cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The utility and cost of atypical cultures in revision shoulder arthroplasty.

Background At the time of revision shoulder arthroplasty, it is common practice to take cultures to evaluate for prosthetic joint infection even when an alternative cause of failure has been identified. Although isolation of fungal or acid-fast organisms is rare, it remains common practice to send all specimens for aerobic, anaerobic, and atypical (fungal and acid-fast) cultures. We hypothesize that the rate of positive atypical cultures at the time of revision shoulder arthroplasty is very low and routine use imposes a considerable financial burden on the health care system. Methods A retrospective review of all revision shoulder arthroplasties performed between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2019, at our institution was performed. Patients with a hemiarthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty, reverse shoulder arthroplasty, or pre-existing antibiotic spacer who underwent revision to hemiarthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty, reverse shoulder arthroplasty, antibiotic spacer, or resection arthroplasty were included. Electronic patient charts were reviewed to gather patient, surgical, and culture data. An analysis of the hospital billing charges associated with each culture was performed using our hospital billing database and the current procedural terminology (CPT) codes for aerobic, anaerobic, fungal, and acid-fast cultures. A secondary outcome analysis was performed to identify factors associated with positive cultures. Results A total of 237 revision shoulder arthroplasties performed on 189 patients were analyzed. Cultures were sent on 158 of 237 (66.7%) surgeries with an average of 2.2 specimens per surgery. A total of 341 aerobic, 331 anaerobic, 187 fungal, and 174 acid-fast cultures were collected. Positive cultures were found in 52 of 341 (15.2%) aerobic cultures and 36 of 331 (10.9%) anaerobic cultures. The most commonly isolated organism was Cutibacterium acnes (42.2%), followed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (15.6%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (13.3%), and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (12.2%). There were zero positive fungal or acid-fast cultures in our series. The total billing charges for aerobic, anaerobic, fungal, and acid-fast cultures over the study period were $77,748, $23,832, $8,789, and $106,662, respectively, with atypical cultures accounting for 53.2% of the total charges for all cultures. For a single sample sent for all 4 culture types, atypical cultures account for 69% of the total amount charged. Conclusion Isolation of fungal or acid-fast organisms at the time of revision shoulder arthroplasty is rare and imposes a considerable financial burden when these atypical cultures are sent on a routine basis. The collection of fungal and acid-fast cultures should be reserved for patients in whom risk factors for these atypical organisms have been identified.
Enantiomeric 4'-Truncated 6'-Fluoro-3-deazaneplanocin and its 3-Bromo Derivative: Synthesis and Antiviral Properties, including Ebola and Marburg

Abstract In seeking to increase the library of fluorine containing adenine-derived carbocyclic nucleoside antiviral candidates, d -like and l -like 6′-fluoro-3-deazaneplanocin and its 3-bromo derivative lacking the 4′-hydroxylmethylene substituent (2/3 and 4/5, respectively) are presented. Their synthesis was accomplished from d -ribose by developing a more facile precursor route than suggested by the literature. The 2/4 d -like pair displayed significant anti-filo virial properties while the enantiomeric l -like congeners 3/5 were inactive. Target compounds 2/4 also were active towards measles and norovirus. The effect of 2/4 is further evidence of the role fluoro-derived adenine carbocyclic nucleoside can play in antiviral drug discovery. Furthermore, the simplicity of their synthesis lends them to more efficacious analogs and to scale-up optimization. There were no other relevant antiviral properties for 2/3 and 4/5 (except BK polyomavirus for 3/5).
From Florence to fossil fuels: Nursing has always been about environmental health.

Abstract Background Since its founding, professional nursing has applied an environmental lens to healing. Methods This CANS 2020 Keynote article describes the history of nursing environmental science and nurses important contributions to the US Environmental Justice Movement. Starting with Florence Nightingale's Notes on Nursing, which established Environmental Theory, the paper introduces key figures throughout nursing history who have studied and advocated for environmental health and justice. Findings The paper emphasizes that nursing has always been about environmental health and that, regardless of specialty or practice setting, all nurses are called to incorporate environmental science and translation into their research and practice. Conclusion This call to action is especially critical today in the context of urgent issues like climate change, environmental racism and racial health disparities, emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19, and chemical exposures in the home and workplace (among others).
A medical escape room to build intern workplace social capital in an internal medicine residency program.

