cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MO-B-211-01: Linac-Based IMRT/VMAT Commissioning and QA Program Development.

Intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) has been used clinically for many years. Reports from the RPC indicate that up to 30% of the institutions fail to pass RPC IMRT credentialing process on the first attempt. While volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been introduced more recently, it has quickly gained wide clinical use. In spite of the long history with IMRT and rapid adoption of VMAT, commissioning and developing a quality assurance (QA) program continues to be a challenge especially in busy departments. These points indicate that a review of commissioning and quality assurance for IMRT is still very much needed. In this session, the development of an overall IMRT/VMAT QA program, the role of team members and on‐going program functions will be described including aspects of both quality and safety. General issues and specifics of IMRT/VMAT commissioning and quality assurance will be covered. While the general principles of commissioning and QA apply to any device capable of intensity‐modulation, specific examples will be provided for Elekta and Varian linear accelerators. Strategies for commission and useful checklists will be discussed as well as some differences between Elekta and Varian technologies. There will also be a focus on practical advice towards the implementation and on‐going QA of linac‐based IMRT and VMAT. Patient‐ specific QA strategies along with the comparison of different QA equipment and techniques will be presented. Lastly, differences will be highlighted between IMRT and VMAT for patient‐specific QA. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand approaches to IMRT/VMAT commissioning and QA 2. Describe most relevant issues in patient‐specific QA for IMRT/VMAT 3. Discuss issues with IMRT /VMAT QA equipment and techniques
OMVPE growth and gas-phase reactions of AlGaN for UV emitters

Gas-phase parasitic reactions among TMG, TMA, and NH3, are investigated by monitoring of the growth rate/incorporation efficiency of GaN and AlN using an in-situ optical reflectometer. It is suggested that gas phase adduct (TMA: NH{sub 3}) reactions not only reduce the incorporation efficiency of TMA but also affect the incorporation behavior of TMGa. The observed phenomena can be explained by either a synergistic gas-phase scavenging effect or a surface site-blocking effect. Relatively low reactor pressures (30--50 Torr) are employed to grow an AlGaN/GaN QW p-n diode structure. The UV emission at 354 nm (FWHM {approximately} 6 nm) represents the first report of LED operation from an indium-free GaN QW diode.
Dobutamine Stress-Induced Ischemic Right Ventricular Dysfunction and Its Relation to Cardiac Output in Patients With Three-Vessel Coronary Artery Disease With Angina-Like Symptoms

We investigated markers of ischemic dysfunction and their relation to overall right ventricular (RV) performance during dobutamine stress echocardiography in patients who had coronary artery disease. Thirty-three patients (58 ± 10 years old) who had 3-vessel coronary artery disease were compared with 17 age-matched controls (58 ± 11 years old). RV long-axis amplitude (M mode), systolic and diastolic myocardial tissue Doppler velocities, and filling and ejection velocities were measured, and cardiac output (CO) was calculated at rest and during peak stress. There was no difference in RV size (inlet dimension 2 mm was 79% sensitive and 88% specific for detecting ischemic RV dysfunction, and there was a close correlation between stress-induced change in RV systolic amplitude and change in CO in patients (r = 0.56, p
Effects of nuclear deformation on neutron total cross sections

Abstract Neutron total cross section differences have been determined for 150,152,154 Sm from 0.8 to 15 MeV by measuring transmission ratios. Significant differences were observed for 152,150 Sm and for 154,150 Sm. Evidence is presented that these results can be attributed to nuclear deformation.
Pathogenesis of diquat-induced liver necrosis in selenium-deficient rats: Assessment of the roles of lipid peroxidation and selenoprotein P

A dose of diquat below the amount injurious to selenium-replete animals causes lipid peroxidation and massive liver necrosis in selenium-deficient rats. The current study was undertaken to characterize the lipid peroxidation with respect to the liver injury and to correlate the presence of several selenoproteins with the protective effect of selenium. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by measurement of F2 isoprostanes. Diquat caused an increase in liver and plasma F2 isoprotanes. A gradient of these compounds was detected across the liver in some animals, indicating that this organ was a source of some of the plasma F2 isoprostanes. A time-course experiment showed that liver F2 isoprostane concentration increased before plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) levels rose. Selenium-deficient rats were injected with selenium doses from 2 to 50 micrograms/kg and studied 12 hours later. A dose of 10 micrograms/kg or more prevented diquat-induced lipid peroxidation and liver injury. This dose increased plasma selenoprotein P substantially, and a dose-response was present. Liver cellular and plasma glutathione peroxidase activities remained below 2% of their values in control rats for all selenium doses. In selenium-deficient rats given diquat, hepatic lipid peroxidation precedes hepatic necrosis and could therefore be an important mechanism of the necrosis. Selenoprotein P levels were increased by selenium injections, which protected against diquat injury, but glutathione peroxidase activity was not increased. This is consistent with selenoprotein P being the mediator of the selenium effect.
ADJUSTING TO UNCERTAINTY: COPING STRATEGIES AMONG THE DISPLACED AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA

