cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TU-G-BRB-02: Clinical Trials in Particle Therapy - Open Questions

Proton therapy, in particular, and ion therapy, just beginning, are becoming an increasing focus of attention in clinical radiation oncology and medical physics. Both modalities have been criticized of lacking convincing evidence from randomized trials proving their efficacy, justifying the higher costs involved in these therapies. This session will provide an overview of the current status of clinical trials in proton therapy, including recent developments in ion therapy. As alluded to in the introductory talk by Dr. Schulte, opinions are diverging widely as to the usefulness and need for clinical trials in particle therapy and the challenge of equipoise. The lectures will highlight some of the challenges that surround clinical trials in particle therapy. One, presented by Dr. Choy from UT Southwestern, is that new technology and even different types of particles such as helium and carbon ions are introduced into this environment, increasing the phase space of clinical variables. The other is the issue of medical physics quality assurance with physical phantoms, presented by Mrs. Taylor from IROC Houston, which is more challenging because 3D and 4D image guidance and active delivery techniques are in relatively early stages of development. The role of digital phantoms in developing clinical treatment planning protocols and as a QA tool will also be highlighted by Dr. Lee from NCI. The symposium will be rounded off by a panel discussion among the Symposium speakers, arguing pro or con the need and readiness for clinical trials in proton and ion therapy. Learning Objectives: 1. To get an update on the current status of clinical trials allowing or mandating proton therapy. 2. Learn about the status of planned clinical trials in the U.S. and worldwide involving ion therapy. 3. Discuss the challenges in the design and QA of clinical trials in particle therapy. 4. Learn about existing and future physical and computational anthropomorphic phantoms for charged particle clinical trial development and support. Research reported in this presentation is supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National; Institutes of Health under Award Number P20CA183640.
Psychology in a Secure Setting

Publisher Summary This chapter familiarizes psychologists and other mental health professionals about the practice of psychology in secure settings. One of the challenges facing the psychologist in a secure setting, before approaching any specific job, is the environment itself. Clinicians are responsible not only for the direct service aspects of services, but also extend their skills into the larger treatment environment. Psychologists are specially equipped to “help correctional facilities interpret the overall climate in which institutional problems surface, are resolved, and can be altogether avoided.” The multiple mindsets in correctional and secure settings often create potential ethical problems. An ethical dilemma often cited by psychologists in secure settings is that of the apparent dual role of being a mental health treatment provider as well as a security worker.
The Impact of Group Work Enhanced Learning Model in Higher Mathematics Education

Most learning models have been relied on students’ individual studying activities. In those models, the efficiency of learning varies among different students, and thus is limited. In this paper, we propose a systematic group study model to improve the learning efficiency for diversity students. By using instructed in-class and out-of-class group work, the group study model has the advantages to overcome the shortages of the individual study models and can improve the study efficiency for diversity students. Furthermore, in this model, students can learn from the group as well as from the instructors, thus the teaching performance can be improved. In experimental results, we use statistical analysis to show the improvement of teaching performance and study efficiency for the proposed group study model.
Molecular cloning of chicken myosin-binding protein (MyBP) H (86-kDa protein) reveals extensive homology with MyBP-C (C-protein) with conserved immunoglobulin C2 and fibronectin type III motifs.

The complete nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone encoding the chicken skeletal muscle myosin-binding protein H (MyBP-H), formerly termed 86-kDa protein, has been established and the predicted amino acid sequence compared with other proteins entered into the GenBank data base. The full-length cDNA of 2066 base pairs contains a single open reading frame of 1611 base pairs encoding a muscle-specific protein of 58,487 Da. The predicted molecular weight differs significantly from the relative mobility of 86-kDa protein in reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels (SDS-PAGE). The full-length protein expressed in Escherichia coli also exhibits an anomalously slow mobility in SDS-PAGE; this gel retardation is a property of the N-terminal 24 kDa of the protein which contain two extended motifs of alternating alanine and proline residues, resembling the N terminus of skeletal muscle myosin light chain 1 (Nabeshima, Y. I., Fujii-Kuriyama, Y., Muramatsu, M., and Ogata, K. (1984) Nature 308, 333-338). The C-terminal 40 kDa share 49.6% sequence identity and 17% conservative substitutions with chicken skeletal muscle MyBP-C (C-protein) (Einheber, S., and Fischman, D. A. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 2157-2161). The protein contains four internal repeats of approximately 100 amino acids each, two of which bear significant resemblance to the C2 set of the immunoglobulin superfamily, and the other two are related to the type III fibronectin repeat. The arrangement of these repeats, -III-C2-III-C2-, is identical to that seen in the C-terminal 40-kDa section of MyBP-C. This repeat structure is implicated in myosin binding for the MyBP family. Finally, genomic Southern blots indicate that a single gene encodes fast skeletal muscle MyBP-H.
Towards standardized Vehicle Grid Integration: Current status, challenges, and next steps

