cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scatter factors for a 25-MV x-ray beam.

The scatter factors, i.e., the ratios between the primary and scatter components of absorbed dose, have been determined for a 25-MV x-ray beam. The primary dose is described by attenuation and head-scatter factors. The attenuation coefficient decreased from 0.028 cm-1 at the surface to 0.025 cm-1 at 30 cm depth. The head-scatter factor varied about 8% for collimator settings from 5 x 5 to 40 x 40 cm2. To determine the scatter factors, measured tissue-output ratios were divided by the attenuation and head-scatter factors for the same depth and field size. The results were fitted, with agreement within +/- 1%, to a model which assumes a linear relation between the scatter factor and the field size if the ratio between field size and depth is constant. The model requires transient electron equilibrium, which is present when the depth exceeds 6 cm and the field size 6 x 6 cm2. The scatter factor increases to 1.33 at 30-cm depth and 40 x 40 cm2 field size. The peak scatter factor (PSF) at 3.5-cm depth reaches 1.06 for the largest field. Both PSF and NPSF, the normalized peak scatter factor, are affected by electron disequilibrium, which causes some conceptual ambiguities and numerical uncertainties.
Characterization and quantification of corticosteroid-binding globulin in a southern toad, Bufo terrestris, exposed to coal-combustion-waste

Abstract Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) is a plasma protein that binds corticosterone and may regulate access of hormone to tissues. The role of CBG during a stress response is not clear. At least two hypotheses have been proposed: 1) CBG levels may increase in response to a stressor, thereby decreasing the amount of circulating free corticosterone, or 2) CBG levels may decline, making corticosterone available for its role in increased metabolic needs during stress. In this study, southern toads, Bufo terrestris , were exposed to a chronic pollutant (coal-combustion-waste), to determine changes in CBG and free corticosterone levels. Since toads exposed to chronic pollutants in previous studies did not exhibit the predicted changes in metabolic rate and mass, but did experience a significant elevation in total corticosterone, we hypothesized that CBG would likewise increase and thus, mitigate the effects of a chronic (i.e. 2 months) pollutant stressor. To conduct this study, we first characterized the properties of CBG in southern toads. Toad CBG has a K d = 20.6 ± 1.0 nM and a B max = 332.2 ± 5.1 nmol/L plasma. The rank order potencies for steroid inhibition of tritiated corticosterone are: dihydrotestosterone > corticosterone ≫ progesterone = testosterone ⋙ estrogen = dexamethasone. After characterization, we monitored the changes in CBG, total corticosterone, and free corticosterone in male toads that were exposed to either coal-combustion-waste or control conditions. CBG increased in all groups throughout the experiment. Total corticosterone, on the other hand, was only significantly elevated at four weeks of exposure to coal-combustion-waste. The increase in CBG did not parallel the increase in total corticosterone; as a result, free corticosterone levels were not buffered by CBG, but showed a peak at four weeks similar to total corticosterone. This finding indicates that, in this species, CBG may not provide a protective mechanism during long-term pollution exposure.
Cultural Determinism, Cultural Relativism, and the Comparative Study of Psychopathology

This article assesses the employment of the concept of cultural relativism and the theory of cultural determinism in their application to the comparative study of psychopathology. For the assessment of cultural relativism, the Plains Indians' hearing of the voice of a recently deceased relative is deployed as a paradigmatic example. For the assessment of cultural deter- minism, in regard to which a distinction is drawn between "cul- tural" or ideational causation and "social" or experiential causation, anorexia nervosa is deployed as the paradigmatic case. The article concludes by questioning the hermeneutic turn in psychiatric anthropology.
Wildland fire risk and social vulnerability in the Southeastern United States: An exploratory spatial data analysis approach

article i nfo The southeastern U.S. is one of the more wildland fire prone areas of the country and also contains some of the poorest or most socially vulnerable rural communities. Our project addresses wildland fire risk in this part of the U.S and its intersection with social vulnerability. We examine spatial association between high wildland fire prone areas which also rank high in social vulnerability ("hot spots") for Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina. We also look at the proximity of hot spots to wildland fire mitigation programs. We hypothesize that hot spots are less likely than high wildland fire risk/low social vulnerability communities to engage with mitigation programs (e.g., Community Wildfire Protection Plans or Firewise Communities). To assess our hypothesis, we examined mean distances between: 1) hot spots and mitigation programs and 2) high wildland fire risk/low social vulnerability communities and mitigation programs. Overall, results show longer mean distances from hot spots to mitigation programs, compared to distances for high wildland fire risk/low social vulnerability communities. This finding provides support for our hypothesis and suggests that poorer communities in the southeast with high wildland fire risk may be at a greater disadvantage than more affluent, high fire risk communities in these states. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Novel characterization of the aerosol and gas-phase composition of aerosolized jet fuel.

