cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactions of timing and prediction error learning

Timing and prediction error learning have historically been treated as independent processes, but growing evidence has indicated that they are not orthogonal. Timing emerges at the earliest time point when conditioned responses are observed, and temporal variables modulate prediction error learning in both simple conditioning and cue competition paradigms. In addition, prediction errors, through changes in reward magnitude or value alter timing of behavior. Thus, there appears to be a bi-directional interaction between timing and prediction error learning. Modern theories have attempted to integrate the two processes with mixed success. A neurocomputational approach to theory development is espoused, which draws on neurobiological evidence to guide and constrain computational model development. Heuristics for future model development are presented with the goal of sparking new approaches to theory development in the timing and prediction error fields.
Ignition of and flame spread over laboratory-scale pools of pure liquid fuels

Abstract This article is a review of modeling and experiments of the ignition and flame spread over liquid fuel pools for separate regimes defined by the initial pool temperature relative to the fuel flash point. The purpose of this review is twofold. First it will emphasise newer or lesser known studies, both experimental and numerical, because these may question or alter some of the conclusions from the last review of the field by Glassman and Dryer, published in 1981. Second, it will cover the additional subjects of ignition susceptibility, analytic and numerical modeling, non-air atmospheres and forced flow, beds of fuel-soaked sand or glass beads and buoyancy-related processes applicable to microgravity combustion science and spacecraft fire safety. The review concludes with recommendations for further numerical and experimental research.
Unequal Return: The Uneven Resettlements of New Orleans’ Uptown Neighborhoods

This article examines early resettlement of four neighborhoods in New Orleans’ Uptown district, which was among the first areas to officially reopen for residential return. Drawing on survey data collected from more than 400 households, results show that even in relatively unflooded sections of town, racial and class disparities shaped early returns and accumulated to the disadvantage of African American residents of the city. A key mechanism behind this cumulative disadvantage was that neighborhoods that were predominantly White were disproportionately spared by flooding from the disaster and, consequently, better positioned to host displaced residents from more damaged parts of New Orleans. Because racial boundaries shape housing and social aid networks, White residents from damaged parts of the city became more likely to relocate to these early areas of resettlement, allowing White residents as a whole to play a disproportionate role in the city’s early planning and recovery efforts.
Following START: Risk Acceptance and the 1991–1992 Presidential Nuclear Initiatives

In September 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush launched the Presidential Nuclear Initiatives (PNIs), which were unilateral measures that led to the largest reductions in the American and Soviet/Russian nuclear arsenals to date. Despite their eventual success, the United States took on significant risks in launching the PNIs. To uncover the best theoretical explanation for their onset, this article uses realism, neorealism, the bureaucratic politics model, expected utility theory, and prospect theory to generate ex ante predictions regarding nuclear arms control at the end of the Cold War. It then tests the theories' predictions against the empirical record. The results suggest that a focus on an individual decision maker—President Bush—is necessary to fully understand the PNIs and that an explanation rooted in prospect theory offers the most explanatory power. This study speaks to an important debate in discipline regarding the significance of individuals, while underscoring the value of exploring foreign policy decision making from multiple levels of analysis. It also advances the literatures on risk acceptance and prospect theory by shifting their applications away from militarized conflict and crises to diplomatic negotiations and cooperation.
Microcolumn liquid analysis of lipids with flame ionization detection.

A system for the rapid analysis of compounds which may be either too large or too sensitive to be subjected intact to gas chromatographic or other methods is described. Capillary columns of 0.5 mm and 1 mm I.D. and various lengths are packed with very fine particle size, specially prepared, silica gel and other media. A simple pumping arrangement is employed for either single solvent or gradient elution, and the solute in the effluent is detected by means of a highly sensitive flame ionization detector. The application of this system is illustrated by the separation of microgram and submicrogram amounts of triglycerides, steroids, and other neutral lipids, as well as some phospholipids.
Neutron activation analysis of some of the biologically active trace elements in fish

Highly specific neutron activation analysis procedures involving post irradiation chemical separations were developed for the determination of Cu, Hg, Zn, Cd, As, Se and Cr in fish tissues. The procedures developed were used to determine the levels of these biologically active elements in some of the commercially important fish species of Lake Erie. The nuclear analytical procedures developed generally involved the irradiation of fish tissues followed by wet-ashing in the presence of nonradioactive carriers From the homogeneous solution of the tissue digest, the elements of interest were chemically isolated and the radio-activities were measured by scintillation gamma ray spectrometry. The results reported include both the determination of the precision and accuracies of each of these elemental analyses and a survey of these seven elements in nine major fish species of Lake Erie.
Targeting prosody in an eight-year-old child with high-functioning autism during an interactive approach to therapy

A fundamental deficit in children with high-functioning autism (HFA) is social communicative competence. Atypical prosody in variable forms has been implicated in contributing to this deficit. The ...
Deformation kinetics in three dimensions

