Feeding site selection by woodland caribou in north-central British Columbia

We examined the foraging habits of the northern woodland caribou ecotype {Rangifer tarandus caribou) at the scale of the individual feeding site. Field data were collected in north-central British Columbia over two winters (Dec 1996-Apr 1998). We trailed caribou and measured vegetation characteristics (species composition and percent cover), snow conditions (depth, density, and hardness), and canopy closure at terrestrial and arboreal feeding sites, and at random sites where feeding had not occurred. Logistic regression was used to determine the attributes of feeding sites that were important to predicting fine scale habitat selection in forested and alpine areas. In the forest, caribou selected feeding sites that had a greater percent cover of Cladina mitis and Cladonia spp, lower snow depths, and a lower percentage of debris and moss. Biomass of Bryoria spp. at the 1-2 m stratum above the snow significantly contributed to predicting what trees caribou chose as arboreal feeding sites. In the alpine, caribou selected feeding sites with a greater percent cover of Cladina mitis, Cladina rangiferina, Cetraria cucullata, Cetraria nivalis, Thamnolia spp., and Stereocaulon alpinum as well as lower snow depths

A Maximum Entropy Resolution to the Wine/Water Paradox.

The Principle of Indifference ('PI': the simplest non-informative prior in Bayesian probability) has been shown to lead to paradoxes since Bertrand (1889). Von Mises (1928) introduced the 'Wine/Water Paradox' as a resonant example of a 'Bertrand paradox', which has been presented as demonstrating that the PI must be rejected. We now resolve these paradoxes using a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) treatment of the PI that also includes information provided by Benford's 'Law of Anomalous Numbers' (1938). We show that the PI should be understood to represent a family of informationally identical MaxEnt solutions, each solution being identified with its own explicitly justified boundary condition. In particular, our solution to the Wine/Water Paradox exploits Benford's Law to construct a non-uniform distribution representing the universal constraint of scale invariance, which is a physical consequence of the Second Law of Thermodynamics

Monitoring Replication Protein A (RPA) Dynamics in Homologous Recombination Through Site-specific Incorporation of Non-canonical Amino Acids

An essential coordinator of all DNA metabolic processes is Replication Protein A (RPA). RPA orchestrates these processes by binding to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and interacting with several other DNA binding proteins. Determining the real-time kinetics of single players such as RPA in the presence of multiple DNA processors to better understand the associated mechanistic events is technically challenging. To overcome this hurdle, we utilized non-canonical amino acids and bio-orthogonal chemistry to site-specifically incorporate a chemical fluorophore onto a single subunit of heterotrimeric RPA. Upon binding to ssDNA, this fluorescent RPA (RPAf) generates a quantifiable change in fluorescence, thus serving as a reporter of its dynamics on DNA in the presence of multiple other DNA binding proteins. Using RPAf, we describe the kinetics of facilitated self-exchange and exchange by Rad51 and mediator proteins during various stages in homologous recombination. RPAf is widely applicable to investigate its mechanism of action in processes such as DNA replication, repair and telomere maintenance

Phase III Trial of PROSTVAC in Asymptomatic or Minimally Symptomatic Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Càncer de pròstata; Metàstasi neoplàsica; ImmunoteràpiaCáncer de próstata; Metástasis neoplásica; InmunoterapiaProstate cancer; Metastatic neoplasm; ImmunotherapyPURPOSE PROSTVAC, a viral vector–based immunotherapy, prolonged median overall survival (OS) by 8.5 months versus placebo in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in a phase II study. This phase III study further investigated those findings. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were randomly assigned to PROSTVAC (Arm V; n = 432), PROSTVAC plus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (Arm VG; n = 432), or placebo (Arm P; n = 433), stratified by prostate-specific antigen (less than 50 ng/mL v 50 ng/mL or more) and lactate dehydrogenase (less than 200 v 200 U/L or more). Primary end point was OS. Secondary end points were patients alive without events (AWE)—namely, radiographic progression, pain progression, chemotherapy initiation, or death—at 6 months and safety. The study design was a superiority trial of PROSTVAC (Arm V or Arm VG) versus Arm P. Three interim analyses were planned. RESULTS At the third interim analysis, criteria for futility were met and the trial was stopped early. Neither active treatment had an effect on median OS (Arm V, 34.4 months; hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.20; P = .47; Arm VG, 33.2 months; hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.22; P = .59; Arm P, 34.3 months). Likewise, AWE at 6 months was similar (Arm V, 29.4%; odds ratio, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.71 to 1.29; Arm VG, 28.0%; odds ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.66 to 1.20; placebo, 30.3%). Adverse events were similar for the treatment and placebo groups, with the most common being injection site reactions (62% to 72%) and fatigue (21% to 24%). Arrhythmias were the most common cardiac-related events (1.4% to 3.5%). There were no reports of either myocarditis or pericarditis. Serious treatment-related events occurred in less than 1% of all patients. CONCLUSION Whereas PROSTVAC was safe and well tolerated, it had no effect on OS or AWE in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Combination therapy is currently being explored in clinical trials.Supported by Bavarian Nordic, the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at the Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, and the Institute of Cancer Research. Funded in part by National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant No. P30-CA008748 and the Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute.P30 CA008748/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States DH_/Department of Health/United Kingdo

The importance of dietary change for men diagnosed with and at risk of prostate cancer:a multi-centre interview study with men, their partners and health professionals

