cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Status epilepticus in older patients: epidemiology and treatment options.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a medical and neurological emergency that has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The most widely accepted definition of SE is more than 30 minutes of either continuous seizure activity, or intermittent seizures without full recovery of consciousness between seizures. SE is a major clinical concern in the elderly population, both because it has increased incidence in the elderly compared with the general population, and because of concurrent medical conditions that are more likely to complicate therapy and worsen prognosis in elderly individuals. The incidence of SE in the elderly is almost twice that of the general population at 86 per 100 000 per year. With the anticipated growth of the elderly population, SE is likely to become an increasingly common problem facing clinicians, and an important public health issue. The elderly have the highest SE-associated mortality of any age group at 38%, and the very old elderly (>80 years of age) have a mortality of at least 50%. Acute or remote stroke is the most common aetiology of SE in the elderly. Nonconvulsive SE (NCSE) has a wide range of clinical presentations, ranging from confusion to obtundation. It occurs commonly in elderly patients who are critically ill and in the setting of coma. Electroencephalogram is the only reliable method of diagnosing NCSE. The goal of treatment for SE is rapid cessation of clinical and electrical seizure activity. Most treatment protocols call for the immediate administration of an intravenous benzodiazepine, followed by phenytoin or fosphenytoin. Recent studies suggest that when this initial treatment of SE fails, little is gained by using additional standard drugs. General anaesthetic agents (such as pentobarbital, midazolam, or propofol) should be expeditiously employed, although these treatments have their own potential complications. Intravenous valproic acid is a recent addition to the armamentarium of drugs for the treatment of SE, with a low risk of hypotension, respiratory depression and hypotension, making it a potentially useful drug for the treatment of SE in the elderly. However, further information is needed to establish its role in the overall treatment of SE.
Immunologic responses in central nervous system transplantation

Abstract The central nervous system is one of several anatomic sites considered to be immunologically privileged. This designation derives from the observation that foreign tissues transplanted to the CNS survive longer than do similar tissues transplanted to non-CNS sites. Many issues in CNS transplantation are poorly understood and remain subjects for debate. The immunologic sequelae of intra-CNS transplantation is one such area of controversy. In this chapter we will discuss what is known of the immunologic events that follow the transplantation of a variety of tissues to the CNS. In so doing, we will demonstrate that the commonly cited determinants of CNS immunologic privilege—the absence of conventional lymphatic drainage, the blood-brain barrier, and the low or absent expression of MHC molecules by cells of the normal CNS—afford only partial protection of intra-CNS grafts from the actions of the immune system.
The transit pricing evaluation model: A tool for exploring fare policy options

Abstract A model is presented for probing a range of impacts which could be expected when instituting a new transit pricing system. The model weights on-board ridership survey responses based upon disaggregated fare elasticity estimates. In addition to forecasting the potential ridership and fiscal consequences of a new fare structure, the model incorporates revenue and cost data on specific users' trips to estimate changes in farebox recovery as well as effects on efficiency and equity. This paper describes the working components of the model followed by a demonstration of its use. Employing fare, cost, and trip-making data from the Southern California Rapid Transit District, the system's current pricing practices are examined. Long distance users were found to pay disproportionately low fares in relation to the cost of their trips, while very short riders were generally overchanged for their trips. A distance-based pricing scenario is then designed and tested with respect to its ability to remedy some of the problems associated with flat fares.
Gene set enrichment analyses revealed differences in gene expression patterns between males and females

Men and women differ not only in their physical attributes and reproductive functions but also in many other characteristics, including the risks for some diseases as well as response to certain therapeutic treatments. Though genetically-identical for autosomal chromosomes, males and females could have gender-specific transcriptional or translational regulation, leading to differential mRNAs or protein products for some genes. To illustrate the gender-specific differences in mRNA-level expression, we compared gene expression patterns between males and females using a whole-genome microarray dataset on the unrelated HapMap lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from individuals of European (58 individuals) and African (59 individuals) ancestry. We applied the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis to identify any overrepresented predefined gene sets in either men or women. Distinct patterns of upregulation and downregulation of certain chromosomal regions and other gene sets such as targets for certain microRNAs and transcription factors were identified in males or females, suggesting their potential roles in defining the gender-specific phenotypes. Gender-specific patterns of gene expression also appeared to be different between these two populations.
The Body's Response to Processing Emotional Trauma: Linking Verbal Text with Autonomic Activity

When individuals talk or think about upsetting experiences, different coping and defensive processes are invoked from one minute to the next. Further, some coping strategies are thought to be more effortful and to be associated with greater biological activity than others. The present research sought to identify how the expression of emotions and the use of different psychological defenses were reflected in momentary changes in autonomic nervous system activity while subjects wrote about emotional topics. A new methodology is introduced that links the production of natural written language with autonomic activity on a word-by-word or phrase-by-phrase basis. Using this technique with a sample of 24 subjects who wrote about traumatic experiences, it was found that certain text dimensions are highly related to skin conductance level (SCL) but not heart rate. In general, subjects' SCLs increased when expressing negative emotions and when using denial and the passive voice. SCLs were more likely to drop when subjects used positive emotion words and self-references and at the conclusion of sentences or thought units. Implications for this methodology for understanding psychological defense and physical health are discussed.
Incremental Multi-Scale Search Algorithm for Dynamic Path Planning With Low Worst-Case Complexity