Abstract The theory of deformation kinetics is extended to three dimensions. Nonlinear forms of the equations of evolution of the internal variables in the theory of irreversible thermodynamics are thereby derived thus establishing a connection between atomic and macroscopic laws. Application to the mechanical response of metals in three dimensional stress fields is illustrated. Explicit relations are derived for the steady creep of metals in the presence of combined tension and torsion.
Comparison of IL-10 levels in chronic venous insufficiency ulcers and autologous donor tissue

In previous immunohistochemical studies, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) ulcers have been shown to display positive staining for interleukin-10 (IL-10), while other wounds (including autologous donor wound tissue) show a reduced staining level. IL-10 inhibits the synthesis of many proinflammatory cytokines, while also inhibiting antigen presentation by antigen-presenting cells. It is possible that abnormally high amounts of IL-10 in chronic wounds may be related to the failure of these wounds to progress to final wound healing. The purpose of this study was to quantify the levels of IL-10 in CVI ulcers and autologous donor tissue using Western blotting. Extracts were prepared from frozen wound tissue samples and equal amounts of protein were concentrated by immune-precipitation for Western blot analysis. Densitometric analysis was performed on nonsaturated chemilumigraphs and normalized to an IL-10 standard run on each gel. The quantity of IL-10 in CVI ulcers was found to be 490% of the quantity in autologous donor tissue. This study provides confirmatory quantitative data which supports previous immunohistochemical findings showing elevated levels of IL-10 in CVI ulcers.
From Policy Beliefs to Policy Choices: The Resurgence of Tariff Retaliation in the U.S. Pursuit of Fair Trade

Policymakers hold and seek to act on beliefs concerning trade strategies as well as those concerning trade tactics and instruments. In contrast to prominent hypotheses in the literature, this article argues that constraints placed on specific dimensions of trade policy by societal groups and state institutions appear to play a greater role in shaping the impact of beliefs on policy choices than overall shifts in discretion accorded to policymakers. Insights into the resurgence of the retaliatory tariff in U.S. trade policy during 1985–88 are at the interaction of policy beliefs and variation in executive discretion. Although lending support to scholarship focusing on the interaction of ideas and institutions, these findings raise questions concerning prominent claims about the significance of policy beliefs.
Scientific networks in the age of the American Revolution.

The channels of communication between scientists in the UK and USA during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the growth in importance of the provincial centres and the relative position of London, are reviewed in the light of the social, cultural and political moods of the time.
Model concrete beam-column joints subjected to cyclic loading at two rates

Small-scale models of reinforced concrete beam-column joint were subjected to large cyclic displacements at two rates: 2.5×10−3 and 1.0 Hz. To assess damage, free-vibration tests were conducted. The reliability of the modelling techniques was established by comparison of the results for the slower rate with those obtained from the full-scale tests on prototype. The higher rate of loading caused a greater damage than that at the lower rate. This was evidenced by the measurements of the energy absorbed in the hysteresis loops, equivalent damping, and the stiffness and damping obtained from the free-vibration test. The relatively greater extent of damage appears to result from the different bond behaviour at different rates of loading.
Effect of Rh particle size on CO desorption from Rh/alumina model catalysts

Abstract The adsorption of CO on small Rh particles on oxidized Al(100) was studied using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The desorption data for CO were obtained for two Rh Al 2 O 3 samples as well as for Rh(111). The supported Rh model catalysts were prepared from thermal decomposition of [Rh(CO2Cl]2 on an oxidized Al(100) substrate. By varying the substrate temperature and the amount of deposited Rh, samples were prepared with average Rh particles sizes of 20 and 70 A. TPD data from the 70 A Rh particles were similar to that from Rh(111), with a major peak at 500 K and a shoulder at 400 K for a saturation CO exposure. TPD from the small particles was very different from Rh(111) and the larger particles, showing a single broad peak centered at 415 K. The data show a particle size effect for the desorption on CO from supported Rh. Redhead analysis of the data for first-order desorption gave an activation energy of 30 kcal/mol for all of the samples at low CO coverages. A more detailed analysis using peak widths and peak temperatures was also performed. These calculations gave a very low activation energy, 19.8 kcal/mol, and preexponential, 1×10 8 cm 2 s for the small particles. These very low values were interpreted to mean that multiple desorption states, mobile precursors, or coverage dependent activation energies were affecting the data from the small particles. Calculations of first-order desorption rates showed that desorption states different than those on Rh(111) are the dominant species on the small particles at high CO coverages.
Higher orders in the diffraction pattern of random scenes in coherent optical systems

When certain scenes are stored on photographic emulsions, the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of these scenes exhibits an array of equally spaced bright spikes along the axes that are not accounted for by simple theory. Experimental evidence, obtained with random-checkerboard patterns, supports the proposed theory that these higher orders result from interaction of the stored density variations and the induced relief image in the emulsion.
Discrimination and Puerto Rican Children's and Adolescents' Mental Health.