Few robust methods are available to characterize the composition of aerosolized complex hydrocarbon mixtures. The difficulty in separating the droplets from their surrounding vapors and preserving their content is challenging, more so with fuels, which contain hydrocarbons ranging from very low to very high volatility. Presented here is a novel method that uses commercially available absorbent tubes to measure a series of hydrocarbons in the vapor and droplets from aerosolized jet fuels. Aerosol composition and concentrations were calculated from the differential between measured total (aerosol and gas-phase) and measured gas-phase concentrations. Total samples were collected directly, whereas gas-phase only samples were collected behind a glass fiber filter to remove droplets. All samples were collected for 1 min at 400 ml min−1 and quantified using thermal desorption–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. This method was validated for the quantification of the vapor and droplet content from 4-h aerosoliz...
Minimum-Distance Requirements Could Harm High-Performing Critical-Access Hospitals And Rural Communities

Since the inception of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program in 1997, over 1,300 rural hospitals have converted to critical-access hospitals, which entitles them to Medicare cost-based reimbursement instead of reimbursement based on the hospital prospective payment system (PPS). Several changes to eligibility for critical-access status have recently been proposed. Most of the changes focus on mandating that hospitals be located a certain minimum distance from the nearest hospital. Our study found that critical-access hospitals located within fifteen miles of another hospital generally are larger, provide better quality, and are financially stronger compared to critical-access hospitals located farther from another hospital. Returning to the PPS would have considerable negative impacts on critical-access hospitals that are located near another hospital. We conclude that establishing a minimum-distance requirement would generate modest cost savings for Medicare but would likely be disruptive to th...
Two Faces of Narcissism

The present study examines the lack of strong correlations among existing self-report measures of narcissism. A principal-components analysis of 6 MMPI narcissism scales resulted in 2 orthogonal factors, 1 implying Vulnerability-Sensitivity and the other Grandiosity-Exhibitionism. Although unrelated to each other, these 2 factors were associated with such core features of narcissism as conceit, self-indulgence, and disregard of others. Despite this common core, however, Vulnerability-Sensitivity was associated with introversion, defensiveness, anxiety, and vulnerability to life's traumas, whereas Grandiosity-Exhibitionism was related to extraversion, self-assurance, exhibitionism, and aggression. Three alternative interpretations of these results are considered, and an argument for the distinction between covert and overt narcissism is made.
A silicon retina that reproduces signals in the optic nerve

Prosthetic devices may someday be used to treat lesions of the central nervous system. Similar to neural circuits, these prosthetic devices should adapt their properties over time, independent of external control. Here we describe an artificial retina, constructed in silicon using single-transistor synaptic primitives, with two forms of locally controlled adaptation: luminance adaptation and contrast gain control. Both forms of adaptation rely on local modulation of synaptic strength, thus meeting the criteria of internal control. Our device is the first to reproduce the responses of the four major ganglion cell types that drive visual cortex, producing 3600 spiking outputs in total. We demonstrate how the responses of our device's ganglion cells compare to those measured from the mammalian retina. Replicating the retina's synaptic organization in our chip made it possible to perform these computations using a hundred times less energy than a microprocessor—and to match the mammalian retina in size and weight. With this level of efficiency and autonomy, it is now possible to develop fully implantable intraocular prostheses.
The Impact of Solar-like Variability on the Detectability of Transiting Terrestrial Planets

Transit photometry is a promising method for discovering extrasolar planets as small as Earth from spacebased photometers, and several near-term photometric missions are on the drawing board. In particular, NASA’s recently selected Kepler mission is devoted primarily to detecting extrasolar planets. The success of these e!o rts depends in part on the ability to detect transit signatures against the inherent photometric variability of the target stars. While other noise sources such as shot noise and CCD noise are under the control of the instrument designers, this one is not. The photometric variability of solar-like stars presents a fundamental lower limit to the minimum detectable planet radius for a given star and number of observed transits. In this paper we examine the capability of such missions using bolometric data for the only star for which su"cient photometric precision exists to address this question: the Sun. The results indicate that solar-like variability does not prevent the detection of Earth-sized planets even for stars rotating significantly faster than the Sun. Four transits are detectable for mv ! 12 stars with rotation periods as short as " 21 days, while six transitsallowdetectionforstellarrotation periods asshortas" 16days.Indeed, thelimitsposed bysolar-like variability allow for the detection of planets significantly smaller than Earth orbiting Sun-like stars. Planets as small as 0.6 Earth radii exhibitingat least sixtransits can be detected orbiting bright (mv ! 10) solar analogs. Subject headings: methods: data analysis — planetary systems — techniques: photometric
Generational Differences in Work Values: Leisure and Extrinsic Values Increasing, Social and Intrinsic Values Decreasing:

Organizations are currently facing the retirement of many older workers and the challenge of recruiting and retaining young talent. However, few studies have empirically substantiated generational differences in work values. This study examines the work values of a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school seniors in 1976, 1991, and 2006 (N = 16 ,507) representing Baby Boomers, Generation X (GenX), and Generation Me (GenMe, also known as GenY, or Millennials). With data collected across time, these analyses isolate generational differences from age differences, unlike one-time studies, which cannot separate the two. Leisure values increased steadily over the generations (d comparing Boomers and GenMe = .5 7), and work centrality declined. Extrinsic values (e.g., status, money) peaked with GenX but were still higher among GenMe than among Boomers (d = .2 6). Contrary to popular press reports, GenMe does not favor altruistic work values (e.g., helping, societal worth) more than previous generations. Social values (e.g., making friends) and intrinsic values (e.g., an interesting, results-oriented job) were rated lower by GenMe than by Boomers. These findings have practical implications for the recruitment and management of the emerging workforce.
Vitamin D inadequacy in pregnancy: biology, outcomes, and interventions

A high prevalence of maternal vitamin D inadequacy during pregnancy and at delivery has been demonstrated in various ethnic populations living at different latitudes. Because placental transfer of 25(OH)D is the major source of vitamin D to the developing human fetus, there is growing concern about adverse health impacts that hypovitaminosis D during pregnancy may have on the mother as well as the offspring in utero, in infancy, and later in life. While there is lack of consensus regarding the optimal circulating 25(OH)D concentration in pregnancy, it is evident that prior levels used to establish intake recommendations and vitamin D content of prenatal vitamin supplements were too conservative. This review summarizes vitamin D metabolism in the perinatal period, examines evidence regarding outcomes of insufficiency in the mother and offspring, discusses risk factors and prevalence of insufficiency, and considers strategies for public health intervention.
Estimation Of Thermal Flux And Emissivity Of The Land Surface From Multispectral Aircraft Data

In order to evaluate the importance of surface thermal flux and emissivity variations on surface and boundary layer processes, a technique that uses thermal data from an airborne multispectral scanner to determine the surface skin temperature and thermal emissivity over a regional area has been developed. These values are used to estimate the total flux density emanating from the surface and at the top of the atmosphere. Data from the multispectral atmospheric mapping sensor (MAMS) collected during the First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) are used to develop the technique, and to show the time and space variability of the flux values. The ground truth data available during FIFE provide a unique resource to evaluate this technique.
Lumbar spine surgery and mortality among Medicare beneficiaries, 1986.

OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this study was to compare lumbar spine surgical procedures by age, gender, and number of comorbidities with respect to mortality in patients 65 years of age and older in the United States. METHODS. A 100% sample of the 1986 Medicare inpatient Health Care Financing Administration claims files databases involving lumbar spine surgical procedures was analyzed. RESULTS. Lumbar spine surgery in 34,418 patients (median age = 71 years) was associated with a significant increase in in-hospital and 1-year cumulative mortality only beyond 80 years of age. When adjusted for age, in-hospital and 1-year cumulative mortality with both decompression and excision procedures were significantly higher in men than in women. When adjusted for both age and gender, mortality increased significantly as the number of comorbidities increased. CONCLUSIONS. With lumbar spine surgery in elderly patients, mortality did not significantly increase until 80 years of age and was consistently associated with dec...
Steroid Changes During the Menstrual Cycle of the Baboon (Papio cynocephalus) and Human

Nine serum steroids were simultaneously measured by radioinimunoassay folIoing celite chromatography during a complete menstrual cycle of 5 normally cycling baboon (Papio cynocepbalus) and human females. Statistical evaluation by analysis of variance using the lognormab distribution of all steroid measurements indicates significant variation among cycle days for estrone, estradiol, progesterone, 17a-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone and androstenedione. No overall cyclic variation was observed for serum levels of dihydrotestosterone, dehydroepi- androsterone and cortisol in emther species. Statistical comparison revealed cyclic variation of steroid secretion between human and baboon is the same for all steroids studied. However, quantitatively the baboon levels are lower than the human values during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. The periovulatory peaks of estrone, estradiol, testosterone and 1 7a-hydroxyprogesterone are the same between the 2 species, while the baboon has a significantly lower (P<0.05) periovulatory rise in androstenedione. A buteal increase in progesterone, 1 7a-hydroxyprogesterone and estradiol was observed in both human and baboon. The only relative difference between the baboon and the human luteal phase is the failure of the baboon to show a secondary rise in estrone. A noncyclmc pattern for dihydrotestosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and cortisol was the same for each species with the mean levels significantly higher (P<0.001) in the baboon. Although differences exist between the human and baboon regarding the absolute serum values for some steoids, the cycle patterns of the serum steroids are the same between the 2 species. These data indicate that the baboon, P. cynocephalus, is a representative subhuman primate model for the study of hormonal factors regulating the menstrual cycle and early implantation.
Radiotherapy augments the immune response to prostate cancer in a time‐dependent manner