Path-planning (equivalently, path-finding) problems are fundamental in many applications, such as transportation, VLSI design, robot navigation, and many more. In this paper, we consider dynamic shortest path-planning problems on a graph with a single endpoint pair and with potentially changing edge weights over time. Several algorithms exist in the literature that solve this problem, notably among them the Lifelong Planning algorithm. The algorithm is an incremental search algorithm that replans the path when there are changes in the environment. In numerical experiments, however, it was observed that the performance of is sensitive in the number of vertex expansions required to update the graph when an edge weight value changes or when a vertex is added or deleted. Although, in most cases, the classical requires a relatively small number of updates, in some other cases the amount of work required by the to find the optimal path can be overwhelming. To address this issue, in this paper, we propose an extension of the baseline algorithm, by making efficient use of a multiscale representation of the environment. This multiscale representation allows one to quickly localize the changed edges, and subsequently update the priority queue efficiently. This incremental multiscale ( for short) algorithm leads to an improvement both in terms of robustness and computational complexity-in the worst case-when compared to the classical . Numerical experiments validate the aforementioned claims.
Automatic construction of process plans from solid model representations

Methods and an implemented system for automatic generation of process plans from the CAD boundary representation of a part are presented. Two problems are addressed: one is the machine understanding of the shape of a part from its low-level boundary representation, and the other is developing a plan based on this semantic information. The architecture of the system at the highest level consists of a solid modeler, a shape description system, an automatic process planner, and the interfaces between them. Cooperative reasoning and combining geometric evidences are used to automatically extract the shape primitives of a part and determine the relations between these primitives from the boundary representation CAD data, thus producing the higher-level semantic information. A case-based planner uses the information produced by the shape description system to construct a conceptual plan for machining the part. Examples illustrate the reasoning performed by the system and show its advantages. >
The Detergent-Soluble Maltose Transporter Is Activated by Maltose Binding Protein and Verapamil

The maltose transporter FGK2 complex of Escherichia coli was purified with the aid of a glutathione S-transferase molecular tag. In contrast to the membrane-associated form of the complex, which requires liganded maltose binding protein (MBP) for ATPase activity, the purified detergent-soluble complex exhibited a very high level of ATPase activity. This uncoupled activity was not due to dissociation of the MalK ATPase subunit from the integral membrane protein MalF and MalG subunits. The detergent-soluble ATPase activity of the complex could be further stimulated by wild-type MBP but not by a signaling-defective mutant MBP. Wild-type MBP increased the Vmax of the ATPase 2.7-fold but had no effect on the Km of the enzyme for ATP. When the detergent-soluble complex was reconstituted in proteoliposomes, it returned to being dependent on MBP for activation of ATPase, consistent with the idea that the structural changes induced in the complex by detergent that result in activation of the ATPase are reversible. The uncoupled ATPase activity resembled the membrane-bound activity of the complex also with respect to sensitivity to NaN3, as well as a mercurial, p-chloromercuribenzosulfonic acid. Verapamil, a compound that activates the ATPase activity of the multiple drug resistance P-glycoprotein, activated the maltose transporter ATPase as well. The activation of this bacterial transporter by verapamil suggests that a structural feature that is conserved among both eukaryotic and prokaryotic ATP binding cassette transporters is responsible for this activation.
Hypofractionated Radiotherapy and Stereotactic Boost with Concurrent and Adjuvant Temozolamide for Glioblastoma in Good Performance Status Elderly Patients – Early Results of a Phase II Trial

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain neoplasm with dismal prognosis. Based on successful phase III trials, 60 Gy involved-field radiotherapy in 30 fractions over 6 weeks (Standard RT) with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide is currently the standard of care. In this disease, age and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) are the most important prognostic factors. For elderly patients, clinical trials comparing standard RT with radiotherapy abbreviated to 40 Gy in 15 fractions over 3 weeks demonstrated similar outcomes, indicating shortened radiotherapy may be an appropriate option for elderly patients. However, these trials did not include temozolomide chemotherapy, and included patients with poor KPS, possibly obscuring benefits of more aggressive treatment for some elderly patients. We conducted a prospective Phase II trial to examine the efficacy of a hypofractionated radiation course followed by a stereotactic boost with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy in elderly patients with good performance status. In this study, patients 65 years and older with a KPS >70 and histologically confirmed GBM received 40 Gy in 15 fractions with 3D conformal technique followed by a 1-3 fraction stereotactic boost to the enhancing tumor. All patients also received concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide. Patients were evaluated 1 month post-treatment and every 2 months thereafter. Between 2007 and 2010, 20 patients (9 males and 11 females) were enrolled in this study. The median age was 75.4 years (range 65-87 years). At a median follow-up of 11 months (range 7-32 months), 12 patients progressed and 5 are alive. The median progression free survival was 11 months and the median overall survival was 13 months. There was no additional toxicity. These results indicate that elderly patients with good KPS can achieve outcomes comparable to the current standard of care using an abbreviated radiotherapy course, radiosurgery boost and temozolomide.
Inclination anomalies from Indian Ocean sediments and the possibility of a standing nondipole field