This study examined the coping strategies of individuals displaced after Hurricane Katrina. Following the evacuation of New Orleans, surveys were administered to those individuals displaced by Katrina and relocated to shelters or in Disaster Centers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Lansing, Michigan; different parts of Indiana and Kentucky; and federal aid distribution centers throughout Texas. Results indicated that talking, staying informed, and praying emerged as predictors of changes in psychological stress during relocation. Differences emerged in coping strategies based on gender, race, and income; however, age did not emerge as a factor. Recommendations are made to use these results for postcrisis response and coordination.
Enclosed pillar arrays integrated on a fluidic platform for on-chip separations and analysis

Due to the difficulty of reliably producing sealed 3-D structures, few researchers have tackled the challenges of creating pillar beds suitable for miniaturized liquid phase separation systems. Herein, we describe an original processing sequence for the fabrication of enclosed pillar arrays integrated on a fluidic chip which, we believe, will further stimulate interest in this field. Our approach yields a mechanically robust enclosed pillar system that withstands mechanical impacts commonly incurred during processing, sealing and operation, resulting in a design particularly suitable for the research environment. A combination of a wafer-level fabrication sequence with chip-level elastomer bonding allows for chip reusability, an attractive and cost efficient advancement for research applications. The characteristic features in the implemented highly ordered pillar arrays are scalable to submicron dimensions. The proposed fluidic structures are suitable for handling picolitre sample volumes and offer prospects for substantial improvements in separation efficiency and permeability over traditional packed and monolithic columns. Our experimental observations indicate plate heights as low as 0.76 μm for a 10 mm long pillar bed. Theoretical calculations confirm that ordered pillar arrays with submicron pore sizes combine superior analysis speed, picolitre sample volumes, high permeability and reasonably large plate numbers on a small footprint. In addition, we describe a fluidic interface that provides streamlined coupling of the fabricated structures with off-chip fluidic components.
Paternal effects from methamidophos administration in mice.

In this study, the mouse was used to evaluate paternal germline exposure to the organophosphate methamidophos for its potential to produce adverse effects on spermatozoa and in the offspring. There have been reports that organophosphate exposure can increase abnormal sperm morphology in mice. However, effects transmitted to the offspring following paternal exposure have not been reported previously. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was 7.5 mg kg−1 body weight and this dose resulted in no deaths, although blood plasma cholinesterase activity was still decreased. Males were euthanized 4 weeks after an acute intraperitoneal injection of methamidophos (0.5, 3.75, 5.0, and 7.5 mg kg−1 body wt) and the number of spermatids per gram testes and sperm morphology were analyzed. In this study, abnormal sperm morphology on a per group basis exhibited a dose–response significantly related to increased methamidophos exposure as indicated by regression analysis and a nested ANOVA (p < 0.0001). Preimplantation embryos that were conceived 6 weeks after paternal methamidophos exposure (5 mg kg−1 body wt) exhibited a significant increase in cleavage arrest. Fertility of males was also affected as shown by a decrease in the number of two- to four-cell embryos per male (postexposure week 6) and an increase in the number of degenerated embryos (postexposure weeks 4–6). We conclude that methamidophos may have the potential to produce transmissible adverse embryonic effects following an acute paternal germline exposure.
HIV-1 coreceptor preference is distinct from target cell tropism: a dual-parameter nomenclature to define viral phenotypes.

HIV-1 infection of cells is mediated by engagement between viral envelope glycoproteins (Env) and a receptor complex comprising CD4 and one of two chemokine receptors, CCR5 and CXCR4, expressed on the surface of target cells. Most CD4 + -transformed T cell lines express only CXCR4, but primary lymphocytes and macrophages, the main cellular targets for infection in vivo, express both coreceptors. Cell- and viral strain-specific utilization of these coreceptor pathways, rather than coreceptor expression per se, regulates lymphocyte and macrophage entry and tropism. Virus use of coreceptor[s] (R5, X4, or R5 and X4) and its target cell tropism (lymphocytes, macrophages, and/or transformed T cell lines) are related but distinct characteristics of Envs. A comprehensive classification schema of HIV-1 Env phenotypes that addresses both tropism and coreceptor use is proposed. Defining Env phenotype based on both parameters is important in the development of entry inhibitors and vaccines, for understanding changes in Env that evolve over time in vivo, and for discerning differences among viral species that underlie aspects of pathogenesis and transmission. Recognizing how tropism is related to, yet differs from, coreceptor selectivity is critical for understanding the mechanisms by which these viral characteristics impact pathogenesis.
B7-H1/CD80 interaction is required for the induction and maintenance of peripheral T-cell tolerance

