cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Specificity of a BCG-induced pulmonary granulomatous response in rabbits.

The specificity of Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG)-induced accelerated pulmonary granuloma formation has been evaluated in rabbits by cross sensitization-challenge experiments by using another granulomagenic organism, Corynebacterium granulosum. BCG-sensitized rabbits responded to challenge with homologous but not heterologous antigen, indicating that BCG-induced accelerated granuloma formation displays specificity characteristic of immunological reactions. These differences were also observed in local pulmonary delayed hypersensitivity, as determined by the migration inhibition test. The relationship between local pulmonary delayed hypersensitivity and the accelerated granulomatous response is discussed.
Discerning the Dialogical Self: A Theoretical and Methodological Examination of a Nepali Adolescent's Narrative

Mikhail BAKHTINs theoretische Konzepte – Heteroglossie, Stimme und Dialogizitat – sind von einer herausragenden Bedeutung fur die Untersuchung personlicher und sozialer Komponenten der menschlichen Entwicklung, und zwar im besonderen fur die Untersuchung der Identitatsentwicklung innerhalb (unterschiedlicher) kultureller Welten. Bisher sind methodologische und analytische Verfahren zur Rekonstruktion von "Stimmen" in individuellen Selbstdarstellungen noch vergleichsweise unerforscht. In unserem Beitrag werden wir zu zeigen versuchen, wie BAKHTINs Konzepte in einem narrationsanalytischen Ansatz verwandt werden konnen, der die Untersuchung kulturbezogener Identitatsbildung und Positionierung zum Ziel hat. Wir verdeutlichen dies am Beispiel der selbstbezogenen Narrationen eines nepalesischen Jugendlichen, die im Rahmen einer grosen ethnographischen Studie in einer landlichen Gemeinschaft in Nepal erhoben wurden. Es soll – in einem engen Nebeneinander von Theorie und Methode – gezeigt werden, wie Personen ihnen verfugbare kulturelle und soziale "Stimmen" verwenden zur Kreation ihres Selbstbildes und zur Antizipation ihrer kunftigen sozialen Position in ihrer Kultur. Unsere Studie der jugendlichen Narrationen legt nahe, dass soziale "Stimmen" gewahlt und transformiert werden zur (Re-) Konstruktion vergangener, gegenwartiger und zukunftiger Selbstbilder und kultureller Bedeutungsgehalte. Im Mittelpunkt des Beitrages steht die Bemuhung, Forschende auf theoretische Konzepte und auf methodische Verfahren aufmerksam zu machen, die wesentlich dazu beitragen konnen, diese "Stimmen" und ihre Inszenierung wahrzunehmen und zu verstehen. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0103187
JamiOki-PureJoy: a game engine and instrument for electronically-mediated musical improvisation

JamiOki-PureJoy is a novel electronically mediated musical performance system. PureJoy is a musical instrument; A highly flexible looper, sampler, effects processor and sound manipulation interface based on Pure Data, with input from a joystick controller and headset microphone. PureJoy allows the player to essentially sculpt their voice with their hands. JamiOki is an engine for running group-player musical game pieces. JamiOki helps each player by 'whispering instructions' in their ear. Players track and control their progress through the game using a graphical display and a touch-sensitive footpad. JamiOki is an architecture for bringing groups of players together to express themselves musically in a way that is both spontaneous and formally satisfying. The flexibility of the PureJoy instrument offers to JamiOki the ability for any player to play any requested role in the music at any time. The musical structure provided by JamiOki helps PureJoy players create more complex pieces of music on the fly with spontaneous sounds, silences, themes, recapitulation, tight transitions, structural hierarchy, interesting interactions, and even friendly competition. As a combined system JamiOki-PureJoy is exciting and fun to play.
Changes in the amplitude and timing of the hemodynamic response associated with prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle.

Disruption of the early stages of information processing in limbic brain circuits may underlie symptoms of severe neuropsychiatric disorders. Prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (PPI) is diminished in many of these disorders and may reflect the disruption of this CNS function. PPI is associated with brain activity in many of the same regions in humans as it is in laboratory animals, suggesting that neuroimaging studies in humans may help localize deficits that can then be elucidated in animal models. In this article, we employed a rapid presentation event-related design during continuous EPI BOLD scanning to examine hemodynamic response functions (HRFs) associated with PPI. Fourteen healthy participants listened to 100 pulse alone and 100 prepulse combined with pulse (prepulse–pulse) trials. PPI is the normalized difference in the startle response to the two trial types. Following the prepulse–pulse trials, the amplitudes of the HRFs in auditory cortices and in the anterior insula were increased, while in the cerebellum, thalamus and anterior cingulate, they were decreased, relative to the pulse alone trials. In addition, the timing of the prepulse–pulse responses was delayed in the auditory cortices, anterior insula and cerebellum. Finally, PPI measured outside the scanner was predicted by the difference in BOLD responses between trial types in the anterior insula and in the cerebellum. The results suggest that prepulse inhibition, and by
Supporting data collection in virtual worlds