We report magnetic inclinations measured in deep-sea sediments of the equatorial Indian Ocean which record the behavior of a nondipole component of the time- averaged geomagnetic field during the Plio-Pleistocene (0-5 Ma). The magnitude of the nondipole effect recorded in these sediments appears to depend on polarity state, with inclinations showing departures from geocentric axial dipole directions which are small (2 o ) during normal polarity and larger (5 o ) during reverse polarity times. The overall nondipole effect observed here is consistent with prior spherical harmonic estimates of the paleomagnetic field; the polarity bias found agrees, in both sense and magnitude, with earlier reports of polarity asymmetry in the low-degree zonal harmonic fields. The presence of this asymmetry supports previous suggestions of the existence of a standing component of the nondipole field which does not invert during reversals of the main field. We explore whether the standing field so indicated may have influenced paleomagnetic directions recorded during polarity transitions at other equatorial sites.
Adaptation of performed ballistic motion

Adaptation of ballistic motion demands a technique that can make required adjustments in anticipation of flight periods when only some physically consistent changes are possible. This article describes a numerical procedure that adjusts a physically consistent motion to fulfill new adaptation requirements expressed in kinematic and dynamic constraints. This iterative procedure refines the original motion with a sequence of minimal adjustments, implicitly favoring motions that are similar to the original performance, and transforming any input motion, including those that are difficult to characterize with an objective function. In total, over twenty adaptations were generated from two recorded performances, a run and a jump, by varying foot placement, restricting muscle use, adding new environment constraints, and changing the length and mass of specific limbs.
Effectiveness of Inactivated Influenza Vaccines Varied Substantially with Antigenic Match from the 2004–2005 Season to the 2006–2007 Season

Background We estimated the effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccines for the prevention of laboratory-confirmed, medically attended influenza during 3 seasons with variable antigenic match between vaccine and patient strains. Methods Patients were enrolled during or after a clinical encounter for acute respiratory illness. Influenza infection was confirmed by culture or reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Case-control analyses were performed that used data from patients who were ill without influenza (hereafter, "test-negative control subjects") and data from asymptomatic control subjects from the population (hereafter, "traditional control subjects"). Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated as [100 x (1-adjusted odds ratio)]. Influenza isolates were antigenically characterized. Results Influenza was detected in 167 (20%) of 818 patients in 2004-2005, in 51 (14%) of 356 in 2005-2006, and in 102 (11%) of 932 in 2006-2007. Analyses that used data from test-negative control subjects showed that VE was 10% (95% confidence interval [CI], -36% to 40%) in 2004-2005, 21% (95% CI, -52% to 59%) in 2005-2006, and 52% (95% CI, 22% to 70%) in 2006-2007. Using data from traditional control subjects, VE for those seasons was estimated to be 5% (95% CI, -52% to 40%), 11% (95% CI, -96% to 59%), and 37% (95% CI, -10% to 64%), respectively; confidence intervals included 0. The percentage of viruses that were antigenically matched to vaccine strains was 5% (3 of 62) in 2004-2005, 5% (2 of 42) in 2005-2006, and 91% (85 of 93) in 2006-2007. Conclusions Influenza VE varied substantially across 3 seasons and was highest when antigenic match was optimal. VE estimates that used data from test-negative control subjects were consistently higher than those that used data from traditional control subjects.
Is it Possible to Define Subjective Probabilities in Purely Behavioral Terms? A Comment on Epstein-Zhang (2001)

It is shown that well-behaved preference orderings may exhibit the Ellsberg paradox on the set of unambiguous events as defined by Epstein and Zhang (2001). Moreover, since such counterexamples can be constructed even when the set of unambiguous events is rich, EZ’s main representation result does not clarify satisfactorily when the proposed definition delivers probabilistic sophistication on unambiguous events. We conclude by conjecturing that these problems indicate the existence of inherent limitations of a strictly behavioral approach to identifying probabilistic beliefs in the presence of ambiguity, rather than deficiencies in EZ’s implementation of that approach.
Professional women's catalogue usage: its relationships with involvement, lifestyle and demographic characteristics