This paper studies what are needed to enable the standardization of Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI). The requirements of interoperable VGI are examined at multiple interoperability layers defined by reference architecture models, including European Commission's Mandate 490 (EU-M490), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Architectural Methodology (SGAM), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 2030 Smart Grid Interoperability Reference Model (SGIRM). The current status of standards and technology development is reviewed and VGI demonstrations are discussed. The paper identifies barriers for the implementation of an interoperable VGI and provides recommendations to address these challenges.
Electromagnetic field in human body due to VLF transmitter

The VLF transmitter located on a peninsula near Annapolis, MD, maintains strong electric and magnetic fields in the adjacent urban areas. These are determined at selected locations and used to evaluate the currents and associated electric held induced in the human body.
Kaveri: delivering the indus java program slicer to eclipse

This tool paper describes a modular program slicer for Java built using the Indus program analysis framework along with it's Eclipse-based user interface called Kaveri. Indus provides a library of classes that enables users to quickly assemble a highly customized non-system dependence graph based inter-procedural program slicer capable of slicing concurrent Java programs. Kaveri is an Eclipse plugin that relies on the above library to deliver program slicing to the eclipse platform. Apart from the basic feature for generating program slices from within eclipse along with an intuitive UI to view the slice, the plugin also provides the capability for chasing various dependences in the application to understand the slice.
Analyzing the Demand for Deductible Insurance

This paper investigates aspects of insurance demand related to deductible insurance. In particular, an important issue concerning analysis of the optimal deductible level is resolved. A simple sufficient restriction on the pricing of insurance is given which ensures that the second order condition for choosing the expected utility maximizing deductible level is met for any risk averse decision maker. This restriction is stated and its sufficiency is demonstrated using the level of expected indemnification rather than the level of the deductible as the choice variable in the decision model.
The North Atlantic Oscillation, Surface Current Velocities, and SST Changes in the Subpolar North Atlantic

Changes in surface circulation in the subpolar North Atlantic are documented for the recent interannual switch in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index from positive values in the early 1990s to negative values in 1995/96. Data from Lagrangian drifters, which were deployed in the North Atlantic from 1992 to 1998, were used to compute the mean and varying surface currents. NCEP winds were used to calculate the Ekman component, allowing isolation of the geostrophic currents. The mean Ekman velocities are considerably smaller than the mean total velocities that resemble historical analyses. The northeastward flow of the North Atlantic Current is organized into three strong cores associated with topography: along the eastern boundary in Rockall Trough, in the Iceland Basin (the subpolar front), and on the western flank of the Reykjanes Ridge (Irminger Current). The last is isolated in this Eulerian mean from the rest of the North Atlantic Current by a region of weak velocities on the east side of the Reykjanes Ridge. The drifter results during the two different NAO periods are compared with geostrophic flow changes calculated from the NASA/Pathfinder monthly gridded sea surface height (SSH) variability products and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) SST data. During the positive NAO years the northeastward flow in the North Atlantic Current appeared stronger and the circulation in the cyclonic gyre in the Irminger Basin became more intense. This was consistent with the geostrophic velocities calculated from altimetry data and surface temperature changes from AVHRR SST data, which show that during the positive NAO years, with stronger westerlies, the subpolar front was sharper and located farther east. SST gradients intensified in the North Atlantic Current, Irminger Basin, and east of the Shetland Islands during the positive NAO phase, associated with stronger currents. SST differences between positive and negative NAO years were consistent with changes in air‐sea heat flux and the eastward shift of the subpolar front. SST advection, as diagnosed from the drifters, likely acted to reduce the SST differences.
Testing creativity of dance students in the People's Republic of China

In the past decade there has been increasing concern over the losses that may accompany the benefits of dance training for young people (Abra, 1987/ 88; Brady, J., 1982; Gordon, S., 1983; Innes, 1988; Kirkland, G. with Lawrence, G., 1986; Schnitt, 1990; Stinson, Blumenfeld—Jones and Van Dyke, 1990). An investigation by Zhao Guo Wei (1989), educational psychologist at the Beijing Dance lnstitute, lends further support to these concerns.
On the M5 and the AdS 7/CFT 6 correspondence

Abstract The chiral primary operators of the D =6 superconformal (2,0) theory corresponding to 14 scalars of N =4 D =7 supergravity are obtained by expanding the world volume action for the M5-brane around an AdS 7 × S 4 background. In the leading order, the operators take their values in the symmetric traceless representation of the SO (5) R -symmetry group in consistency with the early conjecture on their structure based on the superconformal symmetry and Matrix-like model arguments.
Oncorhynchus mykiss pax7 sequence variations with comparative analyses against other teleost species

