cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacists ascribing value of technician certification using an organizational behavior framework.

Purpose To gather rich details about the value of technician certification from diverse groups of pharmacists of various practice settings and levels of experience. Methods Focus groups of pharmacists were conducted using a semistructured interview guide in 4 states (California, Idaho, Tennessee, and Washington) varying in pharmacy technician scope of practice, regulation, and education and/or training environment. Participant pharmacists came from health-system, clinic, and community pharmacy environments. The focus groups took the unique approach of an organizational behavior perspective to contextualize technician readiness for practice change and employer fit. The sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Rapid-based qualitative analysis was used to code the data, with summary templates completed by 2 of the researchers for each of the 4 sessions. Results There were a total of 33 focus group participants, including 13 male and 20 female pharmacists ranging in age from 27 to 68 years. The 4 major themes yielded by the data were (1) impact of certification, (2) context of certification, (3) organizational culture considerations, and (4) future credentialing. Certification was deemed to have a greater impact on technician maturation, professional socialization, and career commitment than on actual job skills, even while job knowledge was also deemed to be enhanced. In fact, the certification process was also deemed beneficial in that it meshes with on-the-job training. Participants indicated preferences for technician certification examinations to incorporate more content in "soft skills" and also for development of more specialty and/or differentiated certification products. Conclusion Pharmacists from 4 states saw value in certification but agreed that certification is but one component of readying technicians for future practice. Suggestions for furthering the value of certification were shared.
Placenta accreta spectrum: biomarker discovery using plasma proteomics.

Background Many cases of placenta accreta spectrum are not diagnosed antenatally, despite identified risk factors and improved imaging methods. Identification of plasma protein biomarkers could further improve the antenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum . Objective The purpose of this study was to determine if women with placenta accreta spectrum have a distinct plasma protein profile compared with control subjects. Study Design We obtained plasma samples before delivery from 16 participants with placenta accreta spectrum and 10 control subjects with similar gestational ages (35.1 vs 35.5 weeks gestation, respectively). We analyzed plasma samples with an aptamer-based proteomics platform for alterations in 1305 unique proteins. Heat maps of the most differentially expressed proteins (T test, P Results Many of the top 50 proteins that significantly dysregulated in participants with placenta accreta spectrum were inflammatory cytokines, factors that regulate vascular remodeling, and extracellular matrix proteins that regulate invasion. Placenta accreta spectrum, with the use of the top 21 proteins, distinctly separated the placenta accreta spectrum cases from control cases (P Conclusion Participants with placenta accreta spectrum had a unique and distinct plasma protein signature.
Provision of free nicotine replacement therapy to parental smokers in the pediatric emergency setting

Introduction Although the administration of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is effective in helping smokers quit, the feasibility, acceptability and safety of this practice have not been examined in the emergency setting of the pediatric emergency department (PED) or urgent care (UC). We examined the characteristics of parental smokers who were interested and eligible for free NRT during their child's emergency visit and the uptake, usage, and associated side effects of NRT use. Methods We analyzed data from 377 parental smokers who were randomized to receive cessation counseling and free NRT as part of an emergency visit-based randomized controlled trial. Parents interested in NRT were screened for medical contraindications; eligible parents were given a 6-week supply of NRT patches or lozenges during their child's emergency visit and offered another supply 6 weeks later. We conducted Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and chi-squared tests to address our main study objective. Results The majority of parents were female (87.5%), non-Hispanic Black (52.5%), and mean (SD) age was 33.1 (8.2) years. A total of 252 (66.8%) parents were interested in receiving NRT. Compared to uninterested parents, interested parents were more likely to: be older [33.6 (8.2) vs 31.9 (8.2), years]; be non-Hispanic Black (54.0% vs 49.6%); have older children [5.5 (5.0) vs 4.2 (4.6)]; have a higher readiness to quit [7.0 (2.4) vs 5.2 (2.6)]; and have a child being evaluated in UC compared to the PED (72.4% vs 56.5%). A total of 53 (21%) interested parents had >1 NRT contraindications. At 6 weeks, 94 (79.0%) parents reported some ≥NRT usage and 50 (53.2%) requested an additional 6-week supply. There were no serious adverse events and 5 (5.3%) reported minor side effects. Conclusions Parental smokers in the emergency setting are interested in receiving free NRT, the majority use it, and use is not associated with adverse side effects. The emergency visit may be an optimal time to offer NRT to parental smokers.
Experimental investigation of the crush performance of prepreg platelet molding compound tubes

This work presents an experimental study characterizing the crush performance of hollow cylindrical tubes made with prepreg platelet molding compound (PPMC). PPMC is a composite material system tha...
Would economic growth affect air pollution in light of the potential transatlantic trade and investment partnership