Catalogue sales have received increasing attention due to their phenomenal growth in the USA. Professional women, because of their need for convenience and their buying power, are an important market for catalogue marketers. This study was designed to identify clothing categories which professional women tend to purchase through catalogues, compare professional women's involvement with professional clothing versus non‐professional clothing in relation to their catalogue usage and determine the variables that predict professional women's heavy catalogue usage for specific clothing categories. Data analyses were based on a mailed survey of a national sample of professional women catalogue shoppers (N=506). These consumers tended to purchase clothing in distinct categories rather than as one product class, and exhibited greater involvement with non‐professional clothing than with professional clothing. Profiles of frequent catalogue users for three clothing categories (street clothing, footwear and clothing for others) were identified, based on their involvement, lifestyle and demographic variables.
Floquet stability analysis of viscoelastic flow over a cylinder

Abstract A Floquet linear stability analysis has been performed on a viscoelastic cylinder wake. The FENE-P model is used to represent the non-Newtonian fluid, and the analysis is done using a modified version of an existing nonlinear code to compute the linearized initial value problem governing the growth of small perturbations in the wake. By measuring instability growth rates over a wide range of disturbance spanwise wavenumbers α, the effects of viscoelasticity were identified and compared directly to Newtonian results. At a Reynolds number of 300, two unstable bands exist over the range 0 ≤ α ≤ 10 for Newtonian flow. For the low α band, associated with the “mode A” wake instability, a monotonic reduction in growth rates is found for increasing polymer extensibility L. For the high α band, associated with the “mode B” instability, first a rise, then a significant decrease to a stable state is found for the instability growth rates as L is increased from L = 10 to L = 30. The mechanism behind this stabilization of both mode A and mode B instabilities is due to the change of the base flow, rather than a direct effect of viscoelasticity on the perturbation.
Conditional lethality yields a new vaccine strain of Listeria monocytogenes for the induction of cell-mediated immunity.

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive intracellular pathogen that can enter phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells and colonize their cytosols. Taking advantage of this property to generate an intracellular vaccine delivery vector, we previously described a mutant strain of L. monocytogenes, Δdal Δdat, which is unable to synthesize cell wall by virtue of deletions in two genes (dal and dat) required for d-alanine synthesis. This highly attenuated strain induced long-lived protective systemic and mucosal immune responses in mice when administered in the transient presence of d-alanine. We have now increased the usefulness of this organism as a vaccine vector by use of an inducible complementation system that obviates the need for exogenous d-alanine administration. The strain expresses a copy of the Bacillus subtilis racemase gene under the control of a tightly regulated isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-inducible promoter present on a multicopy plasmid. This bacterium demonstrates strict dose-dependent growth in the presence of IPTG. After removal of inducer, bacterial growth ceased within two replication cycles. Following infection of mice in the absence of IPTG or d-alanine, the bacterium survived in vivo for less than 3 days. Nevertheless, a single immunization elicited a state of long-lasting protective immunity against wild-type L. monocytogenes and induced a subset of effector listeriolysin O-specific CD11a+ CD8+ T cells in spleen and other tissues that was strongly enhanced after secondary immunization. This improved L. monocytogenes vector system may have potential use as a live vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus, other infectious diseases, and cancer.
Factors related to implementation of worksite nutrition programs

Abstract In this study, we interviewed managers from 12 companies with a worksite nutrition program and 13 companies without a worksite nutrition program. Chi-square and t-test results indicated that companies with nutrition programs were also significantly more likely to provide health and personal assistance programs at the workplace. Reasons given for offering programs were to lower health care costs and to improve employee morale. Major reasons cited as impeding implementation included inadequate resources and the expense of setting up the program.
Irradiating the thyroid. How to protect yourself and others.

Carol B. Jankowski is nurse educator in the department of health physics and radiopharmacology at Brigham and Womens Hospital, Boston, MA. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and by state requirements, which must be at least as restrictive. Any hospital or clinic that treats patients with iodine131 must have a designated radiation safety officer (RSO) to supervise its use. The physical half-life of iodine-131 is 8.5 days. In other words, every 8.5 days, it loses half of its radioactivity as it becomes nonradioactive xenon-131. Given orally in a liquid or a capsule, iodine-131 circulates throughout the body. Thyroid cells, which rapidly absorb some of the ingested substance, are destroyed by particulate beta radiation. The portion that isn't taken up by thyroid tissue is released from the body ithin several days, primarily through urine. Iodine-131 is often administered on an outpatient basis, with hospitalization required only if the dose exceeds 30 millicuries (mCi) or the dose rate (exposure level around the patient) is greater than 5 millirems per hour (mrem/hour) at a distance of one meter. The exposure level around a patient treated with iodine-131 depends on the dose given, the time elapsed following treatment, and the amount absorbed by thyroid tissue. Since radiation is a weak carcinogen, it would seem logical to assume that treatment with iodine-131 would increase a patient's risk of thyroid umors and other cancers. The risks, however, still aren't well defined. At least one study of 10,000 patients treated with iodine-131 for hyperthyroidism suggested that treatment was associated with only a minimal increase in the risk of developing other cancers. Studies of patients whose thyroid cancer was treated with iodine-131 have shown a slight, dose-related increase in cancer risk in several organs and an increased risk of chronic lymphatic leukemia, a form of leukemia believed to be unrelated to radiation exposure. Another concern is that iodine-131
Imaging and measuring single-molecule interaction between a carbohydrate-binding module and natural plant cell wall cellulose.