Trainee well-being is a growing focus in graduate medical education. One emerging area in occupational literature is the psychosocial environment of the workplace, of which a large component is wor...
Implicit search feature based approach to assist users in exploratory search tasks

We propose a framework for evaluating exploratory search using implicit features.User search action sequences are also used to find behavior patterns.Show effectiveness with above 70% prediction accuracy for user search performance.Provide search process based recommendation to assist underperforming users.Demonstrate recommendation effectiveness both qualitatively and quantitatively. Analyzing and modeling users' online search behaviors when conducting exploratory search tasks could be instrumental in discovering search behavior patterns that can then be leveraged to assist users in reaching their search task goals. We propose a framework for evaluating exploratory search based on implicit features and user search action sequences extracted from the transactional log data to model different aspects of exploratory search namely uncertainty, creativity, exploration, and knowledge discovery. We show the effectiveness of the proposed framework by demonstrating how it can be used to understand and evaluate user search performance and thereby make meaningful recommendations to improve the overall search performance of users. We used data collected from a user study consisting of 18 users conducting an exploratory search task for two sessions with two different topics in the experimental analysis. With this analysis we show that we can effectively model their behavior using implicit features to predict the user's future performance level with above 70% accuracy in most cases. Further, using simulations we demonstrate that our search process based recommendations improve the search performance of low performing users over time and validate these findings using both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Non-lethal heat treatment of cells results in reduction of tumor initiation and metastatic potential.

Non-lethal hyperthermia is used clinically as adjuvant treatment to radiation, with mixed results. Denaturation of protein during hyperthermia treatment is expected to synergize with radiation damage to cause cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Alternatively, hyperthermia is known to cause tissue level changes in blood flow, increasing the oxygenation and radiosensitivity of often hypoxic tumors. In this study, we elucidate a third possibility, that hyperthermia alters cellular adhesion and mechanotransduction, with particular impact on the cancer stem cell population. We demonstrate that cell heating results in a robust but temporary loss of cancer cell aggressiveness and metastatic potential in mouse models. In vitro, this heating results in a temporary loss in cell mobility, adhesion, and proliferation. Our hypothesis is that the loss of cellular adhesion results in suppression of cancer stem cells and loss of tumor virulence and metastatic potential. Our study suggests that the metastatic potential of cancer is particularly reduced by the effects of heat on cellular adhesion and mechanotransduction. If true, this could help explain both the successes and failures of clinical hyperthermia, and suggest ways to target treatments to those who would most benefit.
Determination of primary electron spectra from incoherent scatter radar measurements of the auroral E region

[1] A technique is presented for inverting incoherent scatter radar (ISR) measurements of the auroral ionosphere to determine the incident electron energy spectrum. A linear model is constructed relating electron differential number flux to the volume production rate of ions, the latter derived from measured electron density profiles using a continuity equation. The forward model is inverted using the maximum entropy method (MEM). This implementation of ISR inversion was found to be remarkably robust to the principal sources of model and measurement uncertainty. The procedure was applied to high-resolution measurements (1.2 s × 1 km) by the Sondrestrom ISR recorded during an auroral surge. Analysis of bulk plasma properties in the recovered spectra suggested that the relationship between the characteristic energy and the net number flux was highly nonlinear during the onset of the auroral surge, an observation that can now be evaluated statistically. This perspective on the temporal behavior of the auroral acceleration region cannot be accessed through spaceborne measurements; ISR inversion thus constitutes a critical tool for addressing time-dependent coupling of the magnetosphere and ionosphere.
Matching police-community expectations: A method of determining policing models

The purpose of this study is to develop a method for studying and determining policy models appropriate to the local police and community. The empirical development of policing models is considered crucial during police reforms because they serve as guiding principles for more specific police policies. The process of developing such a model is demonstrated through a police model study conducted by the author. Respondents of the study were drawn from probability samples in an urban center, and their policing orientations were compared. A community-based model supported by professionalism, problem-oriented policing, and security was found to be the best model for this community. Generalizability of the method used in developing policing models in this study was discussed.
Endogenous memory CD8 T cells exhibit increased early proliferation in cardiac allografts subjected to prolonged ischemia (TRAN3P.880)

Memory T cells induced to microbial infections provide protection to subsequent exposures but can have cross-reactivity with allogeneic MHC molecules. High numbers of memory T cells with donor reactivity in human and non-human primate recipients prior to transplant are associated with poorer allograft survival and resistance to costimulatory blockade strategies given to induce long-term graft survival. Rodent transplant models have failed to replicate the detrimental impact of endogenous memory T cells on allograft survival and tolerance induction, raising questions about the sufficiency of these models to study this component of alloimmunity. We have recently shown a direct association between increasing duration of cold ischemic storage and numbers of early graft infiltrating memory CD8 T cells that markedly up-regulate effector functions and directly mediate costimulatory blockade resistant rejection of cardiac allografts in a mouse model. Here we show that endogenous memory CD8 T cells exhibit increased early proliferation in grafts subjected to prolonged ischemia that is supported by memory CD4 T cells. Recipient depletion of CD4 T cells or treatment with MR1 (anti-CD40L) at transplant significantly decreased early memory CD8 T cell proliferation and extended survival of grafts subjected to prolonged cold ischemia. These studies provide novel insights into endogenous memory CD8 T cell mediated graft injury and the poor outcomes associated with cadaver donor grafts.
Approximate Green's Function for a Uniaxially Anisotropic Slab