T-cell tolerance is the central program that prevents harmful immune responses against self-antigens, in which inhibitory PD-1 signal given by B7-H1 interaction plays an important role. Recent studies demonstrated that B7-H1 binds CD80 besides PD-1, and B7-H1/CD80 interaction also delivers inhibitory signals in T cells. However, a role of B7-H1/CD80 signals in regulation of T-cell tolerance has yet to be explored. We report here that attenuation of B7-H1/CD80 signals by treatment with anti-B7-H1 monoclonal antibody, which specifically blocks B7-H1/CD80 but not B7-H1/PD-1, enhanced T-cell expansion and prevented T-cell anergy induction. In addition, B7-H1/CD80 blockade restored Ag responsiveness in the previously anergized T cells. Experiments using B7-H1 or CD80-deficient T cells indicated that an inhibitory signal through CD80, but not B7-H1, on T cells is responsible in part for these effects. Consistently, CD80 expression was detected on anergic T cells and further up-regulated when they were re-exposed to the antigen (Ag). Finally, blockade of B7-H1/CD80 interaction prevented oral tolerance induction and restored T-cell responsiveness to Ag previously tolerized by oral administration. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the B7-H1/CD80 pathway is a crucial regulator in the induction and maintenance of T-cell tolerance.
A gravity constraint on the origin of highly extended terranes

Abstract Gravity provides a simple but fundamental constraint on the interpretation of highly extended terranes (HETs), including metamorphic core complexes. The Bouguer anomalies associated with HETs in the western Cordillera show no prominent, characteristic gravity signature. Instead, the largest Bouguer anomalies are positive by a few tens of milligals and are best explained by the contrast between bedrock and sedimentary fill or by shallow lithologic variations within the bedrock. In contrast to this lack of an associated anomaly, the mass removed by tectonic and erosional denudation of as much as 10 km of the upper crust in core complexes is gravitationally equivalent to about 1100 mGal. With complete isostatic compensation the predicted Bouguer anomaly would be small, but more importantly, the land surface would have subsided isostatically due to the inflow of dense mantle material replacing the lighter, denuded upper crust. Terranes that have been extended by 100% or more should evolve into deep troughs, perhaps more akin to the Red Sea or Gulf of California than to the mountainous core complexes. The most likely explanation for this observation is that compensation has taken place, not by inflow of dense mantle material, but by emplacement of material of crustal density, such as gabbro, derived from the mantle. In addition, this explanation would predict that products of crustal melting and mixing with basaltic magma would tend to be emplaced at intermediate to high levels in the crust. This general interpretation is supported by the lack of significant relief on the seismic reflection Moho beneath HETs. We therefore conclude that the lower plate of core complexes has been inflated or underplated by intrusions.
DNA sequence analysis of γ-radiation (anoxic)-induced and spontaneous lacId mutations in Escherichia coli K-12

Abstract An extensive spectrum of ionizing radiation mutagenesis was determined by sequencing 318 137 Cs γ-radiation (anoxic)-induced episomal lacI d mutations in Escherichia coli strain NR9102. The most commonly found radiation-induced mutations were based substitutions (44% transversions and 41% transitions). The radiation-induced spectrum consisted of: 23% G · C → A · T, 18% A · T → G · C, 17% G · C → T · A, 14% G · C → C · G, 8% A · T → T · A, 6% A · T → C · G, 8% single-based deletions, 5% multiple mutations, 3% multi-base deletions, and essentially no single-or multi-base additions. This spectrum compared better with spectra for other systems obtained by in vivo irradiation than with one obtained by in vitro irradiation. Multiple mutations, which were unique to the radiation-induced spectrum, generally consisted of one active and one closely linked silent mutation and are suggested to result from an altered replication complex of reudced fidelity. Mutation rates were 4.1 × 10 −8 lac-constitutive mutations/gene/Gy and 1.2 × 10 −10 base substitutions/base pair/Gy. Thirty-two percent more radiation-induced mutations occurred at G · C vs. A · T base pairs. A strand asymmetry was noted for G · C → C · G and A · T → T · A transversions. A nearest-neighbor analysis showed that C (vs. A, G. or T), on either side of the mutation site, substantially enhanced most types of base substitutions. Similarly, G and C flanked both sides of single-base deletion sites twice as frequently as would be expected from the base composition of the mutation target. For comparative purpose, we sequenced 411 spontaneous lac-constitutive mutants of which 269 were lacI d mutants, and there was good agreement between these and previously published mutational spectra. The spontaneous and radiation-induced mutational spectra differed substantially for virtually every class of mutation. For example, the set of spontaneous dominant lac-constitutive mutations contained many more mutations that did not map in the normal region for lacI d mutations (i.e., 35% vs. 3%) and were presumed to be lacO-constitutive mutations. A sampling of these presumptive lacO c mutations was also sequenced: 17 22 (spontaneous) and 1 9 (radiation) were found to be lacO c long deletions, one from each set were base substitutions, and the remaining mutations showed the wild-type lacO sequence. Like the radiation-induced spectrum, the spontaneous spectrum showed enhanced mutagenesis at G · C sites, strand asymmetry, and enhanced mutagenesis when G or C were the nearest neighbors.
Prey and feeding phenology of the desert sand scorpion Pamroctonus mesaensis (Scorpionidae: Vaejovidae)