The affinitive interaction between a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM3a) and natural crystalline cellulose was visualized and measured at the single-molecule level. Noncontact high resolution imaging by atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to follow the binding process, in real time, of CBM3a-functionalized 6 nm gold nanoparticles (GNPs) to the cell wall polymers on poplar stem sections. The GNP–CBM3a complexes were found to bind to the cellulose surface, closely aligning along the cellulose fibril axis. The binding details were further confirmed and studied by single-molecule recognition imaging and AFM single-molecule dynamic force spectroscopy (SMDFS) using a CBM3a-functionalized AFM tip. The unbinding force was measured to be 44.96 ± 18.80 pN under a loading rate of 67.2 nN/s. This research provides a radical method for the study of single-molecule affinity between CBM and cellulose that is critical to the engineering of novel cellulolytic enzymes.
The effect and safety of reinforced laryngeal mask airway in pediatric adenotonsillectomy

Objective To evaluate the effects and safety of reinforced laryngeal mask airway in pediatric adenotonsillectomy.Methods Sixty hospitalized children aged 4-12 years old,scheduled for selective adenotonsillectomy surgery under general anesthesia were equally randomized into two groups:group L(reinforced laryngeal mask airway)and group T(tracheal intubation).The values of HR,MAP,SpO2 in two groups were recorded at 5min before anesthesia induction(T0),inserting the laryngeal mask airway or endotracheal intubation(T1),placing speculum oris(T2),the beginning of operation(T3),and before extubation(T4).Keep notes on VT,PETCO2 at T1-T4 and Ppeakat T1-T3.In addition,the success rate of first insertion and total insertion,duration of operation and recovery,dosage of propofol and remifentanil,and the times of intra-/post-operative bucking,laryngeal spasm,regurgitation and aspiration and emergence agitation were also investigated.Results The recovery time in group L was obviously shortened(P0.05).Compared with group T,the value of HR slowed significantly at T1,T2 and T4,and the value of MAP of group L was obviously lower at T1(P0.05 or P0.01).In group T the value of HR was significantly faster than T0 at T1,T2,and T4(P0.05),while SpO2,VT,PETCO2 and Ppeakhad no statistically significant difference in the interior-group and inter-group.Compared with group T,the rate of post operation bucking and emergence agitatin in group L was significantly decreased(P0.01 or P0.05),while the success rate of first insertion and total insertion,dosage of propofol and remifentanil,laryngeal spasm,regurgitation and aspiration had no statistically significant difference.Conclusion The application of reinforced laryngeal mask airway in adenotonsillectomy in pediatric can keep the airway unobstructed and has good ventilation effect,stable hemodynamics,shorten palinesthesia time and less adverse reaction.Therefore,using the reinforced laryngeal mask airway to this kind of surgery is perfectly safe and effective.It is worthy of spreading to clinical use.
Advancing U.S. Pre-service Teachers' Mathematical Sophistication Via Mathematical Tasks

This article is based on the seminar that the author presented for the Hong Kong Association for Mathematics Education at the Hong Kong Baptist University on May 22,2008. In this article,the author differentiates(a) between institutionalized mathematics and school mathematics,(b) between ways of understanding and ways of thinking as two complementary subsets of mathematics that students should develop,(c) between sophisticated learners and passive learners,and(d) between knowledge dissemination and knowledge engagement as two modes of instructions. Harel's(2007) pedagogical principles will be discussed in relation to the design of mathematical tasks and their use in classrooms. Examples are presented to illustrate how mathematical tasks can be designed to accomplish certain learning and teaching objectives,such as provoking the need for students to learn a particular concept,promoting desirable ways of thinking,deterring undesirable ways of thinking,and assessing students' conceptual understanding.
Climate Change, Windows, Lighting, and Cooling

The recent findings on temperature variability in Greenland for the last 150,000 years are discussed and related to the threat of greenhouse warming from CO2. Then we describe three cost-effective technologies for saving energy and hence CO2: they are “heat mirror” and “selective” windows, efficient lighting, and many technologies for reducing cooling demand, some as simple as white paint.
Intracellular calcium signals in response to bradykinin in individual neuroblastoma cells