An analytic solution for a line source image through a uniaxially anisotropic slab is supported by a finite element simulation. This allows a convenient means to evaluate the impact of material parameters in applications.
Thermophysics of the lanthanide trihydroxides III. Heat capacities from 5 to 350 K of the related compound Y(OH)3. Lattice contribution

Abstract Heat-capacity measurements between 5 and 350 K have been performed upon a microcrystalline sample of Y(OH)3. The heat capacities can be represented by a simple sigmate curve; no anomalous behavior was observed. Comparison with previously published results for the iso-anionic compounds La(OH)3 and Gd(OH)3 provides insight into the physical origins of experimentally observed trends in the lattice contributions of lanthanide compounds and suggests a rationale for the volume-weighted lattice-approximation scheme, which has been applied with great success to the lighter lanthanide trihydroxides.
Camel Raiding of North Arabian Bedouin: A Mechanism of Ecological Adaptation

T HE Bedouin camel breeding peoples of Arabia are among the most conspicuous in the public tradition of romanticized warrior nomads, but among the least used in current ethnological theory. Yet they inhabit a desert zone marked by varying and extreme geographical conditions for human survival and display in their modes of adaptation a wealth of features useful for developing cultural ecological theory. Moreover, their contiguity with regions occupied over millennia by complex states provides a host of problems of intercultural adaptations. Most prominent among these, perhaps, has been the persistence and elaboration of kinship as the organizing basis of these desert societies. This paper is concerned with examining some of the features and adaptive functions of one of the core mechanisms of Bedouin socio-cultural systems, institutionalized raiding, as a major factor in the persistence of such kin-based societies.2 Raiding is variously regarded as a sport, a passion, an industry by Western writers; it has been labelled brigandage, feuding, and warfare, and has been denounced and deplored, and rarely admired. But few serious students of Bedouin life have failed to appreciate its significance for the Bedouin, regardless of the moral or political stand from which the writers might evaluate it. Burckhardt, for example commented upon the precariousness of wealth in camel herds among the Bedouin, the rapid changes of individual fortunes as parties of men raided and counterraided each other's encampments. But he also calculated in monetary terms the cost of living as a Bedouin camel pastoralist. He concluded:
Effects of Laser Fluence on Surface Nanostructuring With a Laser-Assisted Scanning Tunneling Microscope

In this work, molecular dynamics simulation is performed to explore the long-time (up to 5 ns) behavior of argon crystal in surface nanostructuring with a laser-assisted scanning tunneling microscope. The surface nanostructuring region is limited to tens of nanometers in diameter although the simulated systems are much larger (more than 300,000 of atoms inside). This study is focused on the long-time solidification and crystallization procedure, which is driven by the heat conduction in the material. The effect of the computational domain on the final nanostructuring result is studied in detail. Different laser fluences are used in the simulation to explore how and to what extent the energy input affects the dimension and profile of the surface nanostructure. Meanwhile, spot-like structural defects in the sub-surface region are investigated during the solidification. Additionally, the evolutions of surface melting depth and lowest position in the whole process reveal the impact of different laser fluence on surface nanostructuring from another aspect.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Integrating time domain and input domain analyses of software reliability using tree-based models

The paper examines two existing approaches to software reliability analysis, time domain reliability growth modeling and input domain reliability analysis, and presents a new approach that combines some of their individual strengths. An analysis method called tree-based modeling is used to build models based on the combined measurement data. This new approach can be used to assess the reliability of software systems, to track reliability change over time, and to identify problematic subparts characterized by certain input states or time periods. The results can also be used to guide various remedial actions aimed at reliability improvement. This approach has been demonstrated to be applicable and effective in the testing of several large commercial software systems developed in the IBM Software Solutions Toronto Laboratory.
Quantitative analysis of human salivary gland‐derived intact proteome using top‐down mass spectrometry

There are several notable challenges inherent for fully characterizing the entirety of the human saliva proteome using bottom-up approaches, including polymorphic isoforms, PTMs, unique splice variants, deletions, and truncations. To address these challenges, we have developed a top-down based LC-MS/MS approach, which cataloged 20 major human salivary proteins with a total of 83 proteoforms, containing a broad range of PTMs. Among these proteins, several previously reported disease biomarker proteins were identified at the intact protein level, such as beta-2 microglobulin. In addition, intact glycosylated proteoforms of several saliva proteins were also characterized, including intact N-glycosylated protein prolactin inducible protein and O-glycosylated acidic protein rich protein. These characterized proteoforms constitute an intact saliva proteoform database, which was used for quantitative comparison of intact salivary proteoforms among six healthy individuals. Human parotid and submandibular/sublingual gland secretion samples (2 μg of protein each) from six healthy individuals were compared using RPLC coupled with the 12T FT-ICR mass spectrometer. Significantly different proteoform profiles were resolved with high reproducibility between parotid secretion and submandibular/sublingual glands. The results from this study provide further insight into the potential mechanisms of PTM pathways in oral glandular secretion, expanding our knowledge of this complex yet easily accessible fluid. Intact protein LC-MS approach presented herein can potentially be applied for rapid and accurate identification of biomarkers from only a few microliters of human glandular saliva.
Aluminum surface corrosion and the mechanism of inhibitors using pH and metal ion selective imaging fiber bundles.

