cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probing autoinducer-2 based quorum sensing: the biological consequences of molecules unable to traverse equilibrium states.

Bacteria have developed a cell-to-cell communication system, termed quorum sensing (QS), which allows for the population-dependent coordination of their behavior via the exchange of chemical signals. Autoinducer-2 (AI-2), a class of QS signals derived from 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentandione (DPD), has been revealed as a universal signaling molecule in a variety of bacterial species. In spite of considerable interest, the study of putative AI-2 based QS systems remains a challenging topic in part due to the rapid interconversion between the linear and cyclic forms of DPD. Herein, we report the design and development of efficient syntheses of carbocyclic analogues of DPD, which are locked in the cyclic form. The synthetic analogues were evaluated for the modulation of AI-2-based QS in Vibrio harveyi and Salmonella typhimurium. No agonists were uncovered in either V. harveyi or S. typhimurium assay, whereas weak to moderate antagonists were found against V. harveyi. On the basis of NMR analyses and DFT calculatio...
The Scanning Theremin Microscope: A Model Scanning Probe Instrument for Hands-On Activities

A model scanning probe microscope, designed using similar principles of operation to research instruments, is described. Proximity sensing is done using a capacitance probe, and a mechanical linkage is used to scan this probe across surfaces. The signal is transduced as an audio tone using a heterodyne detection circuit analogous to that used in the theremin (one of the first electronic musical instruments, invented in the early 20th century). The instrument is useful for demonstrations and hands-on activities that introduce fundamentals of scanning probe microscopy and, by extension, nanoscience and nanotechnology. The details of instrument construction are provided, along with instructions for assembly and troubleshooting.
Preaching the Cross: Liturgy and Crusade Propaganda

AbstractThis article is an exploration of preaching on the cross very broadly from the time of Ambrose of Milan and Augustine of Hippo onwards. After a brief examination of some early medieval examples, the discussion focuses on Rabanus Maurus and a sermon attributed to Odilo of Cluny. The discussion then centres on the High Middle Ages: sermons by Bernard of Clairvaux, Alan of Lille, an anonymous Cistercian abbot, the vita of Marie d'Oignies, Alexander of Ashby, and model sermons by Humbert of Romans. Before concluding, it explores opposition to the cross, as expressed in inquisitorial documents. The essay also includes crusade preaching, as well as liturgical preaching on the cross or involving the cross, and sermons on the cross that could serve for more than one purpose.
TH‐A‐213AB‐04: Improving VMAT Delivery Accuracy by Using an Aperture Complexity Penalty during Optimization

Purpose: Apertures optimized during VMAT planning can be small and irregular, resulting in dosimetric inaccuracies during delivery. Our purpose is to develop and integrate an aperture‐regularization objective function into the optimization process for VMAT, and to quantify the impact of using this objective function on dose delivery accuracy and optimized dose distributions. Methods: An aperture‐based metric (‘edge penalty’) was developed that penalizes complex aperture shapes based on the ratio of MLC side edge length and aperture area. To assess the utility of the metric, VMAT plans were created for an example paraspinal SBRT case with and without incorporating the edge penalty in the cost function. To investigate the dose accuracy, Gafchromic EBT2 film was used to measure 15 sample individual apertures and composite plans with and without the edge penalty applied. Films were analyzed using a triple‐channel uniformity correction and measurements were compared directly to calculations. Results: Apertures generated with the edge penalty were larger, more regularly shaped and required 22% fewer monitor units than those created without the edge penalty. DVH analysis showed that the changes in doses to organs at risk and normal tissues were minimal. Edge penalty apertures showed a significant decrease in the number of pixels disagreeing with calculation by more than 10%. The number of pixels passing in the composite dose distributions for the edge penalty and non‐edge penalty plans were 52% and 96%, respectively. Employing gamma criteria of 3%/1mm resulted in a 79.5% (without penalty) / 95.4% (with penalty) pass rate for the two plans. Conclusions: The use of the edge penalty during optimization has the potential to significantly improve dose delivery accuracy for VMAT plans while minimally affecting optimized dose distributions.
Large binding due to dispersive screening and bloch function interference in many-valley semiconductors

Abstract We derive here a generalization of the effective mass equation which includes the intervalley mixing for many-valley semiconductors. This equation is numerically solved with a model impurity potential for donors in silicon. The results show an extreme sensitivity to the short-range impurity potential and a shallow-deep instability. The combined effect of dispersive screening and many-valley interference gives a deep ground state. This seem to be in agreement with the experimental situation for hydrogen and muonium impurities, to which the chosen model potential applies.
Incidence of Local Recurrence and Port Site Metastasis After Laparoscopic Radical Nephroureterectomy