The diet and feeding of the vaejovid scorpion Pamroctonus mesaensis Stahnke was investigated during a five-year study. Foraging and feeding behaviour are described. This scorpion is a “sit and wait” predator that eats a wide variety of cursorial, fossorial and aerial prey. Ninety-five prey species were recorded. Three year classes of scorpions exist. Each class captures a different proportion of major prey species and a significantly different average size of prey. The proportion of each major taxon of prey in the diet is as follows: tenebrionid beetles (42%), Orthoptera (17%), other scorpions (16%) and Hymenoptera (12%). When analysed in relation to biomass, larger prey species assume more importance while smaller species are relatively less important. Although P. mesaensis ranks as the fourth most numerous prey species, they represent the most important diet item in terms of ingested biomass. When observed, 3·75% of all scorpions were feeding. This percentage varied seasonally from a high in spring (7.0%) to a low in November and December (0.5 %). The proportions of major prey taxa in the diet also varied seasonally. Prey species were classified into three phenological categories: pulsed, seasonal and annual. Examples of each are given.
Sarcomere mutations in cardiomyopathy with left ventricular hypertrabeculation.

Background— Mutations in the genes encoding sarcomere proteins have been associated with both hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy. Recently, mutations in myosin heavy chain ( MYH7 ), cardiac actin ( ACTC ), and troponin T ( TNNT2 ) were associated with left ventricular noncompaction, a form of cardiomyopathy characterized with hypertrabeculation that may also include reduced function of the left ventricle. Methods and Results— We used clinically available genetic testing on 3 cases referred for evaluation of left ventricular dysfunction and noncompaction of the left ventricle and found that all 3 individuals carried sarcomere mutations. The first patient presented with neonatal heart failure and was referred for left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy. Genetic testing found 2 different mutations in MYBPC3 in trans . The first mutation, 3776delA, Q1259fs, rendered a frame shift at 1259 of cardiac myosin-binding protein C and the second mutation was L1200P. The frameshift mutation was also found in this mother who displayed mild echocardiographic features of cardiomyopathy, with only subtle increase in trabeculation and an absence of hypertrophy. A second pediatric patient presented with heart failure and was found to carry a de novo MYH7 R369Q mutation. The third case was an adult patient with dilated cardiomyopathy referred for ventricular hypertrabeculation. This patient had a family history of congestive heart failure, including pediatric onset cardiomyopathy where 3 individuals in the family were found to have the MYH7 mutation R1250W. Conclusion— Genetic testing should be considered for cardiomyopathy with hypertrabeculation. Received March 2, 2009; accepted July 8, 2009. # CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE {#article-title-2}
Phase III Study of Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Compared With Chemotherapy Alone in the Surgical Adjuvant Treatment of Colon Cancer: Results of Intergroup Protocol 0130

Purpose Some patients with colon cancer have a high risk of local recurrence postoperatively. This trial was undertaken to determine whether radiation therapy added to an adjuvant chemotherapy regimen improves outcome in high-risk patients. Patients and Methods Patients with resected colon cancer with tumor adherence or invasion of surrounding structures, or with T3N1 or T3N2 tumors of the ascending or descending colon were randomly assigned to receive fluorouracil and levamisole therapy with or without radiation therapy. Patients who received chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoRT) received 45 to 50.4 Gy in 25 to 28 fractions beginning 28 days after starting chemotherapy. Patient enrollment was terminated because of slow accrual after 222 patients enrolled (original goal was 700 patients); 187 patients were assessable. Results Overall 5-year survival was 62% for chemotherapy patients and 58% for chemoRT patients (P > .50); 5-year disease-free survival was 51% for both groups (P > .50). Toxicity (≥ g...
Defense Pacts and International Trade

Theories of international political influences on trade maintain that shared alliance commitments affect bilateral commercial exchange. The most prominent of these suggests that trade produces a security externality threatening states, but that a military alliance alleviates these concerns, leading to greater trade among allies. Yet past empirical analyses produce inconsistent findings with respect to the effect of military alliances on bilateral trade levels. This article presents a new argument to explain the inconclusive findings in previous studies. The potential increase in military power from efficiency gains through trade is a positive security externality only when a commitment to defend one's alliance partner exists. In essence, cooperative security agreements that require states to give military assistance to each other if attacked (i.e. defense pacts) will lead to greater trade among their members than agreements in which the members promise neutrality, non-aggression, or consultation. The analysis distinguishes alliances that include commitments of defense from those that do not, and uses two different sources of alliance data to examine the effects of defense pacts on trade levels between major powers from 1885 to 1990. The results demonstrate that defense pacts are associated with higher trade among alliance members, but that trade between members of non-defense pacts is statistically indistinguishable from trade between non-allies. This article recognizes that a link between economic and security issues exists and emphasizes their mutual relationship.
The Neurology of Sleep: 2012