The localized corrosion behavior of a galvanic aluminum copper couple was investigated by in situ fluorescence imaging with a fiber-optic imaging sensor. Three different, but complementary methods were used for visualizing remote corrosion sites, mapping the topography of the metal surface, and measuring local chemical concentrations of H+, OH-, and Al3+. The first method is based on a pH-sensitive imaging fiber, where the fluorescent dye SNAFL was covalently attached to the fiber's distal end. Fluorescence images were acquired as a function of time at different areas of the galvanic couple. In a second method, the fluorescent dye morin was immobilized on the fiber-optic imaging sensor, which allowed the in situ localization of corrosion processes on pure aluminum to be visualized over time by monitoring the release of Al3+. The development of fluorescence on the aluminum surface defined the areas associated with the anodic dissolution of aluminum. We also investigated the inhibition of corrosion of pure ...
Biochemical mechanisms of cephaloridine nephrotoxicity in suspensions of isolated rabbit proximal tubules.

It is well established that cephaloridine (CLD) can cause renal dysfunction, characterized by decreased glomerular filtration rate, glycosuria, enzymuria and proteinuria in both humans and laboratory animals. These changes are often accompanied histologically by widespread necrosis of the S2 segment of the proximal tubule [l]. Nephrotoxicity is not unique to CLD and is often observed during the preclinical development of other, new /3-lactam antibiotics. Thus, these compounds, as a class, have gained the reputation for being nephrotoxic. There has been considerable progress made on the elucidation of the biochemical mechanisms of B-lactam-induced nephrotoxicity. Studies with CLD have indicated that perioxidative decomposition of membrane lipids may be a key event leading to renal injury. Kuo et al. [2] have presented data suggesting that the pyridinium ring of CLD can undergo redox cycling producing oxygen free radicals leading to glutathione (GSH) depletion, malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and renal necrosis. In contrast, Tune and colleagues have suggested that the nephrotoxic cephalosporins can acylate and inactivate the mitochondrial transporters for anionic substrate uptake and thus limit the entry of succinate into the inner mitochondrial compartment [3]. Although these two theories provide an explanation for many of the renal biochemical changes that can occur following administration of nephrotoxic cephalosporins, there are some questions left unresolved. For example, studies examining lipid peroxidation as a mechanism of CLD nephrotoxicity have been conducted al
Oxygen isotopic fractionation in the photochemistry of nitrate in water and ice

We recently reported the first multiple oxygen isotope composition of nitrate (NO_3^−) in ice cores (Alexander et al., 2004). Postdepositional photolysis and volatilization may alter the isotopic signatures of snowpack nitrate. Therefore the precise assessment of the geochemical/atmospheric significance of O-isotopic signatures requires information on the relative rates of photolysis (λ > 300 nm) of N^(16)O_3^−, N^(16)O_2^(17)O^−, and N^(16)O_2^(18)O^− in ice. Here we report on ^(17)O^- and ^(18)O^-fractionation in the 313-nm photolysis of 10-mM aqueous solutions of normal Fisher KNO3 (i.e., Δ17O = −0.2 ± 0.2‰) and 17O-enriched USGS-35 NaNO_3 (Δ^(17)O = 21.0 ± 0.4‰) between −30° and 25°C. We found that Fisher KNO_3 undergoes mass-dependent O-fractionation, i.e., a process that preserves Δ^(17)O = 0. In contrast, Δ^(17)O in USGS-35 NaNO_3 decreased by 1.6 ± 0.4‰ and 2.0 ± 0.4‰ at 25°C, 1.2 ± 0.4‰ and 1.3 ± 0.4‰ at −5°C, and 0.2 ± 0.4‰ and 1.1 ± 0.4‰ at −30°C, after 12 and 24 hours, respectively. Since the small quantum yield (∼0.2%) of NO_3^− photodecomposition into (NO_2 + OH) is due to extensive cage recombination of the primary photofragments rather than to intramolecular processes, the observed Δ^(17)O decreases likely reflect competitive O-isotope exchange of geminate OH-radicals with H_2O (Δ^(17)O = 0) and escape from the solvent cage, in addition to residual O-isotope mixing of the final photoproducts NO, NO_2, NO_2^−, with H_2O. At the prevailing low temperatures, photochemical processing will not impair the diagnostic value of O-isotopic signatures in tracing the chemical ancestry of nitrate in polar ice.
Hyaluronic acid grafting mitigates calcification of glutaraldehyde‐fixed bovine pericardium

