cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Management of Risk

There has been a steady rise in awareness of and interest in risk, particularly environmental risk, on the part of the general public and the professional community over the past few decades (see for instance, Regens, Dietz, and Rycroft, 1983; Wildavsky, 1979; Wilson, 1979; Marsh & McLennan, 1980). A recent analysis of citations in scientific journals showed a dramatic increase in the use of the word risk in that literature since 1960 (Inhaber and Norman, 1982). Bills have been introduced into Congress to promote the use of risk assessments in the management of environmental risk (H.R. 6159, the “Ritter” bill) by a wide range of agencies. These legislative actions have emphasized the lack of a systematic use of risk analyses in agency decision making in establishing just how susceptible the public is to environmental risks (H.R. 6159, Section 2 (g)). A recent National Academy of Sciences study of several federal agencies came to the same conclusions (NAS, 1983). These attempts at quantifying risk in environmental health contexts are similar to attempts to value a life, first popular during World War II in a military context, then in the context of nuclear power, and now as a basis for evaluating the costs and benefits of governmental regulatory programs and funding decisions for consumer safety and environmental protection (see for instance, Acton, 1976; Zeckhauser, 1975). What distinguishes the recent interest in risk from earlier concerns is the emphasis upon risks whose consequences are delayed rather than immediate, and whose causes are primarily man-induced rather than the result of natural phenomena.
The Determination of Ammonia in the Field

The popular use of the ammonia-chlorine treatment of water has made desirable a quick and accurate field method for the determination of free ammonia. A recent article by Hulbert (1) emphasizes the advisability of maintaining laboratory control, at the plant, of ammonia when used with the chlorination of drinking water. Fletcher and Link (2) have demonstrated the necessity of regulating carefully the ammonia content of swimming-pool waters. Both the direct Nesslerization and the distillation procedures as described in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Sewage (3) require so much apparatus and are so time-consuming that, without modification, they can not be conveniently followed in the field. The use of Nessler tubes is not to be recommended in
Outcomes of patients with MYC-expressing aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas who fail two or more lines of therapy.

e19528Background: Patients (pts) with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with increased expression of MYC by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) represent > 1/3 of all DLBCL pts with relapsed/ref...
The human manual

Understanding how computer systems are built today can help us improve how well we work together.
What Good is a NAP for Developing Countries? A Preliminary Assessment of Achievements and Prospects for National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights in the Global South

The global effort to compel states to meet their duty to protect in the business and human rights context is centered on the project of developing National Action Plans on business and human rights (NAPs) for implementing the UNGPs. This project has been central to the agenda of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (Working Group) over the past few years. To date NAPs production has been concentrated in Europe. A looming question for the business and human rights movement and proponents of the UNGPs, therefore, is to what extent Global South countries will undertake a NAP process. The development of NAPs only in the Global North, which are in general aimed at curbing harmful corporate conduct by multinationals in the Global South without corresponding action in the Global South, is a clear impediment to the development of a global governance system that can avert corporate human rights violations, the very objective of the NAPs project. Equally necessary is the strengthening of institutions – local legislative frameworks, judicial systems, and law enforcement - in developing country host states. In this way, the production of NAPs in the Global South, particularly in conflict and post-conflict societies, can be seen as a guard against neo-colonialism by providing a critical opportunity for developing countries to systematically address the governance gaps rooted in their own institutions. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that Global South countries – China, South Africa, Thailand, India, and many others -- are the home states of multinationals that operate internationally both within their regions and in other regions of the Global South. These countries share responsibilities to strengthen their legal and regulatory institutions so that companies domiciled within their borders operating internationally know that they will be held to account for their human rights impacts. This paper aims to shed light on Global South perspectives on NAPs in an effort to understand the prospects for UNGP diffusion in Africa, Asia and Latin America through them. The emphasis is therefore on a locally-grounded conception of NAPs that meets the needs of Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans. The first section is a review of reports of regional workshops and other published analysis on the potential role of NAPs in implementing human rights norms for business within the Global South and identify several key needs that NAPs can serve. Next we examine the impetus of Global South states to develop NAPs by reviewing the political, economic and social underpinnings of NAPs commitments in two countries, Kenya and Chile, where the governments have committed to a NAP and at the time of this writing the processes are underway. We conclude with reflections on the prospects for the continued evolution and generation of NAPs in the Global South.
Should Organic Chemistry Be Taught as Science