The 3 behavioral states of wakefulness, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and non-REM (NREM) sleep are characterized by specific changes in electroencephalography, eye movements, and muscle activity (age dependent). The transitions to and from sleep are not discrete phenomena but rather a continuum. The discharge of brainstem and cortical neuronal groups have state specific firing rates resulting in the cycling of wakefulness, non-REM and REM sleep. Cholinergic, monoaminergic and hypocretin neurons have their highest discharge rates during wakefulness. GABAergic, galaninergic, glutamatergic and melanin concentrating hormone containing neurons are most active during non-REM and REM sleep. Cholinergic neurons resume firing during REM sleep. The neurons within the suprachiasmatic nucleus generate the circadian rhythm by means of oscillatory protein synthesis via several clock genes. The understanding of the orchestration of these state specific neuronal groups with the timing of sleep onset/offset and REM on/REM off is the key to unlocking the mystery of the function of sleep.
KELLER: estimating time-varying interactions between genes

Motivation: Gene regulatory networks underlying temporal processes, such as the cell cycle or the life cycle of an organism, can exhibit significant topological changes to facilitate the underlying dynamic regulatory functions. Thus, it is essential to develop methods that capture the temporal evolution of the regulatory networks. These methods will be an enabling first step for studying the driving forces underlying the dynamic gene regulation circuitry and predicting the future network structures in response to internal and external stimuli. Results: We introduce a kernel-reweighted logistic regression method (KELLER) for reverse engineering the dynamic interactions between genes based on their time series of expression values. We apply the proposed method to estimate the latent sequence of temporal rewiring networks of 588 genes involved in the developmental process during the life cycle of Drosophila melanogaster. Our results offer the first glimpse into the temporal evolution of gene networks in a living organism during its full developmental course. Our results also show that many genes exhibit distinctive functions at different stages along the developmental cycle. Availability: Source codes and relevant data will be made available at http://www.sailing.cs.cmu.edu/keller Contact: ude.umc.sc@gnixpe
Consequences of Seed Dispersal for Plant Recruitment in Tropical Forests: Interactions Within the Seedscape

Seed dispersal sets the stage for the suite of biotic and abiotic interactions that determine the fate of individual seeds. In this review, we first focus on how dispersal influences the ‘seedscape’, or the combination of abiotic and biotic factors that affect the probability of recruitment once a seed has reached its final location. We review recent papers that examine the effect of different dispersal vectors on (1) the quality of the habitat in which a seed lands; (2) the distance seeds are dispersed from the parent tree; and (3) the density and composition of plants within the neighborhood of a seed following deposition. Next, we explore methods used to scale these processes up to the level of populations. We highlight demographic models that integrate across multiple life history stages and predict the impact of dispersal in variable environments on population growth. We also review studies that analyze existing spatial patterns of trees within large forest plots and use various strategies to infer the processes that led to those patterns. We continue to scale up from populations to communities, and discuss approaches that have been taken to understand how dispersal may affect diversity and abundance in the community. We then turn to human disturbances and discuss the implications of frugivore defaunation for plant communities. We finish by highlighting several areas of research that are particularly promising for future directions of study.
FACTORS INVOLVED IN IMPROVEMENT OF CLAYS THROUGH PH CONTROL

The pH-controlled process of clay treatment will produce beneficial results if proper information on the clay is available before treatment. The pH curve usually will supply this information. Three different types of curves are presented and discussed. Soluble salts affect the process. These effects and manner of control are explained. Actual tests which have been made in plant operations during the past year and the results obtained are described.
Immediate Dissemination of Student Discoveries to a Model Organism Database Enhances Classroom-Based Research Experiences

A model for integrating course-based research with community genome annotation efforts at model organism databases is presented. Disseminating gene function discoveries directly to an interested au...
Agar underlay method for recovery of sublethally heat-injured bacteria.

A method of recovering sublethally heat-injured bacteria was developed. The procedure (termed the agar underlay method) uses a nonselective agar underlaid with a selective medium. In a two-chambered petri dish, the Lutri plate (LP), a nonselective agar is inoculated with a population of sublethally heat-injured bacteria. After a 2-h repair incubation period, selective agar is added to the bottom chamber of the LP and incubated. By diffusing through the nonselective top agar, selective agents from the underlay medium impart selectivity to the system. By the agar underlay method, recovery rates of the heat-injured food-borne pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium were not different (P > 0.05) from recovery rates determined with nonselective media. Sublethally heat-injured cells (60°C for 1.5 min in buffer or 80°C for 30 s on meat surfaces) grew and produced a typical colony morphology and color reaction when the agar underlay procedure was used with the appropriate respective selective agars. Unlike agar overlay methods for injury repair, the agar underlay procedure allows the typical selective-medium colony morphology to develop and allows colonies to be more easily picked for further characterization. Higher recovery rates of heat-injured fecal enterococci from bovine fecal samples and total coliforms from animal waste lagoons were obtained by the agar underlay method with selective agars than by direct plating on the respective selective media.
Differentiation of sera of two species of doves and their hybrid.

