaching a specific value of BMI during the follow - up.
Energy-minimized structures and packing states of a homologous series of mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines: a molecular mechanics study on the diglyceride moieties.

Phosphatidylcholines or C(X):C(Y)PC, quantitatively the most abundant lipids in animal cell membranes, are structurally composed of two parts: a headgroup and a diglyceride. The diglyceride moiety consists of the glycerol backbone and two acyl chains. It is the wide diversity of the acyl chains, or the large variations in X and Y in C(X):C(Y)PC, that makes the family of phosphatidylcholines an extremely complex mixture of different molecular species. Since most of the physical properties of phospholipids with the same headgroup depend strongly on the structures of the lipid acyl chains, the energy-minimized structure and steric energy of each diglyceride moiety of a series of 14 molecular species of phosphatidylcholines with molecular weights identical to that of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine without the headgroup are determined in this communication by molecular mechanics (MM) calculations. Results of two types of trans-bilayer dimer for each of the 14 molecular species of phosphatidylcholines are also presented; specifically, the dimeric structures are constructed initially based on the partially interdigitated and mixed interdigitated packing motifs followed subsequently by the energy-minimized refinement with MM calculations. Finally, tetramers with various structures to model the lateral lipid-lipid interactions in a lipid bilayer are considered. Results of laborious MM calculations show that saturated diacyl C(X):C(Y)PC with delta C/CL values greater than 0.41 prefer topologically to assemble into tetramers of the mixed interdigitated motif, and those with delta C/CL values less than 0.41 prefer to assemble into tetramers with a repertoire of the partially interdigitated motif. Here, delta C/CL, a lipid asymmetry parameter, is defined as the normalized acyl chain length difference between the sn-1 and sn-2 acyl chains for a C(X):C(Y)PC molecule; an increase in delta C/CL value is an indication of increasing asymmetry between the two lipid acyl chains. These computational results are in complete accord with the calorimetric data presented previously from this laboratory (H-n. Lin, Z-q. Wang, and C. Huang. 1991. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1067:17–28).
Modeling and generating multivariate time-series input processes using a vector autoregressive technique

We present a model for representing stationary multivariate time-series input processes with marginal distributions from the Johnson translation system and an autocorrelation structure specified through some finite lag. We then describe how to generate data accurately to drive computer simulations. The central idea is to transform a Gaussian vector autoregressive process into the desired multivariate time-series input process that we presume as having a VARTA (Vector-Autoregressive-To-Anything) distribution. We manipulate the autocorrelation structure of the Gaussian vector autoregressive process so that we achieve the desired autocorrelation structure for the simulation input process. We call this the correlation-matching problem and solve it by an algorithm that incorporates a numerical-search procedure and a numerical-integration technique. An illustrative example is included.
Preliminary results of a pilot study of pentoxifylline in the treatment of late radiation soft tissue necrosis

Between September 1988 and August 1989, 12 patients with 15 sites of late radiation necrosis of the soft tissues were treated with pentoxifylline, a hemorrheologic agent that has been used to treat a variety of vasculo-occlusive disorders. Four of these necroses were located in the oromucosa, four in the mucosa of the female genitalia, and seven in the skin. At the time of analysis, 87% (13/15) of the necroses had healed completely, and one was partially healed. Furthermore, the time-course of healing with pentoxifylline was significantly less than the duration of nonhealing prior to pentoxifylline (average: 9 weeks vs 30 1/2 weeks). All patients had pain relief. These results indicate that pentoxifylline can contribute to the healing of soft tissue radiation necrosis. They also support the concept that late radiation injury in skin and mucosa is at least partly due to vascular injury.
CLN3, the protein associated with batten disease: structure, function and localization.

Batten disease, an inherited neurodegenerative storage disease affecting children, results from the autosomal recessive inheritance of mutations in Cln3. The function of the CLN3 protein remains unknown. A key to understanding the pathology of this devastating disease will be to elucidate the function of CLN3 at the cellular level. CLN3 has proven difficult to study as it is predicted to be a membrane protein expressed at relatively low levels. This article is a critical review of various approaches used in examining the structure, trafficking, and localization of CLN3. We conclude that CLN3 is likely resident in the lysosomal/endosomal membrane. Different groups have postulated conflicting orientations for CLN3 within this membrane. In addition, CLN3 undergoes several posttranslational modifications and is trafficked through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi. Recent evidence also suggests that CLN3 traffics via the plasma membrane. Although the function of this protein remains elusive, it is apparent that genetic alterations in Cln3 may have a direct affect on lysosomal function. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Accuracy of a two‐sensor sonic digitizer

Digitizing devices are typically used in radiotherapy computer treatment planning for entering patient anatomy, the locations of internal radioactive source, and the outlines of irregularly shaped external beams. The errors encountered in the use of a large‐area two‐sensor sonic digitizer for computer input have been studied. Conversion of data from triangular to Cartesian coordinates makes the precision of the digitizer nonuniform over the sensitive area. The response of each sensor has been measured and found to be a nonlinear function of distance. The assumption of linearity in computing the triangular distances from the sensor readings produces errors in the computed distances of up to 0.8%. An alternative method of computing the distances using a fitted cubic function reduces the errors to less than 0.1%. For a test pattern, the maximum position error was reduced from 0.5 to 0.1 cm.
DSA-aware detailed routing for via layer optimization

In detailed routing for integrated circuit (IC) designs, vias are usually randomly inserted in order to connect between di erent routing layers. In the 7 nm technology node and beyond, the wire pitch is below 40 nm, and consequently, the vias become very dense, making via layer printing a challenging problem. Recently block copolymer directed self-assembly (DSA) technology has demonstrated great advantages for via layer patterning using guiding templates. To pattern vias with DSA process, guiding templates are usually printed rst with conventional lithography, e:g:, 193 nm immersion lithography (193i) that has a coarser pitch resolution. Then the guiding templates will guide the placement of the DSA patterns (e:g:, vias) inside, and these patterns have a ner resolution than the templates. Di erent template shapes have di erent control on the overlay accuracy of the inside vias. By performing DSA experiments, the guiding templates can be classi ed as feasible and infeasible templates according to the overlay requirement of the technology node. The templates that meet the overlay requirement are feasible templates, and other templates are infeasible. Without considering the DSA template constraints in detailed routing, randomly distributed vias may require infeasible templates to be patterned, which makes the via layers incompatible with the DSA process. In this paper, we propose a DSA-aware detail routing algorithm to optimize the via layers such that only feasible templates are needed for via layer patterning. In addition, among all the feasible templates, the one with better overlay accuracy has higher priority to be picked up by the router for via patterning, which further improves the yield. By enabling DSA process for via layer patterning in the 7 nm technology node, the proposed detailed routing strategy tremendously reduces the manufacturing cost and improves the throughput for IC fabrication.