This paper presents a new services paradigm for virtual world crawler interaction that is co-operative and exploits information about 3D objects in the virtual world. Our approach supports analyzing redundant information crawled from virtual worlds in order to decrease the amount of data collected by crawlers, keep search engine collections up to date, and provide an efficient mechanism for collecting and searching information from multiple virtual worlds.
Following leads to improve patient outcomes: It's about time

As lifesaving devices, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and leads used with ICD systems require the highest possible standards of reliability. Despite meticulous design, careful manufacturing, and rigorous testing, ICDs and leads have finite rates of failure. ICD leads are designed to transfer information to, and life-sustaining therapy from, the ICD in the hostile and mechanically stressful intravascular and cardiac environment of the human body. With the high-profile failure of multiple ICD lead models over the last several years, they now are considered a “weak link” in the ICD systems, just as pacemaker leads are in pacing systems. The result has been to undermine trust in ICD therapy. Recommendations for timely detection, characterization, communication, and correction of product lead performance issues were developed to provide a systematic approach to improve lead reliability. Definitions of ICD lead malfunction, performance, and reliability have been standardized to allow comparison of leads. Lead reliability represents the measure of freedom of a specific lead from structural or functional failure as a function of time. This time dependence of assessing lead performance represents 1 of many ongoing challenges. Manufacturer product performance reports and independent registries are significantly limited by underreporting of lead malfunction, insufficient patient follow-up, lack of uniform definitions, lack of returned product for fault analysis, and a passive monitoring system based on voluntary reporting. Multiple recommendations related to lead performance, communication, premarket evaluation, postmarket surveillance, lead advisories, and clinical management have been advanced. The responsibilities of the many stakeholders in addressing acknowledged limitations of ICD lead design, testing, manufacturing, surveillance, reporting, and improvement are clearly specified. Cooperation among manufacturers, regulatory agencies, physicians, and patients is critical to establish and maintain trust in all of these areas.
Quantum-mechanical distribution functions: Conditions for uniqueness

We add to the postulate, that the distribution function give the proper probabilities for the position and momentum variables (actually only the former is needed) and that its connection with the wave function which it represents have the natural invariances, another one. This is that the integral of the product of two distribution functions be equal, except for a universal constant (which turns out to be 2πh), to the transition probability between the two states they represent. We then show that it follows from these conditions that the distribution function is the one defined earlier by one of us (E.W.).
Morphological slice-based counting of illuminated 3D bodies

This paper presents a simulation toolbox for counting illuminated 3D bodies. The current model is limited to illuminated balls but can be extended to other illuminated bodies. Upon simulation of a set of balls in space, horizontal slices are taken to provide a stack of 2D gray- scale images. Based on these images, a morphological algorithm estimates the number of balls. Construction of the toolbox has been motivated by the need to count spots in FISH images to test for elevated gene copy numbers. The toolbox facilitates analysis of various algorithm parameters based on the distribution of the 3D bodies. These include the number of slices and various settings for the morphological filters composing the algorithm.
The panzootic white-nose syndrome: an environmentally constrained disease?

Summary White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging disease of hibernating bats probably caused by a pathogenic fungus, Geomyces destructans. The fungus has dispersed rapidly in the Northeastern United States and Canada and is presently a serious risk to hibernating bats of the mid-southern United States. Our objectives were to investigate how the environmental factors of temperature and resources impact the physiology of bats and apply this to explore possible effects of the fungus G. destructans on bats. Using a dynamic, physiologically based model parameterized for little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), we found that the survival region defined in terms of minimal and maximal cave temperatures and bat lipid reserve levels exhibits plasticity as a function of cave temperature. During the pre-hibernation period, constellations of increased availability of fall and winter prey, reduced energy expenditure and lipogenic factors provide fat deposition in hibernator species that engender survival throughout the hibernation period. The model-derived survival region is used to demonstrate that small increases in lipid reserves allow survival under increasing maximum temperatures, which provides flexibility of bat persistence at the higher cave temperature ranges that may occur in the Southern United States. Antipodally, the lower-temperature survival range is bounded with minimum temperatures. Our results suggest that there is an environmental distinction between survival of bats in Southern and Northern US states, a relationship that could prove very important in managing WNS and its dispersal.
The Viscoelastic Behavior of Perfluoropolyether Lubricants

Molecular rheology of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) systems can be particularly important in designing effective lubricants that control the friction and wear in their tribological applications. Using equilibrium/nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation, we examined the viscoelastic properties of PFPE melts under oscillatory shear, such as dynamic moduli and viscosity, by monitoring the time-dependent strain-stress curve. Strong dependences of PFPE melt viscoelasticity on molecular architecture (e.g., endgroup functionality) and external conditions (e.g., temperature and oscillation frequency) were observed. Nonfunctional PFPEs exhibit liquid-like behavior, while "pseudoreptation-like" behavior is captured for functional PFPEs, where endgroup couplings are found to be dissociated at high temperatures. The empirical Cox-Merz rule was also discussed
Lipoprotein Receptors, Macrophages, and Sphingomyelinase