SummaryThe serum proteins of two dove species, Pearlneck and Ring dove, and their hybrid were indistinguishable by direct pre-cipitin-tests; i.e. the three kinds of serum reacted at the same dilution with antisera for each of the two species. Following absorption, however, of the antiserum to one species by the serum of the other, a differentiation of the serum-proteins was readily made. The serum of the species-hybrid appeared to possess a combination of the pre-cipitinogens of both parental species.
Subplate neurons: A missing link among neurotrophins, activity, and ocular dominance plasticity?

Subplate neurons are not only the first neurons generated in the cortex, they are also the earliest to mature, differentiate, and make functional connections. Subplate neurons are the first cortical neurons to receive synaptic inputs from thalamic axons (refs. 4, 7, and 8; Fig. 1). During fetal development, thalamic axons invade the subplate and wait there for a significant period of time, ranging from 2 weeks in the cat to a month in the primate, before invading the cortical plate and forming synaptic connections …
Commentary: Towards a definite coherent heterogeneity in meta-analyses

‘Meta-analysis’, coined by Gene Glass in 1976, is the ‘analysis of analyses’, denoting a systematic approach to summarizing the available peer-reviewed literature using statistical techniques.1 Most readers view a meta-analysis as a definitive summary of the state of the evidence, and meta-analyses have become an essential element in evidence-based decision making. Because meta-analysis involves a quantitative summary of the published data, it is sometimes interpreted as less biased and more objective than qualitative reviews of the literature or even individual studies. Over the past two decades the use of systematic reviews has exploded, with over 4000 published on human data in 2013 alone (as inventoried by PubMed).
Determinants of the AUD/USD Exchange Rate and Policy Implications

This paper examines short-run determinants of the Australian dollar/U.S. dollar (AUD/USD) exchange rate based on a simultaneous-equation model. Applying the EGARCH method, the paper finds that the AUD/USD exchange rate is positively associated with the 10-year U.S. real government bond yield, U.S. real GDP, the U.S. real stock price and the expected exchange rate and negatively influenced by the Australian real government bond yield, Australian real GDP, and the real Australian stock price.
Errors in Interpretation of Gram Stains From Positive Blood Cultures

We reviewed major errors in Gram stain reports from positive blood cultures to identify patterns and potential clinical impact. During a 23-month period, blood cultures were misread for 57 (0.7%) of 8,253 patients. Of 5,885 read as gram-positive cocci, 6 (0.1%) had only gram-negative organisms by culture, 3 of which were Acinetobacter species. Of 1,959 read as gram-negative bacilli, 25 (1.3%) had only grampositive organisms by culture. Of these, 9 were Bacillus and 2 were Clostridium species. Nonrecognition of mixed Gram stains accounted for 28 errors that most often were associated with a reading of gram-positive cocci. In 4 cases, there were delays of 14 hours to 3 days in starting appropriate antibiotic treatment; 2 deaths occurred, although the erroneous Gram stain report probably was not contributory. Pathologists and laboratory personnel need to be aware of these types of misinterpretations and the potential effects on patient outcome. The Gram stain may be the oldest and most entrenched technique still in use in the microbiology laboratory. Because of its essential simplicity and its widespread familiarity, physicians almost never question its accuracy. Yet, no laboratory test in existence is 100% accurate, and the Gram stain is no exception owing to human interpretive error and the exigencies of the staining properties of certain bacteria. For example, it is well recognized that Bacillus species and certain other gram-positive species often stain gram-negative or gram-variable as cultures age because of cell wall changes
Hyperoxia alters the mechanical properties of alveolar epithelial cells

Patients with severe acute lung injury are frequently administered high concentrations of oxygen (>50%) during mechanical ventilation. Long-term exposure to high levels of oxygen can cause lung inj...
Network Analysis in Organizational Settings

This article sets out to reinforce andfurther develop an emerging paradigm: social network analysis, which represents social structure in terms of relationships (ties) between social objects. Not all the social objects are directly linked, and objects may be connected by multiple relationships of affect, influence, information, or goods and services. Network analysis deals with the types and patterns of relationships, and the causes and consequences of these patterns. The article applies the paradigm to the study of organizational structure by both developing theoretical constructs and presenting methodology for carrying out social network analysis in organizations. An analysis of three organizations from the Aston Study is presented using social network analysis to test propositions about differences between mechanistic and organic structures.
Reasons for readmissions: what are the reasons for 90-day readmissions of psychiatric patients from the ED?