The Ca indicator fura 2 was used to study the modulation of cytoplasmic Ca by bradykinin (Bk) in single N1E-115 murine neuroblastoma cells. Increases in cytoplasmic Ca in response to Bk were mediated by the B2 receptor subtype. Responses to high concentrations of Bk (1-100 nM) were homogeneous and characterized by a rapidly rising transient that decayed to baseline in the continued presence of agonist, with a half-time of 15 s. Responses to low concentrations of Bk (100-500 pM) were more heterogeneous, with longer latencies and often with oscillations. Pretreatment with thapsigargin for 20 min prevented the Ca response, showing that the Ca change results from intracellular Ca release. Removal of external Ca had little effect on the response to Bk, indicating that the agonist does not activate Ca influx. The extent of Ca release and refilling after Bk was tested with ionomycin. A saturating dose of Bk (20 nM) mobilizes > 90% of stored Ca within 30 s, and this is replaced slowly. Replacement of external Na by N-methyl-D-glucamine to block Na/Ca exchange affected the Ca response, causing decreases in latency and in the period of Ca oscillations and increases in overall duration and peak amplitude of the response.
Abstract 2816: Evaluation of Cdk5 inhibitors in neural crest tumors

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a ubiquitously expressed proline-directed serine threonine kinase active mainly in post-mitotic neurons due to abundant expression of its obligate activating partners p35 and/or p39. Cdk5 has been viewed narrowly as a neuron-specific kinase and as an essential regulator of neuronal function and migration. Recently, Cdk5 activity has been implicated in mediating tumor invasion, progression, and metastasis. We have found invariably high expression and activity of Cdk5/p35 in a series of pediatric tumor cell lines including neuroblastoma. To evaluate the potential role of Cdk5 inhibitors in the treatment of neural crest tumors, we evaluated the in vitro kinase activity and growth inhibition of 4 Cdk5 inhibitors (AT7519, dinaciclib, flavopiridol, and seliciclib). We compared the in vitro activity against Cdk2/cyclin E, Cdk5/p25, Cdk5/p35, Cdk7/cyclin H, and Cdk9/cyclin K. Using a DNA-based proliferation assay, we assessed the in vitro growth inhibition in a panel of 10 neural crest-derived tumors (melanoma, neuroblastoma, Ewing sarcoma). All Cdk5 inhibitors demonstrated enzyme and growth inhibition at clinically achievable concentrations. Dinaciclib was the most potent inhibitor of Cdk5/p35 with an enzyme IC50 of 0.0002 μM, compared to 0.003 μM for AT7519, 0.021 μM for flavopiridol, and 0.097 μM for seliciclib. Dinaciclib was also the most potent inhibitor of Cdk2. However, flavopiridol and AT7519 were the most potent inhibitors of Cdk7 and Cdk9, respectively. Across all cell lines, dinaciclib was the most potent inhibitor of growth. The median (range) growth inhibition IC50 for dinaciclib was 0.006 μM (0.004 - 0.14), compared to 0.079 μM (0.045-0.16) for flavopiridol, 0.52 μM (0.14 - >15) for AT7519, and 13.2 μM (7.8 - 22.1) for seliciclib. Interestingly, within the Ewing sarcoma cell lines, there was disparate sensitivity to the 2 most potent Cdk5 inhibitors, dinaciclib and AT7519. Based on the activity of these Cdk inhibitors in neural-crest tumors, we expanded our evaluation of AT7519 in 6 pediatric tumor cell lines (medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma) and found similar in vitro potency with a median (range) IC50 of 0.43 μM (0.20 - 1.26). AT7519, dinaciclib, flavopiridol, and seliciclib demonstrated in vitro growth inhibition in a panel of neural crest and pediatric solid tumor cell lines at clinically achievable concentrations. Further in vivo evaluations and in vitro combination studies including this novel class of agents in models of neural crest and select pediatric cancers are warranted. Citation Format: Robin E. Norris, John J. Pink, Tej Pareek, John L. Letterio. Evaluation of Cdk5 inhibitors in neural crest tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2816.
Mohr Circle for Infinitesimal Strain

The strain ellipsoid of the last chapter exists for strains of any magnitude but it is not very useful for solving problems, particularly where the principal strains are less than, say, 1 percent. It we were to draw a strain ellipsoid for a case like this, it would still look like the original undistorted sphere.
Fear: The Catalyst That Breaks Through Denial

Fear is a feeling with which we are all too familiar. Most of us try to avoid fear when possible. Fear is built into our nervous systems to protect us from dangers. If someone has fear, he or she can avoid a charging bear, oncoming car, muggers at night, and any other possibly harmful situations. Fear triggers adrenaline, which then triggers action. Abnormal fears are generated in many patients and they become phobic, panicky, psychotic, and neurotic. Fear is useful to break through denial when it is blocking correct action.
The Role of Tumor Boards and Referral Centers