OBJECTIVES To address the incidence of local recurrence and port site metastasis in patients who underwent laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). METHODS Between August 1993 and February 2006 116 laparoscopic RNU were performed in 115 patients at our institution. A traditional open excision, a laparoscopic stapler resection or a different approach was used for the management of the distal ureter in 76, 27, and 11 cases, respectively. Clinical follow-up as well as perioperative and pathologic data were retrospectively collected. RESULTS Perioperative and pathologic data were available in all 116 cases. Clinical outcomes were available in 107 patients with a mean follow-up of 30.5 months (range 1 to 148). Six patients (5.6%) had a local recurrence develop, including 1 patient with port site metastasis (0.9%) at an average of 5.7 months. In 2 of these patients, violation of the ipsilateral urinary tract was noted perioperatively. CONCLUSIONS We report, in this large single-center series of laparoscopic RNU, a low incidence of local recurrence. Our results confirm that a laparoscopic approach to upper tract TCC does not result in a clinically significant increased risk of tumor spillage provided that principles of oncologic surgery are followed.
Floristic Richness and Affinities in the West Indies

Comparison of the common floristic elements between the West Indies and the surrounding continents shows a mosaic of affinities that are stronger to Central America and South America as a whole than with either one of them separately or with North America. However, since only 28% of the total West Indian seed plant flora is shared with other geographic regions of the world, the referred exercise is of limited value. Numerous tables are provided to show the distribution of genera throughout the archipelago. The application of phylogenetic studies into the service of biogeography is herein regarded as the next necessary step in elucidating the origins and affinities of the West Indian flora.
Effects of chronic nerve growth factor treatment on hippocampal [3H]cytisine/ nicotinic binding sites and presynaptic nicotinic receptor function following fimbrial transections

Recent studies with nerve growth factor (NGF) have identified the pharmacological actions of this neurotrophin in a variety of animal models that mimic some of the neurotransmitter deficits that occur in Alzheimer's disease (AD, for reviews see Refs 7, 15, 17, 19). Based upon extensive pharmacological studies, NGF has been characterized as a crucial maintenance factor for adult cholinergic neurons of the septo-hippocampal and basalo-cortical pathways. Among the reported actions of NGF is an attenuation of lesion-induced decrements in presynaptic and postsynaptic cholinergic markers and functions in the hippocampal formation. Thus, in studies that used partial fimbriectomies to parallel the cholinergic neurodegeneration that occurs in AD, intraventricularly administered nerve growth factor prevented the loss of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase immunoreactivity in the septum and increased a variety of presynaptic cholinergic markers involved in the synthesis, storage and release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (for reviews see Refs 7, 17, 19). More specifically, chronic NGF treatment attenuates lesion-induced reductions in hippocampal ChAT activity and high-affinity choline uptake, the end-result of which is an enhanced capacity to synthesize acetylcholine. This increased acetylcholine synthesis, in turn, appears to translate directly into augmented vesicular storage and release of the neurotransmitter. For instance, not only does NGF treatment reverse lesion-induced reductions in maximal binding densities of the acetylcholine vesicular transport marker [3H]vesamicol, but it also enhances acetylcholine release and turnover rate. NGF treatment also appears to restore the sensitivity of postsynaptic muscarinic receptors to agonist-induced stimulation following partial fimbriectomies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Synthesis and Characterization of Covalently Linked Multilayer Films Prepared in the Absence of Solvent

We report the preparation of multilayer organic thin films prepared by sequential vapor-phase coupling of monomers. The reactions were carried out at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Films prepared using up to six sequential coupling reactions are reported. The following specific vapor-phase reactions were found to be viable: reactions between acid chlorides and both aliphatic and aromatic amine, hydrolysis reactions, anhydride activation, and reactions between anhydrides and primary amines. Homobifunctionalized monomers, such as hexamethylenediamine, react primarily via a single endgroup rather than cross coupling to the reactive surface via both reactive groups. The estimated coverage of the multilayer films is between 36 and 46%. The films were characterized using ellipsometric, contact angle, and spectroscopic measurements.
Theory and applications of the Delphi technique: A bibliography (1975–1994)