Abstract Background Frequent users of the emergency department (ED) contribute to the problem of overcrowding and are more likely to have psychiatric problems and a higher than average 90-day readmission rate. In addition, ED visits due to mental health problems have increased in recent years, thus driving up 90-day readmission rates. Objectives The objective of the study is to determine the reasons for readmissions of psychiatric patients who have previously presented to the ED. Methods This is a retrospective chart review of a random sample of 350 psychiatric patients who presented to the ED and had a return visit within 90 days. This study was conducted at a 432-bed, urban, level I adult and pediatric trauma center with 50000 ED visits per year. The inclusion criterion was all psychiatric patients who presented to the ED since August 2011 and had a least 1 return visit within 90 days. The exclusion criterion was patients who presented with nonpsychiatric complaints. SPSS version 14 was used, and the study was institutional review board approved. Results There was a significant difference ( P = .01) between the reasons for psychiatric patients to be readmitted to the hospital between their first, second, and third ED visits. The most common reasons for admission on the first visit were depression, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. The most common reasons for the second and third visits, however, were psychiatric (61.9%), musculoskeletal (9.2%), cardiovascular (5.7%), neurologic (4.3%), and dermatological (3.2%). Conclusions Psychiatric patients are not returning to the ED repeatedly for the same complaints or for only psychiatric complaints. A total of 30% of patients who presented for a second and third time within 90 days were admitted for medical illness, as opposed to their initial psychiatric presentation. This indicates that a 2-pronged approach toward treatment might have to be developed—one that focuses on specific types of mental illness and one that focuses on a separate set of physical illnesses—to reduce 90-day readmission rates within this patient population.
Low power data format converter design using semi-static register allocation

In many applications, such as digital signal processing, data format converters are used to reformat the data transferred between processing modules. In VLSI implementations, these converters consume a large portion of the available resources. Various methods have been proposed to synthesize data format converter architectures while optimizing the number of registers used to store the data. In this paper, we present a new register allocation scheme which not only minimizes the number of resistors, but also minimizes the power consumption in the data format converter. Low power data format converters are synthesized by minimizing the transitions and interconnections between the registers used to store the data. We present both a heuristic and an integer linear programming formulation to solve the allocation problem. Our method shows significant improvement over previous techniques.
NMR Studies of Low-Spin Cytochromes

The understanding of the chemical and biochemical processes requires an extensive knowledge of molecular structures, thus the development of physical techniques which can provide structural information is of great importance. The X-ray diffraction method has been the most useful technique for obtaining the necessary parameters for the determination of the structure of molecules. However, the resolution obtained in large molecules (even up to 0.5 A of magnitude) may not be adequate to explain certain processes. Also, the X-ray method is restricted to the crystalline state and for the study of structures in solution other methods must be used.
Encephalic Form of Fetal Cytomegalovirus About Two Moroccan Cases

We report two cases of cytomegalovirus fetopathy in encephalic form. The diagnosis was made before the existence of post-infectious neurological signs, brain damages in magnetic resonance imaging and demonstration of virus by polymerase chain reaction. The outcome was favorable after treatment by ganciclovir. This case highlights the need for the prevention of cytomegalovirus infections in pregnant women with clear information practitioner women at risk on the epidemiology and transmission of this infection.
The "hop, skip, and jump": on exercise with a continuous glucose sensor device.

463 THE BLOOD GLUCOSE-LOWERING EFFECTS of exercise in people with diabetes are well recognized, and regular exercise has been recommended as one of the foundations of diabetes management since the days of Joslin. However, hypoglycemia following exercise is common and may be severe,1,2 and the appropriate titration of insulin and carbohydrate to account for the hypoglycemic actions of exercise is problematic, as the magnitude and timing of these effects are so variable. Furthermore, it has recently been shown, in both individuals with diabetes and without diabetes, that hypoglycemia and exercise may reciprocally impair each other’s counter-regulatory responses; that is, not only does antecedent exercise blunt the counter-regulatory response to hypoglycemia,3 but antecedent hypoglycemia may also blunt the counter-regulatory response to exercise.4 Continuous glucose monitoring has recently emerged as a potentially important tool in routine diabetes management. Numerous studies have demonstrated improvements in glycemic control and hypoglycemia reduction with both the Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS®, Medtronic, Northridge, CA) and GlucoWatch® Biographer® (Cygnus, Redwood City, CA). Both of these devices have proven effective as adjuncts to routine capillary glucose testing, by virtue of their ability to aid in the identification of glycemic trends, and, to a lesser extent, warn of current or impending hypoglycemia.5 However, the use of these devices to track glycemic trends or warn of hypoglycemia during exercise has not been previously addressed. In this issue of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, Nunnold et al.6 studied the effectiveness and validity of the GlucoWatch Biographer in nine individuals (five with diabetes) under conditions of varying degrees of exercise intensity (mild, moderate, and heavy, based on percentage of heart rate reserve method) and environment (warm, humid outdoor vs. airconditioned indoor). Effectiveness of the GlucoWatch to operate under these conditions was determined by the frequency of the device to yield actual readings versus premature shutoffs and/or skips. The validity of GlucoWatch readings was determined by comparing them with blood glucose levels obtained from the FreestyleTM glucose meter (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL) recorded 20 min previously, to account for the GlucoWatch’s approximate 18-min lag. As expected, the GlucoWatch performed best under resting conditions, returning glucose readings for 67% of possible time points outdoors and 56% indoors. For both outdoor and indoor exercise, the effectiveness fell as the intensity of exercise increased (38–56% and 25–33% for mild, 11% for moderate, and 0% with heavy exercise). Automatic shutoffs occurred during or within an hour of exercise for
Informal Employment and Vulnerability in Less Developed Markets