Cholesteryl ester–filled macrophages are the hallmark of atherosclerotic lesions. Unraveling the pathways responsible for lipid accumulation in macrophages has been viewed as an important aspect for understanding a piece of the atherosclerotic process.1 Investigations into the mechanisms through which macrophages accumulate cholesteryl esters from lipoproteins have delineated the involvement of several different receptor- and non–receptor-mediated pathways. For instance, macrophages express LDL receptors as well as several other members of the LDL receptor family, such as the LDL receptor–related protein (LRP) and the VLDL receptor.2 The LDL receptor family recognizes apolipoprotein (apo) B-100– and particularly apoE-containing lipoproteins. The uptake of lipoproteins via LDL receptor family members is facilitated by additional apoE, as well as by the presence of lipoprotein lipase. Each member of the LDL receptor family appears to be capable of contributing to a portion of the uptake of lipoproteins by macrophages; however, the contribution of each particular member will vary depending on the underlying pathophysiological condition. For instance, the LDL receptor is not functional in LDL receptor deficiency, and the contribution of either the LRP or the VLDL receptor would be expected to be low in apoE deficiency.3 In addition, macrophages express an apoE-independent pathway for the uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins that recognizes apoB-48 or the similar domain on apoB-100 and has been termed the apoB-48 receptor.4 …
Projection-Based Iterative Learning Control for Wafer Scanner Systems

In this paper, an iterative learning controller (ILC) that uses partial but most pertinent information in the error signal from previous cycles is employed for precision control of a wafer stage. Typically, ILC schemes use the error signal from the previous cycle for updating the control input. This error contains both repetitive and nonrepetitive components. The nonrepetitive components of the error cause degradation of performance of the ILC scheme. Based on structural information about the plant and the disturbances, we can determine some basis functions along which the repetitive error is concentrated. This information is extracted by projecting the error signal onto the subspace spanned by these basis functions. The projected error signal is then used in the ILC update law. Stability and convergence conditions are presented for this projection-based ILC update law. The proposed idea is motivated by precision control of a wafer stage. For a constant velocity scan by the wafer stage, the major sources of repetitive error are found to be phase-mismatch and force ripple. These effects are mathematically modeled to obtain the subspace spanned by them. The projection-based ILC scheme using this subspace is then implemented on a prototype one DOF stage and its performance is compared to the standard ILC scheme that uses a frequency-domain filtering to remove nonrepetitive components of the error.
Introduction to "Principles of radio transmission and reception with antenna and coil aerials"

Hertz's discovery of electromagnetic (radio) waves in 1888 and Marconi's dramatic demonstration of trans-Atlantic radio communication in 1901 provided the rapid growth of radio science and radio technology during the early part of this century. John Howard Dellinger's Classic Paper appeared in 1919 when the low-frequency radio technology was developing. A brief history of early radio, a short biography ofDellinger, the main features of the paper, along with afew later developments and conventions used in the area of antennas and wave propagation, are given so that the paper may be better appreciated. The Classic Paper summarizes the fundamentals of radio wave transmission and reception and gives the theory and design of low-frequency linear and loop antennas. Detailed comparative discussions are given for the use of these two basic antenna elements used for transmitting and receiving purposes. Considering the fact that the paper was written almost a century ago, its contents are still found to be surprisingly topical.
Interactive optimization for steering machine classification

Interest has been growing within HCI on the use of machine learning and reasoning in applications to classify such hidden states as user intentions, based on observations. HCI researchers with these interests typically have little expertise in machine learning and often employ toolkits as relatively fixed "black boxes" for generating statistical classifiers. However, attempts to tailor the performance of classifiers to specific application requirements may require a more sophisticated understanding and custom-tailoring of methods. We present ManiMatrix, a system that provides controls and visualizations that enable system builders to refine the behavior of classification systems in an intuitive manner. With ManiMatrix, users directly refine parameters of a confusion matrix via an interactive cycle of re-classification and visualization. We present the core methods and evaluate the effectiveness of the approach in a user study. Results show that users are able to quickly and effectively modify decision boundaries of classifiers to tai-lor the behavior of classifiers to problems at hand.
Fermat's last theorem and chaoticity

Proving that a dynamical system is chaotic is a central problem in chaos theory (Hirsch in Chaos, fractals and dynamics, 1985]. In this note we apply the computational method developed in (Calude and Calude in Complex Syst 18:267---285, 2009; Calude and Calude in Complex Syst 18:387---401, 2010; Calude et al in J Multi Valued Log Soft Comput 12:285---307, 2006) to show that Fermat's last theorem is in the lowest complexity class $${{\mathfrak C}_{U,1}}$$ . Using this result we prove the existence of a two-dimensional Hamiltonian system for which the proof that the system has a Smale horseshoe is in the class $${{\mathfrak C}_{U,1}}$$ , i.e. it is not too complex.
Fun and Games with the Government Budget: Incorporating Active Learning, Critical Thinking and Diversity Awareness