BACKGROUND Cancer immunotherapy refers to an array of strategies intended to treat progressive tumors by augmenting a patient's anti-tumor immune response. As immunotherapy is eventually incorporated into oncology treatment paradigms, it is important to understand how these therapies interact with established cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or Radiotherapy (RT). To address this, we utilized a well-established, autochthonous murine model of prostate cancer to test whether RT could augment (or diminish) the CD4 T cell response to a tumor vaccine. METHODS Transgenic mice that develop spontaneous prostate cancer (TRAMP) which also express a unique tumor associated antigen (Influenza hemagglutinin) under the control of a prostate-specific promoter were given local RT in combination with immunotherapy. The immunological outcome of this combinatorial strategy was assayed by monitoring the effector response of adoptively transferred, prostate-specific CD4 T cells. RESULTS Neither RT nor immunotherapy alone was capable of priming an anti-tumor immune response in animals with evolving tumors. The combination of immunotherapy with RT resulted in anti-tumor T cell activation—this effect was profoundly dependent on the relative timing of RT and immunotherapy. Anti-tumor immune responses occurred when immunotherapy was administered 3–5 weeks post-RT, but such responses were undetectable when immunotherapy was administered either earlier (peri-radiothrerapy) or later. CONCLUSIONS The therapeutic temporal window of immunotherapy post-RT suggests that highly aggressive, immuno-suppressive tumors might be most sensitive to immunotherapy in a fairly narrow time window; these results should help to guide future development of clinical combinatorial strategies. Prostate 68:1319–1329, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
European Equity Markets and the EMU

During the 1980s, country effects were larger than industry effects in the equity markets of Western Europe. This phenomenon continued for the countries of the European Monetary Union in the 1993–98 period despite the convergence of interest rates and the harmonization of fiscal and monetary policies following the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. Today, no evidence supports the disappearance of differences between EMU countries' equity returns.
Depletion of focal adhesion kinase by antisense depresses contractile activation of smooth muscle

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation in response to the contractile stimulation of tracheal smooth muscle. We hypothesized that FAK may play an important role in signaling...
Higher Order Mode Coupler Heating in Continuous Wave Operation

Abstract Electromagnetic heating due to higher order modes (HOM) propagation is particularly a concern for continuous wave (CW) particle accelerator machines. Power on the order of several watts could flow out of the cavity's HOM ports in CW operations. The upgrade of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS-II) at SLAC requires a major modification of the design of the higher order mode (HOM) antenna and feed through of the conventional ILC elliptical 9-cell cavity in order to utilize it for LCLS-II. The HOM antenna is required to bear higher RF losses, while relatively maintaining the coupling level of the higher order modes. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the heating expected in the HOM coupler with a thorough thermal quench study in comparison with the conventional ILC design. We discuss also how the heat will be removed from the cavity through RF cables with specially designed cooling straps. Finally, we report on the latest experimental results of cavity testing in vertical and horizontal cryostats.
Heat/mass transport in shear flow over a heterogeneous surface with first-order surface-reactive domains

Surfaces that include heterogeneous mass transfer at the microscale are ubiquitous in nature and engineering. Many such media are modelled via an effective surface reaction rate or mass transfer coefficient employing the conventional ansatz of kinetically limited transport at the microscale. However, this assumption is not always valid, particularly when there is strong flow. We are interested in modelling reactive and/or porous surfaces that occur in systems where the effective Damkohler number at the microscale can be and the local Peclet number may be large. In order to expand the range of the effective mass transfer surface coefficient, we study transport from a uniform bath of species in an unbounded shear flow over a flat surface. This surface has a heterogeneous distribution of first-order surface-reactive circular patches (or pores). To understand the physics at the length scale of the patch size, we first analyse the flux to a single reactive patch. We use both analytic and boundary element simulations for this purpose. The shear flow induces a 3-D concentration wake structure downstream of the patch. When two patches are aligned in the shear direction, the wakes interact to reduce the per patch flux compared with the single-patch case. Having determined the length scale of the interaction between two patches, we study the transport to a periodic and disordered distribution of patches again using analytic and boundary integral techniques. We obtain, up to non-dilute patch area fraction, an effective boundary condition for the transport to the patches that depends on the local mass transfer coefficient (or reaction rate) and shear rate. We demonstrate that this boundary condition replaces the details of the heterogeneous surfaces at a wall-normal effective slip distance also determined for non-dilute patch area fractions. The slip distance again depends on the shear rate, and weakly on the reaction rate, and scales with the patch size. These effective boundary conditions can be used directly in large-scale physics simulations as long as the local shear rate, reaction rate and patch area fraction are known.
Single Nozzle Flame-Made Highly Durable Metal Doped Ca-Based Sorbents for CO2 Capture at High Temperature

