cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical problems that initiate professional help-seeking behaviors from asian americans.

What are the types of clinical problems that motivate Asian Americans to overcome cultural and institutional barriers and decide to seek professional help? This study found there were both similarities and differences in the clinical problems that were reported to encourage 7 Asian American groups to seek out a mental health provider. Specific reasons for these ethnic differences in problem reporting were attributed to possible differences in level of acculturation or familiarity with Western concepts of mental illness, cultural scripts about mental health issues, and baseline epidemiological rates. Both clinicians and researchers may benefit from further examination of the cultural influence on problem reporting to improve their general understanding of the help-seeking behaviors and service needs of Asian American groups.
Abstract A44: K-homology splicing regulatory protein modulates tumor suppressor miRNA 29b through the noncanonical Wnt 7a signaling pathway

Precedent has established the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in oncogenesis. Several members of the Wnt family are known to be tumor promoting in non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC. In this pathway β-catenin, a downstream component, accumulates and serves as a T-cell transcription/lymphoid enhancer factor. We previously identified the Wnt ligand in the lung, Wnt 7a, as a member of the non-canonical pathway/β-catenin independent pathway, which inhibits transformed cell growth. K-homology splicing regulatory protein (KSRP) is a member of the family of AU rich element binding proteins. It possesses four K-homology motifs and causes decay of specific mRNA transcripts and regulation of miRNA. Wnt 7a positively regulates the expression of KSRP. As a result, KSRP upregulates the processing of miRNA 29b. The miRNA 29b family is comprised of 29a, 29b, and 29c. KSRP and miRNA 29b expression are elevated in nontransformed cells and alternatively, lower levels of expression are in NSCLC. The role of KSRP regulating miRNA 29b in the non-canonical Wnt pathway in the lung has previously been unknown. Over expression of KSRP through upregulation of miRNA 29b in NSCLC cells decreases cell proliferation in MTS assays, a measure of proliferation, as well as reducing colony formation in clonogenic assays. We reveal a novel association of p53 and miRNA 29b. We identified that KSRP increases PPARγ activation which in turn positively modulates miRNA 29b, resulting in upregulation of p53. The antitumorigenic effect is specific to Wnt 7a activation through Erk 5 dependent kinases.
Structures, stabilities, and equilibrium contents of C2-fragmentated C70 clusters

Abstract Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the C 2 -fragmentation of C 70 destroys 4 of 37 original rings and generates 3 new rings, leading to 8 possible isomers. Each of those isomers contains a larger ring (7- or 8-member ring) with or without 4-member ring(s) besides 5- and 6-member rings. The most stable isomer consists of thirteen 5-member, twenty-two 6-member, and a 7-member rings without 4- and 8-member rings. The C 2 -fragmentation energies (10.7–13.3 eV) of C 70 depend on resulted isomer-structures. Furthermore, the equilibrium fraction of the most stable isomer in the total isomers is 99.1%, 94.8%, and 94.0% at temperatures of 900, 1400, and 2000 K, respectively.
Improvement of Owner‐Occupied Rental Housing: A Game‐theoretic Study of the Decision to Invest

Game-theoretic analysis of an owner's decision about renovating or improving his property indicates that some socially desirable choices are dominated, given the owner's preferences. In the case of owner-occupied multiple dwellings, public policy should revise the institutions that force the owner to injure society in order to benefit himself and his tenants. Separating assessment from building permit issuance (in the area of tax administration), and revising building codes to permit owners to do their own work under appropriate supervision where licensed contractors are now required (in the area of regulation), would be socially beneficial.
Impact of Emission Anisotropy on Fluorescence Spectroscopy and FRET Distance Measurements

The objective of this report is to provide a practical and improved method for estimating Forster resonance energy transfer distance measurement error due to unknown angles in the dipole orientation factor based on emission anisotropy measurements. We improve on the method of Dale et al. (1979), which has minor mistakes and is frequently interpreted in overly optimistic ways in the literature. To facilitate proper fluorescence intensity measurements, we also evaluated instrument parameters that could impact the measurement. The apparent fluorescence intensity of isotropic samples depends on the sample emission anisotropy, fluorometer geometry, and optical apertures. We separate parameters of the sample, and those of the cylindrically symmetric illumination source and detector in the equations describing results of unpolarized and polarized fluorescence intensity measurements. This approach greatly simplifies calculations compared with the more universal method of Axelrod (1989). We provide a full computational method for calculating the Forster resonance energy transfer distance error and present a graph describing distance error in the simplest case.
Clinical Scenario: Clinical Pelvic Nodal Metastases After Complete Response to Chemotherapy