The paired box-7 (pax7) transcription factor expressed in satellite cells (SCs) is an essential regulator of skeletal muscle growth and regeneration in vertebrates including fish. Characterization of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) pax7 gene/s may offer novel insights into skeletal myogenesis by SCs in this indeterminate growth species. Further, evaluation of promoters for cis-regulatory regions may shed light on the evolutionary fate of the duplicated genes. Employing standard PCR, cloning and computational approach, we identified and report complete coding sequences of two pax7 paralogs of rainbow trout (rt); rtpax7α and rtpax7β. Both genes show significant identity in the nucleotide (97%) and the predicted amino acid (98%) sequences, and bear the characteristic paired domain (PD), octapeptide (OP) and homeodomain (HD) motifs. We further report several splice variants of each gene and nucleotide differences in coding sequence that predicts six putative amino acid changes between the two genes. Additionally, we noted a trinucleotide deletion in rtpax7β that results in putative serine elimination at the N-terminus and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in majority of the rtpax7β variants (6/10) that predicts an arginine substitution for a lysine. We also deciphered the genomic organization up to the first three exons and the upstream putative promoter regions of both genes. Comparative in silico analysis of both the trout pax7 promoters with that of zebrafish pax7 duplicates; zfpax7a and zfpax7b; predicts several important cis-elements/transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) in these teleost pax7 promoter regions.
A 1.6 Gb/s delta-sigma modulator with integrated wideband mixer for RF applications

A 1.6 Gb/s SiGe baseband /spl Delta//spl Sigma/ modulator with integrated wideband mixer for RF applications is presented that exhibits 65 dB spurious-free dynamic range over a 50 MHz bandwidth centered up to 1 GHz. Also, a concept is introduced for applying this architecture to monolithic receiver implementations.
Self-consistent quark bag in three space dimensions

A schematic model of a quark bag with scalar gluons is considered quantitatively in three space dimensions. Stable spherically symmetric solutions of $c$-number self-consistent bag equations are obtained numerically. The structure constants of hadrons are calculated as functions of the coupling constant and the gluon mass. Good agreement of absolute values of the proton magnetic moment and the bag mass with experiment is found.
Use of C6- and C7-deficient human sera in quantitative hemolytic assays for C6 and C7.

Abstract Quantitative hemolytic assays for C6 and C7 using as R reagents sera from patients deficient in these components are described. The assays gave linear results. Normal range for serum C6 was found to be 21,400–41,700 C6 hemolytic units/ml; for serum C7 the normal range was 5540–9860 C7 hemolytic units/ml.
Aggression, Social Acceptance, and Race as Predictors of Negative Adolescent Outcomes

ABSTRACT Objective The current study examined a mixed-race, longitudinal sample of 114 boys to assess the relative power of aggression, low peer acceptance, and race in predicting a broad range of adolescent outcomes and behaviors. Method Outcomes were assessed through self-report and through peer, teacher, and independent observer ratings. Results Results indicate that preadolescent levels of aggression are predictive of boys' subsequent adolescent involvement in marijuana, drugs, and alcohol and in delinquent activity. Aggression and low peer acceptance served as predictors of teacher, peer, and independent observer ratings of externalizing and internalizing behavior at follow-up. Results also indicate that peer ratings of social acceptance and of aggressive behavior operate differently across racial groups, when predicting to self-reported follow-up behaviors. Conclusions Aggressive and socially disliked boys are at risk for engaging in a progressive series of behaviors that increase their engagement in contranormative behavior. The moderating effects of race may be due to biases in elementary school peer ratings in mixed-race samples, or they may represent actual differences in how early risk markers operate with boys of different racial status.
Affinity chromatography with nucleic acid polymers

Column chromatography utilizing polynucleotides immobilized on solid support is reviewed. This form of affinity chromatography is used for the isolation of polynucleotides and polynucleotide binding proteins, and to a lesser extent for analysis. Several specific applications within these categories have been widely used in the biomedical sciences. Poly(A) mRNA is routinely isolated using oligo(dT) or oligo(dU) supports. Many DNA binding proteins, including transcription factors, restriction endonucleases, and proteins involved in DNA repair, replication, recombination, and transposition have been purified using DNA affinity chromatography. Recently, DNA supports suitable for use in high-performance liquid chromatography have been described and utilized. The current usage of DNA affinity chromatography is reviewed and potential future uses for this technology are speculated upon.
A New Theory of Gravity

A new relativistic theory of gravity is presented. This theory agrees with all experiments to date. It is a metric theory; it is Lagrangian-based; and it possesses a preferred frame with conformally flat space slices. With an appropriate choice of certain adjustable functions and parameters and of the cosmological model, this theory possesses precisely the same post-Newtonian limit as general relativity.
6989 The role of gastrointestinal endoscopy in medical malpractice claims.