Abstract Delphi is a popular, long-range, qualitative forecasting technique that has been extensively applied to a wide variety of problems in different domains. Since the method was conceived in the early 1950s at the Rand Corporation, different variations of Delphi have evolved in an effort to meet the unique forecasting needs of different decision makers. This bibliographic study surveys the literature on the methodology and applications of Delphi over a period of two decades (1975–1994). A total of 463 papers were identified out of which 254 papers treat Delphi as a primary subject while the remaining 209 papers treat Delphi as a secondary subject. The study concludes with a brief commentary on the Delphi technique that may be useful for researchers and practitioners in qualitative forecasting.
Abstract 4981: PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation drives expression of the immune inhibitory ligand PD-L1 in NSCLC.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Despite the development of targeted drug therapies, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Targeting immune checkpoints altered in cancer, such as the T cell inhibitory receptors programmed death 1 (PD-1) or CTLA4, represent promising new approaches to lung cancer treatment. Here we investigated the relationship of activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and expression of the immune suppressive ligand, PD-L1, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC cell lines with mutations in KRas, EGFR, BRaf, ALK or RET had high levels of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway activation as well as increased expression of PD-L1. Cell lines that lacked these mutations had low PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway activation and less PD-L1 expression. In murine cell lines derived from tobacco carcinogen (NNK)-induced lung tumors, high levels of active Akt correlated with high PD-L1 expression. Agonists of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway activation such as EGF or the carcinogen NNK, as well as knockdown of PTEN or induction of Kras induced PD-L1 expression. Conversely, treatment of high PD-L1 expressing NSCLC cell lines with inhibitors of PI3K (LY294002), AKT (triciribine) or mTOR (rapamycin) decreased PD-L1 expression. These inhibitors decreased PD-L1 protein levels, but did not alter PD-L1 mRNA. Rapamycin-mediated PD-L1 loss was partially blocked by pre-treatment with a lysosomal, but not a proteosomal inhibitor. In vivo, increased expression of PD-L1 and activation of mTOR was an early event after exposure to NNK and was blocked by rapamycin. To test the efficacy of blocking PD-1 while reducing the expression of PD-L1 in tumor tissue, rapamycin and a murine anti-PD-1 receptor antibody were administered to A/J mice bearing syngeneic lung tumor xenografts. The combination decreased the tumor growth rate to a greater degree than either agent alone and decreased mTOR pathway signaling, PD-L1 expression, and increased cleaved caspase 3. Tumor associated activated CD8+ T cells were also increased in the tumors. These data support a relationship between activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, PD-L1 expression and the development of an immune resistant phenotype in lung cancer. Combination regimens using PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors may enhance the efficacy of immune therapies targeting PD-1. Citation Format: Kristin Lastwika, Willie Wilson, Phillip A. Dennis. PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation drives expression of the immune inhibitory ligand PD-L1 in NSCLC. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4981. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4981
A sensitive crude oil bioassay indicates that oil spills potentially induce a change of major nitrifying prokaryotes from the Archaea to the Bacteria

The sensitivity of nitrifiers to crude oil released by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Gulf of Mexico was examined using characterized ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea to develop a bioassay and to gain further insight into the ecological response of these two groups of microorganisms to marine oil spills. Inhibition of nitrite production was observed among all the tested ammonia-oxidizing organisms at 100 ppb crude oil. Nitrosopumilus maritimus, a cultured representative of the abundant Marine Group I Archaea, showed 20% inhibition at 1 ppb, a much greater degree of sensitivity to petroleum than the tested ammonia-oxidizing and heterotrophic bacteria. The differing susceptibility may have ecological significance since a shift to bacterial dominance in response to an oil spill could potentially persist and alter trophic interactions influenced by availability of different nitrogen species.
Farewell to Fossil Fuels

One concrete goal adopted by some policy-makers is to reduce the risks associated with climate change by preventing the mean global temperature from rising by more than 2°C above preindustrial levels ( 1 ). Climate models indicate that achieving this goal will require limiting atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations to less than 450 parts per million (ppm), a level that implies substantial reductions in emissions from burning fossil fuels ( 2 , 3 ). So far, however, efforts to curb emissions through regulation and international agreement haven't worked ( 4 ); emissions are rising faster than ever, and programs to scale up “carbon neutral” energy sources are moving slowly at best ( 5 ). On page 1330 of this issue, Davis et al. ( 6 ) offer new insights into just how difficult it will be to say farewell to fossil fuels.
Modeling occupancy in single person offices

This paper examines the statistical properties of occupancy in single person offices of a large office building in San Francisco. A probabilistic model to predict and simulate occupancy in single person offices is proposed. It is found that vacancy intervals are exponentially distributed and that the coefficient of the exponential distribution for a single office could be treated as a constant over the day. Occupancy intervals are more complex than vacancy intervals. The distribution of occupancy intervals is time varying. Variations among different offices are examined. The implications of the findings on thermal and air quality control are discussed.
Spatial heterogeneity, contract design, and the efficiency of carbon sequestration policies for agriculture

Abstract In this paper we develop methods to investigate the efficiency of alternative contracts for Carbon (C) sequestration in cropland soils, taking into account the spatial heterogeneity of agricultural production systems and the costs of implementing more efficient contracts. We describe contracts being proposed for implementation in the United States and other countries that would pay farmers for adoption of specified practices (per-hectare contracts). We also describe more efficient contracts that would pay farmers per tonne of soil C sequestered, and we show how to estimate the costs of implementing these more efficient contracts. In a case study of a major agricultural region in the United States, we confirm that the relative inefficiency of per-hectare contracts varies spatially and increases with the degree of spatial heterogeneity. The results also show that per-hectare contracts are as much as five times more costly than per-tonne contracts—a degree of inefficiency similar to that found in assessments of command-and-control industrial emissions regulations. Measurement costs to implement the per-tonne contracts are found to be positively related to spatial heterogeneity but are estimated to be at least an order of magnitude smaller than the efficiency losses of the per-hectare contract for reasonable error levels. This finding implies that contracting parties could afford to bear a significant cost to implement per-tonne contracts and achieve a lower total cost than would be possible with the less efficient per-hectare contracts.
Predicting chaotic time series