Pelvic lymph node metastases are an adverse prognostic factor in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Nonetheless, a substantial percentage of these patients will exhibit a clinical response to chemotherapy, with resolution of lymphadenopathy on post-chemotherapy imaging studies. The management of these patients is complex, as many will have persistent micrometastatic disease at the time of radical cystectomy despite an apparent response to chemotherapy, illustrating the limitations of our current imaging modalities. Furthermore, the rate of response to chemotherapy for pelvic lymph node metastases may differ from the response rate of primary tumors, and the response to chemotherapy is highly variable among individuals.
Potential of ceramic materials as permanently implantable skeletal prostheses

The feasibility of the use of porous ceramic materials in the permanent repair of skeletal defects was studied from the standpoint of physiological compatibility and in growth of natural bone. High-fired calcium aluminate samples in the form of quarter-inch diameter cylindrical pellets containing interconnecting porous networks were implanted in vivo into canine femurs for 4-, 11-, and 22-week periods. The implants had 65% porosity with pore size falling within one of five distinct ranges from less than 45 μ to about 200 μ in diameter. Thin sections were prepared by grinding (poly) methyl methacrylate-mounted cross sections of the femurs containing the implanted ceramic samples and adjacent soft tissues. Tissue-prosthetic compatibility was determined using standard histological thin section procedures, electron microbeam probe examinations, autoradiographic techniques, microfadiographic techniques, microchemistry techniques, and ultra-violet fluorescent techniques. Optical microscopic evaluations of each section showed the ceramic samples to be bound lightly by natural bone and gave no detectable signs of tissue incompatibility. Minimum pore size for significant ingrowth of natural bone was indicated to be between 75 and 100 μ.
A silicon microfabricated direct formic acid fuel cell

A silicon-based microfabricated fuel cell running on formic acid has been developed to provide a high energy and power density power source on the millimeter scale. A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell was fabricated; utilizing the Nafion/sup TM/112 membrane bonded between metal on silicon electrodes.
Protective effects of human lactoferrin during Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-induced bacteremia in lactoferrin-deficient mice.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a periodontopathogen, has been associated with several systemic diseases. Herein, we report the protective effect of human lactoferrin (hLF) during A. actinomycetemcomitans bacteremia in lactoferrin knockout (LFKO−/−) mice. The prophylactic, concurrent, and therapeutic intravenous (i.v.) administrations of hLF significantly cleared the bacteria from blood and organs. Nevertheless, all modes of hLF administration significantly decreased the concentrations of serum proinflammatory cytokines, such as interferon gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12p70. Additionally, hLF administration significantly decreased hepatic and splenic proinflammatory cytokine expression levels compared to those in the non-hLF-treated group. Furthermore, administration of hLF decreased the serum C-reactive protein level, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) gene expression levels in liver and spleen. hLF treatment has also resulted in a 6-fold decrease in spleen weight with the migration of typical inflammatory cells in infected mice as a result of decreased inflammatory response. These results reveal that hLF protects against A. actinomycetemcomitans bacteremia, as indicated by rapid bacterial clearance and decreased host proinflammatory mediators.
The Response to Density in Residential Settings: The Mediating Effects of Social and Personal Variables1

In recent years, conceptualizations of the human crowding phenomena have developed from simple deterministic ones to those that emphasize the interaction of environmental, social, and personal variables. Furthermore, the influences of many variables suspected to mediate the density response relationship have been empirically tested in a variety of settings. It must be recognized, however, that the results of these tests may be setting specific and may not generalize to other setting types. The present study examines the influence of the social relationship between occupants, perceived similarity, formal group structure, and previous residential experience on the association between household density and attitudinal, behavioral, and health measures of well-being. The results of a survey analysis suggest that household density does have effects on satisfaction and behavior; however, no health effects were found. Furthermore, these reactions to density are exacerbated when the social relationship between occupants is close and when individuals have a history of high density living conditions. Although some results seem counterintuitive, they can be explained by adopting a dynamic casual model of crowding.
Effect of Dietary Fat Supplement on Lipid Metabolism of Holstein Heifers

Abstract Twenty Holstein heifers were fed four rations containing 0, 10, 20, and 30% whole sunflower seed as a source of dietary fat. All rations consisted of alfalfa hay, sunflower hulls, and grain mixtures and were isonitrogenous at 12% crude protein and isocaloric at 2.6 Meal metabolizable energy per kilogram dry matter. Average body weight gains were not different among treatment groups. Heifers fed sunflower seed (fat) diets consumed less total dry matter, significantly improving growth efficiency (gain/feed). Concentration of total lipid and urea nitrogen in blood serum were increased whereas glucose was depressed with higher amounts of dietary fat. High fat diets (20 and 30%) elevated total lipid, triglyceride, and nonesterified fatty acids in the blood. Total and free cholesterol in blood also were increased, but high density lipoprotein-cholesterol remained unchanged with increasing concentration of dietary fat. Dietary fat was correlated positively with lipid components of blood serum and negatively with glucose.
Externally Pressurized Journal Gas Bearings