Two studies of Puerto Rican youths' development on the U.S. mainland examined the consequences of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination on mental health. In Study I, children were found to have a low likelihood of perceiving discrimination, whereas in Study 2, nearly half of the adolescent sample reported perceiving racial/ethnic discrimination. Although both groups scored high on multiple indicators of mental health, perceiving discrimination and worrying about discrimination were negatively associated with some dimensions of self-esteem and positively associated with depression and stress. Adolescents were aware of negative stereotypes about Puerto Ricans, and nearly half of them related discriminatory instances. Results suggest that both perceiving discrimination and anxiety regarding discrimination can serve as risk factors for the mental health of this population.
Appendix B—Active Ground‐Water Projects in California, Oregon, and Washington

General Pumping from wells for irrigation—The Division of Irrigation, Bureau of Agricultural Engineering, United States Department of Agriculture, is investigating the economics and practice of pumping from wells for irrigation in the western United States. The study is under the charge of Carl Rohwer. Its aims are (1) to gather data pertinent to the practical and economical phases of pumping for irrigation, including mechanical units, wells, methods of pump-installation, the assembled plant, and the efficiency of the various units, and (2) to compile all available information on methods and cost of well-drilling and the numerous factors influencing them, such as various types of casing and relation of diameter of casing to yield. The field-work on both phases of the study is about complete. The manuscript on the first phase of the project is in process of preliminary editing. It is intended to publish the results of the study in two bulletins, probably as Department circulars.
A review of mammography test objects for the calibration of resolution, contrast, and exposure

Mandated and voluntary accreditation and quality control programs for mammography require the use of standardized mammography test objects. We evaluated eleven commercially available test objects and three prototype test objects, comparing them with respect to their resolution targets, contrast targets, and the dose they required when imaged by the same automatic exposure meter. Ion chamber and/or thermoluminescent dosimeter measurements of exposure were made with each test object, while attenuation was measured for seven. Measurements of dosage using acrylic (5 test objects) and tissue equivalent epoxy (9 test objects) showed as much as a 400% variation in the radiation supplied by the same automatic exposure device when differences in thicknesses of test objects were normalized. Speck visibility was as dependent on the composition of the specks and of the surrounding material as on the size of the specks. Contrast targets were adequate in only three test objects. Optical density differences between images of a 4-cm-thick breast and of different test object materials, also 4 cm in thickness, exposed to the same radiation, imply that untested acrylic or epoxy resin materials should not used in the calibration of automatic exposure controls.
Abstract LB-73: Circulating tumor cells with the invasive phenotype predict progression free survival and overall survival in preoperative patients diagnosed with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Purpose: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) might function as prognostic markers for monitoring and assessing therapy efficacy ex vivo . This study aimed to measure overall population of CTCs based on expression of epithelial lineage (Epi) markers and the subpopulation of CTCs with the invasive phenotype (iCTCs) in preoperative patients for prognosis of advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC). Experimental Design: CTCs and iCTCs enriched by the Cell Adhesion Matrix (CAM)-coated devices from 122 preoperative patients were identified as Epi+ nucleic acid (NA)+ hematopoietic lineage (HL)- cells and CAM uptake (CAM+) Epi+ NA+ HL- cells, respectively. CTCs and iCTCs were enumerated using multiplex flow cytometry, validated by microscopy, and correlated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: iCTCs were detected in 0/39 (0%) benign patients, 5/11 (45.5%) Stage I, 2/4 (50%) Stage II, 41/43 (95.3%) Stage III and 16/16 (100%) stage IV patients (P-value <0.001). However, healthy (n=48) and benign women had noticeable CTCs (mean=10 and 3 CTCs/1.0-mL blood, respectively), and large variation (IQR=24.5 and 30 CTCs/1.0-mL blood, respectively), although CTCs were significantly different across different stage groups. Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS at 5 years in the iCTC positive and negative groups were 15.4% (95% CI, 7.2% to 26.3%) and 94% (95% CI, 82.5% to 98%), respectively. The PFS in the iCTC positive group was also significantly lower than that in the negative group (P-value <0.001). In multivariable Cox models, iCTCs were independently predictive of OS (P-value <0.001) and provided predictive power for disease recurrence independent of diagnostic disease stages, age, debulking status and platinum sensitivity. Conclusion: CTCs show the expression of heterogeneous epithelial antigens with potential biologic relevance. Co-expression of epithelial antigens and invasiveness of iCTCs in preoperative patients provides prognosis of advanced EOC that could help tailor appropriate therapy. Citation Format: Wen-Tien Chen, Qiang Zhao, Huan Dong, Jie Yang, Qiao Zhang, Tina Fan, Marc G. Golightly, Whitney C. Dessio, Stefan Madajewicz, Melissa Henretta, Michael L. Pearl. Circulating tumor cells with the invasive phenotype predict progression free survival and overall survival in preoperative patients diagnosed with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. [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 LB-73. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-73
Unconstrained shoulder arthroplasty for treatment of proximal humeral nonunions.