Creating complex thinkers amongst a student body with developing critical thinking skills require strategies that help the student hold diverse views, understand alternative perspectives and be able to evaluate them. This paper describes a sequence of active learning activities centered on the Federal budget based both within and outside of class. These activities are designed to help students develop critical thinking skills, create a more inclusive classroom environment and increase the appeal of the economics major to a wider constituency. This unit provides an excellent starting point for examining policy issues such as the budget deficits and tax cuts. As a consequence of these activities, students become more critical thinkers and collaborative classmates, and overall participation increases.
Mechanisms of Cardiac Regeneration

Adult humans fail to regenerate their hearts following injury, and this failure to regenerate myocardium is a leading cause of heart failure and death worldwide. Although all adult mammals appear to lack significant cardiac regeneration potential, some vertebrates can regenerate myocardium throughout life. In addition, new studies indicate that mammals have cardiac regeneration potential during development and very soon after birth. The mechanisms of heart regeneration among model organisms, including neonatal mice, appear remarkably similar. Orchestrated waves of inflammation, matrix deposition and remodeling, and cardiomyocyte proliferation are commonly seen in heart regeneration models. Understanding why adult mammals develop extensive scarring instead of regeneration is a crucial goal for regenerative biology.
Probing the Inhomogeneous Charge Distribution on Annealed Polyelectrolyte Star Polymers in Dilute Aqueous Solutions

The conformational structure of a polyelectrolyte chain in dilute aqueous solution is strongly coupled with its surrounding electrostatic environment. With the introduction of branched topology, the distribution of counterions in the vicinity of a polyelectrolyte chain becomes highly inhomogeneous, giving rise to complex structures of branched polyelectrolytes in dilute aqueous solution. To directly probe the local electrostatic conditions near a branched polyelectrolyte in aqueous solutions, star-shaped poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) polymers with precise labeling of one single fluorophore at different locations, for example, the star center or the terminal group of one arm, were synthesized using reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of vinyl-terminated P2VP macromonomers. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) combined with photon counting histogram (PCH) analysis, the conformational structures and local electric potential of P2VP star polyelectrolytes were inv...
Leprosy: a model of immunological perturbation in chronic infection.

Although the leprosy bacillus was the first microbe recognized to be a pathogen of humans 105 years ago, it has been extremely reluctant to yield its life secrets. Thus, we still have little more than elemental understanding of an infectious disease that continues to threaten the quality of life for as many as 12-15 million people in all parts of the world. To date, all attempts to cultivate Mycobacterium leprae in vitro have failed. Furthermore, the epidemiology of leprosy is unclear in part because of the fact that the time span between onset of infection and the clinical expression of disease is measured in months or, more commonly, in years. In fact, the replication time of M. leprae, estimated to range from 10-15 days in the logarithmic growth phase [1], must rate as an extreme example of reproductive torpidity among pathogenic bacteria. Indeed, the extreme "slowness" of this organism also presents extraordinary challenges to the design and conduct of therapeutic trials that must be controlled for many months during actual conduct and for years during follow-up periods. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made on these pathogen-related problems, the details of which are reviewed elsewhere [2,3]. The rapid advances of cellular immunology within the past decade have greatly facilitated investigations of host immune response to facul-
Initial Nucleation and the Effects on Epitaxial Silicide Formation

The initial nucleation processes for reactions of Pd and Ti on Si are studied by Raman scattering, and Auger electron spectroscopy. The epitaxial nature of the structures is verified by high resolution TEM. A model of the interface reaction is presented which describes the initial interdiffusion and subsequent nucleation. The aspects of nucleation in a thin film reaction are compared to nucleation processes in vacuum deposition. For Pd/Si a critical depostion thickness is observed which is related to a critical nuclei size. For Ti/Si higher annealing temperatures are required to bring about conditions for nucleation of the suicide.
519 INVESTIGATING THE ASSOCIATION OF TOBACCO WITH BETEL NUT CHEWING ON SAIPAN, COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS.