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of prostate cancer (PC) can provide a trigger for dietary change, and there is evidence that healthier diets may improve quality of life and clinical outcomes. However, men’s views about dietary change in PC survivorship are largely unknown. This multi-centre qualitative interview study explored men’s views about dietary change in PC survivorship, to better understand motivations for, and barriers to, achieving desired changes. The role of radical and active surveillance treatments on dietary change and the influence of men’s partners were examined. Focus groups also evaluated stakeholder opinion, including healthcare professionals, about the provision of dietary advice to PC patients. METHODS: A multi-centre interview study explored views about diet and motivations for, and barriers to, dietary change in men at elevated risk or diagnosed with PC following prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing. 58 men and 11 partners were interviewed. Interviews and focus groups were undertaken with 11 healthcare professionals, 5 patients and 4 partners to evaluate stakeholders’ opinions about the feasibility and acceptability of providing dietary advice to PC patients. Data were analysed using methods of constant comparison and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Over half of diagnosed men reported making dietary changes, primarily to promote general or prostate health or facilitate coping, despite their uncertainty about diet-PC links. Interest in dietary advice was high. Information needs varied depending on treatment received, with men on active surveillance more frequently modifying their diet and regarding this as an adjunct therapy. Men considered their partners integral to implementing changes. Provision of dietary advice to men diagnosed with PC was considered by healthcare professionals and men to be feasible and appropriate in the context of a holistic ‘care package’. CONCLUSIONS: Many men make positive dietary changes after PC diagnosis, which are perceived by men and their partners to bring psychological and general health benefits and could help future dietary intervention trials. Men and their partners desire more and better dietary information that may support PC survivorship, particularly among those embarking on active surveillance/monitoring programmes. There are opportunities for healthcare professionals to support PC patients both clinically and psychologically by the routine integration of healthy eating advice into survivorship care plans

An exploration of service design jam and its ability to foster social enterprise

Social enterprises (SE) are valued as innovative solutions to complex problems but require conditions to nurture and support them. Most support systems rely on individuals who already have an SE idea, and there is very little research on understanding what conditions can support to cultivate the willingness and motivation to engage individuals in this activity. An exploratory study was led to understand whether a particular event, Service Design Jam, can provide such conditions. The paper introduces the study of the Lufbra Jam, organised at Loughborough University, from which two social enterprises, Crop Club in 2013, and FrenPals in 2014 emerged. Through literature review desirability and feasibility were extrapolated as key variables to the formation process of social enterprises. A focus group with three Lufbra Jam organisers was led to identify important organisational elements of the Jam that were perceived to have an impact on the formation of the successful SE thus influencing the perception of desirability and feasibility of SE in individuals. The integration of the two created a thematic matrix that was used to analyse findings from the research with the participants of the two successful SE Cases. The research findings suggest that Lufbra Jam enabled individuals to identify socially and environmentally focused issues and formulate service solutions that they deemed to be desirable and feasible. It also provided an insight that winning and an enterprising workshop were important SDJ elements that helped teams to recognise their service ideas not only as feasible solutions but as SE opportunity for the team to take forward

School violence, school differences and school discourses

This article highlights one strand of a study which investigated the concept of the violenceresilient school. In six inner-city secondary schools, data on violent incidents in school and violent crime in the neighbourhood were gathered, and compared with school practices to minimise violence, accessed through interviews. Some degree of association between the patterns of behaviour and school practices was found: schools with a wider range of wellconnected practices seemed to have less difficult behaviour. Interviews also showed that the different schools had different organisational discourses for construing school violence, its possible causes and the possible solutions. Differences in practices are best understood in connection with differences in these discourses. Some of the features of school discourses are outlined, including their range, their core metaphor and their silences. We suggest that organisational discourse is an important concept in explaining school effects and school differences, and that improvement attempts could have clearer regard to this concept

Designs and Optical Tests of Thermal Links for an Optical Refrigerator

Dielectric mirror leakage at large angles of incidence limits the effectiveness of solid state optical refrigerators due to reheating caused by photon absorption in an attached load. In this paper, we present several thermally conductive link solutions to greatly reduce the net photon absorption. The Los Alamos Solid State Optical Refrigerator (LASSOR) has demonstrated cooling of a Yb/sup 3+/ doped ZBLANP glass to 208 K. We have designed optically isolating thermal link geometries capable of extending cooling to a typical heat load with minimal absorptive reheating, and we have tested the optical performance of these designs. A surrogate source operating at 625 nm was used to mimic the angular distribution of light from the LASSOR cooling element. While total link performance is dependent on additional factors, we have found that the best thermal link reduced the net transmission of photons to 0.04%, which includes the trapping mirrors 8.1% transmission. Our measurements of the optical performance of the various link geometries are supported by computer simulations of the designs using Code V, a commercially available optical modeling software package

Computer Modeling and Analysis of Thermal Link Performance for an Optical Refrigerator

We have used the thermal modeling tool in COMSOL Multiphysics to investigate factors that affect the thermal performance of the optical refrigerator. Assuming an ideal cooling element and a non-absorptive dielectric trapping mirror, the three dominant heating factors are blackbody radiation from the surrounding environment, conductive heat transfer through mechanical supports, and the absorption of fluorescent photons transmitted through the thermal link. Laboratory experimentation coupled with computer modeling using Code V optical software have resulted in link designs capable of reducing the transmission to 0.04% of the fluoresced photons emitted toward the thermal link. The ideal thermal link will have minimal surface area, provide complete optical isolation for the load, and possess high thermal conductivity. Modeling results imply that a 1 cm/sup 3/ load can be chilled to 102 K with currently available cooling efficiencies using a 100 W pump laser on a YB:ZBLANP system, and using an ideal link that has minimal surface area and no optical transmission. We review the simulated steady-state cooling temperatures reached by the heat load for several link designs and system configurations as a comparative measure of how well particular configurations perform