We present a forecasting technique for chaotic data. After embedding a time series in a state space using delay coordinates, we ``learn'' the induced nonlinear mapping using local approximation. This allows us to make short-term predictions of the future behavior of a time series, using information based only on past values. We present an error estimate for this technique, and demonstrate its effectiveness by applying it to several examples, including data from the Mackey-Glass delay differential equation, Rayleigh-Benard convection, and Taylor-Couette flow.
US Preschoolers' Media Exposure and Dietary Habits: The primacy of television and the limits of parental mediation

A potential barrier to healthy eating in childhood is media marketing of obesogenic foods, yet little research has linked young children's media and dietary habits. This study reports data from 423 parents and 354 2- to 4-year-old children in the Midwestern United States, from the first wave of a 3-wave prospective panel study. Variables included family demographics, child media exposure, parent mediation of TV, child dietary habits, and child BMI. Controlling demographics and parent BMI, media exposure and parental mediation were unrelated to child BMI. However, TV viewing predicted increased intake of high-energy, low-nutrient (HELN) foods and decreased intake of fruits and vegetables. Restrictive parental mediation reduced some of these relationships, whereas coviewing and instructive mediation increased others. TV viewing continued to predict intake of some HELN foods for the 322 children whose parents limited their daily screen media exposure to 2 hours. Discussion focuses on future research directio...
CrashTest'ing SWAT: accurate, gate-level evaluation of symptom-based resiliency solutions

Current technology scaling is leading to increasingly fragile components, making hardware reliability a primary design consideration. Recently researchers have proposed low-cost reliability solutions that detect hardware faults through software-level symptom monitoring. SWAT (SoftWare Anomaly Treatment), one such solution, demonstrated with microarchitecture-level simulations that symptom-based solutions can provide high fault coverage and a low Silent Data Corruption (SDC) rate. However, more accurate evaluations are needed to validate such solutions for hardware faults in real-world processor designs. In this paper, we evaluate SWAT's symptom-based detectors on gate-level faults using an FPGA-based, full-system prototype. With this platform, we performed a gate-level accurate fault injection campaign of 51,630 fault injections in the OpenSPARC T1 core logic across five SPECInt 2000 benchmarks. With an overall SDC rate of 0.79%, our results are comparable to previous microarchitecture-level evaluations of SWAT, demonstrating the effectiveness of symptom-based software detectors for permanent faults in real-world designs.
Stop the escalation before it begins by using the pediatric Behavior Response Team protocol.

In today's world, clinicians need to be prepared to care for challenging patients and families that are struggling with the stress of illness and hospitalization and have inadequate coping skills. The University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) has developed a protocol identifying a team with representatives from psychiatry, security, and risk management to provide a rapid response in situations that historically have resulted in, at worst, sentinel/adverse events and at best, service disasters. The pediatric BRT protocol formalizes the purpose of the team, how staff should access them, and the expectation for involved staff to debrief about the interventions at identified times. It has proven to be an effective intervention and allows clinicians to provide needed care to the patients. Language: en
Why Study Japanese Law

This essay answers the question "Why Study Japanese Law" pointing to Japan's success in achieving one of the highest levels of economic and social well-being of any industrial democracy today. Of fering a variety of propositions and possible explanations, the author argues that legal scholars in a wide variety of fields should explore more fully the contribution of legal rules and various modes or ap proaches for their enforcement particularly with respect to Japan's economic growth, distribution of wealth, healthcare, lack of official corruption, and crime reduction.
Patterns and causes of observed piñon pine mortality in the southwestern United States

'Summary' 91 I. 'Introduction' 91 II. 'Mortality mechanisms' 92 III. 'Methods' 92 IV. 'Results' 92 V. 'Discussion' 94 VI. 'Conclusions' 96 'Acknowledgements' 96 References 96 Summary Recently, widespread pinon pine die-off occurred in the southwestern United States. Here we synthesize observational studies of this event and compare findings to expected relationships with biotic and abiotic factors. Agreement exists on the occurrence of drought, presence of bark beetles and increased mortality of larger trees. However, studies disagree about the influences of stem density, elevation and other factors, perhaps related to study design, location and impact of extreme drought. Detailed information about bark beetles is seldom reported and their role is poorly understood. Our analysis reveals substantial limits to our knowledge regarding the processes that produce mortality patterns across space and time, indicating a poor ability to forecast mortality in response to expected increases in future droughts.
Homologies among the nucleotide sequences of the genomes of C-type viruses.