Pathologic calcification is the leading cause of the clinical failure of glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium used in bioprosthetic valves. A novel surface modification of glutaraldehyde fixed bovine pericardium was carried out with high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA). HA was chemically modified with adipic dihydrazide (ADH) to introduce hydrazide functional groups onto the HA backbone. Glutaraldehyde-fixed bovine pericardium (GFBP) was modified by grafting this HA to the free aldehyde groups on the tissue via the hydrazide groups. Following a 2-week subcutaneous implantation in osteopontin (OPN)-null mice, the calcification of HA-modified bovine pericardium was drastically reduced (by 84.5%) compared to positive controls (tissue without HA-modification) (p = 0.005). The calcification-mitigating effect of HA surface modification was also confirmed by microscopic analysis of explanted tissue stained with Alizarin Red S for calcium.
Mean-Variance Approximations to Expected Logarithmic Utility

In this paper, we investigate how closely functions of means and variances can approximate Von Neumann-Morgenstern expected utility modeled as a logarithmic utility-of-wealth function. Using historical security return data, we computed portfolios maximizing expected logarithmic utility and compared them to those maximizing appropriate mean-variance formulations. In all cases the approximations were very good, and in many cases the optimal portfolios were virtually identical. We conclude that the mean-variance model can serve as a useful surrogate to at least one popular alternative investment strategy.
Perceived somatic reactions to stress and hostile press.

Hostile Press is a measure of fear of failure. We have evidence that people high on Hostile Press see the world as a hostile, threatening place. Following this idea, we felt that persons high on Hostile Press should show psychophysiological reactions to their feelings about the world. 200 male students were given the Hostile Press measure of fear of failure and a “Reactions to Stress Questionnaire.” The prediction was that there would be a positive correlation between the two measures. In general, the prediction was confirmed.
Synthesis and Characterisation Of Sol–gel Derived Nanostructured Composite of ZnO/PVP Thin Films

AbstractPure ZnO films and ZnO nanoparticle dispersed polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) films were prepared on a Pyrex glass substrate by sol–gel dip coating using a zinc acetate precursor. The thin film is extensively characterised for its surface morphology, chemistry, thickness and nanocrystallite size, using various advanced analytical techniques such as SEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Under the given processing conditions, ZnO semiconductor thin films with nanocrystallite size 20–30 nm were obtained, and the ZnO nanoparticle size in the PVP matrix increased with increase in ZnO content.
Concept evaluation and usability testing of a TV based video communications system

Abstract Attempts to successfully commercialize video telephony have thus far failed, however technical developments in broadband networks, video encoding, imaging and processing are now making TV based video telephony both technically and commercially viable. This paper describes two empirical studies carried out to evaluate such a concept. A first study assessed the user value of TV based video telephony by means of a comparative evaluation against a PC/webcam solution and face to face communication using subject dyads and structured audio/visual tasks. Significant differences were found between all three conditions; while pre- and post-test Likert scales indicated that ratings for the TV condition increased post-experience and were not significantly different from the face to face condition ratings. Two prototype systems were then developed which enabled TV to TV video telephony calls and a second study was carried out to evaluate in greater depth, the usability and acceptability of the feature sets and their respective ease of access. The studies indicated that TV-based video communications does have intrinsic user value and also has the potential to approach the richness of face to face communications, but that certain control and privacy functions need to be implemented in the UI before this can be fully realized. Such functions included; control over the callers with whom video would be used, control over who could access the videotelephony system, control over the recording of calls, the ability to turn off the self-view and, for total privacy, physical occlusion of the camera when not in use.
Effect of Guanine Nucleotide Binding on the Intrinsic Tryptophan Fluorescence Properties of Rab5

To gain further insight into structural elements involved in Rab5 function, differences in the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of the GDP- and guanosine 5′-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTPγS)-bound forms of the protein were examined. When excited at 290 nm, Rab5 displays emission maxima at 339.7 nm for the GDP-bound and 336.7 nm for the GTPγS-bound forms. The tryptophan fluorescence intensity is quenched by ∼25% in the GTPγS-bound form relative to the GDP-bound conformation. Variant Rab5 molecules were created by site-directed mutagenesis to convert the protein's two tryptophans to phenylalanine residues. Fluorescence studies reveal that the observed changes upon GDP/GTPγS exchange are due to a blue shift in the emission spectra for both Trp74 (342.0 to 339.5 nm) and Trp114 (335.3 to 333.7 nm) and fluorescence quenching of Trp114. Consistent with the blue shift in the emission spectra, both tryptophans are more resistant to oxidation by N-bromosuccinimide in the GTPγS-bound state. These data indicate that both of Rab5's tryptophans are brought into a more sequestered, hydrophobic environment upon conformational changes promoted by guanine nucleotide exchange. Since Trp74 lies adjacent to Rab5's cognate switch II domain, local conformational changes would be predicted based on the known structure of Ras. However, Trp114 lies within a region of Rab5 potentially related to the switch III domain unique to heterotrimeric Gαt. Thus, changes in the fluorescence properties of Trp114 upon guanine nucleotide exchange suggest that Rab proteins may have structure-function relationships similar to those described for heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins.
New technologies for exoplanet detection with mid-IR interferometers