The single nozzle flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) method has been employed to synthesize M/Ca (M = La, Y, Hf, W, and Al) sorbents with a 1:10 molar ratio for high temperature multicyclic CO2 capture. Among the various sorbents, Al-doped CaO sorbent exhibits remarkable adsorption capacity and stability. Further analysis on Al/Ca sorbents with different molar ratios resulted in a highly durable and high uptake capacity sorbent when 3 mol of Al were doped into 10 mol of CaO. Al/Ca (3/10) sorbent was stable up to 100 cycles with CO2 uptake capacity of 0.40 g/g of sorbent. XRD measurements reveal the formation of a solid solution Ca12Al14O33 in the case of Al doped CaO and structures like Ca3WO6 and CaHfO3 in the case of W and Hf-doped samples, respectively. On the other hand, Y and La doped sorbents exhibit only peaks due to Y2O3 and La2O3. The intensity of the peaks due to the Ca12Al14O33 increased with increasing the Al doping into the CaO sorbent. The sorbent resistance to sintering-agglomeration has also been...
Corticosterone administration in drinking water decreases high-fat diet intake but not preference in male rats

One of the mechanisms through which regular exercise contributes to weight maintenance could be by reducing intake and preference for high-fat (HF) diets. Indeed, we previously demonstrated that wh...
A Cosmonational Theory of Global Neighborhoods

The ethnic neighborhood has been for many years an object of sociological observation, investigation, and analysis because of its marginal structural position, geographical location, subaltern inscription in the urban landscape, political disempowerment, religious institutions, criminal undertakings, racial segregation, informal commerce, and police brutality. It is often depicted in the scholarly literature as an enclave, a ghetto, a quarter, a barrio, or a local community of immigrants such as in Manilatown, Little Saigon, Little Tokyo, Koreatown, and Chinatown. Much analytical effort has been deployed to unpack its binary vectors: the demographic composition that transforms it into an ethnic or multicultural community and the urban status that defines it as an administrative unit of the city, as reflected in its official incorporation for zoning, voting, and services. These previous sociological studies share a common feature by assuming and implying that the ethnic neighborhood is a local entity—a "de...
Evidence for physical and functional interactions among two Saccharomyces cerevisiae SH3 domain proteins, an adenylyl cyclase-associated protein and the actin cytoskeleton.

Abstract In a variety of organisms, a number of proteins associated with the cortical actin cytoskeleton contain SH3 domains, suggesting that these domains may provide the physical basis for functional interactions among structural and regulatory proteins in the actin cytoskeleton. We present evidence that SH3 domains mediate at least two independent functions of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae actin-binding protein Abp1p in vivo. Abp1p contains a single SH3 domain that has recently been shown to bind in vitro to the adenylyl cyclase-associated protein Srv2p. Immunofluorescence analysis of Srv2p subcellular localization in strains carrying mutations in either ABP1 or SRV2 reveals that the Abp1p SH3 domain mediates the normal association of Srv2p with the cortical actin cytoskeleton. We also show that a site in Abp1p itself is specifically bound by the SH3 domain of the actin-associated protein Rvs167p. Genetic analysis provides evidence that Abp1p and Rvs167p have functions that are closely interrelated. Abp1 null mutations, like rvs167 mutations, result in defects in sporulation and reduced viability under certain suboptimal growth conditions. In addition, mutations in ABP1 and RVS167 yield similar profiles of genetic "synthetic lethal" interactions when combined with mutations in genes encoding other cytoskeletal components. Mutations which specifically disrupt the SH3 domain-mediated interaction between Abp1p and Srv2p, however, show none of the shared phenotypes of abp1 and rvs167 mutations. We conclude that the Abp1p SH3 domain mediates the association of Srv2p with the cortical actin cytoskeleton, and that Abp1p performs a distinct function that is likely to involve binding by the Rvs167p SH3 domain. Overall, work presented here illustrates how SH3 domains can integrate the activities of multiple actin cytoskeleton proteins in response to varying environmental conditions.
MEDICAL HANDOVER IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE HOSPICES: ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT?