Introduction: In Gastroenterology practice, malpractice claims can arise from adverse events as a result of endoscopy or from clinical practice. We conducted a review of the medical literature to examine the role of gastrointestinal endoscopy in medical malpractice claims. Of claims alleging iatrogenic injury, 95% involve perforation or similar direct injury to the gastrointestinal tract especially if there is delayed recognition and treatment of an adverse event. Perforations during endoscopy generally occur as follows: EGD-difficult intubation of the esophagus during procedures such as dilation, sclerotherapy, and endoscopic biopsy; colonoscopy - in patients with acute colitis. Failure to diagnose existing pathology, especially malignancy (61 % of errors in diagnosis), of which 69% pertained to colonic malignancies and 10.8% to the stomach is striking despite endoscopy's high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. Missed colorectal malignancies make up 51.5% of all diagnostic errors attributed to colonoscopy and 72% of those associated with sigmoidoscopy. Failure to take biopsies when necessary and failure to follow up on biopsy results can result in malpractice claims Defective equipment and failure to achieve adequate sedation can lead to serious complications. Diagnostic error is responsible for most claims related to clinical practice. Failure to obtain an adequate history, insufficient awareness of disorders of the small intestine and failure to perform key investigations are major factors. Diseases of the small bowel (celiac disease) and colon (colitis) are more likely to be misdiagnosed. Treating inflammatory bowel disease with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents has legal risks. Specific written documentation of the informed consent process before treatment with these agents is important. Conclusions: Malpractice claims associated with gastrointestinal endoscopy comprise only 1% of all medical malpractice actions and this generally does not represent a high-risk activity. Great care is necessary in selecting patients for endoscopic procedures, in adequately explaining the risks of the procedure, and in providing postprocedure care.
Preparation and properties of detergent-solubilized human testicular hyaluronidase.

Abstract 1. 1. Extraction of human testes with Triton X-100 followed by ammonium sulfate fractionation resulted in 112nmoles/hr per mg protein hyaluronidase activity. 2. 2. The pH optima of 5, and the stimulation of activity by polycations, distinguished this testicular hyaluronidase from lysosomal hyaluronidase.
Simple model of liquid-liquid phase transitions

In recent years, a second fluid-fluid phase transition has been reported in several materials at pressures far above the usual liquid-gas phase transition. In this paper, we introduce a model of this behavior based on the Lennard-Jones interaction with a modification to mimic the different kinds of short-range orientational order in complex materials. We have done Monte Carlo studies of this model that clearly demonstrate the existence of a second first-order fluid-fluid phase transition between high- and low-density liquid phases.
The distribution of granule accesses made by database transactions

The problem of characterizing the number of granules (or blocks) accessed by a transaction is important in modeling the performance of database management systems and other applications. Different expressions for this quantity have appeared in the literature under different probabilistic assumptions. These expressions along with one new result are presented with a uniform notation and a clear statement of the assumptions underlying each. The partial order relating the predictions of the expected number of granules accessed is presented.
Propagating interface cracks with frictionless contact

Abstract R esults are presented for a study of the asymptotic stress and deformation fields around a crack that has frictionless crack surface contact, and is growing steadily along the interface of two dissimilar, homogeneous, isotropic and linearly elastic solids. A complete representation of Comninou-type (C omninou , J. appl. Mech.44, 631, 1977) elastic crack tip fields is obtained using the method of analytic continuation. As in the case of stationary interfacial cracks, the crack tip stress singularity is found to be nonoscillatory and to resemble the classical mode II type singularity. The findings of this investigation form a basis for further theoretical and experimental studies on the subject, in cases where the notion of small-scale contact is invalid. Transient effects on the asymptotic crack tip fields, due to nonuniform crack velocity or time-dependent stress intensity factor, can be readily included, if desired, with a method developed recently by the current author (D eng , Int. J. Solids Struct. 30, 513, 1993).
A brief memory strategy with distinctive features.

The study undertaken here reflects the perceptual strategies of adult listeners when a psychophysical method in applied in combination with a short memory task. The goal was to identify and describe some of the underlying strategies of distinctive-feature utilization associated with speech stimuli. The specific purpose of the study was to determine whether a hierarchical structure exists within the phonological domain of distinctive features. The secondary purpose was to determine whether the Chomsky and Halle (1968) distinctive feature system was relevant to and descriptive of the perceptual domain of the listener in speech processing mode. The evaluation of the responses was obtained through forcedchoice discrimination in similarity of paired-dyadic stimuli with the Friedman (1937) two-way analysis of variance as the criterion measure for the relative amount of similarity of the paired dyads. The results reported as an outcome of the forced-choice, short-memory paradigm support aspects of related research. Results appear to support the existence of a perceptual organization within the “atoms of speech.” In addition, one may conclude that the Chomsky and Halle (1968) distinctive feature system appears to have some relevance and descriptivity of at least some phonemes in English.
Quantification of combined radiation therapy and chemotherapy effects on critical normal tissues

In order to determine the modification of radiation effects on critical normal tissues which occurs with combinations of radiation and cancer chemotherapy, a review of laboratory and clinical data has been carried out. Information on 10 different normal tissues is available. It is clear that the antibiotic cancer chemotherapeutic agents are the most likely to enhance radiation injury, with increased levels reported in all tissues except the central nervous system. The second most common type of injury with combination therapy appears to occur with drugs causing injury to the normal tissue on their own, such as adriamycin in the heart and methotrexate in the central nervous system. Quantification of the dose-effect factor is only available on a limited number of tissues, and, primarily, in experimental animals. From these limited data, it is clear that dose-effect factors between 1.1 and 1.8 are seen, indicating that radiation doses must be reduced by 10-80% for the same level of injury when combined with chemotherapy. The augmentation of radiation damage by cancer chemotherapeutic agents is a serious problem in a wide range of tissues, but a problem which can be dealt with by accurate knowledge as to the dose-effect factor and appropriate modification of the radiation treatment.
Decentralized searching of multiple unknown and transient radio sources