Organic chemistry, as experienced by most undergraduates in the classroom and as utilized in most undergraduate laboratories, is more akin to an algorithm than a coherent conceptual framework. Contributing to this incoherence is an intrinsic disconnect between the explanatory power of the organic mechanism and the overall cognitive objective of connecting organic structure with mechanism. These limitations are compounded by the relatively unsophisticated understanding of the nature of science common to most undergraduates. The idealized nature of many of the mechanisms analyzed favors treating organic chemistry at the undergraduate level as essentially a rules-based system, allowing it to be taught as more of an applied science or technology.
Photobiomodulation for the management of alopecia: mechanisms of action, patient selection and perspectives.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) or low-level laser therapy was discovered over 50 years ago, when Mester in Hungary observed regrowth of hair in mice when irradiated with a ruby laser. At the present time, several different PBM devices are marketed to assist with hair regrowth in alopecia patients. This review covers the three main types of alopecia (androgenetic, areata, and chemotherapy-induced), and discusses the mechanism of action of PBM for each disease. The different devices used (mostly low powered red laser diodes), dosimetry, animal models, and clinical trials are summarized. Criteria for patient selection are outlined. Finally a perspectives section looks forward to the future.
Participation of Hepatic Parenchymal and Kupffer Cells in Chylomicron and Cholesterol Metabolism

The administration of reticuloendothelial (RE) stimulants produced an increased growth and functional activity of RE cells. Parenchymal cell number, structure, and function, as indicated by BSP removal, and histological and electron-microscopic observations were unaltered in RE-stimulated rats. The RE hyperactive group manifested an increased intravascular removal of colloidal carbon which was associated with enhanced accumulation of carbon in Kupffer cells.
A question of intent: Application of the Knobe effect in teaching ethics

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES The Knobe effect refers to a measurable tendency among people to believe that undesirable side effects are brought about intentionally while desirable side effects are brought about unintentionally. People blame decision-makers for bad outcomes but do not credit them for good outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine if the same is true for dental students and whether, as health care practitioners, students might mistakenly expect a benefit-of-the-doubt entitlement for themselves that the public is unwilling to bestow when an outcome is bad. METHODS Over three years, roughly 500 first-year dental students were posed two previously published standardized Knobe cases requiring a yes/no response. The survey was conducted as part of a classroom exercise with aggregated responses recorded digitally, anonymously, in real time. RESULTS The Knobe phenomenon was confirmed among dental students but the effect was muted in comparison to that of the public. Dental students aligned with the general public in declining credit for a good outcome but not in attributing blame for a bad outcome. Overall, dental students' negative responses exceeded their positive responses for both questions-confirming the Knobe effect but also revealing that dental students were less willing to take a stance by positively assigning either praise or blame. CONCLUSION Using an in-class survey instrument to demonstrate the Knobe effect among dental students may be one way of making more concrete an unjustified benefit-of-the-doubt entitlement these future professionals may otherwise expect for themselves.
Fossil and Recent Avifaunas and the Interamerican Interchange

Ornithologists have long known that important interchanges took place in the Cenozoic between the North and South American avifaunas (von Ihering, 1927; Lonnberg, 1927). The debate about what taxa were involved and what direction they migrated has not often been resolved satisfactorily, however, because Recent birds give clues that can be interpreted in different ways by different people and because fossil birds have frequently been dismissed since they apparently offer such insignificant evidence.
ALTERITY AND JUDGMENT: SOME MORAL IMPLICATIONS OF HEGEL'S CONCEPT OF LIFE

Moral philosophers have not looked often to the concept of life as a foundation for moral judgment and moral respect. Greek ethics, focusing on education and the formation of character, treat life as a more or less promising raw material, to be properly reshaped through the application of appropriate pedagogical disciplines. As Christianity develops the conceptual opposition between a sensible and an intelligible world, life appears, not only raw, but also evil. In addition to disciplines of formation or education, disciplines of redemption and salvation proliferate.1 And, despite some attention to the role of actual sentiment or feeling in supplying both force and direction for moral judgment, notably by Montaigne and Hume, the tradition culminates in Kant’s celebrated alienation of reason and feeling: invoking “mutual love” as one of the two indispensible “great moral forces”, Kant is careful to point out that this love is “not to be taken as a feeling (aesthetic love), i.e., a pleasure in the perfection of other men; it does not mean emotional love… It must rather be taken as a maxim of benevolence” ([5], sec. 25). Thus, respect is not a “feeling” dependent upon actual comparisons among living beings, but a maxim derived analytically from the idea of freedom. The domain of actual life, where moral judgment and moral respect will be deployed, may contribute nothing to their determination.
What's for dinner? Finding and affording healthy foods in New Hampshire communities