Externally pressurized gas-lubricated bearings with multiple orifice feed are investigated. An analytical treatment is developed for a semi-cylindrical bearing with 9 orifices and for a cylindrical journal bearing with 192 radial and 24 axial orifices. Experiments are described on models of the two bearing configurations with specially designed fixtures which incorporate pneumatic loading and means for determining pressure profiles, gas flow and gap height. The correlation between theory and experiment is satisfactory.
The Hypothesis of Apraxia of Speech in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

In a sample of 46 children aged 4–7 years with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and intelligible speech, there was no statistical support for the hypothesis of concomitant Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). Perceptual and acoustic measures of participants’ speech, prosody, and voice were compared with data from 40 typically-developing children, 13 preschool children with Speech Delay, and 15 participants aged 5–49 years with CAS in neurogenetic disorders. Speech Delay and Speech Errors, respectively, were modestly and substantially more prevalent in participants with ASD than reported population estimates. Double dissociations in speech, prosody, and voice impairments in ASD were interpreted as consistent with a speech attunement framework, rather than with the motor speech impairments that define CAS.
Theropod forelimb design and evolution

Abstract We examined the relationship between forelimb design and function across the 230-million-year history of theropod evolution. Forelimb disparity was assessed by plotting the relative contributions of the three main limb elements on a ternary diagram. Theropods were divided into five functional groups: predatory, reduced, flying, wing-propelled diving, and flightless. Forelimbs which maintained their primitive function, predation, are similarly proportioned, but non-avian theropods with highly reduced forelimbs have relatively longer humeri. Despite the dramatically different forces imparted by the evolution of flight, forelimb proportions of basal birds are only slightly different from those of their non-avian relatives. An increase in disparity accompanied the subsequent radiation of birds. Each transition to flightlessness has been accompanied by an increase in relative humeral length, which results from relatively short distal limb elements. We introduce theoretical predictions based on five biomechanical and developmental factors that may have influenced the evolution of theropod limb proportions.
Oxidative protein folding in bacteria

Summary Ten years ago it was thought that disulphide bond for- mation in prokaryotes occurred spontaneously. Now two pathways involved in disulphide bond formation have been well characterized, the oxidative pathway, which is responsible for the formation of disulphides, and the isomerization pathway, which shuffles in- correctly formed disulphides. Disulphide bonds are donated directly to unfolded polypeptides by the DsbA protein; DsbA is reoxidized by DsbB. DsbB gen- erates disulphides de novo from oxidized quinones. These quinones are reoxidized by the electron trans- port chain, showing that disulphide bond formation is actually driven by electron transport. Disulphide isomerization requires that incorrect disulphides be attacked using a reduced catalyst, followed by the redonation of the disulphide, allowing alterna- tive disulphide pairing. Two isomerases exist in Escherichia coli, DsbC and DsbG. The membrane protein DsbD maintains these disulphide isomerases in their reduced and thereby active form. DsbD is kept reduced by cytosolic thioredoxin in an NADPH- dependent reaction.
Optimal acceptance of job orders

Consider a production centre receiving orders for several products. Assuming the first two moments of the processing times of the products as known and given the profit per unit of each product, the model provides a basis for selecting the optimal mix of job orders to be accepted. In particular, the main feature of the optimal solution is that it will in most cases call for accepting job orders from a wide spectrum of classes
Using Patch Focals to Study Unhabituated Dry-Habitat Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) and Sympatric Fauna at Issa, Ugalla, Tanzania

Researchers studying primate community ecology have largely focused on primate species only, ignoring the interactive role that primates have within their larger communities. However, non-primate species (e.g., birds, bats, and other mammals) can greatly influence the behavioral ecology of primates, especially by competing for food and habitat space. Shifting the focus of research to include these potential non-primate competitors requires a modification in methods. Patch focals, in which areas of habitat are monitored, allow for observation of all animals within a study area, capture resources that are not used by the study species, and are particularly well suited for unhabituated communities, where closely following fauna is not possible. From October 2010 to October 2011, I collected data pertaining to the ecological role of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at the dry habitat site of Issa, Ugalla, Tanzania using patch focals. I determined habitat use by chimpanzees and other fauna, resulting in a detailed analysis of chimpanzees within their larger faunal community. Despite limited availability of forested habitat, Issa chimpanzees were encountered more often in forest than woodland patches. Non-chimpanzee fauna exhibited habitat use patterns as expected, based on species’ preferences at other study sites. Overlap in habitat use, and therefore potential for competition, varied greatly between the different faunal categories and chimpanzees. Most importantly, this project highlights that using patch focals successfully allows for the collection of useful data pertaining to multiple socio-ecological aspects of numerous species at the same time.
Conveying shape with texture: an experimental investigation of the impact of texture type on shape categorization judgments