We develop a decentralized algorithm to coordinate a group of mobile robots to search for unknown and transient radio sources. In addition to limited mobility and ranges of communication and sensing, the robot team has to deal with challenges from signal source anonymity, short transmission duration, and variable transmission power. We propose a two-step approach: first, we decentralize belief functions that robots use to track source locations using checkpoint-based synchronization, and second, we propose a decentralized planning strategy to coordinate robots to ensure the existence of checkpoints. We analyze memory usage, data amount in communication, and searching time for the proposed algorithm. We have implemented the proposed algorithm and compared it with two heuristics. The experiment results show that our algorithm successfully trades a modest amount of memory for the fastest searching time among the three methods.
Vitamin K activity of phylloquinone oxide.

Abstract The biological activity of phylloquinone oxide in vitamin K-deficient rats was approximately the same as phylloquinone. In warfarin-treated animals phylloquinone was an effective antagonist of the anticoagulant whereas the oxide was not unless it was administered 15 min before warfarin. The possibility that the activity of the oxide in deficient rats is dependent on its conversion to phylloquinone and that warfarin inhibits this transformation was supported by isotope experiments in which tritiated oxide and 14 C-labeled phylloquinone were injected into normal and warfarin-treated rats. Warfarin caused a dramatic change in the metabolism of phylloquinone resulting in a large preponderance of oxide in the livers of anticoagulant-treated animals. These results prompt us to consider that phylloquinone oxide, because of structural similarity, may be an inhibitor of phylloquinone and that warfarin exerts its anticoagulant effect by causing accumulation of the oxide.
Combination of low and high temperature catalytic materials to obtain broad temperature coverage for plasma-facilitated NOx reduction

Abstract Two catalysts, Ba/zeolite Y and Ag/γ-alumina, were combined to reduce NOx in simulated lean exhaust using plasma-facilitated catalysis. Steady-state experiments conducted at 473, 623, and 773 K show that ordering of the catalysts impacts NOx conversion, and maximum efficiency is obtained when the zeolite material precedes the alumina. Optimal ordering results in greater than 80% conversion at 473 K, and efficiencies greater than 95% were obtained at 623 and 773 K under steady operation when propene was added as a reductant at C1:NOx=12. Temperature cycling experiments covering the temperature range 373–773 K were used to determine a ‘transient’ cycle efficiency of 70% for the optimal catalyst configuration. Results of these experiments suggest that preferred ordering likely results in better management of stored NOx when transients to higher temperature occur. Studies also show that improved hydrocarbon utilization is evident in the optimal configuration due to the nature of the partially oxidized hydrocarbons that are formed at various stages of during the plasma-facilitated catalytic NOx reduction process.
The ups and downs of early mothering

AbstractIntroduction: The maternal experience of having a young infant is often viewed through a negative lens focused on psychological distress due, in part, to a historical focus on identifying threats to prenatal, perinatal and postpartum well-being of women and infants. This report examines maternal appraisal of both positive and negative experiences during and after pregnancy and introduces a new scale that assesses both uplifts and hassles that are specific to early motherhood.Methods: The sample included 136 women who began study participation during pregnancy and completed an existing scale designed to evaluate pregnancy-specific hassles and uplifts. When infants were 6 months old, participants completed the newly developed Maternal Experience Scale (MES) along with questionnaires related to anxiety, depression, attachment, parenting stress and infant temperament characteristics.Results: In general, women with 6-month-old infants rated their maternal experiences far more positively than negatively...
Hysteresis in the human RR-QT relationship during exercise and recovery

The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that the human RR-QT relationship during dynamic exercise differs markedly from that during the recovery phase. Fourteen subjects from the age of 16 to 71 years exercised on a treadmill according to the Bruce protocol. Electrocardiograms were recorded continuously on a magnetic tape, from 1 minute before exercise to 10 minutes into recovery. An exponential formula, proposed by us earlier, closely represented the exercise RR-QT data. However, it was not appropriate for the often S-shaped recovery curves which invariably deviated from the exercise curves, exhibiting hysteresis. Initially, all recovery QT intervals were shorter than the exercise values, but later in the recovery, some crossed the exercise curves from below, resulting in longer QT intervals. The recovery data were fitted by a third degree polynomial, and the hysteresis was calculated as the area between the exercise and recovery curves within a 150 ms range of the RR interval starting from its minimum value. The mechanisms for the occurrence of hysteresis are likely to involve the sympatho-adrenal activity in the early post-exercise period and the time course of QT interval adaptation to rapid changes in the RR interval.
Performance of Oblique Angle of Incidence Collection Systems in the VUV