Background The purpose of this project was to investigate the use of tobacco with betel nut chewing in Saipan, CNMI (Micronesia). Betel nut is a carcinogenic palm nut chewed mainly in south Asia and the western and southern Pacific islands. It is a habitual practice that is considered by many to be an integral part of their culture. There are many different ways of preparing betel nut, and many include tobacco (mainly cigarettes on Saipan) in the mix. This greatly amplifies the addiction, as well as the risk of oral cancer, among other diseases. It appears that betel nut is being used more frequently and at a younger age on Saipan. Tobacco use by minors has escaped scrutiny because of the role that betel nut has in local culture. Study Design and Methods All subjects recruited were betel nut chewers between ages 18 and 40 years and were indigenous Micronesians (Chamorro, Carolinian, etc). Interview subjects were recruited during their visit to the Commonwealth Health Center on Saipan. Questions asked structured and open-ended questions aimed at eliciting usage patterns, attitudes, and beliefs about betel nut chewing with or without tobacco. Results Of the 41 subjects interviewed, 37 (90%) reported chewing betel nut with tobacco. Nearly all first experiences with betel nut occur without tobacco (mean age 12.2 years). After tobacco is introduced (mean age 14.5 years) the addiction habit tends to develop (mean age 15.6 years). Those who chew betel nut with tobacco appear to be about twice as likely not to smoke tobacco. Two out of 3 believe that chewing betel nut is part of their culture. However, nearly all do not believe that including tobacco in betel nut is a cultural practice. Eight out of 10 mentioned the risk of cancer with chewing betel nut. None of those who spoke of cancer identified betel nut itself as a cancer-causing agent. They believed that it was either the tobacco, lime paste, or both that caused cancer. Conclusion There is a possibility that attempts at reducing chewing betel nut with cigarettes or tobacco may lead to an unintended increase in smoking tobacco. There are no current data to support or refute this concern. To account for this possibility, educational interventions must be focused on reducing tobacco use overall. A holistic approach on educating the public on the harms of tobacco use and chewing betel nut is necessary.
Including Student Voices in Instructional Design: Community College Students with Below-Proficient Skills Talk About IL Instruction

First-year college students with below-proficient IL skill levels were identified through a standardized IL test. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with a subset of these students. This paper will focus on the findings of the focus groups and describe how these findings are informing the design of the intervention. Les etudiants universitaires de premiere annee ayant une maitrise de l'information inadequate ont ete identifies au moyen d'un test normalise sur la maitrise de l'information. Des entrevues et des groupes de discussion se sont deroules avec un sous-groupe de ces etudiants. Cette communication s'attarde aux resultats des groupes de discussion et decrit comment les resultats sont pris en compte dans la conception de l'intervention.
Dense 3D face alignment from 2D video for real-time use

To enable real-time, person-independent 3D registration from 2D video, we developed a 3D cascade regression approach in which facial landmarks remain invariant across pose over a range of approximately 60. From a single 2D image of a person's face, a dense 3D shape is registered in real time for each frame. The algorithm utilizes a fast cascade regression framework trained on high-resolution 3D face-scans of posed and spontaneous emotion expression. The algorithm first estimates the location of a dense set of landmarks and their visibility, then reconstructs face shapes by fitting a part-based 3D model. Because no assumptions are required about illumination or surface properties, the method can be applied to a wide range of imaging conditions that include 2D video and uncalibrated multi-view video. The method has been validated in a battery of experiments that evaluate its precision of 3D reconstruction, extension to multi-view reconstruction, temporal integration for videos and 3D head-pose estimation. Experimental findings strongly support the validity of real-time, 3D registration and reconstruction from 2D video. The software is available online at http://zface.org. Display Omitted 3D cascade regression approach is proposed in which facial landmarks remain invariant.From a single 2D image of a person's face, a dense 3D shape is registered in real time for each frame.Multi-view reconstruction and temporal integration for videos are presented.Method is robust for 3D head-pose estimation under various conditions.
Activation of the rasHa gene in urethane-initiated papillomas induced by protocols with high and low frequencies of malignant conversion

The number of papillomas that develop in mice initiated with a single exposure to urethane and promoted by repeated applications of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is increased greater than 4-fold by pretreating the skin once with TPA 24 hr before administration of urethane. In contrast, the carcinoma incidence was increased only 2-fold by the TPA pretreatment. Individual papillomas developed from the two protocols, differing in the potential for conversion to malignancy, were compared for activation of the rasHa gene. An activated oncogene that transformed 3T3 cells was found in the DNA of four of five papillomas from urethane-initiated, TPA-promoted mice and in eight of eleven papillomas from similarly promoted mice exposed to TPA before urethane initiation. Southern analysis of DNA from tumors or 3T3 foci demonstrated that the rasHa gene was activated by an A----T transversion at the second base of codon 61 in all mutated alleles. Thus, tumors induced by the two protocols did not differ in rasHa activation.
Psychological distress among adult cancer survivors: importance of survivorship care plan

The goal of our study was to better understand the importance of adult cancer survivors (ACS) receiving Survivorship Care Plans (SCP) especially for their psychological well-being. We hypothesize that the receipt of SCP would decrease the likelihood of symptoms of current depression (SCD) in this population. We tested our hypothesis by using a representative sample of ACS, more than 1 year from cancer diagnosis, who responded to the 2010 BRFSS survey. We used follow-up care instructions (FCI) and treatment summaries (TS) as a marker of SCP. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between FCI and TS (individually and in combination) and SCD, among short-term (≤5 years from cancer diagnosis) and long-term (>5 years from cancer diagnosis) ACS. Out of 3191 final study participants, 32.8 % were short-term, and 67.2 % were long-term ACS. Among short-term ACS, the adjusted odds of SCD were 3 times higher (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.14 [95%CI 1.29–7.65]) for those who did not receive TS + FCI than for those who received them both. Among long-term ACS, the adjusted odds of SCD were more than twice higher (AOR 2.18 [95%CI 1.14–4.19]) for those who received FCI and no TS compared to those who received them both. The present study results emphasize the importance of ACS receiving SCP. Adult cancer survivors may highly benefit from the receipt of SCP not only short-term but also long-term for their overall psychological well-being.
The Pursuit of the Integrated Multidisciplinary Service Line