Abstract DNA was synthesized with detergent-disrupted virions of several C-type viruses and used to measure the extent of homology among the genomes of these viruses by molecular hybridization. The DNA was reacted with viral RNA under conditions which permit saturation of most if not all complementary nucleotide sequences in the RNA. This technique provides a quantitative estimate of the extent of homology among viral RNAs and is superior to current procedures that measure the fraction of DNA hybridized to an excess of viral RNA. The genomes of RD-114 and Crandell virus are at least 85% related, whereas there is no detectable homology among the genomes of RD-114 virus, feline sarcoma-leukemia viruses, murine leukemia virus, avian sarcoma virus, and visna virus. The genome of feline sarcoma-leukemia viruses, like that of RD-114 virus, is at least partly homologous to DNA from normal cats, suggesting that normal cats harbor endogenous genes coding for components of at least two classes of C-type viruses.
Designing safer chemicals: Predicting the rates of metabolism of halogenated alkanes

A computational model is presented that can be used as a tool in the design of safer chemicals. This model predicts the rate of hydrogen-atom abstraction by cytochrome P450 enzymes. Excellent correlations between biotransformation rates and the calculated activation energies (delta Hact) of the cytochrome P450-mediated hydrogen-atom abstractions were obtained for the in vitro biotransformation of six halogenated alkanes (1-fluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,1-difluoro-1,2,2-trichloroethane, 1,1,1-trifluro-2,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-2-chloroethane, 1,1,1,2,2,-pentafluoroethane, and 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane) with both rat and human enzyme preparations: In(rate, rat liver microsomes) = 44.99 - 1.79(delta Hact), r2 = 0.86; In(rate, human CYP2E1) = 46.99 - 1.77(delta Hact), r2 = 0.97 (rates are in nmol of product per min per nmol of cytochrome P450 and energies are in kcal/mol). Correlations were also obtained for five inhalation anesthetics (enflurane, sevoflurane, desflurane, methoxyflurane, and isoflurane) for both in vivo and in vitro metabolism by humans: In[F(-)]peak plasma = 42.87 - 1.57(delta Hact), r2 = 0.86. To our knowledge, these are the first in vivo human metabolic rates to be quantitatively predicted. Furthermore, this is one of the first examples where computational predictions and in vivo and in vitro data have been shown to agree in any species. The model presented herein provides an archetype for the methodology that may be used in the future design of safer chemicals, particularly hydrochlorofluorocarbons and inhalation anesthetics.
MIDDLE HOLOCENE PERIODICITIES IN RAINFALL INFERRED FROM OXYGEN AND CARBON ISOTOPIC FLUCTUATIONS IN PREHISTORIC TROPICAL ESTUARINE MOLLUSC SHELLS

Stable oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios in modern and archaeological estuarine mollusc shells, Polymesoda radiata, change in accordance with seasonal salinity fluctuations in the Acapetahua estuary located on the Pacific coast of southern Mexico. This region receives −3000 mm of precipitation annually, most during a wet season between April and October. The changing flux of fresh water and organic detritus into the estuary causes large changes in the oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of the estuarine waters and in the carbonate precipitated by P. radiata. Oxygen isotopic ratios in the shells of molluscs collected by late Archaic period populations (5000–4000 BP) in this region indicate that patterns of rainfall were similar to today. Modern shells, however, exhibit much more negative carbon isotopic values than observed in prehistoric shells. This change may be associated with the input of modern fertilizers into the estuary.
Subcritical Delamination in Epoxy Bonds to Silicon and Glass Adherends : Effect of Temperature and Preconditioning

The effects of temperature and preconditioning in deionized (DI) water and a cyan ink vehicle used in inkjet printer cartridges on the durability of glass/epoxy and silicon/epoxy systems have been investigated. A test matrix consisting of test temperatures, preconditioning temperatures, preconditioning times, and nature of adherends and adhesives was developed and a series of experiments was conducted using wedge test specimens (glass or silicon coupons bonded with epoxy) to investigate the subcritical adhesion performance of the glass/epoxy and silicon/epoxy interfaces. The glass/epoxy and silicon/epoxy interfaces were found to be relatively insensitive to temperature over a range of 22–60°, but significant temperature effects, more complex than suggested by time-temperature superposition (TTSP), were observed above 60°C, depending on the environmental chemistry and nature of the adhesive used. Specimens made of silicon coupons bonded with epoxy were subjected to preconditioning in DI water and the cyan ...
Orthopaedic Surgeon-hospital Alignment at Geisinger Health System

Background There is broad recognition that the healthcare crisis in the United States is going to require a response and change in clinical practice. The management structure of Geisinger Health System is unique, and this has the potential to change the dynamics of surgeon-administration alignment.
WE‐C‐230A‐01: The Application of Error Reduction QA Philosophy in HDR Brachytherapy