Tumor Boards, often referred to as Multidisciplinary Team Meetings in recent literature, are an integral element of cancer care around the world today. Most generally, they involve regularly conducted meetings of healthcare providers who specialize in all aspects of cancer-related care, from diagnosis to treatment and subsequent follow-up. The attendees include, but are not limited to, oncologic surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, radiation oncologists, pertinent medical specialists, research coordinators, fellows, resident staff, medical students, social workers, and case managers. They all participate in a collaborative effort not only to learn from prior patient cases and outcomes but also to provide insight on many cases prospectively. This can manifest in confirmation of a diagnosis and establishment of an encompassing treatment plan. The significance of such teamwork among medical professionals must not be understated and plays a crucial role in the present and future of cancer care.
Embedded shell finite elements: Solid–shell interaction, surface locking, and application to image-based bio-structures

Abstract In this article, we explore an embedded shell finite element method for the unfitted discretization of solid–shell interaction problems. Its core component is a variationally consistent approach that couples a shell discretization on the surface of an embedded solid domain to its unfitted discretization with hexahedral solid elements. Derived via an augmented Lagrangian formulation and the formal elimination of interface Lagrange multipliers , our method depends only on displacement variables, facilitated by a shift of the displacement-dependent traction vector entirely to the solid structure. We demonstrate that the weighted least squares term required for stability of the formulation triggers severe surface locking due to a mismatch in the polynomial spaces of the shell element and the embedding solid element. We show that reduced quadrature of the stabilization term that evaluates the kinematic constraint at the nodes of the embedded shell elements completely mitigates surface locking. For coarse discretizations, our variationally consistent method achieves superior accuracy with respect to a locking-free nodal penalty method. We illustrate the versatility of embedded shell finite elements for image-based analysis, including patient-specific stress prediction in a vertebra and local rind buckling in a plant structure.
LED based photoacoustic imaging of human inflammatory arthritis (Conference Presentation)

Presenting highly sensitive functional information in subsurface tissue with spatial resolution comparable to ultrasound imaging, the emerging photoacoustic (PA) imaging may shed new lights to early diagnosis and treatment monitoring of human inflammatory arthritis. This paper will introduce our recent development of LED-based PA imaging and its application to human inflammatory arthritis. Facilitated by the high pulse repetition rate of the LED arrays, extensive averaging of PA signal can be performed, which boosts the signal-to-noise ratio of the LED-based PA imaging system to levels comparable to laser-based PA imaging systems. In the experiments on arthritis patients and normal volunteers, each target finger joint is scanned using the LED-based PA imaging system which is integrated with a B-scan ultrasound (US) facilitating dual imaging modalities simultaneously. 2D PA and US of a sagittal section in the joint can be acquired in a real-time fashion with a frame rate up to 30 Hz; while a series of 2D images acquired along the cross sections of the joint can be reconstructed into a 3D image for analyzing the volumetric biomarkers of joint inflammation. In this initial study on human subjects, we have confirmed the feasibility of LED-based PA imaging in detecting and characterizing arthritic joints by evaluating the hemodynamic changes associated with soft-tissue inflammation. PA imaging findings are compared to the results from Doppler US acquired using a commercial US unit. This study demonstrates that the LED-based PA imaging can be developed into a point-of-care diagnostic tool for rheumatology and radiology clinics.
Abstract 106: Targeting tumor associated pH regulators: Effective therapeutic strategy in ovarian cancer

The cancer cell survival relies on the over-expression of pH regulators that pump out excess protons/lactic acid, in turn acidifying the tumor microenvironment (TME) which further promotes immune suppression and metastasis. Targeting the pH regulatory molecules can neutralize the TME acidification and inhibit cancer growth. Vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) proton pump is the primary pH regulator. V-ATPase ‘V0a2’ subunit, a major pH sensing unit, is over-expressed on cancer cells in a wide array of tumor types including ovarian cancer (OVCA). Here, we examined the clinical relevance of V-ATPase ‘V0a2’ subunit in OVCA patient samples and its therapeutic potential in controlling tumor growth in pre-clinical mouse model. The gene data from Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) showed a high frequency of V-ATPase gene alterations in OVCA patients (74%, 448/606 patients). Specifically, the V0a2 gene was highly expressed in all stages of OVCA patients indicating its importance in a centralized physiological mechanism of pH regulation. Across the different OVCA grades, the V0a2 gene expression significantly increased with the tumor grade (Grade 1 Citation Format: Arpita Kulshrestha, Gajendra K. Katara, Safaa A. Ibrahim, Alexandria N. Young, Shayna Levine, Valerie E. Riehl, Mahmood Bilal, Alice Gilman-Sachs, Kenneth Beaman. Targeting tumor associated pH regulators: Effective therapeutic strategy in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 106.
Racial Differences in Conceptualizing Legitimacy and Trust in Police