The integrated multidisciplinary service line (IMSL)—horizontally aligned business units within institutions—is often viewed as offering the promise of flexibility to adapt to a rapidly changing, uncertain healthcare world. The challenge, as healthcare leaders contemplate adopting an IMSL model, is that with counterbalancing any improved flexibility comes the variability of the organization model. If not fully integrated, institutions can create more bureaucracy through evermore complex organizational structures, with no gain in efficiency or patient satisfaction. Based on the experience of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, this case outlines the opportunities and challenges to transforming institutional structures.
TH-AB-201-02: A TG-61 Calibration Method for the Zeiss Intrabeam with Spherical Applicators

Purpose: To develop an independent in-air TG-61 based calibration method for the Zeiss Intrabeam 50 kV x-ray source and spherical applicators. Methods: We used the Zeiss supplied parallel plate chamber (TN34013), calibrated in water, and a micrometer staged water phantom to verify the annual factory water based calibration per Zeiss protocol. For independence, a second TN34013 chamber was calibrated at an ADCL at various energies in air. TG-61 HVL measurements were performed to determine this chamber’s calibration factor. The backscatter factor was determined by two independent means: (1) measurement with correction for chamber holder and stem, and (2) analysis of scatter geometry and buildup based on ratios of applicator transfer functions for various applicator sizes. To compare in-air data against water data, a correction from the backscatter setup to the clinical setup was measured and corrected for geometry differences. To compare the water data against the factory calibration, a factory supplied correction factor for geometry and measurement setup differences was applied. Results: The HVL is 0.89 mm-Al, consistent with published literature. The backscatter factors were 1.124 and 1.128 for methods 1 and 2 respectively, so we used their average, 1.126. The correction from the backscatter setup to the clinical setup was 0.9992 for the specific calibration geometry we selected (4 cm diameter applicator with a source to detector distance of 22 mm). The resulting TG-61 dose rate, corrected to water, was 0.5771 Gy/min. The Zeiss protocol in water gave 0.5803 Gy/min. The Zeiss calibration value, corrected for the output of the day, was 0.5768 Gy/min. These are all within 1% of each other. Conclusion: An independent in-air TG-61 based method was successfully developed and shown to be in excellent agreement with a water based protocol and the factory calibration.
Between Hope and Necessity

In a brief but fascinating essay of 1820 ‘On Human Automatonism’, inspired by a 20-year struggle to complete his epic poem The Hope of Albion, Thelwall admitted the possibility that his faith in individual rational agency was misguided: Say what we choose on the self-satisfying subject of free-will, there are phenomena enough in almost every life to justify an occasional suspicion that we are nothing but mere machines — speaking automatons, whose very words are breathed thro’ us, as thro’ an organ-pipe, inflated by some exterior agency, and stopped or played upon by the finger of a capricious destiny. We reason, it is true, or appear to do so; but how seldom is the practical result a consistent part of the syllogism? We resolve, or persuade ourselves that we have done so; but how frequently our actions gainsay our pretended resolutions: -nay, fly in the very teeth of them, and shew that we know nothing of ourselves.2
Gene and Cell Therapy for Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Shortcomings in contemporary therapy for inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) support the need for the development of novel treatment modalities. Cell therapy and gene therapy offer the promise of permanent cures for these rare disorders. The fundamental bases for both therapeutic approaches along with the therapeutic challenges are outlined in this chapter. For either technique, success lays in the ability to stably and safely provide sufficient and physiologically relevant numbers of non-disease cells in a target tissue to significantly affect the disease phenotype. The experimental rationale for these treatment approaches has been proven in animal models, and this review will focus upon clinical attempts at cell and gene therapy in human patients. Recent clinical trial successes in hemophilia, inherited immunodeficiency, genetic retinopathies, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency, the cerebral degenerative form of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, and metachromatic leukodystrophy illustrate the future promise of cell and gene therapy in the treatment of IEM.
Approximate leave-one-out error estimation for learning with smooth, strictly convex margin loss functions

Leave-one-out (LOO) error estimation is an important statistical tool for assessing generalization performance. A number of papers have focused on LOO error estimation for support vector machines, but little work has focused on LOO error estimation when learning with smooth, convex margin loss functions. We consider the problem of approximating the LOO error estimate in the context of sparse kernel machine learning. We first motivate a general framework for learning sparse kernel machines that involves minimizing a regularized, smooth, strictly convex margin loss. Then we present an approximation of the LOO error for the family of learning algorithms admissible in the general framework. We examine the implications of the approximation and review preliminary experimental results demonstrating the utility of the approach
Higher-order synchronization for a data assimilation algorithm for the 2D Navier–Stokes equations