Routine quality assurance (QA) in brachytherapy developed quickly through the 1990s, and fairly standard practices became common. The reports of Task Groups 40, 56 and 59 established formalized, accepted standards for QA in brachytherapy, and textbooks covered QA procedures in detail (1). Why, with a solid understanding of QA procedures, were there still many reported brachytherapy medical events, and likely many more unreported or unrecognized? A review of such events (2) notes that for many cases, the facility had QA procedures in place, but they were ineffectual because they either did not cover the situations that evolved or, often, simply were not performed, frequently because of time constraints. Current high dose‐rate (HDR) brachytherapy QA focuses heavily on equipment and instrumentation. Very few events resulted from errors in the equipment (although, equipment failures often set the stage), due in part to the extremely high reliability built into the devices and, possibly in part, because of the attention paid to equipment QA by the medical physicists. A soon to be released report from the International Atomic Energy Agency will note that the greatest danger in radiotherapy is not equipment malfunctions but the human activities related to the procedures. (3) Much of the current QA for HDR brachytherapy stems from regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Some of the regulations expend effort with little expected return. For example, daily QA requires a check of the door interlock at the room entrance. For many facilities, the operator has the door in clear view during treatments; the probability of a person trying to enter the room during a treatment with a failure of the interlock becomes vanishingly small. With each new source, the length and function of transfer tubes and applicators must be checked. Most of these instruments cannot change their length, and the functioning would be (and should be) determined at each use. Measuring exposure readings outside the HDR room with each source change wastes time. Such requirements divert resources from useful activities. The new paradigm for QA first assesses all the possible ways things can go wrong (and the list is a long one), rating the likelihood of occurrence, and severity of the result if it does happen, and the probability of detecting the failure before it propagates into the event. These ranking provide the priorities for allocating resources for activities to prevent failures This process will naturally place a greater emphasis on the human role in the procedures. Learning Objectives: To understand 1. The problem with the current QA paradigm, and 2. The advantage of the new paradigm
Temporal patterns in immunity, infection load and disease susceptibility: understanding the drivers of host responses in the amphibian‐chytrid fungus system

Summary Many pathogens infect a wide range of host species. However, variation in the outcome of infection often exists amongst hosts and is shaped by intrinsic host traits. For example, contact with pathogens may trigger changes in hosts directed toward preventing, fighting, or tolerating infection. Host responses to infection are dynamic; they change over time and vary depending on health, condition and within the context of the environment. Immunological defences are an important class of responses that mediate host–pathogen dynamics. Here, we examined temporal patterns of immunity in two amphibian species, Pacific tree frogs (Pseudacris regilla) and Cascades frogs (Rana cascadae), exposed to control conditions or experimental inoculation with the emerging infectious fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). For each species, we compared bacterial killing ability of blood and differential white blood cell counts at four different time-points after pathogen inoculation. We also quantified infection load over time and monitored survival. We detected qualitative and quantitative differences in species responses to Bd. Pseudacris regilla exhibited an increase in infection load over time and 16% of Bd-exposed animals died during the experiment. Tree frogs lacked robust treatment differences in immune responses, but Bd-exposed P. regilla tended to display weaker bacterial killing responses than unexposed control animals. Neutrophil counts did not vary consistently with treatment and lymphocytes tended to be less abundant in Bd-exposed animals at the later sampling time-points. In contrast, Bd-exposed R. cascadae exhibited a decrease in infection load over time and no mortality occurred in the Bd treatment. Bd-exposed Cascades frogs showed stronger bacterial killing responses and an elevated number of neutrophils in blood when compared with control animals, and both responses were upregulated within 48 h of pathogen exposure. Lymphocyte counts did not vary significantly with treatment. Although only statistically significant in Cascades frogs, neutrophil:lymphocyte ratios showed a trend of being elevated in Bd-exposed animals of both species and are indicative of pathogen-induced physiological stress. Our results suggest that variation in systemic immunological responses of two syntopic amphibian species is associated with and may contribute to differential patterns of survival and infection load during exposure to the chytrid fungus. Species variation in immunological responses as soon as 48 h after pathogen exposure suggests that initial host–pathogen interactions may set the stage for subsequent infection and disease progression. Variation in host responses can drive disease dynamics and comparative studies of host responses to pathogens are critical for making predictions about pathogen emergence, spread and persistence.
Trade Policy, Economic Interests, and Party Politics in a Developing Country: The Political Economy of CAFTA‐DR

Developing countries have increasingly opened their economies to trade. Research about trade policy in developed countries focuses on a bottom-up process by identifying economic preferences of domestic groups. We know less about developing countries. We analyze how economic and political variables influenced Costa Rican voters in a referendum on CAFTA-DR, an international trade agreement. We find little support for Stolper–Samuelson models of economic preferences, but more support for specific factor models. We also isolate the effects of political parties on the referendum, controlling for many economic factors; we document how at least one party influenced voters and this made the difference for CAFTA-DR passage. Politics, namely parties using their organizational strength to cue and frame messages for voters, influenced this important trade policy decision. Theories about trade policy need to take into account top-down political factors along with economic interests.
Geothermal electricity production.