This paper examines the impact of income per capita on five air pollutants, respectively. It employs a dataset of the twenty-eight EU members and of the U.S. over a twenty-five-year period. The results provide robust evidence consistent with the Environmental Kuznets Curve argument for CO2, CH4, and HFCs/PFCs/SF6, respectively. The results yield practically a monotonically increasing relationship between per capita income and per capita emissions of GHGs and N2O, respectively, when including the trade variables related to the possible implementation of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Thus, this study suggests that policymakers in both sides of the Atlantic could take into consideration that a future trade deal between the U.S. and the EU may contribute to increasing the depletion of the ozone layer.
Macrophages and infertility: oviductal macrophages as potential mediators of infertility

Human peritoneal macrophages have previously been shown to phagocytize normal sperm. We had hypothesized that if macrophages were present in the distal oviducts, they could interfere with fertilization by phagocytizing sperm in vivo. The present study was designed to determine whether functional macrophages are present in the human oviducts, and to determine the relationship between oviductal and peritoneal macrophages. Forty patients undergoing laparotomy for sterilization or evaluation of infertility or other gynecologic factors were studied. Infertile patients with endometriosis had more peritoneal macrophages than did fertile normal women or infertile women with distal or proximal tubal obstruction. Oviductal macrophages were observed in all patients. The oviductal macrophages were indistinguishable from the peritoneal macrophages, as judged by similar morphologic features, adherence to plastic, phagocytosis of polystyrene spheres and IgG-coated erythrocytes, and presence of peroxidase and α-naphthylbutyrate esterase. Patients with endometriosis had the highest numbers of oviductal macrophages, while those patients with distal tubal obstruction had extremely few oviductal macrophages. The results suggest that oviductal macrophages may arise from peritoneal macrophages that migrate into the oviducts.
Age-dependent increase in α-tocopherol and phytosterols in maize leaves exposed to elevated ozone pollution

Tropospheric ozone is a major air pollutant that significantly damages crop production around the world. Crop metabolic responses to rising chronic ozone stress have not been well-studied in the field, especially in C4 crops. In this study, we investigated the metabolomic profile of leaves from two diverse maize (Zea mays) inbred lines and the hybrid cross during exposure to season-long elevated ozone (~100 nL L-1) in the field using free air concentration enrichment (FACE) to identify key biochemical responses of maize to elevated ozone. Senescence, measured by loss of chlorophyll content, was accelerated in the hybrid line, B73 x Mo17, but not in either inbred line (B73 or Mo17). Untargeted metabolomic profiling further revealed that inbred and hybrid lines of maize differed in metabolic responses to ozone. A significant difference in the metabolite profile of hybrid leaves exposed to elevated ozone occurred as leaves aged, but no age-dependent difference in leaf metabolite profiles between ozone conditions was measured in the inbred lines. Phytosterols and α-tocopherol levels increased in B73 x Mo17 leaves as they aged, and to a significantly greater degree in elevated ozone stress. These metabolites are involved in membrane stabilization and chloroplast reactive oxygen species (ROS) quenching. The hybrid line also showed significant yield loss at elevated ozone, which the inbred lines did not. This suggests that the hybrid maize line was more sensitive to ozone exposure than the inbred lines, and up-regulated metabolic pathways to stabilize membranes and quench ROS in response to chronic ozone stress. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.
Ricanness: Enduring Time in Anticolonial Performance: by Sandra Ruiz, New York, New York University Press, 2019, 256 pp., 20 black and white illustrations, USD $30 (paperback), ISBN 9781479825684, USD $89 (hardcover), ISBN 9781479888740.

Sandra Ruiz’s Ricanness: Enduring Time in Anticolonial Performance is a meditation on how colonialism, bodily endurance, and death fundamentally constitute and frame Rican subjectivity. Historical ...
Association between asthma and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in the United States pediatric population.

United States (US) youth consume an average of 10 teaspoons of added sugar from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) on any given day. Few population-based studies have examined the association between ...
Emotional responses to social media experiences among adolescents: Longitudinal associations with depressive symptoms

OBJECTIVE The degree to which adolescent social media use is associated with depressive symptoms has been the source of considerable debate. Prior studies have been limited by a reliance on cross-sectional data and measures of overall "screen time." This study examines prospective associations between adolescents' emotional responses to social media experiences and depressive symptoms, and examines gender differences in these processes. METHOD A school-based sample of 687 adolescents (48.6% girls; Mage = 14.3; 38.1% White, 29.4% Hispanic, 23.0% Black) completed measures of positive and negative emotional responses to social media experiences and depressive symptoms at two time points, one year apart. RESULTS Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with more frequent negative emotional responses to social media experiences one year later, whereas greater positive emotional responses to social media were associated with later depressive symptoms. Girls reported overall greater emotional responses to social media experiences, but gender did not moderate associations between these emotional responses and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION Findings highlight the importance of examining adolescents' positive and negative emotional experiences in the context of social media use, and the ways in which these experiences intersect with depressive symptoms, so as to identify youth who may be most vulnerable to negative effects of social media use.
Distributions of Bus Stop Spacings in the United States