High rejection filters are difficult enough to achieve in the UV-VIS-IR with known materials and constants. Even more difficult is the design and manufacture of rejection filters in the EUV and VUV given the uncertainty of optical constants and their wide variation over this spectral range. We have begun work to characterize materials from 584 A to 1,300 A to verify reported optical constants, in order to design and realize the optimum collection system.
The progay and antigay issue culture : Interpretation, influence and dissent

This essay delineates several specific effects of oppositional interaction in the issue culture of variant sexuality. Issue cultures consist of unstable interpretive packages. Progay and antigay packages define collective identity, the nature of conflict, relationships among antagonists, and appropriate symbolic strategies. Antigay discourse encourages an essentialist, non‐erotic gay self‐definition. Progay appeals invite antigays to project a secularized image of civility. Opposition strengthens a political understanding of variant sexuality and causes antagonistic advocates to conceive struggle in similar terms. Division occurs among allies in both progay and antigay camps over which version of their own interpretive package best responds to opponents. Such analysis of issue cultures is theoretically significant because it allows critics to synthesize diverse approaches and to understand disputes on a broad range of public issues.
Elevated Postoperative Troponin Levels As a Predictor of Increased 30-Day, 1 and 2 year Mortality Following Major Vascular Surgical Interventions

Objectives: To determine the utility of routine postoperative troponin (PO Tn) measurements in patients undergoing major vascular surgical reconstructions (VSRs). Methods: Data from consecutive patients undergoing VSRs and routine PO Tn measurement over one year, January 1 to December 31, 2010, were retrospectively analyzed. A positive troponin (Tn) panel included a baseline level immediately after the procedure of $ .20 ng/mL, or a delta at 3 and/or 6 hours of $ .30 ng/mL/$ 20%. Patients without complete Tn panels and research authorization were excluded. Cox Proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the effect of preoperative risk factors and postoperative Tn levels on early and mid-term mortality. Results: Of 725 patients undergoing VSRs 678 (462 males, 216 females; mean age 69 years) satisfied criteria for inclusion. Procedures included 408 open, 196 endovascular and 73 hybrid (306 abdominal, 197 infrainguinal, 40 thoracoabdominal, 117 cerebrovascular and 18 upper extremity). Tn levels were elevated in 67 patients (10%; M: 42, F: 25) and after consultation with a cardiologist were ascribed to non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 26, STEMI in six, demand ischemia in 29 and renal insufficiency in six. Sixty-one patients were managed medically; six underwent cardiac catheterization and intervention. Thirty-day mortality was significantly higher in Tn+ compared to Tnpatients (7.6% vs 1.7%; P 1⁄4 .08). On multivariate analysis abnormal delta Tn (P 1⁄4 .008; HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-3.4) and SVS/AAVS comorbidity score >9 were associated with mortality. The cumulative probability of death in Tn+ patients remained significantly higher at 1 (27.6% vs 10.6%; P 1⁄4 .004) and 2 years (40.8% vs 18.5%; P 1⁄4 .002). Conclusions: Elevated delta troponin levels following major vascular surgical procedures are independently associated with higher 30 day and mid-term mortality, and this marker should be considered an important prognostic indicator. Author Disclosures: T. C. Bower: Nothing to disclose; R. David: Nothing to disclose; A. A. Duncan: Nothing to disclose; M. D. Fleming: Nothing to disclose; P. Gloviczki: Nothing to disclose; W. Harmsen: Nothing to disclose; M. Kalra: Nothing to disclose; J. Manunga: Nothing to disclose; G. S. Oderich: Nothing to disclose. PS62.
Theory of Impurity Scattering in Semiconductors

Experiments by Lark-Horovitz and collaborators on the Hall effect and resistivity of germanium semiconductors have shown that the simple theory of lattice scattering alone cannot explain the temperature dependence of the resistivity. Another probable source of resistance is scattering by ionized impurity centers. This resistance can be calculated by using the Rutherford scattering formula. Evaluation of the collision terms in the Lorentz-Boltzmann equation of state is made by assuming that scattering of an electron by one ion is approximately independent of all other ions. This results in a resistivity given by (in ohm cm): $\ensuremath{\rho}=2.11\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{2}{\ensuremath{\kappa}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}{T}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{3}{2}}\mathrm{ln}{1+36{\ensuremath{\kappa}}^{2}{d}^{2}{(\mathrm{kT})}^{2}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}4}}$ where $d$ is half the average distance between impurity ions and $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ the dielectric constant of the semiconductor.
Sex-specific responses to stroke

Stroke is a sexually dimorphic disease, with differences between males and females observed both clinically and in the laboratory. While males have a higher incidence of stroke throughout much of the lifespan, aged females have a higher burden of stroke. Sex differences in stroke result from a combination of factors, including elements intrinsic to the sex chromosomes as well as the effects of sex hormone exposure throughout the lifespan. Research investigating the sexual dimorphism of stroke is only in the beginning stages, but early findings suggest that different cell death pathways are activated in males and females after ischemic stroke. A greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying sex differences in stroke will lead to more appropriate treatment strategies for patients of both sexes.
Asymptomatic Clostridium difficile colonization as a reservoir for Clostridium difficile infection