Background A rigorous medical handover system in a hospice is essential to ensure patient safety as well as quality and continuity of care especially in the face of changing work patterns of hospice doctors. A General Medical Council survey (2011) highlighted a lack of formal handover arrangements among palliative medicine trainees. Aim To review current medical handover system of weekend handover stickers (HSts) and to identify examples of good hospice medical handover practice. Method Weekend medical HSts were audited at two Northamptonshire hospices, which share an on-call rota. Feedback from doctors exploring usefulness of HSts was obtained. To identify other hospice medical handover models, literature review, palliative care forums and informal discussions with hospice doctors at regional meetings were used. Results Ninety-eight weekend HSts were audited. Background medical details and weekend management plan were recorded in 98% and 93%, respectively. Although HSts were useful, documented information was variable and did not always contain necessary details to inform complex decisions involving life-prolonging and life-sustaining treatments in addition to the psychological, emotional and spiritual factors influencing clinical manifestations of the dying. Occasionally HSts were complimented with poorly documented verbal handovers. The audit highlighted the need for descriptive information to address the question “what to do in the event of deterioration”. Though a few electronic handover systems in other hospices were identified, the common underlying theme was the need for a standardized medical handover system. Conclusion Handover does happen among hospice doctors, albeit in a different format to that of acute medical specialties. Though our weekend handover stickers are used regularly, effective ways to capture information to inform complex decisions need to be identified. The new electronic health record systems being rolled out in Northamptonshire will need to incorporate the facility to extract such information.
Predictive Factors for Preoperative Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Placement: Novel Screening Tools for Head and Neck Reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE The treatment of head and neck cancer has varying impact on postoperative recovery and return of swallowing function. The authors aim to establish screening tools to assist in preoperatively determining the need for gastrostomy tube placement. METHODS The authors prospectively assessed all patients undergoing complex head and neck reconstructive surgery during a 1-year study period. Only patients tolerating an oral diet, without preoperative gastrostomies, were enrolled for study. Eight parameters were assessed including: body mass index (BMI), prealbumin, albumin, smoking history, comorbidities [including coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetes mellitus (DM)], age, use of microvascular reconstruction, and type of defect. Two specific screening tools were assessed. In the first, a multivariate logistic regression model was employed to determine factor(s) that predict postoperative gastrostomy tube. In a second screening tool, the 8 parameters were scored between 0 to 1 points. The total score obtained for each patient was correlated with postoperative gastrostomy placement. RESULTS Out of the 60 study patients enrolled in the study, 24 patients (40%) received a postoperative gastrostomy. In the logistic regression model, albumin level was the only factor that was significantly associated with need for postoperative gastrostomy (P < 0.0023). A score of 4 or greater was determined to have a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 61% for postoperative gastrostomy. CONCLUSIONS Patients with a score of 4 or more with this screening scoring system or those patients with an albumin level <3.5 g/dL were at high risk for postoperative feeding tube placement.
WE-E-204-01: ASTRO Based Journals

Research papers authored by Medical Physicists address a large spectrum of oncologic, imaging, or basic research problems; exploit a wide range of physical and engineering methodologies; and often describe the efforts of a multidisciplinary research team. Given dozens of competing journals accepting medical physics articles, it may not be clear to an individual author which journal is the best venue for disseminating their work to the scientific community. Relevant factors usually include the Journal's audience and scientific impact, but also such factors as perceived acceptance rate, interest in their topic, and quality of service. The purpose of this symposium is to provide the medical physics community with an overview of scope, review processes, and article guidelines for the following journals: Radiology, Medical Physics, International Journal of Radiation Biology and Physics, Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics, and Practical Radiation Oncology. Senior members of the editorial board for each journal will provide details as to the journals review process, for example: single blind versus double blind reviews; open access policies, the hierarchy of the review process in terms of editorial board structure; the reality of acceptance, in terms of acceptance rate; and the types of research the journal prefers to publish. Other journals will be discussed as well. The goal is to provide for authors guidance before they begin to write their papers, not only for proper formatting, but also that the readership is appropriate for the particular paper, hopefully increasing the quality and impact of the paper and the likelihood of publication. Learning Objectives: 1.To review each Journal's submission and review process 2.Guidance as to how to increase quality, impact and chances of acceptance 3.To help decipher which journal is appropriate for a given work A. Karellas, Research collaboration with Koning, Corporation.
Complete Genome Analysis of an Enterovirus EV-B83 Isolated in China.

Enterovirus B83 (EV-B83) is a recently identified member of enterovirus species B. It is a rarely reported serotype and up to date, only the complete genome sequence of the prototype strain from the United States is available. In this study, we describe the complete genomic characterization of an EV-B83 strain 246/YN/CHN/08HC isolated from a healthy child living in border region of Yunnan Province, China in 2008. Compared with the prototype strain, it had 79.6% similarity in the complete genome and 78.9% similarity in the VP1 coding region, reflecting the great genetic divergence among them. VP1-coding region alignment revealed it had 77.2–91.3% with other EV-B83 sequences available in GenBank. Similarity plot analysis revealed it had higher identity with several other EV-B serotypes than the EV-B83 prototype strain in the P2 and P3 coding region, suggesting multiple recombination events might have occurred. The great genetic divergence with previously isolated strains and the extremely rare isolation suggest this serotype has circulated at a low epidemic strength for many years. This is the first report of complete genome of EV-B83 in China.
Skilled Nursing Facilities and Post-hospitalization Options for Older Adults