• The distribution of full-service grocery stores is uneven in new Hampshire. They are concentrated in areas of high population density, including the Seacoast, the areas adjacent to Massachusetts, and along major transportation corridors. There is a deficit of grocery stores in the northern parts of the state, as well as in more remote rural areas in the central and western parts of the state. access to healthy and affordable food is a basic family need. yet access to nutritious food has declined in inner cities and rural areas in recent decades, as grocery stores consolidate and close or relocate to other communities. Often the nearest supermarket or full-service grocery store is miles away, leaving residents to rely on “quick stop” gas stations and convenience stores. Lowerincome families have been particularly hard hit with additional transportation barriers and costs. Limited access to quality, affordable groceries makes it hard for families to provide sufficient nutritious food, which has been linked to poor diet and obesity. Both put individuals at risk for chronic disease, such as diabetes and heart disease.1 Since 1995, the u.S. Department of agriculture (uSDa) has collected information annually on food spending, food access and adequacy, and sources of food assistance. according to the most recent report, released in november 2009, more than 17 million (14.6 percent) american households were “food insecure” in 2008. Food security is defined by the uSDa as “consistent, dependable access to enough food for active, healthy living.” Food insecurity indicates that “access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources.”2 The current levels of food insecurity are the highest since surveys were initiated and may well reflect the consequences of a deteriorating economy and increased unemployment.3 new Hampshire, which consistently has one of the lowest poverty rates in the nation and frequently ranks among the top five healthiest states in national surveys had one of the lowest rates of household food insecurity at nearly 9 percent.4 although the state is doing very well compared with other states, nevertheless, more than 44,000 new Hampshire households do not have adequate access to food. This brief reports the findings of a study of food access in new Hampshire, focusing on the geographic distribution of grocery stores and other food outlets, a survey of the availability of food among households in the state, and the distribution of dietary-related health conditions. The Long reach of Food insecurity
A Semi-Definite programming-based Underestimation method for global optimization in molecular docking

The paper introduces a new global optimization method that is targeted to solve molecular docking problems, an important class of problems in computational biology. The search method is based on finding general convex quadratic underestimators to the binding energy function that is funnel-like. Finding the optimum underestimator requires solving a semi-definite programming problem, hence the name Semi-Definite programming based Underestimation (SDU). The optimal underestimator is used to bias sampling in the search region. A detailed comparison of SDU with a related method of Convex Global Underestimator (CGU), a discussion of the convergence properties of SDU, and computational results of the application of SDU to a number of rigid protein-protein docking problems are provided.
Examining the Psychometric Quality of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Early Childhood/Generalist Assessment System.

The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric quality of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Early Childhood/Generalist assessment system. Rating data from the 1997–1998 assessment were analyzed using the FACETS (Linacre, 1998) computer program. The assessment system's 10 exercises work together to define a unidimensional accomplished teaching variable. There is little evidence of multidimensionality in the data, and none of the exercises appear to function in a redundant manner. The exercise set succeeds in defining several statistically distinct levels of accomplished teaching among the candidates. Overall, most candidate rating profiles show consistent performance across the exercises. While assessors differed somewhat in severity, most used the 12-point rating scale consistently. Although the range in assessor variability tends to be moderate, assessor severity does influence the number of candidates that can bank individual exercises. (If a candidate's total scaled score does not meet or exceed the NBPTS performance standard of 275, the candidate can bank scores on exercises in which the candidate received a final score of 2.75 or greater. If the candidate reapplies for certification in the next three years, the candidate does not have to retake banked exercises.)
Conservation potential of agricultural water conservation subsidies

[1] A current policy subsidizes farmers to invest in improved on-farm irrigation efficiency, expecting water to be conserved off farm. Contrary to expectation, water has been increasingly depleted in some regions after such improvements. This paper investigates the policy's failure to conserve water consistently by (1) formulating an economic model of irrigated crop production to determine a profit-maximizing irrigator's range of responses to a subsidy and (2) embedding these responses into hypothetical streamflow diagrams to ascertain their potential to conserve water under various hydrologic regimes. Testable hypotheses are developed to predict the conservation potential of a subsidy in real-world application.
Community Effects on Welfare Participation

This paper conceptualizes and estimates a model of welfare participation that tests for community effects. Theoretically, the model is consistent with Fischer's (1984) notion of urban life, and a welfare participation model developed by Rank and Hirschl (1993). The empirical analysis includes aggregate and multivariate tests, and an identification of these effects in terms of household knowledge and behavior. We find strong evidence that community structure influences the decision to get food stamps, and one notable difference with the Rank and Hirschl findings: community poverty level is a more powerful and global predictor of participation than is population density. The findings suggest emendations to Wilson's notion of the “truly disadvantaged” insofar as residence in high poverty areas afford opportunities for information exchange and the development of specialized networks.
Comparison of large unilamellar vesicles prepared by a petroleum ether vaporization method with multilamellar vesicles: ESR, diffusion and entrapment analyses