This article introduces a database of bus stop spacings for 43 cities in the United States derived from GTFS files published in late 2019. Weighting each spacing by the number of times a bus traverses it, we produce distributions and summary statistics. The overall mean spacing is 313 meters. Las Vegas' RTC has the widest mean spacing (482 m) and Philadelphia's SEPTA the narrowest (214 m). We also compare spacings within agencies' "core'" cities to those outside.
A comparison of two methodologies for radiotherapy treatment plan optimization and QA for clinical trials

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The efficacy of clinical trials and the outcome of patient treatment are dependent on the quality assurance (QA) of radiation therapy (RT) plans. There are two widely utilized approaches that include plan optimization guidance created based on patient-specific anatomy. This study examined these two techniques for dose-volume histogram predictions, RT plan optimizations, and prospective QA processes, namely the knowledge-based planning (KBP) technique and another first principle (FP) technique. METHODS This analysis included 60, 44, and 10 RT plans from three Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) multi-institutional trials: RTOG 0631 (Spine SRS), RTOG 1308 (NSCLC), and RTOG 0522 (H&N), respectively. Both approaches were compared in terms of dose prediction and plan optimization. The dose predictions were also compared to the original plan submitted to the trials for the QA procedure. RESULTS For the RTOG 0631 (Spine SRS) and RTOG 0522 (H&N) plans, the dose predictions from both techniques have correlation coefficients of >0.9. The RT plans that were re-optimized based on the predictions from both techniques showed similar quality, with no statistically significant differences in target coverage or organ-at-risk sparing. The predictions of mean lung and heart doses from both methods for RTOG1308 patients, on the other hand, have a discrepancy of up to 14 Gy. CONCLUSIONS Both methods are valuable tools for optimization guidance of RT plans for Spine SRS and Head and Neck cases, as well as for QA purposes. On the other hand, the findings suggest that KBP may be more feasible in the case of inoperable lung cancer patients who are treated with IMRT plans that have spatially unevenly distributed beam angles.
The Problem of Strain Accumulation Under Thermal Cycling

Eqs. (1) and (2), as pointed out in reference 2, are not applicable to a jet-flapped wing; likewise, neither is Eq. (6). However, Hancock has made the necessary extension to Eq. (2) and found the added terms to be small. The experimental data cited in references 1 and 2 lie above Eq. (2) for the planar wake (and above its extended form), but below Eq. (6) for the rolled-up vortex pair. (The full predicted maximum of Eq. (6) is probably unattainable since it is predicated on a wake angle of 90°). Thus, perhaps the rolling up of the trailing vortex sheet, not previously considered in this problem, plays an important role.
Molecular Basis of Disorders of Hemostasis and Thrombosis

A comprehensive recital of the molecular basis of all of the defects leading to disorders of hemostasis and thrombosis is well beyond the scope of this book. This chapter instead presents broad themes, focusing on defects in the soluble coagulation factors, defects in platelet number and function, other defects leading to hemorrhage, and defects predisposing to thrombosis.
Disaster and Emergency Management System

This paper presents a Disaster and Emergency Management System which uses the mobile 4G network to provide reliable communications between the event site and the command site. The system includes a front end device and a backend management system, as well as a mobile pico base station which can be carried to and easily set up at a disaster struck area to provide the last mile link. Cases of the real applications of the systems are also provided.
To Feel, or Not to Feel, is it a Question of Time? The Influence of Feedback Availability on the Magnitude of Anticipated Regret

Anticipated regret refers to the main psychological effects of the various worries that beset a decision maker before any losses actually materialize (Janis &Mann, 1977). There has been ample research on how anticipated regret might influence people’s subsequent behaviors (e.g., Zeelenberg, 1999), but little work has examined what might affect the magnitude of anticipated regret. The present study aims to investigate the role of availability of outcome. Specifically, the authors are interested in whether the outcome is immediately available or not, we suspected, might influence how much anticipated regret decision makers experience. The result reveals that people indeed experience greater anticipated regret when the outcome is immediately available. The finding contributes to our understanding of anticipated regret by illustrating possible influences posed by temporal distance of feedback. Furthermore, the finding offers implications for decision-making process.
Historical thoughts on influenza viral ecosystems, or behold a pale horse, dead dogs, failing fowl, and sick swine.