Clostridium difficile (CD) infection (CDI) is the leading cause of healthcare associated diarrhea despite intense hospital infection prevention programs. A substantial proportion of the population is asymptomatically colonized with CD, and evidence is mounting that these individuals serve as a reservoir for CDI. The purpose of this review is to discuss the mechanisms by which individuals may harbor toxigenic CD but remain asymptomatic, the evidence that asymptomatically colonized individuals serve as a source of CDI, and the implications of this potential CD reservoir for healthcare infection prevention.
Diagnosis and management (by subxiphoid pericardiotomy) of large pericardial effusions causing cardiac tamponade

To determine the clinical features, course and outcome of patients with cardiac tamponade, 57 consecutive patients with new, large pericardial effusions were prospectively studied. Twenty-five patients (44%) developed cardiac tamponade with venous hypertension and a pulsus paradoxus greater than 10 mm Hg. Electrocardiography, radiographic studies and echocardiography did not differentiate patients with and without tamponade. All 57 patients underwent thorough diagnostic evaluation followed by subxiphoid pericardial biopsy and drainage. A diagnosis was obtained in 53 patients (93%). Collagen vascular disease was significantly more frequent in the 25 patients with than in the 32 without cardiac tamponade (24 vs 3%; p less than 0.05). The frequency of malignant and uremic effusions was equal in both groups, whereas radiation-induced effusions seldom produced tamponade. At 1-year follow-up, 3 patients (12%) with tamponade had recurrent effusions, and 1 needed reoperation. This was not significantly different from the 32 patients without tamponade. Twelve-month mortality was also similar in both groups (36 vs 44%). This prospective series disclosed several unexpected findings: (1) Cardiac tamponade occurred in almost 50% of patients with new large pericardial effusions; (2) both malignancy and collagen vascular disease occurred with equal frequency as etiologies, whereas radiation-induced tamponade was unusual; (3) thorough clinical evaluation resulted in few idiopathic etiologies; and (4) subxiphoid pericardiotomy was effective for both diagnosis and therapy of tamponade.
Some geometrical aspects of uncertainties in combined plate reconstructions

The uncertainties in both the position of a pole of rotation and the rotation angle describing a plate reconstruction depend not only on the number and quality of data used but also on two geometrical factors: the length of plate boundary represented by the data, and the distance from the best-fit pole to the center of the data region. We describe a simple geometrical method that can be used to calculate minimum uncertainties in reconstructions, based on positions of magnetic anomalies and fracture zones with finite uncertainties. Uncertainties in pole positions and angles corresponding to 10-km uncertainty in individual data points can, when combined, yield uncertainties in reconstructed positions greatly in excess of 10 km per rotation. For example, an uncertainty of 10 km in anomaly 6 reconstructions in the South Pacific, southeast Indian, northwest Indian, and North Atlantic Oceans would result in uncertainty of up to 190 km in the reconstructed position of the Pacific plate with respect to North America at 19.8 m.y. B.P. Existing data show that the realistic uncertainties for this case are twice as large as the calculated minimum uncertainties.
Blockade of Treg derived TGF-β abrogates suppression of effector T cell function within the tumor microenvironment

Regulatory T cells (Treg) pl ay ar ole in suppression of anti-melanoma immunity; however, the exact mechanism is poorly understood. Through intravital two photon microscopy, we found that Pmel-1 effectors engage in cell-cell interactions with tumor resident Tregs. To determine if contact between Tregs and T effectors (Teff) hinders killing of tumor cells in vivo, we utilized ex-vivo three-dimensional collagen-fibrin gel cultures of B16 melanoma cells. Collagen-fibrin gel cultures recapitulated the in vivo suppression, rendering the dissociated tumor resistant to killing by in vitro activated antigen specific Teff. In vivo depletion of Tregs in foxp3-DTR mice prior to tumor excision reversed the suppression. Additionally, In vivo modulation of intra-tumor Tregs suppressive function by GITR ligation had a similar effect, leading to ex-vivo tumor killing. Using neutralizing antibodies, we found that blocking TGF-b reversed the suppression. In addition, soluble factors from collagen-fibrin gel tumors do not inhibit killing suggesting that suppression is contact or proximity dependent. The CD8 Teff recovered from these gels exhibit a decrease in Granzyme B expression and an increase in expression of T cell exhaustion marker PD-1. These findings support the conclusion that intra-tumor contact with Tregs during the effector phase of the immune response is responsible for inhibiting anti-melanoma immunity in a TGF-b dependent manner, elucidating a novel way to target intratumoral Tregs.
Metastable Defect at Si-SiO2 Interfaces