Large unilamellar vesicles, prepared by a petroleum ether vaporization method, were compared to multilamellar vesicles with respect to a number of physical and functional properties. Rotational correlation time approximations, derived from ESR spectra of both hydrophilic (3-doxyl cholestane) and hydrophobic (3-doxyl androstanol) steroid spin probes, indicated similar molecular packing of lipids in bilayers of multilamellar and large unilamellar liposomes. Light scattering measurements demonstrated a reduction in apparent absorbance of large unilamellar vesicles, suggesting loss of multilamellar structure which was confirmed by electron microscopy. Furthermore, large unilamellar vesicles exhibited enhanced passive diffusion rates of small solutes, releasing a greater percentage of their contents within 90 min than multilamellar vesicles, and reflecting the less restricted diffusion of a unilamellar system. The volume trapping capacity of large unilamellar vesicles far exceeded that of multilamellar liposomes, except in the presence of a trapped protein, soy bean trypsin inhibitor, which reduced the volume of the aqueous compartments of large unilamellar vesicles. Finally, measurement of vesicle diameters from electron micrographs of large unilamellar vesicles showed a vesicle size distribution predominantly in the range of 0.1--0.4 micron with a mean diameter of 0.21 micron.
A Review of Vortex Structures and Associated Coherent Motions in Turbulent Boundary Layers

The experimental and computational evidence for the existence and role of vortices in turbulent boundary layers is briefly reviewed. Quasi-streamwise and transverse vortices are considered, and various published conceptual models for horseshoe-like vortical structures are compared. The causes for upright and inverted horseshoe-shaped vorticity lines are discussed, and the distinction between vorticity lines and vortices is demonstrated. Finally, results from a numerically-simulated turbulent boundary layer are used to compute distributions of diameter, height, and strength for quasi-streamwise and spanwise vortices. These results confirm that quasi-streamwise vortices are clustered near the wall, while spanwise vortices are distributed throughout the layer. The variation of spanwise vortex core diameter with distance from the wall is found to be consistent with the mixing-length distribution for a boundary layer.
Cultural Evolutionism and Plains Archaeology

Archaeologists often describe cultural changes in the prehistoric Plains as historical episodes involving diffu sion events of stylistic innovations. Nevertheless, syn theses of Plains archaeology persistently include four sequent stages very much like the evolutionist scenarios from other portions of the New World, particularly the eastern United States. The archaeological record does not justify such an evolutionary model in the Plains; what it does indicate is two stages of development?forager and village agricultural. The reason for this conceptual problem in Plains archaeology may result from archae ologists tacitly accepting the idea that an unbiased archaeology requires a concept of evolutionary progress through independent innovation.
Not So Fast: Ten Challenges to Importing Implicit Attitude Measures to Media Psychology

The implicit attitude construct has captured researchers' imaginations and dramatically shifted research priorities in the attitude field. It is likely that these measures will be increasingly utilized by researchers studying media-related phenomena. We review the psychometric foundations of current implicit measures and introduce what we view as 10 pressing psychometric, methodological, and conceptual challenges facing the implicit attitude field today. We call for research that revises current empirical approaches to better address these challenges and provide recommendations for media psychologists who might incorporate these measures into their research programs.
Direct-channel analysis of the predictions of a crossed-channel theory

The total cross-sections of various MM, MB, BB and B\(\overline B \) processes calculated by Horwitz and Rosner using the CHKN fit are expanded in terms of the imaginary parts of the forward elastic direct-channel amplitudes withSU3 Clebsch-Gordan coefficients. It is consistent to assume that the energy-dependent parts of the amplitudes areSU3 invariant, while theSU3 violating parts are essentially constant background contributions. The changes of thes-channel amplitudes in energy are calculated; the results are consistent with what would be expected from considerations of duality.
Image forensic analyses that elude the human visual system

While historically we may have been overly trusting of photographs, in recent years there has been a backlash of sorts and the authenticity of photographs is now routinely questioned. Because these judgments are often made by eye, we wondered how reliable the human visual system is in detecting discrepancies that might arise from photo tampering. We show that the visual system is remarkably inept at detecting simple geometric inconsistencies in shadows, reflections, and perspective distortions. We also describe computational methods that can be applied to detect the inconsistencies that seem to elude the human visual system.
A control system for logical block diagnosis with data loading

This paper describes a section of an integrated diagnostic monitor system which facilitates the checking of sections of instructions or subroutines anywhere in the object program. A new method of specifying all diagnostic operations in a format similar to a computer program makes the system convenient to use and relatively simple to understand. The paper also describes a number of other novel diagnostic features which can be included in the system.
Determining the Syntactic Structure of Medical Terms in Clinical Notes

This paper demonstrates a method for determining the syntactic structure of medical terms. We use a model-fitting method based on the Log Likelihood Ratio to classify three-word medical terms as right or left-branching. We validate this method by computing the agreement between the classification produced by the method and manually annotated classifications. The results show an agreement of 75%--83%. This method may be used effectively to enable a wide range of applications that depend on the semantic interpretation of medical terms including automatic mapping of terms to standardized vocabularies and induction of terminologies from unstructured medical text.
Jun: Stealth, Stability, and Transformation

A recent paper by Wei and collaborators in Cancer Cell sheds light on the effects of one of the mutations in v-Jun and has broad implications for our understanding of control mechanisms that direct the timing of important cell cycle functions (Wei et al., 2005).
Gait asymmetry in patients with limb-length inequality.