Scholarly debate on how best to conceptualize legitimacy and trust in police has generally assumed these conceptualizations are stable across demographics. Recent evidence, however, suggests that this may not be the case. We examine how the public conceptualizes legitimacy and trust in police, how public conceptualizations relate to academic debate on these terms, and how public views differ between and within racial groups. This work is exploratory, though it is rooted in differences found in theoretically driven empirical work on the subject. Data are from online, national samples of White (N = 650), Black (N = 624), and Hispanic (N = 626) adults in the United States that are approximately representative of each racial group on key demographics. We asked participants to define legitimacy and trust and to indicate whether or not they view the terms as synonymous. We found numerous between-race and within-race differences in citizen-driven conceptualizations of legitimacy and trust. Results suggest that legitimacy and trust mean different things to different groups of people. Additionally, results show that public definitions of legitimacy and trust align with some academic conceptualizations but not others. We expect this research to inform the academic literature on defining legitimacy and trust.
Cold sintering process for fabrication of a high volumetric capacity Li4Ti5O12 anode

Abstract The cold sintering process (CSP) is useful for densifying lithium ion battery composite electrodes to achieve higher volumetric capacity density. Lithium titanate is one of the most promising anode materials to replace graphite in conventional anodes, as it enhances safety in large scale applications. A densified binder-free LTO based anode was fabricated by the cold sintering process. The composite anode was first formed by tape casting with a binder and then was heat treated to remove the binder. The binder-free composite was humidified with water to provide a transient liquid phase and then moved onto a current collector. The wetted composite was cold sintered at 120 °C under a uniaxial pressure of 500 MPa and directly deposited on a current collector. The density of the LTO/CNF composite anode was 2.82 g/cm3 (87% relative density). The volumetric capacity densities of the cold sintered anodes were found to be ~380 mAh/cm3.
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A SUPERCONDUCTING SOLENOID FOR A MAGNETIC SSC DETECTOR

The conceptual design of a large superconducting solenoid suitable for a magnetic detector at the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) has begun at Fermilab. The magnet will provide a magnetic field of 2 T over a volume 8 m in diameter by 16 m long. The particle-physics calorimetry will be inside the field volume and so the coil will be bath cooled and cryostable; the vessels will be stainless steel. Predictibility of performance and the ability to safely negotiate all probable failure modes, including a quench, are important items of the design philosophy. Although the magnet is considerably larger than existing solenoids of this type and although many issues of manufacturability, transportability and cost have not been completely addressed, our conceptual design has convinced us that this magnet is a reasonable extrapolation of present technology.
Acute Type B Aortic Dissection

Acute type B aortic dissection (identified within 2 weeks of symptom onset), as described using the Stanford classification, involves the aorta distal to the left subclavian artery and accounts for 25–40% of all aortic dissections. The traditional treatment paradigm of medical management for uncomplicated acute type B dissection and open surgical intervention for early or late complications of type B dissection is currently undergoing a period of evolution as a result of the influence of minimally invasive thoracic endovascular aortic repair options. Thoracic endovascular repair has replaced open surgical repair as the preferred treatment for complicated acute type B dissection, and may also prove beneficial for prophylactic repair of uncomplicated acute type B dissection for high-risk patients. This chapter discusses the management of acute type B aortic dissection and long-term treatment considerations.
The Opioid Epidemic and the Pursuit of Moral Medicine: A Computational-Rhetorical Analysis

This article offers a longitudinal computational-rhetorical analysis of biomedical writing on opioids. Using a corpus of 1,467 articles and essays published in the New England Journal of Medicine a...
Bootstrapping Natural Language Querying on Process Automation Data

Advances in the adoption of business process management platforms have led to increasing volumes runtime event logs, containing information about the execution of the process. Business users analyze this event data for real-time insights on performance and optimization opportunities. However, querying the event data is difficult for business users without knowing the details of the backend store, data schema, and query languages. Consequently, the business insights are mostly limited to static dashboards, only capturing predefined performance metrics. In this paper, we introduce an interface for business users to query the business event data using natural language, without knowing the exact schema of the event data or the query language. Moreover, we propose a bootstrapping pipeline, which utilizes both event data and business domain-specific artifacts to automatically instantiate the natural language interface over the event data. We build and evaluate our prototype over datasets from both practical projects and public challenge events data stored in Elasticsearch. Experimental results show that our system produces an average accuracy of 80% across all data sets, with high precision ( 91%) and good recall ( 81%).
Trump, the Coronavirus Pandemic, Asian American Xenophobia, and Humanistic Psychology:

This article discusses the relationship of humanistic psychology to what the author perceives as the dangerous leadership and rhetoric of United States President Donald Trump, in particular in rega...
Maximum Norm Estimates of the Solution of the Navier-Stokes Equations in the Halfspace with Bounded Initial Data

In this paper, I consider the Cauchy problem for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in for with bounded initial data and derive a priori estimates of the maximum norm of all derivatives of the solution in terms of the maximum norm of the initial data. This paper is a continuation of my work in my previous papers, where the initial data are considered in and respectively. In this paper, because of the nonempty boundary in our domain of interest, the details in obtaining the desired result are significantly different and more challenging than the work of my previous papers. This challenges arise due to the possible noncommutativity nature of the Leray projector with the derivatives in the direction of normal to the boundary of the domain of interest. Therefore, we only consider one derivative of the velocity field in that direction.