Please cite this paper as: Morens and Taubenberger. (2010) Historical thoughts on influenza viral ecosystems, or behold a pale horse, dead dogs, failing fowl, and sick swine. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 4(6), 327–337. Objectives To understand human influenza in a historical context of viral circulation in avian species, mammals, and in the environment. Design Historical review. Setting Global events in a variety of circumstances over more than 3,000 years time. Sample Comprehensive review of the historical literature including all major publications on pandemic and panzootic influenza. Main Outcome Measures Influenza pandemics, panzootics, major epidemics and epizootics, and instances of interspecies transmission of influenza A. Results Extensive documentation of human and animal influenza over many centuries suggests that influenza A viruses have adapted to a variety of species and environmental milieu and are capable of switching between many different hosts under widely varying circumstances. Conclusions The genetic elements of influenza A viruses circulate globally in an extensive ecosystem comprised of many avian and mammalian species and a spectrum of environments. Unstable gene constellations found in avian species become stable viruses only upon switching to secondary hosts, but may then adapt and circulate independently. It may be desirable to think of influenza A viruses as existing and evolving in a large ecosystem involving multiple hosts and environments. Implications for understanding human influenza are discusssed.
An Optimal Free Energy Dissipation Strategy of the MinCDE Oscillator in Regulating Symmetric Bacterial Cell Division

Sustained molecular oscillations are ubiquitous in biology. The obtained oscillatory patterns provide vital functions as timekeepers, pacemakers and spacemarkers. Models based on control theory have been introduced to explain how specific oscillatory behaviors stem from protein interaction feedbacks, whereas the energy dissipation through the oscillating processes and its role in the regulatory function remain unexplored. Here we developed a general framework to assess an oscillator’s regulation performance at different dissipation levels. Using the Escherichia coli MinCDE oscillator as a model system, we showed that a sufficient amount of energy dissipation is needed to switch on the oscillation, which is tightly coupled to the system’s regulatory performance. Once the dissipation level is beyond this threshold, unlike stationary regulators’ monotonic performance-to-cost relation, excess dissipation at certain steps in the oscillating process damages the oscillator’s regulatory performance. We further discovered that the chemical free energy from ATP hydrolysis has to be strategically assigned to the MinE-aided MinD release and the MinD immobilization steps for optimal performance, and a higher energy budget improves the robustness of the oscillator. These results unfold a novel mode by which living systems trade energy for regulatory function.
Experiments with Game Tree Search in Real-Time Strategy Games

Game tree search algorithms such as minimax have been used with enormous success in turn-based adversarial games such as Chess or Checkers. However, such algorithms cannot be directly applied to real-time strategy (RTS) games because a number of reasons. For example, minimax assumes a turn-taking game mechanics, not present in RTS games. In this paper we present RTMM, a real-time variant of the standard minimax algorithm, and discuss its applicability in the context of RTS games. We discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and evaluate it in two real-time games.
Activation of multiple protein kinases during the burst in protein phosphorylation that precedes the first meiotic cell division in Xenopus oocytes

A number of different protein and peptide substrates were used to identify and characterize stimulated kinase activities in Xenopus oocyte extracts prepared during the major burst in protein phosphorylation that precedes meiotic cell division. While total cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity in the cytosol was not stimulated, this kinase was the major kinase phosphorylating a number of the substrates and consequently had to be inhibited to prevent its masking cAMP-independent protein kinase activities. Sizable stimulations of kinase activities were then observed in extracts from progesterone-treated oocytes as compared to controls when the following substrates were utilized: Leu-Arg-Arg-Ala-Ser-Leu-Gly (Kemptide) (8-fold); the synthetic peptide, Arg-Arg-Leu-Ser-Ser-Leu-Arg-Ala, the sequence of which is based on that of a phosphorylation site in ribosomal protein S6 (8-fold); ribosomal protein S6 (8-fold); histone H1 (5-fold); skeletal muscle glycogen synthase (3-fold); and myelin basic protein (30-fold). When these substrates were used to assay extracts fractionated on DEAE-Sephacel, at least three distinct peaks of stimulated kinase activity were detected, eluting at 0.12, 0.17, and 0.21 M NaCl. These peaks were tentatively designated M-phase Activated Kinases(s), MAK-H, MAK-S, and MAK-M, respectively. Using histone H1 as a selective probe for MAK-H and S6 peptide or Kemptide as probes for MAK-S, the kinase activities comprising these peaks were found to cycle with the meiotic cell cycle.
Definitive airway management of patients presenting with a pre-hospital inserted King LT(S)-D™ laryngeal tube airway: a historical cohort study

The King LT(S)-D™ laryngeal tube (King LT) has gained popularity as a bridge airway for pre-hospital airway management. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the use of the King LT and its associated airway outcomes at a single Level 1 trauma centre. The data on all adult patients presenting to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota with a King LT in situ from July 1, 2007 to October 10, 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. Data collected and descriptively analyzed included patient demographics, comorbidities, etiology of respiratory failure, airway complications, subsequent definitive airway management technique, duration of mechanical ventilation, and status at discharge. Forty-eight adult patients met inclusion criteria. The most common etiology for respiratory failure requiring an artificial airway was cardiac arrest [28 (58%) patients] or trauma [9 (19%) patients]. Four of the nine trauma patients had facial trauma. Surgical tracheostomy was the definitive airway management technique in 14 (29%) patients. An airway exchange catheter, direct laryngoscopy, and video laryngoscopy were used in 11 (23%), ten (21%), and ten (21%) cases, respectively. Seven (78%) of the trauma patients underwent surgical tracheostomy compared with seven (18%) of the medical patients. Adverse events associated with King LT use occurred in 13 (27%) patients, with upper airway edema (i.e., tongue engorgement and glottic edema) being most common (19%). In this study of patients presenting to a hospital with a King LT, the majority of airway exchanges required an advanced airway management technique beyond direct laryngoscopy. Upper airway edema was the most common adverse observation associated with King LT use.
A method for estimating ice mass loss from relative InSAR observations: Application to the Vatnajökull ice cap, Iceland