Summary One of the problems facing the clinician is the differentiation between functional and structural limb-length inequality. This study investigated 20 subjects (mean age, 9.0 ± 3.9 years) with documented limb-length inequalities to determine the magnitude of discrepancies that result in gait abnormalities. The subjects were asked to walk on an 8-m walkway at a self-selected free pace. The contact time, first and second force peaks, and loading and unloading rates of the vertical ground-reaction force were measured for both limbs. These parameters were predictive for quantification of gait asymmetry. The asymmetry of these parameters increased as the limb-length inequality increased. In general, a limb-length inequality >2.0 cm (3.7%) resulted in gait asymmetry that was greater than that observed in the normal population. However, the amount of asymmetry varied for each individual. A static examination can document an anatomic deformity, but this deformity may be compensated for by functional adaptations. An analysis of the patient's gait should be performed to identify asymmetries during ambulation. Dynamic gait findings, such as demonstrated in this study, are needed to support static measurements.
Cannabinoid Regulation of Nitric Oxide Synthase I (nNOS) in Neuronal Cells

In our previous studies, CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonists stimulated production of cyclic GMP and translocation of nitric oxide (NO)-sensitive guanylyl cyclase in neuronal cells (Jones et al., Neuropharmacology 54:23–30, 2008). The purpose of these studies was to elucidate the signal transduction of cannabinoid-mediated neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) activation in neuronal cells. Cannabinoid agonists CP55940 (2-[(1S,2R,5S)-5-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxypropyl) cyclohexyl]-5-(2-methyloctan-2-yl)phenol), WIN55212-2 (R(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(morpholinyl)methyl]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]-1,4-benzoxazinyl]-(1-naphthalenyl)methanone mesylate), and the metabolically stable analog of anandamide, (R)-(+)-methanandamide stimulated NO production in N18TG2 cells over a 20-min period. Rimonabant (N-(piperidin-lyl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide), a CB1 receptor antagonist, partially or completely curtailed cannabinoid-mediated NO production. Inhibition of NOS activity (NG-nitro-l-arginine) or signaling via Gi/o protein (pertussis toxin) significantly limited NO production by cannabinoid agonists. Ca2+ mobilization was not detected in N18TG2 cells after cannabinoid treatment using Fluo-4 AM fluorescence. Cannabinoid-mediated NO production was attributed to nNOS activation since endothelial NOS and inducible NOS protein and mRNA were not detected in N18TG2 cells. Bands of 160 and 155 kDa were detected on Western blot analysis of cytosolic and membrane fractions of N18TG2 cells, using a nNOS antibody. Chronic treatment of N18TG2 cells with cannabinoid agonists downregulated nNOS protein and mRNA as detected using Western blot analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Cannabinoid agonists stimulated NO production via signaling through CB1 receptors, leading to activation of Gi/o protein and enhanced nNOS activity. The findings of these studies provide information related to cannabinoid-mediated NO signal transduction in neuronal cells, which has important implications in the ongoing elucidation of the endocannabinoid system in the nervous system.
Performing Land-Capability Evaluation by Use of Numerical Taxonomy: Land Use and Environmental Decisionmaking Made Hard?

Researchers have attempted to incorporate environmental variables into the land-use planning process by use of several ranking and mapping formulations. Most of these are based on some type of classification scheme. More recently, multivariate statistical techniques have been utilized to classify land areas into groups with similar suitability for urban development. A test was made of one of these numerical taxonomic techniques on a data set from Medford Township, New Jersey, and the results analyzed in terms of the pros and cons of these methods. A group of 484 forty-acre grid cells with forty-two environmental variables was collapsed into a ten variable set for ten groups of grid cells having like characteristics. The analysis involved two steps, factor analysis followed by a euclidean-distance-classification algorithm. The results show that numerical taxonomy can greatly facilitate the analysis of large environmental data sets and can help to identify the ecological relationships in quantitative terms....
MO-D-BRB-04: The Approval Process for the Use of Proton Therapy in NCI-Sponsored Clinical Trials.

