cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of a saw palmetto herbal blend in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Purpose: We tested the effects of a saw palmetto herbal blend in men with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) via a randomized, placebo controlled trial. Materials and Methods: We randomized 44 men 45 to 80 years old with symptomatic BPH into a trial of a saw palmetto herbal blend versus placebo. End points included routine clinical measures (symptom score, uroflowmetry and post-void residual urine volume), blood chemistry studies (prostate specific antigen, sex hormones and multiphasic analysis), prostate volumetrics by magnetic resonance imaging, and prostate biopsy for zonal tissue morphometry and semiquantitative histology studies. Results: Saw palmetto herbal blend and placebo groups had improved clinical parameters with a slight advantage in the saw palmetto group (not statistically significant). Neither prostate specific antigen nor prostate volume changed from baseline. Prostate epithelial contraction was noted, especially in the transition zone, where percent epithelium decreased from 17.8% at baseline to 10.7% after 6 months of saw palmetto herbal blend (p ,0.01). Histological studies showed that the percent of atrophic glands increased from 25.2% to 40.9% after treatment with saw palmetto herbal blend (p ,0.01). The mechanism of action appeared to be nonhormonal but it was not identified by tissue studies of apoptosis, cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, growth factors or androgen receptor expression. We noted no adverse effects of saw palmetto herbal blend. When the study was no longer blinded, 41 men elected to continue therapy in an open label extension. Conclusions: Saw palmetto herbal blend appears to be a safe, highly desirable option for men with moderately symptomatic BPH. The secondary outcome measures of clinical effect in our study were only slightly better for saw palmetto herbal blend than placebo (not statistically significant). However, saw palmetto herbal blend therapy was associated with epithelial contraction, especially in the transition zone (p ,0.01), indicating a possible mechanism of action underlying the clinical significance detected in other studies.
Prevalence of Victimization and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Women with Substance Use Disorders: Comparison of Telephone and In-Person Assessment Samples

A structured interview with behaviorally specific probes was used to assess victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a clinical and a national, epidemiologic sample of women who had received treatment for a substance use disorder. Separate clinical and epidemiologic approaches to evaluating substance use disorders were compared. More than 80% of women in both samples had a history of sexual and/or physical assault and approximately one-quarter had current PTSD. The similarity in patterns of victimization, PTSD, and substance use across two samples suggests that telephone structured interviews are a valid method of collecting data/information about these important phenomena.
Developing multicultural competence to improve cross-race work relationships.

As the workforce continues to diversify, it will become increasingly important that organizational leaders develop specific skills to manage multicultural issues and interactions. A theoretically-based diversity training program to develop multicultural competence in trainee participants was evaluated using a pretest–posttest nonequivalent-control-group design. Results showed positive change in reactions to interracial situations at work, awareness of psychological privilege, and lower modern racism attitudes, even after controlling for pretest scores and diversity of life experiences. Results also support a link between training and multicultural competence in the workplace. Implications for practitioners, trainers, and diversity researchers are discussed.
Development of ruthenium-based bimetallic electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

Ruthenium-based bimetallic electrocatalysts with non-noble metals such as Ti, Cr, Fe, Co and Pb were synthesized on a porous carbon support using a chelation process. Rotating ring disk electrode measurements indicated that RuFeNx/C showed the catalytic activity and selectivity toward the four-electron reduction of oxygen to water comparable to those of the conventional Pt/C catalysts. The performance of the membrane-electrode assembly prepared with the RuFeNx/C cathode catalyst was evaluated for 150 h of continuous operation. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Design of a nanoelectromechanical high-index-contrast guided-wave optical switch for single-mode operation at 1.55 μm

A design is presented for a nanoelectromechanical optical switch based on the horizontal deflection of an input waveguide to align with one of two output waveguides. The use of high-index (GaAs) strip waveguides surrounded by air, designed to be single-mode at 1.55 /spl mu/m, significantly decreases device dimensions as compared to previous designs. Design tradeoffs between optical and mechanical properties of the device are discussed. By means of three-dimensional numerical simulations, optical transmission is optimized for two different design strategies: butt and parallel coupling. High polarization-independent transmission (over 90%) is predicted for realistic design parameters.
From clean dishes to clean hands