[1] We present a new method for estimating ice mass loss from glaciers and ice sheets using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) time-series data. We use a linear inversion method based on observations of nearby bedrock uplift and a solution for surface loading of an elastic half-space. The method assumes that mass loss is focused on lower elevation terminal regions of the glacier or ice sheet, and that there is an exponential decrease in thinning rate toward the higher elevation interior. We apply the method to uplift rates between 1995 and 2009 near Vatnajokull, Iceland. The data reveal up to 13 mm/yr relative line-of-sight (LOS) velocity around the south-western edge of Vatnajokull. We find an ice mass loss rate of 6.8−0.7+0.8 Gt/yr, in approximate agreement with other estimates. Ice loss since 1995 is twice as fast as the loss rate estimated for the rest of the 20th century.
Characterization of the promoter of avirulence gene D from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato.

The avirulence gene D (avrD) from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato comprises the first open reading frame (ORF) of a putative operon consisting of at least five tandem ORFs. The promoter of the avrD operon was localized to a 150-bp DNA fragment occurring 59 to the avrD gene by using the Tn7-lux and gus reporter systems. The avrD promoter in P. syringae pv. tomato and P. syringae pv. glycinea was poorly expressed when bacteria were grown in complex culture media but was activated during bacterial growth in plants. The timing and level of induction were similar in compatible and incompatible plant-pathogen interactions. When bacteria were grown in minimal culture medium, promoter activity was repressed by certain carbon sources, high concentrations of nitrogen compounds, and pH values above 6.5. Primer extension experiments on RNA from bacteria grown in minimal medium identified two transcription initiation sites 87 and 41 nucleotides upstream from the translational start site. Only the -41 transcriptional start site was identified in bacteria grown in soybean leaves. A sigma 54 promoter consensus sequence (GG-10 bp-GC) occurred 14 bp upstream of the -41 transcriptional start, and 39 deletions into this region completely abolished promoter activity. Little expression was observed when a gus fusion with the avrD promoter was introduced into an ntrA mutant strain of P. syringae pv. phaseolicola deficient in the sigma 54 cofactor. Expression from the avrD promoter also required the hrp regulatory genes, hrpS and hrpL. Deletions from the 59 end of the promoter region and base substitution analyses also identified two upstream elements important for expression. Sequence comparison of these elements with other cloned avirulence genes revealed the presence of a conserved consensus sequence elements with other cloned avirulence genes revealed the presence of a conserved consensus sequence (GGAACC-N15/16-CCAC) in the promoters of nine different avirulence genes from P. syringae pathovers. Images
Risk Compensation: Implications for Safety Interventions

Several theories of driving behavior have suggested that individuals will react to environmental changes in a compensatory fashion such that riskier behaviors result from perceptions that the environment has become safer. Specifically, both Peltzman (1975) and Wilde (1982a) have proposed such compensation mechanisms, although Wilde takes a more stringent approach. Unfortunately, the majority of studies on the topic have attempted to test the compensation mechanism using aggregate accident data. Studies that have investigated risk compensation at the level of the individual have failed to assess subjective risk, a critical variable for the interpretation of the risk associated with specific behaviors. It is argued that risk compensation can only operate at the individual level and that previous studies testing the validity of risk compensation are difficult to interpret due to levels of analysis issues or unmeasured variables. In the current investigation, two judgment/decision making studies were designed to test risk compensation. Individual level analyses indicated that there was modest support for Peltzman's mild interpretation of the risk compensation mechanism, but that individuals do not compensate for changes in the environment enough to return to their original levels of risk as Wilde has predicted.
Fur regulation in Yersinia species.