This paper provides an overview of technology development for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I). TPF-I is a mid-infrared space interferometer being designed with the capability of detecting Earth-like planets in the habitable zones around nearby stars.
SU-FF-E-01: Management of a CAMPEP-Accredited Physics Residency Program Using a Commercial Software and Database Tool and Utilizing Its Potential to Facilitate Formation of Distributed & Affiliated Residency Programs

Purpose: A review of commercially available allied health educational management software tools led to a decision to purchase the Typhon Group Allied Health Student Tracking Module for the CAMPEP‐accredited Therapy Program at the University of Louisville. Advantages of the Typhon Group software include a) didactic course reporting and organization, b) competency reporting by topic, category and didactic course, c) student time management and reporting, d) student patient case reporting by topic, category and course. Method and Materials: The software includes the facility for recording school administrative information, setting up lists of courses, faculty, clinical sites, categories, competencies, time logs, and the inclusion of standardized external documents. There are facilities for creating evaluation and survey instruments for completion both by residents (of mentors and program) and by faculty (of students). Competency documentation includes the time spent on the problem (or with the patient), time spent with the mentor, date of the competency, and approval by the mentor and program director. Course documentation includes course and lecture title, lecturer, topic information, date of lecture and approval by the Program Director. Results: The software has been used to document 520 hours of clinical conference logs and over 70 completed competencies by one resident over the course of one year. The software has the facility to include multiple clinical sites, with local sub‐administrators having the ability to approve competencies and attendance at clinical conferences. The Typhon Group Software therefore has the capability to manage CAMPEP‐accredited residency programs or the residency portion of a CAMPEP‐accredited DMP Program. Conclusion: The Web‐based database lends the software to the support of distributed or affiliated clinical sites within a single residency program. Such tools are a critical and necessary component if the medical physics profession is to meet the projected needs for qualified medical physicists in future years.
Long-term reliability of Er-doped fibers in hydrogen environments

Accelerated tests of Er-doped fibers in hydrogen environments are carried out and as the evidence of their long-term utilization, the degradations in loss and gain are estimated. The hydrogen-induced loss-increase in Er-doped fibers with 0 to 3 percent aluminum (Al) content is formulated. As the results of quantitative investigations, it is understood that during 25 years of use, there is almost no transmission loss increase in 1.55 μm wavelength region and at hydrogen partial pressure of 0.001 atm and 40°C if there is no Al content. In case of 1 wt% Al content, the loss increase is 0.04 dB/20 m while it is 0.08 dB/20 m if the Al content is 3 wt%. Further, it is possible to describe the gain degradations, under hydrogen environment, by the increase of background losses. Under the forementioned conditions, the gain degradation is estimated to be 0.07 dB if the Al content is 1 wt% and 0.15 dB if the content is 3 wt%. Therefore, it becomes clear that their characteristics are immune to hydrogen environment in real applications.
Alterations in growth-associated protein (GAP-43) expression in lower urinary tract pathways following chronic spinal cord injury

Alterations in the expression of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) were examined in lower urinary tract micturition reflex pathways 6 or 8 weeks following complete spinal cord transection (approximately T9). In control animals, expression of GAP-43 was present in specific regions of the gray matter in the rostral lumbar and caudal lumbosacral spinal cord, including: (1) the dorsal commissure; (2) the corticospinal tract; (3) the dorsal horn; and (4) the regions of the intermediolateral cell column (L1-L2) and the sacral parasympathetic nucleus (L6-S1); and (5) in the lateral collateral pathway of Lissauer in L6-S1 spinal segments. Densitometry analysis has demonstrated significant increases (p < or =0.001; 1.3-6.4-fold increase) in GAP-43-immunoreactivity (IR) in these regions of the rostral lumbar (L1-L2) and caudal lumbosacral (L6-S1) spinal cord 6 weeks following spinal cord injury. Changes in GAP-43-IR were restricted to the L1-L2 and L6-S1 segments that are involved in lower urinary tract reflexes. Changes in GAP-43-IR were not observed at the L5 segmental level except for an increase in GAP-43-IR in the superficial, dorsal horn at 6 weeks post-injury. In all segments examined, GAP-43-IR was decreased (2-5-fold) in the corticospinal tract (dorsal division) 6 and 8 weeks following spinal cord injury. Eight weeks following spinal cord injury, changes in GAP-43-IR had returned to control levels except for the persistence of increased GAP-43-IR in the region of the sacral parasympathetic nucleus and the lateral collateral pathway in the S1 spinal segment. Alterations in GAP-43-IR following chronic spinal cord injury may suggest a reorganization of bladder afferent projections and spinal elements involved in urinary bladder reflexes consistent with alterations in urinary bladder function (hyperreflexia) observed in animals following spinal cord injury above the lumbosacral spinal cord.
Long-term, stable behavior of local field potentials during brain machine interface use