Abstract We consider the two-dimensional (2D) Navier–Stokes equations (NSE) with space periodic boundary conditions and an algorithm for continuous data assimilation developed by Azouani et al. (2014). The algorithm is based on the observation that existence of finite determining parameters for nonlinear dissipative systems can be exploited as a feedback control mechanism for a companion system into which observables, e.g, modes, nodes, or volume elements, are input directly for the purpose of assimilation. It has been shown that in the case of the 2D NSE, the approximating solution induced by the algorithm synchronizes with the exact solution of the 2D NSE in the topology of the Sobolev space, H 1 , provided that the number of observed modes, nodes, or volume elements is sufficiently large in terms of the Grashof number. In this article, we adapt a technique, introduced by Grujic and Kukavica (1998) and Kukavica (1999) to obtain good estimates of the analyticity radius for the 2D NSE, and show that one can in fact obtain synchronization in the analytic Gevrey class in the case of modal observables, given sufficiently many, but fixed number of such observables. For these types of observables, we additionally show that synchronization in the uniform norm, L ∞ , can be achieved by assuming the same number of modal observables (in terms of the order of the Grashof number) as is required for the H 1 synchronization.
Injury rates before and after the implementation of a safe resident handling program in the long-term care sector

Abstract Manual resident handling (RH) tasks increase risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) for clinical staff in nursing homes. To reduce the incidence and cost of MSDs, a large healthcare corporation instituted a Safe Resident Handling Program (SRHP) comprising purchase of mechanical lifting equipment, worker training, and detailed usage/maintenance protocols. The program was initially administered by a third-party company; after three years, program responsibility shifted to individual centers. Workers’ compensation claim rates were compared before and after SRHP implementation. Claims and FTEs were classified as “pre-SRHP,” “first post period” (up to 3 years post-SRHP), or “second post period” (4–6 years post-SRHP), based on claim date relative to implementation date for each center. Complete data were available for 136 nursing homes with average annual employment of 18,571 full-time equivalents. Over the 8-year period, 22,445 claims were recorded. At each time period, the majority of RH claims affected the back (36% low, 15% other) and upper extremity (26%). Workers’ compensation claims were reduced by 11% during the first post period and 14% during the second post period. RH-related claims were reduced by 32% and 38%, respectively. After six years, the rate for all claims had decreased in 72% of centers, and RH claim rates decreased in 82%. Relative risk for post-/pre-SRHP injury rates increased for centers with less developed wellness programs, unionized centers, and centers with higher LPN turnover pre-SRHP. Injury reduction among these nursing home workers is plausibly attributable to the introduction of mechanical lifting equipment within the context of this multi-faceted SRHP.
Drug Selection Enrichment of Type II Pneumocytes Following Transplant of P140K MGMT Lentiviral Transduced Hematopoietic Stem Cells.

Recent reports have shown that bone marrow derived cells can differentiate into epithelial cells of the lung. Data indicate that this event occurs in the absence of cell fusion, however the numbers of donor-derived cells are present at a low frequency. In this study, we investigated whether hematopoietic donor-derived Type II pneumocytes could be enriched by lentiviral or retroviral expression of P140K MGMT. MGMT encodes O6 alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), a major drug resistance protein for DNA damage induced by BCNU. This gene transfer approach provides a selective advantage to wild type donor cells by transduction with a mutant human AGT (P140K MFG-MGMT) which confers resistance to BG and BCNU. P140K transduced whole bone marrow or Sca+kit+lin- cells were transplanted into lethally irradiated wild type recipients followed by two or three doses of 30 mg/kg BG and 7.5–10 mg/kg BCNU. After drug selection, human AGT expressing murine cells comprised up to 99% of bone marrow in mice harvested 5–7 months after transplant (n=8). These mice also showed enrichment for the total number of donor derived alveolar cells after drug treatment from 25% (n= 2 untreated mice) to 46% ± 9.7 (n=4 mice; p=.0001). The high percentage of donor cells was attributed to the hematopoietic cells present in the lung, however there were also donor-derived cells with epithelial morphology. Similar bone marrow plasticity studies have elicited controversy, largely due to the technical limitations of in situ detection of organ specific donor cells. To overcome the inability to accurately detect single cells in lung tissue, we used dispase mediated cell dissociation followed by analysis of single cell suspensions by fluorescent microscopy. Type II pneumocytes were detected using a Pro-surfactant protein C antibody that is specific for alveolar Type II cells. Donor P140K transduced cells were co-detected using an antibody to AGT. Using this method, 10–12% of total cells isolated from the lung were Type II pneumocytes and 1.5–8% of these cells co-expressed AGT in mice treated with BG and BCNU (n=3). This indicated drug selection mediated expansion of transplanted marrow-derived cells with characteristics of lung epithelial Type II pneumocytes. These numbers represent an increase compared to untreated mice in which we were unable to detect donor-derived Type II cells (n=2) and published results indicating 0.2–0.6% of total lung cells are bone marrow-derived epithelial cells. This study indicates that MGMT mediated drug selection of hematopoietic cells, using lentiviral MGMT gene transfer, enhances their capacity for organ specific selection and repopulation of lung alveolar epithelial cells. Drug selection gene transfer may augment transdifferentiation and have therapeutic implications for pulmonary disorders.
When Is an Anal Sphincter Repair Indicated