Background: Unconstrained shoulder arthroplasty is one of several methods for treatment of proximal humeral fracture nonunions. The goal of this study was to define the results and complications of this procedure. Methods: From 1976 to 2007, sixty-seven patients underwent unconstrained shoulder arthroplasty for proximal humeral nonunion and were followed for more than two years. There were forty-nine women and eighteen men with a mean age of sixty-four years and a mean duration of follow-up of nine years (range, two to thirty years). The fracture type according to the Neer classification was two-part in thirty-six patients, three-part in sixteen, and four-part in fifteen. Hemiarthroplasty was performed in fifty-four patients and total shoulder arthroplasty was done in the remaining thirteen. Results: There were thirty-three excellent or satisfactory results according to the modified Neer rating. Tuberosity healing about the prosthesis occurred in thirty-five shoulders. The mean pain score improved from 8.3 preoperatively to 4.1 at the time of follow-up (p < 0.001). The average active shoulder elevation and external rotation improved from 46° and 26° to 104° and 50° (p < 0.001). Shoulders with anatomic or nearly anatomic healing of the tuberosities had greater active elevation at the time of final follow-up (p = 0.02). There were fourteen complications in twelve patients, with twelve reoperations including five revisions. Kaplan-Meier survivorship with revision as the end point was 97% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 94.3, 100) at one year and 93% (95% CI: 88.0, 99.2) at five, ten, and twenty years. Conclusions: Shoulder arthroplasty decreases pain and improves function in patients with a proximal humeral nonunion. However, the overall results are satisfactory in less than half of the patients. Tuberosity healing is inconsistent and influences the functional outcome. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Diagnostic yield of bile duct brushings for cholangiocarcinoma in primary sclerosing cholangitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background The most ominous adverse event of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is development of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). There is a wide variation in the reported diagnostic yield of bile duct brush cytology in PSC strictures. Objective To determine the diagnostic utility of biliary brush cytology for CCA detection in patients with PSC. Design Meta-analysis. Systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for relevant studies published up to December 2012. Setting Meta-analysis of diagnostic parameters. Patients A total of 747 patients in studies (both retrospective and prospective) in which histopathologic correlation of CCA was available. Intervention Meta-analysis. Construction of 2 × 2 contingency data. Main Outcome Measurements Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, and pooled diagnostic odds ratio. Results The search yielded 54 studies of which 11, involving 747 patients, were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of bile duct brushings for a diagnosis of CCA in patients with PSC were 43% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35%-52%) and 97% (95% CI, 95%-98%), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio to detect CCA was 20.23 (95% CI, 8.75-46.79). The heterogeneity indices of χ 2 statistics, I 2 measure of inconsistency, and the Cochran Q test were 0.156, 14.4, and 30.5%, respectively. Visual inspection of the funnel plot showed low potential for publication bias. Limitations Inclusion of low-quality studies, study heterogeneity. Conclusion Our study suggests that bile duct brushing is a simple and highly specific technique for detection of CCA in patients with PSC. However, the modest sensitivity from bile duct brushing precludes its utility as a diagnostic tool for early detection of CCA in patients with PSC.
Effect of stellar structure on supernova remnant evolution

One-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations have been done of 1E51 erg explosions in 15M⊙ stars. We have appended a steep external density gradient to the pre-supernova model of Weaver et al and find: (1) the outer shock wave decelerates throughout the pre-Sedov phase, (2) the expanding stellar envelope and the shocked interstellar material are Rayleigh-Taylor stable until the Sedov phase, and (3) steep internal density gradients are R-T unstable during the early expansion and may be the source of high velocity knots seen in Cas A.
Communication Message Strategies for Increasing Knowledge About Prostate Cancer Screening

Background. This community-based intervention study examined the effects of 2 different message strategies for presenting information about the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. Methods. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design with 2 intervention and 1 control group. Results. Knowledge increased significantly among participants who received either version of the intervention message and remained elevated at 12 months. Presenting information in the context of other men’s health issues was associated with greater increases in knowledge relative to PSA only. Conclusions. Community-based interventions can increase knowledge about prostate cancer screening. Clinicians need to take careful account of what their patients understand and correct misperceptions.
Light-enhanced startle: further pharmacological and behavioral characterization