Local field potentials (LFPs) have the potential to provide robust, long-lasting control signals for brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). Moreover, they have been hypothesized to be a stable signal source. Here we assess the long-term stability of LFPs and multi-unit spikes (MSPs) in two monkeys using both LFP-based and MSP-based, biomimetic BMIs to control a computer cursor. The monkeys demonstrated highly accurate performance using both the LFP- and MSP-based BMIs. This performance remained high for 11 and 6 months, respectively, without adapting or retraining. We evaluated the stability of the LFP features and MSPs themselves by building, in each session, linear decoders of the BMI-controlled cursor velocity using single features or single MSPs. We then used these single-feature decoders to decode BMI-controlled cursor velocity in the last session. Many of the LFP features and MSPs showed stably-high correlations with the cursor velocity over the entire study period. This implies that the monkeys were able to maintain a stable mapping between either motor cortical field potentials or multi-spike potentials and BMI-controlled outputs.
Short monotone formulae for the majority function

Abstract It is shown that the monotone formula-size complexity of the monotone symmetric functions on n variables can be bounded above by a function of order O ( n 5.3 ).
Unified mixing model for hyperspectral imagery

Multiple mixing models for hyperspectral imagery have been developed over the years. The most common is the linear mixing model which states that each pixel's spectral signature is a linear combination of the unique materials (or endmembers) in the scene. For mixtures of particulates, an intimate mixture model exists that nonlinearly combine the spectra. For mixtures where multiple paths are involved such as in tree canopies, a bilinear mixture model exists. Previous research has combined the linear with the intimate mixing model or the linear with the bilinear mixing model, but not all three. This paper describes a unified mixture model (UMM) that combines all three models and adaptively identifies the correct mixture to calculate the corresponding amounts of each endmember. The algorithm is demonstrated on a well-known quantitative spectral data set and a hyperspectral image containing a complex, coastal scene.
Selection of an omnivorous diet by the mangrove tree crab Aratus pisonii in laboratory experiments

Abstract Observational studies on leaf damage, gut content analyses, and crab behaviour have demonstrated that like numerous other mangrove and salt-marsh generalists, the mangrove tree crab Aratus pisonii feeds on a variety of food resources. This study is the first that experimentally tests feeding preferences of A. pisonii, as well as the first to test experimentally whether chemical composition of food resources is responsible for food selection. Feeding preferences were determined among a variety of plant, algal, and animal resources available in the field both in Florida and Belize, using multiple-choice feeding assays, where male and female crabs simultaneously were offered a variety of food items. To test whether chemistry of food resources was responsible for feeding preferences, chemical extracts of food resources were incorporated in an agar-based artificial food, and used in feeding assays. Results of feeding assays suggest that crabs prefer animal matter from ∼ 2.5 to 13× more than other available resources, including leaves of the red mangrove Rhizophora mangle, which contribute the most to their natural diet. Artificial feeding assays also demonstrated that chemical cues were responsible for selection of animal matter, up to 25× more than other available resources. Non-polar extracts (derived from extraction in 1:1 ethyl actetate:methanol) stimulated feeding the most, suggesting that fatty acids, triglycerides, or sterols may be important for growth, reproduction, or survival. Results for both sexes were similar across most assays. While chemical composition of food resources appears to play some role in selection, this does not discount the potential role of other factors, such as resource availability, competition, predation, or reproductive requirements in influencing feeding preferences. Bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts should aid in determining chemical constituents that play the greatest role in determining feeding preferences.
Biology of interleukin-5 in ocular cicatricial pemphigoid

Background. Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of autoantibodies, T-cell dysregulation, and abnormal serum levels of cytokines such as interleukin-6, interleukin-1, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The purpose of the present study was to investigate levels of interleukin-5 (IL-5) in the sera, eosinophil counts in the peripheral blood, and eosinophil and mast cell counts in the inflamed conjunctivae of patients with active OCP.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Individual α-Helices of Bacteriorhodopsin in Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. II. Interaction Energy Analysis

The concepts of hydrophobicity and hydrophobic moments have been applied in attempts to predict membrane protein secondary and tertiary structure. The current paper uses molecular dynamics computer calculations of individual bacteriorhodopsin helices in explicit dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers to examine the atomic basis of these approaches. The results suggest that the types of interactions between a particular amino acid and the surrounding bilayer depend on the position and type of the amino acid. In particular, aromatic residues are seen to interact favorably at the interface region. Analysis of the trajectories in terms of hydrophobic moments suggests the presence of a particular face that prefers lipid. The results of these simulations may be used to improve secondary structure prediction methods and to provide further insights into the two-stage model of protein folding.
Lipid rafts in plants.