On page 371 of the 19 Apr. issue the photo credit to the facing page was omitted. It should have read "Courtesy Darrel Freund, National Capitol Astronomers. Washington, D.C."
The effect of a strongly interacting Higgs sector within an SU(2) × U(1) gauge theory☆

Abstract The low-energy sensitivity of the Weinberg-Salam model to a strongly interacting Higgs boson sector is investigated. In order to catalog all possible heavy Higgs boson effects, a gauged non-linear σ-model is used, in which the Higgs mass of the linear theory ( M H ), assumes the role of a cutoff. Radiative corrections to several experimental observables are calculated. However, the effects are small; the leading sensitivities are proportional to g 2 ln( M H ).
Sexual Behavior and Sexual Function of Adults After Hypospadias Surgery: A Comparative Study

ABSTRACTPurpose: We assessed sexual behavior and sexual function in adults operated on for hypospadias.Materials and Methods: Long-term psychosexual adjustment was assessed with a standardized questionnaire which was mailed to 57 patients with hypospadias older than 18 years and 60 age matched normal control subjects.Results: A total of 37 patients with hypospadias and 39 controls participated. Self-reported strength of libido on a scale of 1 to 5 was shown to be similar in the 2 groups. Patients with hypospadias did not have problems in achieving erection and average self-rated quality of erection ranging from 1 to 5 was the same as that of controls (mean value 4.5). Patients with hypospadias noted curvature in a downward direction in a significantly higher proportion compared to controls (40% vs 18%, respectively). There were 13 patients with hypospadias who had ejaculation difficulties, of whom 6 had spraying and 7 had only dribbling of ejaculate. Patients with hypospadias masturbated significantly les...
CD44 Targeting Magnetic Glyconanoparticles for Atherosclerotic Plaque Imaging

Purpose The cell surface adhesion molecule CD44 plays important roles in the initiation and development of atherosclerotic plaques. We aim to develop nanoparticles that can selectively target CD44 for the non-invasive detection of atherosclerotic plaques by magnetic resonance imaging.
Repurposing with a Difference

There is widespread belief that current models of drug discovery and development need revamping and reinvention in order to make pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) more predictable, reliable, and less costly. We suggest a novel approach to this challenge that involves profound changes in the way postmarketing surveillance data are gathered and used. This approach capitalizes on recent advances in molecular medicine, human genomics, and information technology, as well as an increasingly sophisticated public eager for solutions to their unmet medical needs. Novel business models and imaginative legal and regulatory reforms will be critical to fulfill this promise and to maximize its impact.
A hierarchy of aggressive and violent behaviors among psychiatric inpatients.

Aggression generally refers to threatening behaviors, either verbal or physical, directed at others. Violence refers to physical behaviors that result in harm to other people. Some investigators study one or the other, while others study both but measure each separately (1). The question of whether the theoretical distinction between aggression and violence is necessary or even appropriate has arisen. Clinically, practitioners see at least some similanity between aggression and violence and believe that lower-level aggnession sometimes leads to violence. For example, verbal threats are taken seriously by practitioners, since many believe that threats occur before physical violence (2,3). However, no research has systematically examined whether an order or pattern exists for a range of aggressive and violent behaviors. Thus data collected from a larger study (4) were reanalyzed to determine whether there is a clear hierarchy of aggressive and violent behaviors among psychiatnic inpatients.
Stress Begins in Kindergarten: A Look at Behavior During Standardized Testing

Abstract Kindergarten children's behavior before, during, and after standardized achievement testing was explored through a qualitative study in two classrooms (n = 36). Simultaneously quantitative data were collected in one of the classrooms (n = 21) before and during the testing. Data were collected through observations in the classrooms, interviews with children and teachers, and audio and video taping of the children. For the quantitative component of the study, frequencies of stress behaviors were observed using a scan sampling method. Qualitative findings indicated an increase in behaviors reported to be stress related during the testing and a decrease in those behaviors following the testing. Copying and calling out answers during the testing were also observed frequently. Children also marked incorrect answers, but when interviewed after the test, could respond correctly. Quantitative results supported the qualitative with a statistically significant increase in the proportion of stress behaviors ...
Selective action of alkylating agents against cells participating in suppression of antibody responses