Rationale: Previous findings indicate that the acoustic startle response is elevated when rats are tested in bright light. The phenomenon is disrupted by the 5HT1A partial agonist and the D2 receptor antagonist buspirone, a compound that also blocks the effect on startle of conditioned fear, and it was suggested that light-enhanced startle reflects an anxious state produced by bright light. It was also suggested that pre-test handling may be necessary for light-enhanced startle. To characterize this phenomenon further, we evaluate here the sensitivity of light-enhanced startle to the anxiolytic compound chlordiazepoxide, to the noradrenergic beta-receptor antagonist propranolol, and to pre-test handling. Methods: Startle was measured for 20 min in the dark (phase I), followed 5 min later by a second test (phase II) either in the dark or the light. Immediately prior to testing, rats received IP injections of chlordiazepoxide (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg; experiment 1), propranolol (10 or 20 mg/kg; experiment 2) or saline. Using the minimally effective doses from the light-enhanced startle experiments, conditioned fear to a shock-paired cue was also evaluated. In a third experiment, rats were (a) removed from the test cages and briefly handled between phases I and II, (b) were not handled during this interval, or (c) were tested without the interposed delay. Results: Propranolol (10 and 20 mg/kg) and chlordiazepoxide (10 mg/kg) disrupted light-enhanced startle at doses comparable to those required to disrupt fear-potentiated startle to a shock-paired cue. There was no effect of handling. Conclusion: These results further characterize the pharmacology of light-enhanced startle, provide additional support for the view that the effects of light on startle reflect an influence of anxiety, and offer additional information concerning the procedural variables that influence this behavior.
Respiratory Arrest following First Dose of Timolol Ophthalmic Solution

Within 30 minutes of the administration of his first dose of timolol ophthalmic solution, a 67-year-old man with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease experienced severe dyspnea leading to respiratory arrest. He recovered after endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Patients with bronchospastic pulmonary disease who are candidates for therapy with timolol ophthalmic solution should receive their first dose under medical supervision and should have continued close medical follow-up for as long as they receive timolol.
Perioperative Evaluation and Management of Cardiac Disease in the Ambulatory Surgery Setting

Preoperative cardiac evaluation focuses on risk assessment and reduction. Diagnostic testing and interventions are used only when the risk of adverse outcomes is high and intervention will lower the risk. The evaluation is performed in a stepwise fashion according to guidelines in the literature.
Special issue: Glycosciences and Development–Editorial

This special issue of Glycoconjugate Journal on Glycosciences & Development is an extension of the EMBO Workshop that we have organized in Lille, France; in December 2007 (reports of this meeting have been published in EMBO Reports 2008, 9: 617–622 and in the Journal Development 2008, 135: 1389–1393). This meeting was held in the picturesque, contemplative environment of “Les Minimes”, a converted seventeenth century Flemish convent. A cross-section of researchers, both confirmed “glycomaniacs” and those yet to join, discussed and debated recent advances in Glycosciences, providing inspiration and support for many younger scientists who enjoyed their first international meeting. This meeting was unique in both the subject area and the diverse interests of the participants. Developmental biology is presently an area of intense interest and research activity, in which glycans have been recognized as key players because of their wide involvement in embryogenesis, development and evolution. Indeed, specific carbohydrate structures appear in specific spatial and temporal patterns throughout development and play essential functions in cellular communication. The three main topics of this EMBO meeting dealt with recent technological advances made in Glycosciences during early embryogenesis and embryo development, the role of glycosylation in development and differentiation, and the significance of glycosylation in evolutionary biology, including comparative analyses of glycosylation in different animal species and the possible implication of changes in glycosylation patterns. The different lectures highlighted many of key biologic processes implying glycans such as cell adhesion, molecular trafficking, receptor activation, signal transduction ... The selection of manuscripts of this special issue illustrates these three main topics that were developed during this EMBO meeting. They particularly underline the increasing role of animal models used in developmental studies (e.g., mice, Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans or Zebrafish) to elucidate the roles of glycosylation in these processes and highlight the fine tuning of glyco-epitopes in development and evolution. We are very indebted to the authors, who have accepted to submit either a mini-review or a research article to this special issue. All of them have participated to the EMBO Workshop and have spontaneously accepted to contribute to this issue. We really hope that this issue will contribute to emphasize the crucial role that glycosylation plays in Development and Evolution and will stimulate the research in this particular area. Glycoconj J (2009) 26:229 DOI 10.1007/s10719-008-9202-0
SU-E-T-228: Correlation of 3D Surface Matching with AlignRT and MV Imaging for Whole-Breast Radiotherapy (WBRT)