As visualization researchers, we are interested in gaining a better understanding of how to effectively use texture to facilitate shape perception. If we could design the ideal texture pattern to apply to an arbitrary smoothly curving shape to be most accurately and effectively perceived, what would the characteristics of that texture pattern be? In this paper we describe the results of a comprehensive controlled observer experiment intended to yield insight into that question. Here, we report the results of a new study comparing the relative accuracy of observers' judgments of shape type (elliptical, cylindrical, hyperbolic or flat) and shape orientation (convex, concave, both, or neither) for local views of boundary masked quadric surface patches under six different principal direction texture pattern conditions plus two texture conditions (an isotropic pattern and a non-principal direction oriented anisotropic pattern), under both perspective and orthographic projection conditions and from both head-on and oblique viewpoints. Our results confirm the hypothesis that accurate shape perception is facilitated to a statistically significantly greater extent by some principal direction texture patterns than by others. Specifically, we found that, for both views, under conditions of perspective projection, participants more often correctly identified the shape category and the shape orientation when the surface was textured with the pattern that contained oriented energy along both the first and second principal directions only than in the case of any other texture condition. Patterns containing markings following only one of the principal directions, or containing information along other directions in addition to the principal directions yielded poorer performance overall.
Diltiazem-induced blockade of sympathetically mediated constriction of normal and diseased coronary arteries: lack of epicardial coronary dilatory effect in humans.

To determine mechanisms of benefit from diltiazem, 13 patients with coronary disease performed sustained isometric handgrip exercise and repeated the procedure during intravenous infusion of diltiazem (0.25 mg/kg bolus followed by 0.003 mg/kg/min). Cardiovascular responses to handgrip, diltiazem, their combination, and nitroglycerin were assessed by hemodynamic and electrocardiographic measurements and by computer-assisted measurements of normal and diseased segments of epicardial coronary arteries. Handgrip produced increases in heart rate (12%; p less than .001), pulmonary arterial pressure (19%; p less than .005), and pulmonary wedge pressure (33%; p less than .005). Diltiazem produced significant reductions in heart rate (7%; p less than .05) and aortic pressure (14%; p less than .001). Pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary wedge pressure were unchanged by diltiazem. Diltiazem did not prevent the increase in heart rate or in aortic or wedge pressure associated with handgrip. Diltiazem prolonged atrioventricular conduction from 0.18 +/- 0.03 to 0.20 +/- 0.03 sec (p less than .001). Compared with control values, nitroglycerin reduced aortic pressure (14%; p less than .005), pulmonary arterial pressure (38%; p less than .001), and pulmonary wedge pressure (42%; p less than .005). Heart rate was unchanged. The constriction (20%) in lumen area of normal coronary arterial segments during handgrip was effectively prevented by infusion of diltiazem (1%; p less than .001). Nitroglycerin produced a significantly greater increase (20%) in diameter of normal coronary arterial segments than diltiazem (3%; p less than .001) and tended to have a more favorable effect than diltiazem on stenosis minimum area and flow resistance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Vitamin D Regulation of OX40 Ligand in Immune Responses to Aspergillus fumigatus

OX40 ligand (OX40L) is a costimulatory molecule involved in Th2 allergic responses. It has been shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased OX40L expression in peripheral CD11c+ cells and controls Th2 responses to Aspergillus fumigatus in vitro in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). To investigate if vitamin D deficiency regulated OX40L and Th2 responses in vivo, we examined the effect of nutritional vitamin D deficiency on costimulatory molecules in CD11c+ cells and A. fumigatus-induced Th2 responses. Vitamin D-deficient mice showed increased expression of OX40L on lung CD11c+ cells, and OX40L was critical for enhanced Th2 responses to A. fumigatus in vivo. In in vitro assays, vitamin D treatment led to vitamin D receptor (VDR) binding in the promoter region of OX40L and significantly decreased the promoter activity of the OX40L promoter. In addition, vitamin D altered NF-κB p50 binding in the OX40L promoter that may be responsible for repression of OX40L expression. These data show that vitamin D can act directly on OX40L, which impacts Th2 responses and supports the therapeutic use of vitamin D in diseases regulated by OX40L.
Capillary stress in microporous thin films

Development of capillary stress in porous xerogels, although ubiquitous, has not been systematically studied. The authors have used the beam bending technique to measure stress isotherms of microporous thin films prepared by a sol-gel route. The thin films were prepared on deformable silicon substrates which were then placed in a vacuum system. The automated measurement was carried out by monitoring the deflection of a laser reflected off the substrate while changing the overlying relative pressure of various solvents. The magnitude of the macroscopic bending stress was found to reach a value of 180 MPa at a relative pressure of methanol, P/Po = 0.001. The observed stress is determined by the pore size distribution and is an order of magnitude smaller in mesoporous thin films. Density Functional Theory (DFT) indicates that for the microporous materials, the stress at saturation is compressive and drops as the relative pressure is reduced.
Mixed-mode VLSI optic flow sensors for in-flight control of a micro air vehicle