Purpose: To describe the approval process for the use of proton therapy in NCI‐ sponsored clinical trials. Methods: The RPC has developed a comprehensive system for the approval of proton therapy centers for participation in clinical trials. The approval process includes: 1) completion of the proton facility questionnaire, 2) participation in the RPC's annual TLD remote audit program, 3) electronic submission of treatment planning data to the Image‐Guided Therapy Center (ITC), and 4) successful completion of an on‐site dosimetry review visit, including the irradiation of two of the RPC's anthropomorphic proton phantoms (prostate and spine). The on‐site audits allow the RPC to review the institution's treatment planning process, from simulation to treatment delivery, as well as their quality assurance practices. The RPC performs a complete set of measurements that tests the CT simulator's CT# vs. RSP conversion curve, treatment planning data, on‐board imaging, and treatment delivery. These measurements detect gross errors that might lead to inaccurate proton dose delivery. The review of the institutions’ QA procedures allows the RPC to encourage all proton centers to maintain a consistent level of periodic monitoring of their proton therapydelivery. Upon completion of the visit, a full report is written detailing the results from the visit, phantom irradiation, and recommendations for improving their treatment delivery and QA. Results: To date, the RPC has approved seven proton therapy centers for the use of scattered or uniform scanning proton treatment delivery in clinical trials. Results of the phantom irradiations have identified an error in the HU vs RLSP curve. The site visits have identified several lapses in QA procedures, inappropriate HU vs RLSP values, and weaknesses in treatment planning.Conclusions: The RPC's proton therapy approval process has been developed and has identified areas of improvement for proton centers to use proton therapy in clinical trials. Work supported by grants CA10953, CA059267, and CA81647 (NCI, DHHS).
Valproic Acid, an Antiepileptic Drug with Histone Deacetylase Inhibitory Activity, Potentiates the Cytotoxic Effect of Apo2L/TRAIL on Cultured Thoracic Cancer Cells through Mitochondria-Dependent Caspase Activation

Inhibitors of histone deacetylases have been shown to enhance the sensitivity of cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand TRAIL-mediated cytotoxicity. Valproic acid (VA), a commonly used antiepileptic agent whose pharmacokinetics and toxicity profiles are well described, is a histone deacetylase inhibitor. This project aims to evaluate if VA can potentiate Apo2L/TRAIL-mediated cytotoxicity in cultured thoracic cancer cells and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for this effect. VA sensitized cultured thoracic cancer cells to Apo2L/TRAIL, as indicated by a 4-fold to a >20-fold reduction of Apo2L/TRAIL IC50 values in combination-treated cells. Although VA (0.5-5 mM) or Apo2L/TRAIL (20 ng/ml) induced less than 20% cell death, VA + Apo2L/TRAIL combinations caused 60% to 90% apoptosis of cancer cells. Moreover, substantial activation of caspases 8, 9, and 3, which was observed only in cells treated with the drug combination, was completely suppressed by Bcl2 overexpression or by the caspase 9 inhibitor. Both the caspase 9 inhibitor and Bcl2 completely abrogated the substantial cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by this combination, thus highlighting the pivotal role of the type II pathway in this process. These findings provide a rationale for the development of VA and Apo2L/TRAIL combination as a novel molecular therapeutic for thoracic cancers.
Extracellular microRNAs turn on NK cells via TLR1.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are established posttranscriptional regulators of the protein content inside of a cell. In this issue of Blood , He et al identify a provocative new function of exogenous miRNAs in promoting natural killer–cell activation by stimulating Toll-like receptor–1 signals.[1][1] ![
Metallocene basicity. VII. Protonation of ring substituted ferrocenophanes

Abstract The protonation of a series of eleven alkyl and dialkylferrocenophanes has been examined using 1 H NMR. In trifluoroboric acid, the protonated species are found to be long-lived on the NMR time scale and stable to decomposition. In many cases the conformations of the protonated species could be determined. In all cases, it was found that only one conformation was observed in solution indicating a strong structural preference presumedly driven by the steric demands of the ring substituents and the bridges. Several examples of spin-spin coupling between the iron-hydrogen and the ring hydrogens are reported.
Cyclic comodules, the homology of j, and j-homology

Abstract We provide a somewhat simpler computation of the homology of the image of j spectrum using general techniques for comodules over a coalgebra. We also compute the homotopy of the spectrum H F p ∧ j H F p , the spectrum which plays the role of H F p ∧ H F p in the category of j-modules.
Migratory and Lymphoid-resident Dendritic Cells Cooperate in Murine Lymph Nodes for Efficient CD4 + T Cell Priming

To initiate an adaptive immune response, rare antigen-specific naive CD4+ T cells must interact with equally rare dendritic cells (DCs) bearing cognate peptide-MHC complexes. Lymph nodes (LN) draining the site of antigen entry are populated by lymphoid-resident DCs as well as DCs that have immigrated from tissues, although the requirement for each population in initiating the T cell response remains unclear. Here, we show that antigen processing and presentation by both lymphoid-resident and migratory DCs is required for clonal selection and expansion of CD4+ T cells following subcutaneous immunization. Early antigen presentation by lymphoid-resident DCs initiates activation and trapping of antigen-specific T cells in the draining LN, without sufficing for clonal expansion. Migratory DCs, however, interact with the CD4+ T cells retained in the LN to induce proliferation. Therefore, distinct DC subsets cooperate to alert and trap the appropriate cell and then license its expansion and differentiation.
The 2001 Benjamin Franklin medal in physics presented to Alan Guth, Ph.D. of Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, awarded the 2001 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics to Alan H. Guth for his efforts to advance our knowledge of physical science and its application of the inflationary scenario, in which the universe undergoes a rapid expansion in the first stages of the Big Bang.
SIMPLICITY AND COMPLEXITY IN ECOLOGICAL DATA ANALYSIS