Purpose: Surface matching provides quantitative shifts for patient positioning of superficial treatment sites such as breast. We investigated the reliability of 3D surface matching using AlignRT compared to positioning using skin marks followed by MV portal imaging for WBRT. Methods: Five patients receiving two‐field WBRT without respiratory gating were positioned daily on a breastboard (n=2) or custom alphacradle (n=3). For each treatment fraction guided by MV (n=23), the 3D surface captured using AlignRT (v4.5) was compared to the surface generated from CT simulation data. The AlignRT registration algorithm outputs 3D rotations plus translations to optimize matching between surfaces in user‐defined ROIs. The correlation of AlignRT and MV shifts in 4 degree‐of‐freedom (3D translations and table rotation) was studied for two ROIs: the entire surface (‘all’) and the treated breast (‘Breast’). Two surfaces were re‐captured in the treatment position to compare residual registration errors. Parametric statistical tests were considered significant at p 0.9) although residual 3D distances according to AlignRT remained high for ‘all’ (5.0±4.7mm) and ‘Breast’ (4.7±4.2mm). Furthermore, absolute table rotations calculated by AlignRT for consecutively acquired surfaces exhibited fluctuations that were significantly larger for registrations of ‘Breast’ (0.62±0.58 degrees) than ‘all’ (0.27±0.18 degrees). Conclusion: Breast surface matching using AlignRT depends upon the registered ROI. A large ROI showed higher correlation with MV shifts and increased stability when calculating table rotations. Registrations exhibited a large baseline offset for all ROIs, indicating that quantitative table shifts from AlignRT overestimate those determined from MV imaging by expert physicians for WBRT.
Teaching Modern Dance: A Conceptual Approach.

(2008). Teaching Modern Dance. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 79, No. 8, pp. 36-42.
Protected Research Information Management Environment (PRIME) provides a secure open source data management option for clinical and scientific research

Meeting abstract The Biomedical Information Sciences Unit (BISU) of the UT-CTSI developed a secure, centralized information management system that is accessed through web applications. This system, called Slim-Prim [1,2], is mounted on an Oracle server housed within the UT-ITS and currently hosts three multi-site clinical trials and several institutional trials. In addition, Slim-Prim houses databases of clinical and laboratory information and provides a centralized location for several physician-generated surveys. In the majority of these cases users have approached the BISU and asked for assistance with their data management needs. Slim-Prim [1,2] and the BISU provide a cost effective mechanism for funded groups to handle their data management needs. However, we are also aware that many smaller groups are in desperate need of secure yet flexible database solutions; thus there is the need for a portable, secure and open source instance of Slim-Prim. To this end we have developed and released an open source instance of the Slim-Prim system under the Affero GPL v3 (http://www.gnu.org/) called “Protected Research Information Management Environment (PRIME)”. The PRIME instance is written in PHP, based on an objected-oriented programming (OOP) architecture, and JavaScript with inverted file indexing search algorithms to render the graphical user interface (GUI) (http://www.php.net/). PRIME has a user-friendly interface that is menu driven with help features that assist the user in navigating through the application. PRIME exploits the MySQL database system and allows powerful SQL queries across tasks through using fully normalized table structures (http://www. mysql.com/). It is a web-enabled application that runs on most popular browsers. It is provided to the clinical and translational science community as a free and easily customized database solution.
Adipocyte differentiation is modulated by secreted delta-like (dlk) variants and requires the expression of membrane-associated dlk

Previous studies demonstrate that the delta-like (dlk) and preadipocyte factor 1 (Pref-1) genes encode similar proteins. Pref-1 is downregulated during adipocyte differentiation, and expression of ectopic Pref-1 inhibits adipogenesis. We explored whether dlk functions similarly to Pref-1 and studied the role of alternately spliced dlk variants encoding membrane-associated or -secreted forms. We also studied whether enforced downregulation of dlk/Pref-1 may enhance the differentiation response of non-committed cells. Ectopic expression of a potentially secreted dlk variant, conditioned media from dlk expressing cells or several individual epidermal-growth-factor-dlk peptides inhibited 3T3-L1 differentiation. This demonstrates that dlk and Pref-1 are functionally equivalent. dlk gene mRNA encoding for secreted variants decreased much faster than total dlk gene mRNA during differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. In fact, total dlk or membrane-associated dlk protein expression increased during the first hours of differentiation. Cells sorted for lowest levels of dlk protein diminished or lost their ability to differentiate. These data suggest that membrane and secreted dlk protein variants play opposite roles in the control of adipogenesis. In addition, enforced downregulation of dlk protein expression in the weakly adipogenic Balb/c 3T3 cell line dramatically enhanced adipogenesis in response to insulin. These results indicate that dlk protein not only participates in processes leading to inhibition of adipogenesis but that the control of its expression and different spliced variants is essential for the adipogenic response to extracellular signals.
Alcohol activates the hedgehog pathway and induces related procarcinogenic processes in the alcohol-preferring rat model of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Background: Alcohol consumption promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The responsible mechanisms are not well understood. Hepatocarcinogenesis increases with age and is enhanced by factors that impose a demand for liver regeneration. Because alcohol is hepatotoxic, habitual alcohol ingestion evokes a recurrent demand for hepatic regeneration. The alcohol-preferring (P) rat model mimics the level of alcohol consumption by humans who habitually abuse alcohol. Previously, we showed that habitual heavy alcohol ingestion amplified age-related hepatocarcinogenesis in P rats, with over 80% of alcohol-consuming P rats developing HCCs after 18 months of alcohol exposure, compared with only 5% of water-drinking controls. Methods: Herein, we used quantitative real-time PCR and quantitative immunocytochemistry to compare liver tissues from alcohol-consuming P rats and water-fed P rat controls after 6, 12, or 18 months of drinking. We aimed to identify potential mechanisms that might underlie the differences in liver cancer formation and hypothesized that chronic alcohol ingestion would activate Hedgehog (HH), a regenerative signaling pathway that is overactivated in HCC. Results: Chronic alcohol ingestion amplified age-related degenerative changes in hepatocytes, but did not cause appreciable liver inflammation or fibrosis even after 18 months of heavy drinking. HH signaling was also enhanced by alcohol exposure, as evidenced by increased levels of mRNAs encoding HH ligands, HH-regulated transcription factors, and HH target genes. Immunocytochemistry confirmed increased alcohol-related accumulation of HH ligand-producing cells and HH-responsive target cells. HH-related regenerative responses were also induced in alcohol-exposed rats. Three of these processes (i.e., deregulated progenitor expansion, the reverse Warburg effect, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions) are known to promote cancer growth in other tissues. Conclusions: Alcohol-related changes in Hedgehog signaling and resultant deregulation of liver cell
Differential distribution of peridomestic Aedes mosquitoes on Grand Bahama Island.