NRL is developing compact optic flow sensors for use in a variety of small-scale navigation and collision avoidance tasks. These sensors are being developed for use in micro air vehicles (MAVs), which are autonomous aircraft whose maximum dimension is on the order of 15 cm. To achieve desired weight specifications of 1 - 2 grams, mixed-signal VLSI circuitry is being used to develop compact focal plane sensors that directly compute optic flow. As an interim proof of principle, we have constructed a sensor comprising a focal plane sensor head with on-chip processing and a back-end PIC microcontroller. This interim sensors weighs approximately 25 grams and is able to measure optic flow with real-world and low-contrast textures. Variations of this sensor have been used to control the flight of a glider in real-time to avoid collisions with walls.
What Democracy Means to Citizens – and Why It Matters

Recent survey research indicates that democracy means different things to different people. For some, democracy is a method of selecting leaders, protecting civil liberties and political rights, and upholding the rule of law. Other citizens have more expansive views of democracy, viewing it as a mechanism for promoting social equality and economic growth, for example. While such studies provide strong evidence that the concept ‘democracy’ is multidimensional, to date scholars have not explained why citizens think of democracy in myriad ways, and whether such differences matter. We aim to address these issues using data gathered from field research in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Guatemala in 2001. Through open-ended questions, we asked diverse groups of respondents what democracy meant to them. Relying upon answers to these questions, we attempt to explain why respondents had such varying views of democracy, and examine the implications these conceptualizations of democracy have for regime stability. Resumen: Que significa la democracia para los ciudadanos y por que es importante Recientes investigaciones basadas en encuestas de opinion publica revelan que la democracia significa diferentes cosas segun de quien se trate. Para algunos, la democracia es un metodo para elegir lideres, proteger las libertades civiles y los derechos politicos, y mantener el estado de derecho. Otros ciudadanos tienen visiones mas amplias de la democracia, y la ven, por ejemplo, como un mecanismo para promover la igualdad social y el crecimiento economico. Aunque estos estudios ofrecen pruebas fuertes de que el concepto ‘democracia’ es multi-dimensional, hasta ahora los investigadores no han explicado por que los ciudadanos piensan de maneras tan variadas, y si estas diferencias importan. En este estudio, nuestra meta es abordar este tema utilizando datos recogidos en el trabajo de campo realizado en Argentina, Brasil, Chile y Guatemala en 2001. A traves de preguntas abiertas, preguntamos a diversos grupos de entrevistados que significa la democracia para ellos. Basandonos en las respuestas obtenidas, intentamos explicar por que los entrevistados tenian visiones tan distintas de la democracia, y examinamos las implicancias de estas diversas conceptualizaciones de la democracia para la estabilidad del regimen democratico.
Oak Savanna Subhabitat Variation and the Population Biology of Lycaeides melissa samuelis (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Lycaeides melissa samuelis Nabokov, the Karner blue butterfly, is a federally endangered species that has two generations per year in oak savanna habitats. The significance of “subhabitat” variation, formed by variable tree canopy cover, in creating high-quality habitat for this butterfly was evaluated. Subhabitats were characterized by percent canopy cover as open (0–15%), partial (16–75%), and closed (76–100%). Habitat quality was assessed by measuring egg distribution and larval and pupal survival, in each subhabitat at sites in Wisconsin and Minnesota for as long as 3 yr. Estimates of mortality rates were used to project adult production for each subhabitat in each generation at the two Wisconsin sites (Sawyer and Fishery). At the Sawyer site, the largest number of eggs tended to occur in open subhabitats, ranging in number from 16,460 to 665,860. Similarly, during the second flight at the Fishery site, a greater number of eggs were observed in the open subhabitat; for two of the five sample periods, egg numbers ranged from 61,470 to 173,430. However, in other years and/or broods, partial subhabitats had greatest number of eggs at the Fishery site, ranging from 24,850 to 88,160 eggs. The fewest total eggs were laid in closed subhabitat, ranging from 20 to 12,740, where larval survival rates were the highest. Therefore, the subhabitat with the highest immature survival rates typically received the lowest total number of eggs. However, we predicted greater adult production per stem to occur in partial and closed subhabitats. The unique attributes of all three subhabitats and their potential influences on population dynamics suggest that all subhabitats studied may be essential for the long-term persistence of healthy L. m. samuelis populations.
The Use of Scale Model to Study Film Flow in a Rotary Atomizer Cup