An important issue in semiconductor device operation is the rate at which current or voltage stress creates defects that degrade eventually device operation. Based on recent results on nitrided gate dielectrics, we have concluded that bonded-H at the Si-SiO2 interface plays a role in the formation of metastable defects that can be activated, and subsequently neutralized, by sequential trapping of injected holes and electrons. In this paper, differences in defect behavior for Si-SiO2 interfaces that have exposed to nitrogen (N-) atoms or N-H groups are discussed. Based on these results, a microscopic model for interfacial defects is proposed.
Interface cracking of FGM coatings under steady-state heat flow

Abstract In this study the plane strain thermal stress problem for an interface crack in a homogeneous substrate with a graded coating is considered. The substrate is a superalloy and the constituents of the graded coating are the same superalloy as the substrate and partially stabilized zirconia. The volume fraction of zirconia is assumed to vary continuously from 0% at the interface to 100% at the surface. The surface of the coating is exposed to a high-temperature environment, the surface of the substrate is forced-cooled, and the ends of the specimen are subjected to natural convection. The surfaces of the crack are assumed to be partially insulated. Thus, the mechanically unconstrained inhomogeneous medium is under a steady-state heat conduction with convective boundary conditions. The thermal stress problem is solved for various composition profiles in the coating, including 100% ceramic, and for various values of the heat conductivity index describing the insulation condition on the crack surface. The main variable in the problem is the length of the symmetrically located edge cracks along the interface. The sample results presented include the temperature distribution on the surfaces of the substrate and coating, along the interface and on the crack surfaces, the total heat flow across the substrate surface, modes I and II stress intensity factors, and the strain energy release rate. Noting that in the case of a homogeneous ceramic layer crack surfaces always interfere giving negative KI, a statically indeterminate problem is also solved to determine the contact force and to recalculate the stress intensity factors.
Grafted synthetic sorbents for enhanced removal of toxic chemical agents from plasma

A series of porous polymeric sorbents and activated carbon were used to remove di-isopropyl methylphosphonate (DIMP) from human plasma and normal saline. The sorptive capacities of the commercially available sorbents Amberlite XAD-4, XAD-2, XN1010, and XE348, and Calgon 400 were determined. Butyl- and palmityl-grafted XAD-4 were prepared with graft efficiencies of 32 and 6%, respectively, and tested for sorptive capacities. DIMP removal efficiencies were compared to dialysis with a 1.8 m2 Cordis-Dow hollow fiber artificial kidney (HFAK). Butyl-grafted XAD-4 and active carbon outperformed the other sorbents in removing DIMP from both saline and plasma. An order of magnitude reduction in removal ability was noted for all the adsorbents when the mobile media was plasma. Pronounced plasma precipitation was elicited by activated carbon, an effect not observed with any of the polymeric resins tested. The removal efficiencies on a 18.0 g basis of XAD-4, butyl-grafted XAD-4, and active carbon were comparable to that of the HFAK used in this study. These sorbents, however, possess a macroscopic surface area of approximately 0.1 m2, an order of magnitude lower than that of the HFAK. This reduction in contact area is believed to reduce substantially the possibility of undesirable molecular and cellular effects.
The application of achiral/chiral coupled-column high-performance liquid chromatography to biomedical analysis

The use of achiral/chiral coupled-column HPLC in the direct analysis of the enantiomers of chiral drugs in biological samples is reviewed. The method has been applied to a study of the pharmacokinetics of (+)- and (-)-terbutaline, the resolution of the stereoisomers of leucovorin and the determination of warfarin enantiomers in serum.
Memory and organization: Category recall and retrieval capacity

Three experiments are reported concerning the linear relationship between recall (R) and the number of categories (NC) formed in sorting of words. In Experiment I, free recall learning preceded sorting into two to seven categories; the NC-R correlation was not significant. In Experiment II, the category limit and sorting criterion were removed, and a significant NC-R correlation was observed. In Experiment III, Ss sorted as in Experiment II and then recalled; the NC-R correlation was significant for the full range of NC (2–19). In view of (a) the positive correlation over the upper range of NC, and (b) the apparent absence of a limit on category retrieval, an alternative to Mandler's model was offered.
Infusion rate effects on arterial pressure, vascular conductance, and muscle weight.

SummaryVascular responses to sudden changes in perfusion rate were studied by continuous simultaneous measurements of blood pressure and muscle volume in isolated, denervated gracilis muscles of dogs. The responses were also studied in a mechanical (capillaron) system (a permeable soft-walled capillary enclosed in a compliant capsule). In both systems an increase in arterial volume input was accompanied by: 1 a concordant rise in pressure, followed by 2 a transient vasodilation and fall in pressure and then by 3 a slow, progressive pressure rise. The initial pressure response to volume loading in both systems varied inversely with the compliance of the arterial system. Larger arterial compliances eliminated the first and second phases, but the tertiary phase pressure rise persisted. Thus, the initial responses, previously attributed to an active vascular response to volume loading may be due to an incidental change in perfusion pressure. The tertiary phase progressive rise in pressure in the muscle and in...