Abstract Aedes aegypti , on Grand Bahama Island, is restricted to certain western towns, whereas A. bahamensis is more generally distributed. During 14 years of observation, the range of A. aegypti has extended 8 km and now includes the major tourist centre. Relocation of discarded automobile tyres is an important mechanism for such spread. We suggest that the presence of A. bahamensis restrains colonization by A. aegypti , and thereby helps to protect human populations from A. aegypti -borne disease.
Motility of Self-Assembled Quantum Dot Cargos

Intracellular transport of cargo particles is performed by multiple motors working in concert. Although vesicular cargos appear to have a fixed and small number of motor teams, soluble proteins have been demonstrated to transiently self-assemble into small complexes that can be transported by microtubule motors in the process of slow axonal transport. To investigate the motility of self-assembled cargos in crowded environments, we performed in vitro motility reconstitution experiments with high-resolution particle tracking. Motility is reconstituted by allowing quantum dot cargos to associate to motors on cytoskeletal filaments during the transport process, using kinesin motors and microtubules as a model system. Although the other motors on the filament act as traffic to hinder forward motion, this pool of bound motors also enables the run length and attachment time of the cargo to increase, enhancing overall cargo transport. High motor density on the filaments and the self-assembled cargo results in reduced velocity, increased pausing, and short reversals of the cargo. These results suggest that cellular self-assembled cargos may overcome traffic jams and obstacles through transient and weak associations of multiple motors.
Silicon carbide pressure sensor for high temperature and high pressure applications: Influence of substrate material on performance

We have studied the effect of substrate material related to thermal mismatch for silicon carbide (SiC) diaphragm-based capacitive pressure sensors. Two sets of devices, with identical dimensions and fabrication processes were made on poly-SiC and Si substrates. Designed for a maximum pressure of 4.83 MPa (700 psi), these devices were operated in small-deflection mode and tested at room temperature and 500oC. At room temperature, the SiC- and Si-substrate devices showed sensitivities of 6.5E-04 and 6.1E-04 fF/Pa, nonlinearities of 5.0% and 3.9%, and resolutions of 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. At 500oC, the SiC- and Si-substrate devices showed sensitivities of 1.2E-02 and 1.1E-02 fF/Pa, nonlinearities of 2.6% and 3.8%, and resolutions of 0.5% and 1.8%, respectively. For the chosen design parameters, the results show little influence of substrate material on sensor performance.
The Suppressed Legacy of Nuremberg

The story of patient self-determination cannot be told without the Nuremberg trials. Patient autonomy was the first criterion enunciated by the Nuremberg judges and has served as a touchstone for human subject research and patient care ever since. Yet this ideal was in an important sense irrelevant at the moment it was originally proclaimed.
Safety issues in the management of autoimmune hepatitis

Background: Prednisone and azathioprine are effective in the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis, but diverse side effects can diminish their net benefit. Objectives: Describe the frequency and nature of these side effects and propose management strategies to minimize their impact. Methods: Pertinent articles published from 1970 to 2007 were identified by Medline search and through a personal library. Results: Medication is prematurely discontinued in 13% of patients mainly because of cosmetic changes, cytopenia, or osteopenia. Populations at high risk are the elderly, those with pre-existent co-morbidities, patients with near-zero thiopurine methyltransferase activity, individuals who are treatment-dependent, pregnant women, and asymptomatic patients who are over-treated. Conclusions: Proper patient selection, effective pre-treatment counseling, pre-emptive protective measures, realistic treatment objectives, and early identification of problematic patients can reduce complications. Individualized dosing s...
Convergence Properties of Higher Order Modeling of the Cylindrical Wire Kernel