Summary The effects of iron have been linked with several phenomena including regulation of membrane proteins; however, the mechanism of iron regulation is not well characterized in Yersinia pestis. It is well known that in Escherichia coli, the fur gene product mediates negative transcriptional regulation of several genes in response to iron. We have cloned a Y. pestis fur gene which is highly homologous to the E coli fur regulatory gene. The sequence of the Y. pestis fur gene exhibits 75% homology to the E. coli gene at the nucleotide level, and 84% homology at the predicted amino acid level. The Y. pestis fur gene is transcribed as a single gene message of approximately 0.5 kb which encodes an approximately 16 kDa protein when expressed in E coli minicells. A Yersinia enterocolitica fur mutant exhibits hypersensitivity to the Y. pestis bacteriocin, pesticin; the cloned Y. pestis fur gene restores wild-type levels of pesticin sensitivity. Furthermore, iron regulation of at least five surface proteins in this Y. enterocolitica fur mutant is restored by transcomplementation with the Y. pestis fur gene. These data indicate that Y. pestis and Y. enterocolitica possess homologous Fur systems which regulate expression of proteins in response to iron availability.
SU-E-T-262: Comparing Linear Accelerator Gantry Angle Measurements Using An EPID and Spirit Level

Purpose: To compare the precision and consistency of measuring Linear Accelerator Gantry Angles between an Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID) and a Spirit Level. Methods: A cubical phantom was created by placing radio opaque markers therein at precise positions. The phantom was placed on the treatment table and aligned with the lasers in the treatment room. Using the Linear Accelerators EPID, images of the phantom were taken at the four primary gantry angles 0. 90. 180 and 270 degrees. Over a period of 1 month, 25 images were acquired at each primary gantry angle. The images of the phantoms were analyzed to calculate the gantry angle using a macro created with Image J (NIH). In the same time period, 13 gantry angle measurements were made using a spirit level at the four primary angles. Results: The average and standard deviations of gantry angles for the EPID based method at the four primary gantry angles 0, 90, 180 and 270 were −0.1(0.011), 90.0(0.011), 180.2(0.015) and 270.0(0.006) degrees respectively. In comparison, the spirit level based measurements yielded average gantry angles of 0.2 (0.03), 90.2 (0.04), 180.1(0.01) and 269.9(0.05). Results of each method similar and are within +/− 0.2 degrees of the intended angle. There is however a noteworthy difference in standard deviations between each method. Conclusion: The precision of each method yielded results within the linac specifications. Improvements to the materials and construction of the phantom could improve gantry angle accuracy by reducing positioning errors in the markers. More data needs to be acquired to determine which method is more accurate. However, the EPID gantry angle measurements strongly suggest an advantage over the spirit level results with more reproducible results as demonstrated by smaller deviations from the mean.
On the Use of IRT Models With Judgmental Standard Setting Procedures

In judgmental standard setting procedures (e.g., the Angoff procedure), expert raters establish minimum pass levels (MPLs) for test items, and these MPLs are then combined to generate a passing score for the test. As suggested by Van der Linden (1982), item response theory (IRT) models may be useful in analyzing the results of judgmental standard setting studies. This paper examines three issues relevant to the use of lRT models in analyzing the results of such studies. First, a statistic for examining the fit of MPLs, based on judges' ratings, to an IRT model is suggested. Second, three methods for setting the passing score on a test based on item MPLs are analyzed; these analyses, based on theoretical models rather than empirical comparisons among the three methods, suggest that the traditional approach (i.e., setting the passing score on the test equal to the sum of the item MPLs) does not provide the best results. Third, a simple procedure, based on generalizability theory, for examining the sources of error in estimates of the passing score is discussed.
Sequence changes preceding a Shine-Dalgarno region influence trpE mRNA translation and decay

Abstract In studies with a trpE promoter-strength measuring System we observed that constructs containing the Escherichia coli trp promoter and its adjacent transcribed region yielded lower levels of trpE protein than were expected. To analyze this observation we introduced mutational changes in the nucleotide sequence preceding the trpE Shine-Dalgarno region and examined their effects on trpE mRNA synthesis, translation and decay. We found that certain deletion, insertion and Substitution mutations in the pre-Shine-Dalgarno region caused a two- to fivefold increase in trpE enzyme activity. These increases were accompanied by increases in steady-state levels of trpE mRNA. Pulse-chase analyses of trpE mRNA degradation revealed that the observed steady-state trpE mRNA levels correlated with changes in trpE mRNA stability. These findings are interpreted in terms of alternative models in which the primary effect of mutational changes that elevate trpE expression is to increase trpE mRNA translation, versus increasing trpE mRNA stability.
Could Suicide Terrorists Actually Be Suicidal

For years, it has been widely agreed on that suicide terrorists are not suicidal individuals, and that behaviorally, they are more similar to noble soldiers who are willing to sacrifice themselves for a cause. However, upon closer examination, it appears that the foundation of this conventional wisdom is extraordinarily shaky. There are many reasons to think that both event-based and psychological risk factors for suicide may drive the behavior of suicide terrorists. Furthermore, there is growing evidence that more than 75 individual suicide terrorists have exhibited these classic suicidal traits. Given the power that the stigma of suicide may have to deter future suicide terrorists, it is critical that governments, scholars, and practitioners examine this issue once again.
Competition between Ultrafast Energy Flow and Electron Transfer in a Ru(II)-Loaded Polyfluorene Light-Harvesting Polymer.