I argue that ecological data analyses are often needlessly complicated, and I present two examples of published analyses for which simpler alternatives are available. Unnecessary complexity is often introduced when analysts focus on subunits of the key experimental or observational units in a study, or use a very general framework to present an analysis that is a simple special case. Simpler analyses are easier to explain and understand; they clarify what the key units in a study are; they reduce the chances for computational mistakes; and they are more likely to lead to the same conclusions when applied by different analysts to the same data.
Progesterone withdrawal increases the anxiolytic actions of gaboxadol: role of α4βδ GABAA receptors

Hippocampal alpha4betadelta GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A)-R) are increased following progesterone withdrawal (PWD) in a rodent model of premenstrual anxiety. This alpha4betadelta receptor isoform uniquely responds to the GABA agonist gaboxadol (THIP) with a maximum current greater than that gated by GABA, and is potentiated more by pentobarbital than are other GABA(A)-R. We therefore investigated the anxiolytic effects of these drugs using the elevated plus maze. Gaboxadol (1.25 mg/kg) was markedly more anxiolytic in animals undergoing PWD than in controls. Pentobarbital (10 mg/kg) also produced a greater anxiolytic effect during PWD. These results suggest that the pharmacological properties of alpha4betadelta GABA(A)-R following PWD are evident behaviorally. Alterations in the alpha4betadelta GABA(A)-R population may have implications for the etiology and treatment of premenstrual syndrome.
Delirium and mortality risk prediction: a story in evolution

We read with interest the article by van den Boogaard and colleagues, which proposed that delirium measured within 24 hours of admission did not improve the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II in-hospital mortality prediction [1]. Their data should be interpreted after considering the study design and statistical limitations. First, the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) measurements include assessing the level of consciousness (using any valid sedation scale), which is highly correlated with the Glasgow Coma Score. Therefore it is not surprising that addition of delirium to the APACHE score (which includes the Glasgow Coma Score) on the first intensive care unit day does not alter predictions; however, earlier detection of delirium at the initial evaluation of Emergency Department patients is an important predictor of death [2]. We have found that the level of consciousness (via the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale) has been predictive of in-hospital mortality, but this relationship is not as strong as the independent value of delirium duration (via the CAM-ICU) for predicting long-term survival, even after adjusting for APACHE II score and sedatives [3,4]. Second, the authors base their conclusions upon comparisons of areas under the curve using the c statistic. Recent insights suggest that this analytic method is insensitive and open to type II error [5]. A more sensitive method to assess additive predictive ability applies likelihood ratio testing between models with and without additional risk factors. In addition, substantial improvements in risk reclassification may be apparent despite limited increases in the c statistic. In sum, it may be true (but confirmation is required) that adding delirium to a measurement such as the APACHE score is not of value. Clinicians and hospital quality officers should continue to consider early detection of delirium and ongoing delirium detection as an important prognostic tool.
Long-latency auditory-evoked potentials: role of polysensory association cortex in the cat.

Abstract The objective of this study has been to define the role of polysensory association cortex in the generation of “wave NA” and of “wave C,” long-latency auditory-evoked potentials recorded from the vertex of conscious cats as, respectively, a marked negative potential of latency 30–48 msec followed by a broad positive wave of latency 50–75 msec. Wave C may represent the feline analogue of the longer latency human auditory-evoked potential wave P2, insofar as both waveforms are very large amplitude, long duration positivities characterized by long recovery cycles. Based on previous studies of wave C and the generators of other middle-latency evoked potentials, we hypothesized that both wave NA and wave C might reflect, at least in part, the cortical culmination of a nonlemniscal line auditory association system arising in reticulothalamic projections to intralaminar and associated ventral thalamic regions. Relays from these thalamic areas are known to project to polysensory association cortex, including pericruciate gyrus, anterolateral gyrus, and medial suprasylvian gyrus. Therefore we implemented a series of lesion experiments to characterize the role of each of these cortical areas in the production of wave NA and wave C. Our results indicate that all three polysensory association areas contribute significantly to both waves NA and C, although the largest effects followed ablation of the pericruciate area alone. Thus, the generator substrates of waves NA and C appear to involve a long-recovery cycle system which functionally incorporates activation of association cortex.
Investigating the use of sampling for maximising the efficiency of student-generated faculty teaching evaluations.