Extensive analysis of wire antennas using method of moments (MoM) has been performed over the past decades. Despite the thorough understanding and widespread use of the wire antennas, higher order modeling of wire structures has received little to no attention over the years. This may be because the inaccuracies associated with the classic reduced kernel approach used to analyze wire antennas have precluded the use of higher order basis functions. This paper combines a new method for computing integrating the cylindrical wire kernel with higher order basis functions for the accurate modeling of wire antennas. Numerical results demonstrate the higher order convergence of the approach
Reducing medication errors: potential benefits of bolus thrombolytic agents.

A recent Institute of Medicine report highlighted the high incidence of medical errors in clinical practice, and the important fact that errors are associated with increased mortality. The administration of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction is a particularly high-risk situation for emergency physicians. The combination of extreme time pressure with a narrow "therapeutic window" increases the potential for adverse outcomes due to dosing errors. Numerous trials have found that the dose of thrombolytic therapy is closely related to outcomes, with too low a dose associated with lower rates of infarct-related artery patency and higher doses associated with increased bleeding and intracranial hemorrhage. In the GUSTO-I trial, 13.5% of patients treated with streptokinase and 11.5% of patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) had a medication error (i.e., incorrect dose or infusion length). Most importantly, 30-day mortality was significantly higher in patients with medication errors: for t-PA dosing errors mortality was 7.7% vs 5.5% for patients who received the correct t-PA dose (p < 0.001), with similar findings for streptokinase. More recent data from the InTIME2 trial and other studies showed that use of a bolus thrombolytic agent reduced the rate of medication errors. Thus, use of the simpler bolus thrombolytic agents may reduce emergency department medication errors, and thus improve overall clinical outcome.
A DECISION-THEORETIC APPROACH TO TRANSILLUMINATION IMAGING IN BIOLOGICAL MEDIUMS

The tradeoffs between ballistic imaging (time-gated imaging of first-arrival, unscattered photons) and conventional imaging for resolving tumors in biological scattering media are examined. For ballistic imaging, closed form expressions are derived to characterize the resolvability using five degrees of freedom (laser intensity, scattering coefficient, thickness of medium, false alarm rate, and number of observations). For conventional imaging, a numerical approximation is used to find the asymptotic resolution using the scattering and absorption coefficients of the medium. Using the characterizations of both approaches, a decision-theoretic approach to determining the minimum resolvable object size is developed, which provides clear guidelines as to when time-gated ballistic imaging methods offer advantages over conventional imaging. The theoretical predictions are validated through a realistic simulation of tumors in breast tissue.
Courier Assignment in Social Networks

Integration is important in politics, business, and technology. In all these fields, the definition of integration is vague. We build a formal measure of integration based on the latency of communication, and show how it can be used to optimize a courier assignment problem. Through simulation, we show how networks grow as couriers are added. Our measure captures the tradeoff between locality and expansion, as well as providing a model for triangle closure. Finally, we form conjectures about political integration which can be tested through empirical research
The RGM protein DRAG-1 positively regulates a BMP-like signaling pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans

The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway regulates multiple developmental and homeostatic processes. Mutations in the pathway can cause a variety of somatic and hereditary disorders in humans. Multiple levels of regulation, including extracellular regulation, ensure proper spatiotemporal control of BMP signaling in the right cellular context. We have identified a modulator of the BMP-like Sma/Mab pathway in C. elegans called DRAG-1. DRAG-1 is the sole member of the repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) family of proteins in C. elegans, and is crucial in regulating body size and mesoderm development. Using a combination of molecular genetic and biochemical analyses, we demonstrate that DRAG-1 is a membrane-associated protein that functions at the ligand-receptor level to modulate the Sma/Mab pathway in a cell-type-specific manner. We further show that DRAG-1 positively modulates this BMP-like pathway by using a novel Sma/Mab-responsive reporter. Our work provides a direct link between RGM proteins and BMP signaling in vivo and a simple and genetically tractable system for mechanistic studies of RGM protein regulation of BMP pathways.
Machine intelligence applied to radar image understanding

Concepts from artificial machine intelligence are applied to range-Doppler images of simple space objects. The relevant features to be extracted from the radar data include the position and type of all scattering centers in body coordinates as well as the motion parameters for the object. The goal is to produce a representation of the imaged 3-D object that is appropriate for recognition. The proposed approach combines the power of classical methods with the flexible representations and control structures afforded by the field of machine intelligence. The authors have built a recognition system using signal processing primitives to extract features, semantic model building and matching, and a control structure that is based on a blackboard architecture. Performance evaluation results for the object modeling system are presented. >