Abstract The effect of several alkylating agents on the induction and expression of specific suppressor cell activity induced by supraoptimal immunization (SOI) with (4×109) SRBC was studied. Splenocytes taken 8–28 days after SOI and transferred to normal syngeneic recipients together with optimal dose of (3×108) SRBC caused 70–90% suppression. By contrast splenocytes harvested 2 days after SOI did not exert a significant suppressive effect. Treatment of donor mice with 30 mg/kg BCNU, CCNU, or MeCCNU, 8 mg/kg Melphalan or as much as 200 mg/kg Cy 2 days before SOI uniformly had no effect on the subsequent development of suppressor cells. By contrast, different drugs had diverse effects when injected after SOI: both BCNU and Cy injected 2 days post SOI alleviated suppression, whereas CCNU, MeCCNU and Melphalan injected 2 days post SOI were without effect. Another diversity between BCNU and Cy was noticed when the administration of drugs was delayed further. While Cy alleviated suppression 12 days post SOI, BCNU was ineffective at this time. Dose response and time course studies revealed that the effect of Cy was most severe when injected 2 days post SOI and gradually diminished with the passage of time after SOI. These results have been discussed in the light of the current concepts of multiple cell participation in the induction and expression of suppressor cell function.
P01.04. Learning From Within: Peer-based Group Coaching Among Undergraduate Students

Focus Area: Supporting Behavioral Change The practice of health coaching has been well documented as beneficial in corporate environments and in the healthcare sphere, and some research combines these two practices of executive coaching and health coaching. The practice of peer group coaching has been demonstrated to provide additional benefits to those who partake. While coaching is making its way into higher education, it remains an underused practice that could contribute to student development and mental health. In this study, 28 undergraduate sophomores participated in peer health coaching groups for 8 weeks, and a control group of 28 sophomore students did not. This study examines the experiences of the students who participated in the peer health coaching groups through focus group data and compares the results of quantitative measures of insight and self-reflection between the treatment and control groups.
The rhetorical theory of Adam Smith

Adam Smith, the celebrated political economist and essayist on moral sentiments, displayed a lifelong interest in rhetoric and belles‐lettres. Yet except for the student notes recently published by...
Demonstrating the Central Limit Theorem.

Explaining abstract, theoretical distributions to beginning students is sometimes difficult. This article describes a demonstration that helps to make the central limit theorem for generating sampling distributions concrete and understandable.
Automated visco-elastic analysis of large scale inertia-variant spatial vehicles

Abstract This study is concerned with the dynamic analysis of spatial vehicles consisting of interconnected rigid, elastic, and visco-elastic components. The configuration of each elastic or viscoelastic component is identified using two sets of generalized coordinates; reference and elastic coordinates that, respectively, describe the motion of the component reference and the deformation relative to this reference. Nonlinear constraints between adjacent vehicle components are introduced to the formulation using a Lagrange multiplier technique. The finite element method is employed to introduce the elastic coordinates and component modes are used to reduce the number of degrees of freedom of the vehicle. A linear visco-elastic model is employed in this analysis, wherein the stress is assumed to be proportional to the strain and its time derivative (Kelvin-Voigt model). The resulting mathematical model is highly nonlinear and a strong coupling between the reference motion and elastic deformation appears in the kinetic energy expression. No coupling, however, appears in the stiffness and damping matrices. Nonlinearities in the suspension and tire models are also considered, and the change in the suspension force due to a large change in geometry of vehicle components is accounted for. The vehicle mathematical model, written in terms of a mixed set of physical reference and modal elastic coordinates, is integrated numerically using an explicit-implicit direct numerical integration method and the physical state of the vehicle is recovered using the modal transformation.
Forward-rate target zones and exchange rate dynamics

Abstract A target zone for the forward exchange rate is developed using a log-linear monetary model. Exchange rates are driven by a Wiener process. A central bank purchases or sells foreign exchange forward to keep the target forward rate in a specified band. Defending such a target zone does not require regulated Wiener process, for the central bank's forward exchange intervention can avoid disturbing the money supply. A forward-rate target zone can stabilize the spot rate against a free float and its stabilizing effects become more significant if the delivery term applying to the target forward rate is shorter.
The Rise of Yuppie Coffees and the Reimagination of Class in the United States

Given Zabar’s reputation for quality and excess, this is a rather modest selection as coffee now goes. The evidence of plenty and waste can be found in the size of the barrels and the quantity of roast beans available for sale and spoilage. But the real spot to spend money is upstairs, where the brewers, grinders, and espresso coffeemakers are sold-from simple Melitta drip cones and carafes to the more serious Krups Semiprofessional Programmatic ($349) or the Olympia Caffarex ($1,000). Zabar’s collection of coffee is not especially distinguished. They eschew the trend toward flavors (raspberry, almond, chocolate, amaretto, vanilla, and the like, in various combinations), offering instead a few prepackaged coffees in flavors and small bottles of flavored syrups for those customers who prefer them. But only two of their coffees are sold as specific varietals, Colombian Supremo and Kenyan AA. The rest are “styles” that suggest a geographic place without having anything to do with it. Kona style can include beans from El Salvador, Blue Mountain style, beans from Puerto Rico, and so on.