The aim of this chapter is to simulate processes of liquid droplet formation and atomization in a typical automotive paint spray system with scale modeling technique. In a spray painting process, paint is sprayed by a bell sprayer cup rotating at high speed to create fine atomized paint particles. The bell sprayers typically rotate at a speed of 30,000 rpm and have liquid (paint) flowing from the center with a flow rate of 300 cc/min. Due to the centrifugal action of the rotation, the liquid flows to the exterior of the bell, where they pass through grooves leading to the formation of ligaments and henceforth droplets due to shear forces acting against the surface tension forces. We designed different types of scale models to simulate the process.
Comparison of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen–Based 18F-DCFBC PET/CT to Conventional Imaging Modalities for Detection of Hormone-Naïve and Castration-Resistant Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Conventional imaging modalities (CIMs) have limited sensitivity and specificity for detection of metastatic prostate cancer. We examined the potential of a first-in-class radiofluorinated small-molecule inhibitor of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), N-[N-[(S)-1,3-dicarboxypropyl]carbamoyl]-4-18F-fluorobenzyl-l-cysteine (18F-DCFBC), to detect metastatic hormone-naive (HNPC) and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Methods: Seventeen patients were prospectively enrolled (9 HNPC and 8 CRPC); 16 had CIM evidence of new or progressive metastatic prostate cancer and 1 had high clinical suspicion of metastatic disease. 18F-DCFBC PET/CT imaging was obtained with 2 successive PET scans starting at 2 h after injection. Patients were imaged with CIM at approximately the time of PET. A lesion-by-lesion analysis of PET to CIM was performed in the context of either HNPC or CRPC. The patients were followed with available clinical imaging as a reference standard to determine the true nature of identified lesions on PET and CIM. Results: On the lesion-by-lesion analysis, 18F-DCFBC PET was able to detect a larger number of lesions (592 positive with 63 equivocal) than CIM (520 positive with 61 equivocal) overall, in both HNPC and CRPC patients. 18F-DCFBC PET detection of lymph nodes, bone lesions, and visceral lesions was superior to CIM. When intrapatient clustering effects were considered, 18F-DCFBC PET was estimated to be positive in a large proportion of lesions that would be negative or equivocal on CIM (0.45). On follow-up, the sensitivity of 18F-DCFBC PET (0.92) was superior to CIM (0.71). 18F-DCFBC tumor uptake was increased at the later PET time point (∼2.5 h after injection), with background uptake showing a decreasing trend on later PET. Conclusion: PET imaging with 18F-DCFBC, a small-molecule PSMA-targeted radiotracer, detected more lesions than CIM and promises to diagnose and stage patients with metastatic prostate cancer more accurately than current imaging methods.
C60 Research at the University of California at Berkeley

An extremely simple and inexpensive apparatus for preparation of the C60 and C70 fullerenes is described. An efficient separatory technique is described which implements a phenylglycine based HFLC column for preparation of high purity (99.99%) C60 and C70 samples. Treatment of C60 with osmium tetroxide and pyridine gives the osmate ester (2:1 adduct) and establishes that oxygen functionality can be added to C60 without disrupting the carbon framework. Raman spectroscopy of high purity C60 indicates that several lines previously not assigned to C60 (D.S.Bethune, G.Meijer, W.C.Tang, and H.J.Rosen, Chem.Phys.Lett.174, 219(1990)) are attributable to C60.
Scaling Normal Adhesion Force Capacity with a Generalized Parameter

The adhesive response of a rigid flat cylindrical indenter in contact with a compliant elastic layer of varying confinement is investigated experimentally and described analytically. Using a soft elastic gel with substrate thickness, t, and indenter radius, a, 28 unique combinations of the confinement parameter, a/t, are examined over a range of 0.016 < a/t < 7.2. Continuous force capacity predictions as a function of a/t and material properties are provided through a scaling theory and are found to agree well with the experimental data. We further collapse all of the data over orders of magnitude in adhesive force capacity onto a single line described by a generalized reversible adhesion scaling parameter, A/C, where A is the contact area and C is the compliance. As the scaling analysis does not assume a specific separation mechanism the adhesive force capacity is well described during both axisymmetric edge separation and during interfacial fingering and cavitation instabilities. We discuss how the geom...
X-Ray-Optical Multilayer Structures Studied Using High Resolution Electron Microscopy.

The technique of high resolution electron microscopy has been used to examine the structure of several multilayer systems (MLS) on an atomic scale. Mo/Si multilayers, in use in a number of x-ray optical element applications, and Mo/Si multilayers, of interest because of their magnetic properties, have been imaged in cross-section. Layer thicknesses, flatness and smoothness have been analysed: the layer width can vary by up to 0.6nm from the average value, and the layer flatness depends on the quality of the substrate surface for amorphous MLS, and on the details of the crystalline growth for the crystalline materials. The degree of crystallinity and the crystal orientation within the layers have also been investigated. In both cases, the high-Z layers are predominantly crystalline and the Si layers appear amorphous. Amorphous interfacial regions are visible between the Mo and Si layers, and crystalline cobalt suicide interfacial regions between the Co and Si layers. Using the structural measurements obtained from the HREM results, theoretical x-ray reflectivity behaviour has been calculated. It fits the experimental data very well.
Synthesis, characterization, and luminescence properties of a new series of Eu3+-containing macrocycles.