This Letter describes the synthesis and photophysical characterization of a Ru(II) assembly consisting of metal polypyridyl complexes linked together by a polyfluorene scaffold. Unlike many scaffolds incorporating saturated linkages, the conjugated polymer in this system acts as a functional light-harvesting component. Conformational disorder breaks the conjugation in the polymer backbone, resulting in a chain composed of many chromophore units, whose relative energies depend on the segment lengths. Photoexcitation of the polyfluorene by a femtosecond laser pulse results in the excitation of polyfluorene, which then undergoes direct energy transfer to the pendant Ru(II) complexes, producing Ru(II)* excited states within 500 fs after photoexcitation. Femtosecond transient absorption data show the presence of electron transfer from PF* to Ru(II) to form charge-separated (CS) products within 1–2 ps. The decay of the oxidized and reduced products, PF+• and Ru(I), through back electron transfer are followed us...
Long-term outcomes of catheter directed thrombolysis for lower extremity deep venous thrombosis without prophylactic inferior vena cava filter placement

Background While the predominant treatment of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) remains systemic anticoagulation, there is a growing consensus that more aggressive percutaneous catheter directed thrombolysis (CDT) carries both short-term and long-term benefits. There remains controversy as to whether an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter is always required during CDT. Objective To define the short- and long-term outcomes of CDT with and without prophylactic IVC filter placement for lower extremity DVT. Methods A database of patients treated by CDT from 1996 to 2006 was compiled. Results were standardized to current Society for Vascular Surgery criteria. Average follow-up was 2.1 years, range of 1-8 years. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed to assess time-dependent outcomes. Factor analyses were performed using a Cox proportional hazard model for time dependent variables. Data are presented as mean ± SD where appropriate. Results Sixty-nine patients (39% male, average age 48 ± 17 years) underwent CDT: (27 received pharmacological thrombolysis, 12 received mechanical thrombolysis, and 30 received mechanical and pharmacological thrombolysis). Fourteen patients (20%) had IVC filter placement prior to or during CDT. Twenty-one had a hypercoagulable state. Technical success with grade III lysis of clot burden was achieved in 63%. Fifty-one patients required an adjuvant stent. Overall, 90-day all-cause mortality was 4% and peri-procedural morbidity was 4%. No patients developed a pulmonary embolus (PE) during therapy. By Kaplan-Meier analysis 83%, 83%, and 75% of patients were free of recurrent DVT at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. Hypercoagulability was associated with DVT recurrence by Cox proportional hazards analysis. No analyzed factor was predictive of PE. Conclusion Catheter directed thrombolysis without universal prophylactic IVC filter placement is safe and effective in treating acute DVT. Pulmonary embolization did not occur during CDT. Selective rather than routine IVC filter placement is a safe and appropriate approach.
Spectroscopy of Hydrothermal Reactions. 2. Reactions and Kinetic Parameters of [NH3OH]NO3 and Equilibria of (NH4)2CO3 Determined with a Flow Cell and FT Raman Spectroscopy

Methods are described for determining equilibria and reactions in H2O by FT Raman spectroscopy and stainless steel and titanium flow cells operated up to 500 K and 275 bar. Semiquantitative correlations were achieved between the Raman scattering and concentration of CO2, N2O, and NO3- under these conditions. The CO32-, HCO3-, CO2, and NH2CO2- components of aqueous (NH4)2CO3 were observed directly and reveal a preference for neutral species (CO2 and NH3) at higher temperature. The exothermic decomposition of aqueous [NH3OH]NO3 (HAN) was investigated at a pressure of 275 bar as a function of temperature, concentration, and flow rate. The flow reactor appears to be most useful when the Damkohler number is 1−2. From the induction times-to-exotherm in the Ti cell, apparent activation energies of 129 ± 29 kJ/mol for 0.87−1.52 m HAN and 66 ± 8 kJ/mol for 1.58−1.74 m HAN were obtained. Arrhenius preexponential factors are estimated. The apparent activation energies are compared to previous estimates at different ...
Using Linda to compute spatial autocorrelation in parallel

Abstract A measure of spatial autocorrelation for polygon data, Moran's I, is decomposed into a set of processes that are executed in a MIMD parallel processing environment. Computational experiments, implemented using C-Linda, were conducted to evaluate the performance of two versions of the parallel algorithm. The first used contiguity-based weights and the second used distance-based weights. C-Linda is a parallel coordination language that enables researchers to process problems in parallel using a wide variety of computer architectures. In our analyses, the number of processors was changed between one and fourteen and the size of the data set was increased from 500 to 3000 polygons. The results indicate that for contiguity-based weighting the use of additional processors failed to improve performance. When distance-based weights were used, however, substantial gains in performance were realized.
A comparison of list-processing computer languages: including a detailed comparison of COMIT, IPL-V, LISP 1.5, and SLIP