Less developed markets refer mainly to developing countries or countries in transition, but we find less developed market segments also in emerging markets and highly developed countries. During globalization informal work has not shrunk: the outflow of surplus labor from subsistence farming is directed towards informal employment, the demise of the formal employment in countries in transition increased the share of informal employment, and migration tends to contribute to informal employment. Informal employment is related to various vulnerabilities. The reasons for this are inadequate or lacking social protection including occupational health and safety. Only 20 % of the world’s workers have adequate social protection and more than 50 % of all workers and their dependents are excluded from any type of social protection. This entails higher poverty risk, various health risks and increased vulnerability to idiosyncratic or covariate catastrophic risks. Informal employment is mostly involuntary, but it can also be a start-up strategy for a small business and a means to supplementary income. The article looks at informal employment in general and in five country cases. Nepal, Vietnam, Argentina, the Russian Federation and Finland serve for cases describing developing, emerging and developed markets. In developing markets the main problem is inadequate regulation of work, in emerging markets the regulation is largely there but there are problems of law enforcement and good governance. In developed markets there are market segments with informal employment and related vulnerability. The chapter ends with discussing the ways forward and focuses here on policies and research.
Soft Paths, Hard Choices: Environmental Lessons in the Aftermath of California's Electric Deregulation Debacle

In 2001, California's electric sector deregulation exploded, and with it the state economy and the state political structure. The Governor of California, just recently reelected was recalled by the population, and replaced with Arnold Schwarzenegger. While the physical manifestations of this crisis received media attention, there was a major legal subtext that is still playing out in the courts and will continue for a decade. With the pivotal role that electric power plays in modern American life, and the key transitional role of the legal and regulatory system in transitioning states to a restructured and less regulated format, there are lessons drawn on how to manage an electric crisis. The article particularly examines a regulatory tool that California had available, but couldn't find the levers to activate in time, that would have significantly mitigated or perhaps eliminated the crisis. For other states that may face similar power shortages in the future, the article offers a primer on the legal and regulatory mechanisms to avoid these emergencies.
Application of Micro-Vortex Generators for Turbulent Flow Separation Control

Flow separation on multi-element high-lift airfoils can be a complicated function of geometry and flight conditions, and can not be predicted reliably at this time. Previous reports have shown that certain high-lift configurations exhibit boundary-layer separation on the flap at low angles of attack, while fully attached flap flow occurs near maximumlift conditions [1],[2]. In these cases, altering the geometrical configuration to avoid low angle-of-attack flap separation had the detrimental effect of reducing maximum lift. In situations like this, one possible means of maintaining high maximum-lift values while attenuating boundary-layer separation at low angles of attack is to employ flap-mounted, low-profile, vortex generators.
Retarded Isoscalar M 2 Strength Observed in the Reaction O 16 ( p pol , p pol ′ ) O 16 ( 2 − , 8.88 MeV ) at E p = 40 MeV

Measurement of the spin-flip probability in the reaction $^{10}\mathrm{O}({p}_{\mathrm{pol}}, {{p}_{\mathrm{pol}}}^{\ensuremath{'}})^{16}\mathrm{O}({2}^{\ensuremath{-}}, 8.88 \mathrm{MeV})$ at ${E}_{p}=40$ MeV yields values that are significantly smaller than those predicted by microscopic distorted-wave Born-approximation calculations. This is interpreted as direct evidence for the dominance of multistep processes in this reaction. Analysis of the data in terms of the spin-flip cross section (spin-flip probability times the differential cross section) yields an isoscalar $M2$ strength for the ${2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ which is significantly smaller than that predicted by random-phase-approximation wave functions.
A forced-choice indicator for use with Werner’s disc-ring pattern in studies of backward masking

A forced-choice method is described for use in backward-masking studies with Werner’s disc-ring pattern. The efficacy of the method is verified in data from 4 Os. An interesting interactive effect on detection is reported between disc-duration and brightness.
Plasma concentrations of hypophyseal hormones and corticosterone in male mice acutely exposed to simulated high altitude.

SummaryThe concentrations of gonadotropins, growth hormone, prolactin, and corticosterone were determined in plasma pools (n = 12) obtained from male mice immediately after a 4-hr exposure to 632, ...
Growth of human cancer (H Ep 3) in normal rats.

SummaryIt has been demonstrated that human cancer H Ep 3 when inoculated into fetal rats a few days before birth, proliferated in these animals and continued to do so after birth. The cancers grew to large size and when located in the thoracic or peritoneal cavities usually killed the animals within 2 weeks. Serial passage of tumor by fetal inoculation was achieved readily and obviated treatment of animals with X-irradiation and/or cortisone. The cancer retained its original characteristics after fetal passage.
Optical Stimulation of the Central Nervous System in vitro

Optical stimulation in the central nervous system could potentially provide less invasive techniques for procedures involving stimulation of neurons in Neurosurgery. Optical stimulation of the thalamocortical brain slice model indicated a frequency and wavelength dependence.