The synthesis and structural characterization of a series of neutral Eu3+-containing macrocyclic complexes, Eu(4)−Eu(7), are reported. The synthetic pathway herein allows for the size and functionality of the macrocycle to be tailored in one step from a common precursor (N,N‘ ‘-bis(p-isothiocyanatobenzylcarbamoylmethyl)diethylenetriamine-N,N‘N‘ ‘-triacetic acid, (3) in high yield. The macrocyclic ligands 4−7 have within their structure a bis-amide derivative of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) functioning as the europium chelate that is bridged through thiourea groups by either a butyl (4), hexyl (5), octyl (6), or m-benzyl (7) linker. The two thiourea groups were designed into the host macrocycle to serve as hydrogen-bond donors to potential guest molecules that may alter the luminescence properties of the parent macrocycle. Characterization of the luminescence of Eu(4)−Eu(7) reveals an antenna effect from the ligand, and the luminescence lifetime data reveals the presence of one coordinated wat...
Surgical oncology outcomes in the aging US population.

Abstract Background As the population ages, an increasing number of older patients are undergoing major surgery. We examined the impact of advanced age on outcomes following major gastrointestinal cancer surgery in an era of improved surgical outcomes. Materials and methods This was a population-based, retrospective cohort study using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. We evaluated patients undergoing major abdominal gastrointestinal cancer surgery from 2005-2012. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the independent effect of advanced age on outcomes. Our primary outcome was 30-d mortality, and our secondary outcomes were 30-d major postoperative adverse events, discharge disposition, length of stay, reoperation, and readmission. Results Elderly (≥65 y) patients were twice as likely to have multiple comorbidities as those Conclusions Despite being highly selected for surgery, elderly patients undergoing major gastrointestinal cancer surgery have substantially worse postoperative outcomes than younger patients (
Study of Modeling and Simulation on Demand at Metasynthetic Simulation Environment

The mechanism of Model Integrated Management (MIM) and Model Service (MS) were explored in the metasynthetic simulation environment. The mechanism of Model on Demand (MOD) and the Modeling and Simulation On Demand (MSOD) were put forward in order to study the issues of MIM, MS and their application in the local or distant environment on the Internet based on the Metasynthetic Cooperation Simulation Environment (MCSE). The connotation and purpose of MSOD is to set up a common platform to create the metasynthetic simulation environment in order to realize the functions of inquiring, integrating, managing, organizing, transferring or controlling model resources in the metasynthetic engineering. In other words, they are the Integration Management, the Modeling On Demand and the Simulation On Demand(SOD).
Labour in Government, 1924: The Boundary Commission Controversy

The first Labour government, upon assuming office in January 1924, had the responsibility and misfortune of attempting to resolve the final remaining imponderable of the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty — namely, deciding on the boundary between the newly established Irish Free State and the six counties of Northern Ireland as established under the Government of Ireland Act of 1920. Attempts to resolve this vexed issue dominated the following ten months of the minority Labour government’s period in power. It is a supreme political irony that the British Labour Party, which had played such a minor role in the establishment of the new Irish state between 1920 and 1922 and which, after its relative success in the 1918 and 1922 general elections, did not regard Ireland as a pressing political issue, should have assumed the difficult and delicate responsibility of attempting to resolve the outstanding issues of the 1921 Treaty settlement during its first short-lived administration in 1924.
A Normalization Framework for Emotional Attention.

The normalization model of attention proposes that attention can affect performance by response- or contrast-gain changes, depending on the size of the stimulus and attention field. Here, we manipulated the attention field by emotional valence, negative faces versus positive faces, while holding stimulus size constant in a spatial cueing task. We observed changes in the cueing effect consonant with changes in response gain for negative faces and contrast gain for positive faces. Neuroimaging experiments confirmed that subjects’ attention fields were narrowed for negative faces and broadened for positive faces. Importantly, across subjects, the self-reported emotional strength of negative faces and positive faces correlated, respectively, both with response- and contrast-gain changes and with primary visual cortex (V1) narrowed and broadened attention fields. Effective connectivity analysis showed that the emotional valence-dependent attention field was closely associated with feedback from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to V1. These findings indicate a crucial involvement of DLPFC in the normalization processes of emotional attention.
Sacred and the Profane: Department Stores and Cathedrals

The writings of Emile Durkheim and Mircea Eliade on religion, and the difference between the sacred and the profane are explored. Durkheim argues that the difference between the sacred and profane is the most important differentiation in human thought and Eliade has a book titled The Sacred and the Profane that explores topics such as sacred time, sacred space, and related concerns. A discussion of the similarity between department stores and cathedrals, as exemplars of the profane and the sacred, is offered and a chart showing how department stores offer versions of the sacred found in cathedrals but stripped of any religious significance.
Passive Biological Treatment of Mine Water to Reduce Conductivity: Potential Designs, Challenges, and Research Needs