Current thinking on lipid membrane organization has evolved from the seminal fluid mosaic model proposed by [Singer and Nicolson (1972)][1]. Subsequent studies on plasma membranes suggest that biological membranes are not a simple homogeneous layer of proteins and lipids, but rather are organized
A Novel Receptor Activator of NF-κB (RANK) Cytoplasmic Motif Plays an Essential Role in Osteoclastogenesis by Committing Macrophages to the Osteoclast Lineage

Receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK) ligand (RANKL) and its receptor RANK play an essential role in osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast function by activating several signaling pathways. However, several lines of evidence suggest that RANK also transmits an unidentified signaling pathway(s) essential for osteoclastogenesis. To identify the novel pathway(s), we carried out a detailed structure/function study of the RANK cytoplasmic domain. A series of studies using numerous deletion/point mutants elucidated a specific 4-amino acid motif (535IVVY538) essential for osteoclastogenesis. This novel motif plays a crucial role in committing macrophages to the osteoclast lineage but is not implicated in osteoclast function or survival. Moreover, this motif does not activate the known RANK signaling pathways, indicating that it initiates a novel pathway(s). The identification of the novel motif not only provides critical insight into RANK signaling in osteoclastogenesis, but more importantly, the RANK motif and its downstream signaling pathways may represent specific therapeutic targets for various bone diseases, including postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Multiplicity distributions of gluon and quark jets and a test of QCD analytic calculations

Abstract Gluon jets are identified in e + e − hadronic annihilation events by tagging two quark jets in the same hemisphere of an event. The gluon jet is defined inclusively as all the particles in the opposite hemisphere. Gluon hets defined in this manner have a close correspondence to gluon jets as they are defined for analytic calculations, and are almost independent of a jet finding algorithm. The mean and first few higher moments of the gluon jet charged particle multiplicity distribution are compared to the analogous results found for light quark (uds) jets, also defined inclusively. Large differences are observed between the mean, skew and curtosis values of the gluon and quark jets, but not between their dispersions. The cumulant factorial moments of the distributions are also measured, and are used to test the predictions of QCD analytic calculations. A calculation which includes next-to-next-to-leading order corrections and energy conservation is observed to provide a much improved description of the separated gluon and quark jet cumulant moments compared to a next-to-leading order calculation without energy conservation. There is good quantitative agreement between the data and calculations for the ratios of the cumulant moments between gluon and quark jets. The data sample used is the LEP-1 sample of the OPAL experiment at LEP.
Instability of burner-stabilized flames with volumetric heat loss

Behavior of the planar, burner-stabilized premixed flame that suffers volumetric heat loss, with its rate described by a linear function of temperature, is analyzed by activation energy asymptotics. Both its steady burning characteristics and its diffusional-thermal flame-front instability are investigated. The effect of volumetric heat loss is found to slow down the reaction so that the flame moves away from the burner. Consequently, the heat transfer from the flame to the burner is reduced and the flame temperature is increased. By continuously increasing the intensity of volumetric heat loss, the flame eventually is detached from the burner and becomes freely propagating. The stability analysis then reveals that the volumetric heat loss renders the flame to be less stable, similar to what is known for the freely propagating flame. The increase in the flame temperature has only a weak effect to stabilize the flame. It is primarily to compensate the decrease in the burning rate that is induced by the volumetric heat loss. In addition, the volumetric heat loss has a stronger impact on the reduction of stability for flames with a lower burner supply rate, that also is the burning rate. A critical burner supply rate exists, below which the flame turns absolutely unstable before detaching from the burner so that the freely propagating limit cannot be reached by increasing the intensity of volumetric heat loss. This study further supports the existence of the dual flame behavior experimentally observed by Spalding and Yumlu in that there exist two flame speeds for a heat transfer rate to the burner because stable flame exists, even for relatively small burner supply rates, when the volumetric heat loss is weak.
Teacher education for inclusion: changing paradigms and innovative approaches

edited by C. Forlin (Ed.), 2010, London, Routledge, 253 pp. + index, UK£27.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-41-554877-9 In response to the United Nations’ Education for All (EFA) initiative, Forlin has c...
Clinical staging of primary lung cancer.

Clinical staging of primary lung cancer must be individualized to be of practical value. Most tumors are visible on the chest roentgenogram, and the potential curability is evident in most patients without further study. Sputum cytologic study and bronchoscopy with biopsy provide histologic evidence of cancer in one-third of patients, but yield no information relative to clinical stage. Mediastinoscopy can determine the presence of occult mediastinal metastasis and provide information on the histologic type of primary lung cancer present Our study demonstrated that patients having hilar or large peripheral tumors often yielded evidence of mediastinal involvement with anaplastic carcinoma, in which the prognosis for longterm survival is poor. Those patients having peripheral tumors were subjected to thoracotomy without mediastinoscopy, and in most instances resection was accomplished. Preliminary survival figures indicate that the more unfavorable lesions were selected for mediastinoscopy, but in our cases this procedure was most helpful in precluding diagnostic thoracotomy in cases of nonresectable anaplastic or adenocarcinoma.