This chapter will discuss anal sphincter repair in adult fecal incontinence. Populations not discussed include children, patients with anorectal malformations, and patients who have undergone rectal resection or pelvic radiation.
Late Neogene Radiolaria and Mediterranean Paleoenvironments

Although widespread in Mediterranean Miocene sediments, radiolarians occur in only a small proportion of the Pliocene and Quaternary sediments of that region. The major factor responsible for their occurrence seems to be increased biological productivity. Preserved late Neogene assemblages are highly diverse (we estimate that there are about 100 species that occur in substantial numbers) and contain strong paleoenvironmental signals that have scarcely begun to be tapped. Pliocene and Quaternary assemblages are somewhat more diverse than Miocene ones and are more diverse in the Western than in the Eastern Mediterranean. In the Western Mediterranean, Pliocene assemblages are more diverse than those of the Messinian. Assuming that taxonomic groups present or enhanced in Messinian samples are analogous to similar groups in the present-day plankton, trends of cooling, shallowing, and increasing productivity can be interpreted through the Monte Giammoia section, Sicily. Analysis of dominance in the assemblages yields results that cannot yet be interpreted satisfactorily.
Studies on air-borne infection in a hospital ward: II. Effects of ultraviolet irradiation and propylene glycolvaporization upon the prevention of experimental air-borne infection of mice by droplet nuclei

Summary Experiments have been reported on the prevention of air-borne infectionin white mice, conducted in a large hospital ward (14,000 cubic feet) subdivided into sixteen separate cubicles. Groups of animals were placed in some of the locations, while cultures of the hemolytic streptococcus of Lancefield's Group C or of the virus of influenza A were atomized in one of the cubicles. Both organisms spread rapidly throughout the air of the ward. Ultraviolet irradiation and propylene glycol vapor were compared in their effectiveness as disinfectants of the air. With heavy concentrations of air-borne streptococci (more than 3,000 cells per cubic foot of air) most of the control mice died from streptococcal pneumonia and septicemia, while propylene glycol vapor protected them completely and ultraviolet irradiation failed to prevent death only in the cubicle containing the atomizer. With low concentrations of the streptococcus (200 to 500 organisms per cubic foot of air), all mice survived and cultures taken from the lungs on the eighth or tenth day failed to reveal the streptococcus. However, it could be shown in other experiments that a carrier state had been induced in the animals exposed under control conditions, and not in those protected by ultraviolet light barriers. This was demonstrated by inoculation of the virus of influenza A eight to ten days after exposure to the air-borne streptococcus. All mice died from influenza, but only those belonging to the control group now showed hemolytic streptococci in cultures taken from the lungs. Instillation of sterile broth only occasionally activated the streptococcus in the carrier. Ultraviolet irradiation and propylene glycol vapor were similarlyeffective in preventing the air-borne infection with the virus of influenza A. While all control mice succumbed to the disease, propylene glycol vapor protected the animals completely against death and only a few lesions were noted in animals from the cubicle containing the atomizer. More lesions and several deaths were observed in the same cubicle when the air was irradiated by ultraviolet lights, and pulmonary involvement was noted also in other locations close to the atomizer, under the same conditions. These results indicate that both ultraviolet light and propylene glycolvapor are effective disinfectants of the air. Their application will depend upon the individual problems and the location to be disinfected. It must be re-emphasized that only infection by droplet nuclei has been studied. Flugge droplet and possibly dust-borne infections may require different means of control.
Sugar, spice and everything nice: how to end ‘sex testing’ in international athletics

ABSTRACTIn many settings, decision makers look to science as the basis for making decisions that are made difficult by their social or political context. Sport is no different. For more than a half century, sports officials have looked to science to provide a clear distinction between men and women for purposes of determining who is eligible to participate in women’s athletic competitions. However, the science of sex provides overwhelming evidence that there is no such clear biological demarcation that differentiates men and women. Despite this evidence, the International Olympic Committee and the International Association of Athletics Federations in 2011 implemented a form of ‘sex testing’ based on androgens, and specifically, testosterone levels in females. This paper evaluates this policy, finding it contradictory to scientific understandings of sex and counter to widely held social norms about gender. The paper recommends an alternative approach to determining eligibility for participation in women’s ...
Reliability and Factorial Validity of the Canadian Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Fifth Edition.

The reliability and factorial validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition: Canadian (WISC-VCDN) was investigated. The higher-order model preferred by Wechsler (2014b) con...