Purpose Surveys of medical students are widely used to evaluate course content and faculty teaching within the medical school. Gathering information that accurately reflects student perceptions requires that students buy into the evaluation process and be willing to provide thoughtful responses to the teaching evaluation. To maintain student commitment, it is important that medical students are not overburdened with poorly planned evaluations. Sampling might decrease the number of evaluations required of students and might also reduce the proportion of non-responses and other forms of inattentive response biases. Methods A sampling technique employed within a large medical lecture is described and evaluated. A generalisability study of the teacher evaluations is conducted. Results A high response rate and high levels of reliability were obtained by sampling a small proportion of the total class. The largest source of error was related to rater and utilising sufficient numbers of student-raters is critical to achieving reliable results. Conclusion Sampling can reduce evaluation demands placed on students, and preserve reliability and increase the validity of mean evaluation scores. With computer presentation, efficient sampling techniques become practical and should be part of software packages used to present teacher evaluations.
On the transition from supercritical to subcritical Hopf bifurcations

By using the method of averaging, we give a complete Hopf bifurcation diagram when the differential equation has more than one parameter. The method is applied to a system of parabolic equations with nonlinear coupling on the boundary. This set of equations is a mathematical model which describes the normalized concentrations of substances in a solution produced by two enzymes.
Finite-Volume Formulation and Solution of the P3 Equations of Radiative Transfer on Unstructured Meshes

The method of spherical harmonics (or P N ) is a popular method for approximate solution of the radiative transfer equation (RTE) in participating media. A rigorous conservative finite-volume (FV) procedure is presented for discretization of the P 3 equations of radiative transfer in two-dimensional geometry—a set of four coupled, second-order partial differential equations. The FV procedure presented here is applicable to any arbitrary unstructured mesh topology. The resulting coupled set of discrete algebraic equations are solved implicitly using a coupled solver that involves decomposition of the computational domain into groups of geometrically contiguous cells using the binary spatial partitioning algorithm, followed by fully implicit coupled solution within each cell group using a preconditioned generalized minimum residual solver. The RTE solver is first verified by comparing predicted results with published Monte Carlo (MC) results for two benchmark problems. For completeness, results using the P 1 approximation are also presented. As expected, results agree well with MC results for large/intermediate optical thicknesses, and the discrepancy between MC and P 3 results increase as the optical thickness is decreased. The P 3 approximation is found to be more accurate than the P 1 approximation for optically thick cases. Finally the new RTE solver is coupled to a reacting flow code and demonstrated for a laminar flame calculation using an unstructured mesh. It is,found that the solution of the four P 3 equations requires 14.5% additional CPU time, while the solution of the single P 1 equation requires 9.3% additional CPU time over the case without radiation.
Response of sweat electrolyte concentrations to 9 alpha-fluorohydrocortisone in patients with cystic fibrosis and their families

Parents and siblings of patients with cystic fibrosis were found to have decreases in concentrations of sweat sodium and chloride proportionate to those of control adults and children after the administration of 3.0 mg. per square meter of 9-alpha-fluorohydrocortisone for 2 days. Thus the heterozygous state was not detected. Patients with cystic fibrosis, including 1 adult, showed no significant decrease in these sweat electrolytes with the same challenge. This lack of response to corticosteroids could be used to confirm the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis in adults since abnormally high sweat electrolyte concentrations are more difficult to detect in this age group.
Tillage effects on measured soil hydraulic properties

Abstract The effect of no-tillage (NT), ridge tillage imposed on long-term NT (NT/RT), moldboard plow (MBD), and chisel tillage (CHT) treatments on soil water retention and movement on three soils was studied using field and laboratory measurements. Field measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K fs ) were made with a Guelph permeameter; laboratory measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K sat ) were made using the constant head method on 30 and 7.5 cm diameter cores. The geometric mean of K sat from 30 cm cores was greater in NT than in MBD for both the Ap and B horizons of Nicollet clay loam (fine-loam, mixed, mesic Aquic Hapludoll) and Rozetta silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludalf); however, K sat from 7.5 cm cores was not significantly different for the two tillage treatments. The K sat for the Ap horizon of Seaton silt loam (fine-silty, mixed mesic, Typic Hapludalf) in NT/RT was lower than in CHT, possibly because of surface layer compaction produced during manure injection. A greater number and total area of stained macropores were found in NT than in MBD. Comparisons between methods of saturated hydraulic conductivity measurements showed that K sat values from 30 cm cores were the greatest for all treatments and depths, which may be attributed to the role of continuous macropores in large core samples. The K fs values obtained from the Guelph permeameter ( α = 12 m −1 ) were smaller than K sat values from 30 and 7.5 cm cores. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was measured with a disk permeameter both in the field and laboratory. For water potential values from −30 to −150 mm, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity ( K suc ) values were similar for the NT and the MBD treatments and were much lower than the K sat values. To include the effects of macropores, larger core samples are preferred.