Abstract : A detailed comparison is presented of COMIT, IPL-V, LISP 1.5, and SLIP-four well-known computer programming languages which, among them, exhibit all the principal characteristics of existing list-processing languages. Important comon features of list-processing languages are reviewed: forms of data structures which are manipulated; necessity for dynamic allocation of storage; use of pushdown stores; and use of recursive operations. Principal differences between the four languages under consideration are detailed: representations of data, both by the programmer and within the machine; methods for storage allocation; programming formalisms and special processes available, including arithmetic facilities; and usability in terms of availability, documentation, learning aids, and debugging facilities. Finally, the authors give some heuristics to aid in the selection of one of these languages for use in particular problem applications, concluding that no one of the languages considered in distinctly superior over all possible list-processing applications. (Author)
Nonverbal Rapport-Building Behaviors' Effects on Perceptions of a Supervisor:

Results from the two studies reported in this article suggest that a male supervisor can be effective in building rapport with a subordinate solely by the nonverbal communicative behaviors he exhibits. The supervisor who exhibited selected nonverbal rapport-building behaviors was more positively perceived in a number of different ways than the supervisor who did not exhibit such behaviors. Subordinates were perceived as more likely to comply with the requests of the high-rapport supervisor and to experience a higher level of job satisfaction when interacting with a high-rapport supervisor.
A computer system for automatically constructing stimulus material

A FORTRAN system for constructing various kinds of stimulus materials is described. A user enters the basic components of an experiment (stimulus items, presentation parameters, trial identifiers, etc.) as files, and uses the system to combine the basic files, automatically constructing the desired stimuli. The system contains file-manipulation functions for combining files (including factorial combination), functions for separating out parts of a file, and functions for randomizing files. The user can use the standard FORTRAN function-embedding and function-definition features to easily specify elaborate operations on the basic files to construct complex stimulus files.
Plaque Progression in a Human Coronary Artery is Associated With Low Wall Shear Stress and Extended Particle Residence Time

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) evaluation was performed in the coronary arteries of a 45-year-old patient with stable angina during vigorous physical activity. Concurrent angiography demonstrated a mild plaque in the proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD), with obvious lumen dilatation immediately distal to the plaque. Blood velocity was measured by a catheter Doppler transducer at proximal and distal segments of the left coronary artery, and the left main artery (LM) and LAD were reconstructed using a 3D-IVUS reconstruction technique based on biplanar angiography and IVUS images, enabling simulation of the flow field in the artery employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Wall shear stress (WSS) and particle path lines were determined from the CFD studies. The patient returned for a follow up evaluation after 6 months, and plaque progression during this period was evaluated from the IVUS data. Results showed that low WSS, less than 5 dynes/cm2, which occurs in the region immediately distal to the plaque, correlates with localized progression of the lesion over the 6 month interval. The path line tracking computations showed that particles near the vessel surface where plaque progression was observed resided near the artery wall longer than one complete cardiac cycle, whereas in other areas particles were flushed through the region of interest rapidly. These observations in a specific individual are consistent with the hypothesis that plaque progression is related to low WSS and relatively long residence time of atherogenic blood-borne substances.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Epidermal growth factor, a phorbol ester, and 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate decrease the transcription of the luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin receptor gene in MA-10 leydig tumor cells

In a recent series of experiments we have shown that the previously recognized ability of mouse epidermal growth factor (mEGF), cAMP, or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) to reduce the density of LH/CG receptors in MA-10 cells is secondary to a reduction in receptor messenger RNA (mRNA). As a follow-up to these studies we now present experiments designed to determine if the reduction in LH/CG receptor mRNA is due to a decrease in transcription of the receptor gene and/or an increase in the rate of degradation of the mRNA. The potential effects of mEGF, cAMP, or PMA on the degradation of the LH/CG receptor mRNA were measured in MA-10 cells treated with Actinomycin D or in kidney cells permanently transfected with the LH/CG receptor complementary DNA driven by a heterologous promoter. Both experimental strategies revealed that none of these compounds increase the rate of degradation of the receptor mRNA. If anything, a stabilizing effect was noted. The potential effects of mEGF, cAMP, or PMA on the tran...
Standing balance and function over the course of acute rehabilitation

Abstract The purpose of this study of 52 acute rehabilitation patients was to describe the reliability and responsiveness of measurements of standing balance and function and to establish the relationships between the measurements over the course of rehabilitation. Standing balance was measured with a seven-level (0 through 6) ordinal scale. Three functional activities (chair to mat transfer, locomotion, and stair climbing) were measured using Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. Balance and FIM scores were found to be reliable (weighted κ > .85). Balance and FIM scores increased significantly ( p r S = .444 to .774) and longitudinally ( r S = .279 to .616), with balance. Moreover, changes in FIM scores were correlated significantly with changes in balance ( r S = .413 to .595). The results of this study support the use of the ordinal balance scale described herein in an acute rehabilitation setting.