The remediation of mine water to preserve receiving water quality has advanced substantially over the past half century, but prospective regulations to limit the conductivity of mining-impacted waters pose a significant new challenge. Conventional approaches to reduce high levels of conductivity in these mine waters are often costly, requiring high levels of maintenance and significant inputs of energy and refined chemicals. In contrast, passive biological treatment (PBT) systems are a relatively low-cost, low-maintenance treatment technology for mine waters that have been used for over three decades. However, their practical ability to reduce conductivity is unclear, given previous research reports focused on the removal of metals, acidity, and solids. A systematic literature review to identify previous reports of PBT systems at the laboratory or field scale that include evaluations of changes in conductivity suggests that decreases in conductivity of 30 to 40% are achievable. Substantial variability in performance is common, however, and conductivity increased markedly in some systems. This variation may be associated with the dissolution of limestone, which is a key treatment material in some systems. Although the development of PBT to serve as pre-, post-, or stand-alone treatment systems targeting conductivity may reduce overall treatment cost in some settings, optimization of these designs requires an increase in the number of published conductivity datasets from similar systems, detailed reports on the key ions contributing to elevated conductivity region to region, and further investigation of the underlying biochemical processes responsible for conductivity reductions.
Discretizing the SI Epidemic Model

Epidemic models are used as a tool to analyze the behaviors of biological diseases and how they spread. In the SI epidemic model, where S represents the group of susceptibles and I represents the group of infectives, the numerical outputs can be nonintegers, which creates obstacles in applying these results to our biological reality. Here, we discretize the model output values by applying various combinations of integerizing (Round, Ceiling, Floor). These discretized values allow the results of the SI model to be applied to reality in terms of whole person outputs. Nine potential discretized SI models are formed with the combinations of integerizing. We eliminate several of these potential models because they do not meet the fundamental property of the SI model – fixed population size. We compare the properties of the three models that meet the fundamental property with the properties of the original (nondiscretized) SI model. Several unexpected results appear, such as a basic reproduction number, R0, for two of the three discretized models; the original SI model has no such R0 value. Acknowledgements: This project was started as part of the Marshall Univeristy Senior Seminar class, in Fall 2011. I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Anna Mummert for all of her guidance during this project. Page 192 RHIT Undergrad. Math. J., Vol. 15, No. 1
Green Tea Dietary Supplements: Current Issues and Analysis Methods

Green tea dietary supplements (GTDS) are the fourth most popular dietary supplement (DS) in the US. However, taken in excess, they have been shown to result in liver damage. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 designated dietary supplements as foods and charged the FDA to regulate their manufacturing. More recently, Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) have been developed. In this chapter, we summarize the DSHEA and related regulations, discuss some of the health benefits and concerns related to GTDS, as well as review the literature regarding their analysis. The literature suggests that the amount and type of catechins vary widely in GTDS from manufacturer to manufacturer, and batch to batch from the same manufacturer. In addition, some GTDS do not have catechins present, and the amount of catechins and caffeine in the GTDS often differs greatly from manufacturers’ claims.
Frenemies: How Social Media Polarizes America

Why do Americans have such animosity for people who identify with the opposing political party? Jaime E. Settle argues that in the context of increasing partisan polarization among American political elites, the way we communicate on Facebook uniquely facilitates psychological polarization among the American public. Frenemies introduces the END Framework of social media interaction. END refers to a subset of content that circulates in a social media ecosystem: a personalized, quantified blend of politically informative 'expression', 'news', and 'discussion' seamlessly interwoven into a wider variety of socially informative content. Scrolling through the News Feed triggers a cascade of processes that result in negative attitudes about those who disagree with us politically. The inherent features of Facebook, paired with the norms of how people use the site, heighten awareness of political identity, bias the inferences people make about others' political views, and foster stereotyped evaluations of the political out-group.
Manufacturing of hourglass-shaped through holes with varying diameters at different depths by dual-pulse laser drilling and laser-induced plasma-hole interaction

Abstract Microholes in a metal with diameters varying unusually at different hole depths (e.g., microholes with a decreasing and then increasing diameter with the depth) have important applications. This paper reports studies on a novel method of drilling such microholes in a metal, which is through “double-pulse” percussion laser drilling followed by laser-induced plasma (from a backing plate placed behind the workpiece) – hole interaction. Using this method, a through microhole has been produced in a metal workpiece, which has similar diameters at the hole entrance and exit, but a much smaller diameter at a certain waist section inside the hole.
Lymphoid Aggregations and Nodules

This chapter presents lymphoid aggregations and nodules. The bone marrow, thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes are the most complex and most extensively studied organs of the immune system. There are other lymphoid organs found in all vertebrates that produce lymphocytes and that bear some developmental, evolutionary, or functional resemblances to lymph nodes and spleen. These include tonsils, Peyer's patches, appendix, and hemal nodes of mammals. Fish possess a unique pronephros that may be the analogue of the frog's lymph gland. Both larval and adult anurans possess gut-associated lymphoid tissue reminiscent of Peyer's patches, and when larvae undergo metamorphosis, adults acquire jugular bodies, and prepericardial and procoracoid bodies. All of these aggregations or organs provide interesting structural models for learning more about the evolution of the immune system.