Hospitalized older adults are not always able to return home immediately following discharge. Subsequently, they are discharged to facilities that provide skilled nursing, medication therapy, and rehabilitation services. Clinicians are asked by families, patients, and staff members on what is the preferred location for the older adult to be discharged to. Patients want to know what the clinicians believe to be the best option, and as a result, clinicians need to understand the options available. This chapter provides information on the post-acute setting available to older adults following a hospitalization and key features of each. Also included are resources to make the decision for post-acute care that can also be provided to family members and patients.
Laser Cooling of Ions Bound to a Penning Trap

MgII ions which are confined in a room temperature Penning trap have been cooled to ≲ 0.5 K by scattering photons which are nearly resonant with the 3s2S1/2 ↔ 3p2P3/2 transition. The magnesium loaded into the trap has a natural isotopic abundance consisting of ~ 80% 24Mg, and ~ 10% each 25Mg and 26Mg. The 24Mg is radiatively cooled and it subsequently cools the 25,26Mg by long range coulomb collisions. This allows the use of a “cooling ion” being used in conjunction with a more complex species of spectroscopic interest.
The 'Colored Hero' of Harper's Ferry: John Anthony Copeland and the War against Slavery

On the night of Sunday, October 16, 1859, hoping to bring about the eventual end of slavery, radical abolitionist John Brown launched an armed attack at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Among his troops, there were only five black men, who have largely been treated as little more than 'spear carriers' by Brown's many biographers and other historians of the antebellum era. This book brings one such man, John Anthony Copeland, directly to center stage. Copeland played a leading role in the momentous Oberlin slave rescue, and he successfully escorted a fugitive to Canada, making him an ideal recruit for Brown's invasion of Virginia. He fought bravely at Harpers Ferry, only to be captured and charged with murder and treason. With his trademark lively prose and compelling narrative style, Steven Lubet paints a vivid portrait of this young black man who gave his life for freedom.
Camera Trapping: Advancing the Technology

In the 30 years since the earliest photographic studies of snow leopards were undertaken, camera trapping technology and analytical methods have advanced at a rapid pace. This has enabled researchers and conservationists to monitor threats to high-priority populations in real time, explore previously intractable lines of inquiry with relative ease and improve our understanding of the species. The promise and appeal of camera trapping continues to grow along with the emerging potential of modern analytical methods to provide a greater level of scientific rigor and ecological relevance in snow leopard research, combined with innovations and improvements in data management and collection technology. Nevertheless, successful camera trapping for research and monitoring requires careful forethought regarding study design, analytical approach, technology selection, and data management. Thus snow leopard research and monitoring efforts are well served by a foundational understanding of the benefits, limitations, and future directions of study design and camera trap technology.
Pain management for blunt thoracic trauma: A joint practice management guideline from the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma and Trauma Anesthesiology Society

Introduction Thoracic trauma is the second most prevalent nonintentional injury in the United States and is associated with significant morbidity. Analgesia for blunt thoracic trauma was first addressed by the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) with a practice management guideline published in 2005. Since that time, it was hypothesized that there have been advances in the analgesic management for blunt thoracic trauma. As a result, updated guidelines for this topic using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) framework recently adopted by EAST are presented. Methods Five systematic reviews were conducted using multiple databases. The search retrieved articles regarding analgesia for blunt thoracic trauma from January1967 to August 2015. Critical outcomes of interest were analgesia, postoperative pulmonary complications, changes in pulmonary function tests, need for endotracheal intubation, and mortality. Important outcomes of interest examined included hospital and intensive care unit length of stay. Results Seventy articles were identified. Of these, 28 articles were selected to construct the guidelines. The overall risk of bias for all studies was high. The majority of included studies examined epidural analgesia. Epidural analgesia was associated with lower short-term pain scores in most studies, but the quality and quantity of evidence were very low, and no firm evidence of benefit or harm was found when this modality was compared with other analgesic interventions. The quality of evidence for paravertebral block, intrapleural analgesia, multimodal analgesia, and intercostal nerve blocks was very low as assessed by GRADE. The limitations with the available literature precluded the formulation of strong recommendations by our panel. Conclusion We propose two evidence-based recommendations regarding analgesia for patients with blunt thoracic trauma. The overall risk of bias for all studies was high. The limitations with the available literature precluded the formulation of strong recommendations by our panel. We conditionally recommend epidural analgesia and multimodal analgesia as options for patients with blunt thoracic trauma, but the overall quality of evidence supporting these modalities is low in trauma patients. These recommendations are based on very low-quality evidence but place a high value on patient preferences for analgesia. These recommendations are in contradistinction to the previously published Practice Management Guideline published by EAST.
Reconfigurable, Intelligently-Adaptive, Communication System, an SDR Platform

The Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) provides a common, consistent framework to abstract the application software from the radio platform hardware. STRS aims to reduce the cost and risk of using complex, configurable and reprogrammable radio systems across NASA missions. The Glenn Research Center (GRC) team made a software-defined radio (SDR) platform STRS compliant by adding an STRS operating environment and a field programmable gate array (FPGA) wrapper, capable of implementing each of the platforms interfaces, as well as a test waveform to exercise those interfaces. This effort serves to provide a framework toward waveform development on an STRS compliant platform to support future space communication systems for advanced exploration missions. Validated STRS compliant applications provided tested code with extensive documentation to potentially reduce risk, cost and efforts in development of space-deployable SDRs. This paper discusses the advantages of STRS, the integration of STRS onto a Reconfigurable, Intelligently-Adaptive, Communication System (RIACS) SDR platform, the sample waveform, and wrapper development efforts. The paper emphasizes the infusion of the STRS Architecture onto the RIACS platform for potential use in next generation SDRs for advance exploration missions.
Ultrathin and Atomically Flat Transition-Metal Oxide: Promising Building Blocks for Metal-Insulator Electronics.

We present a new and viable template-assisted thermal synthesis method for preparing amorphous ultrathin transition-metal oxides (TMOs) such as TiO2 and Ta2O5, which are converted from crystalline two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) down to a few atomic layers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) were used to characterize the chemical composition and bonding, surface morphology, and atomic structure of these ultrathin amorphous materials to validate the effectiveness of our synthesis approach. Furthermore, we have fabricated metal–insulator–metal (MIM) diodes using the TiO2 and Ta2O5 as ultrathin insulating layers with low potential barrier heights. Our MIM diodes show a clear transition from direct tunneling to Fowler–Nordheim tunneling, which was not observed in previously reported MIM diodes with TiO2 or Ta2O5 as the insulating layer. We attribute the improved performance of our MIM diodes t...
The Spread of Economic Ideas

(1990). The Spread of Economic Ideas. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 1163-1166.
Emissary Veins, Vascular-Containing Foramina, and Vascular Depressions of the Skull

Emissary veins are channels of communication between the venous sinuses of the dura mater and the veins of the diploe and scalp. The skull base is the most common site of these veins, although they can be seen elsewhere as well. One of the more common sites is through or adjacent to the occipitomastoid suture (mastoid emissary vein). Other common locations include the condyle (condylar emissary vein), occiput (occipital emissary vein), foramen of Vesalius (sphenoidal emissary vein), and the parietal skull through the parietal foramina (parietal emissary vein). These can be unilateral, bilateral, or asymmetric.
Exosomes from Osteosarcoma and normal osteoblast differ in proteomic cargo and immunomodulatory effects on T cells.

Abstract Background Canine osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common cancer of the appendicular skeleton and is associated with high metastatic rate to the lungs and poor prognosis. Recent studies have shown the impact of malignant-derived exosomes on immune cells and the facilitation of immune evasion. In the current study, we have characterized the proteomic profile of exosomes derived from healthy osteoblasts and osteosarcoma cell lines. We investigated the direct impact of these exosomes on healthy T cells. Results Proteomic cargo of the malignant exosomes was markedly different from osteoblastic exosomes and contained immunosuppressive proteins including TGF-β, α fetoprotein and heat shock proteins. OSA exosomes directly attenuated the rate of T cell proliferation, increased a regulatory (FoxP3+) CD4+ phenotype and diminished the expression of the activation marker CD25+ on CD8+ cells. Exosomes of osteoblasts also demonstrated a direct impact on T cells, but to a lesser degree. Conclusions Osteosarcoma-derived exosomes compared to normal osteoblasts contain an immunomodulatory cargo, which reduced the rate of T cell proliferation and promoted T regulatory phenotype. Osteoblast-derived exosomes can also reduce T cell activity, but to lesser degree compared to OSA exosomes and without promoting a T regulatory phenotype.
The Matter of History: How Things Create the Past

New insights into the microbiome, epigenetics, and cognition are radically challenging our very idea of what it means to be 'human', while an explosion of neo-materialist thinking in the humanities has fostered a renewed appreciation of the formative powers of a dynamic material environment. The Matter of History brings these scientific and humanistic ideas together to develop a bold, new post-anthropocentric understanding of the past, one that reveals how powerful organisms and things help to create humans in all their dimensions, biological, social, and cultural. Timothy J. LeCain combines cutting-edge theory and detailed empirical analysis to explain the extraordinary late-nineteenth century convergence between the United States and Japan at the pivotal moment when both were emerging as global superpowers. Illustrating the power of a deeply material social and cultural history, The Matter of History argues that three powerful things - cattle, silkworms, and copper - helped to drive these previously diverse nations towards a global 'Great Convergence'.