In the United States, hospital-acquired infections account for around 99,000 patient deaths per year. These infections are increasingly caused by drug-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which accounts for 19,000 patient deaths per year. Fresh perspectives with tools adapted from other disciplines may provide the insight to identify opportunities for local and regional prevention efforts. For the past several years, we have researched novel methods to understand the nature of infectious spread. In one example, we applied a geographic information system (GIS) to clearly demonstrate flawed hospital processes, including inappropriate patient placement and poor hand washing by providers. Recently, we applied a shared community health record to identify the complex web of interhospital interactions and coordinate a regional infection control intervention.
Dear teacher, what should I write on my wall? A case study on academic uses of Facebook

Abstract Loved equally by the young and the not so young, the social networking site Facebook has become a significant part of students’ life. Consequently, more and more university teachers embrace the idea that it can also be used at an academic level and not just at a social level, and that it can be used for many different things / purposes connected to (formal) education. In this context our paper focuses on how students perceive the use of the social networking site Facebook for academic purposes and how / if they integrate it in their learning, training or other (extra) educational activities. After a short presentation of Facebook's features, we’ll review its educational value from published research studies. In order to investigate how students are engaged in Facebook academic activities, an online questionnaire was applied to our first year students in the academic year 2010. We found that the majority of students spend significant time on Facebook more for social uses (to stay in touch with friends and family, to share / tag photos, to engage in social activism, volunteering etc.) and less for academic purposes, even if they take part in discussions about their assignments, lectures, study notes or share information about research resources etc. © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Simple two-priority, low-jitter scheduler

Many papers on emulations of Generalized Processor Sharing (GPS) have been published. The algorithms and their implementations are often very complex and/or generate a bursty output. In this paper, we present a simple two-priority scheduler that can be easily implemented in hardware, making it especially interesting for Networks on Chips (NoCs), and other applications dealing with stringent resource constraints.
Nanomaterials in transistors: From high-performance to thin-film applications

For more than 50 years, silicon transistors have been continuously shrunk to meet the projections of Moore's law but are now reaching fundamental limits on speed and power use. With these limits at hand, nanomaterials offer great promise for improving transistor performance and adding new applications through the coming decades. With different transistors needed in everything from high-performance servers to thin-film display backplanes, it is important to understand the targeted application needs when considering new material options. Here the distinction between high-performance and thin-film transistors is reviewed, along with the benefits and challenges to using nanomaterials in such transistors. In particular, progress on carbon nanotubes, as well as graphene and related materials (including transition metal dichalcogenides and X-enes), outlines the advances and further research needed to enable their use in transistors for high-performance computing, thin films, or completely new technologies such as flexible and transparent devices.
Phase and synchronous detector theory as applied to beam position and intensity measurements

A popular signal processing technique for beam position measurements uses the principle of amplitude-modulation-to-phase-modulation (AM/PM) conversion and phase detection. This technique processes position-sensitive beam-image-current probe-signals into output signals that are proportional to the beam's position. These same probe signals may be summed and processed in a different fashion to provide output signals that are proportional to the peak beam current. This paper derives the transfer functions for the AM/PM beam position and peak beam current processors.
Endotoxin-induced gamma interferon production: contributing cell types and key regulatory factors.

Gamma interferon (IFN-γ) is an important mediator of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS])-induced immune responses. However, the specific cell types that produce IFN-γ in response to LPS and the cellular factors that regulate LPS-induced IFN-γ production have not been fully determined. The present studies were undertaken to characterize the cell populations that produce IFN-γ after LPS challenge in the spleens of mice and to determine the regulatory factors that modulate LPS-induced production of IFN-γ. Our studies show that the levels of splenic IFN-γ mRNA and protein production peak at 6 and 8 h, respectively, after systemic LPS challenge. Approximately 60% of IFN-γ-producing cells are natural killer (NK) cells (CD3−DX5+) and 25% are NKT cells (CD3+DX5+). Most of the remaining IFN-γ-producing cells are T cells (CD3+DX5−), macrophages, and dendritic cells. Functionally, interleukin-12 (IL-12) is the major IFN-γ-stimulating factor after LPS challenge, with costimulation provided by IL-15, IL-18, and B7 proteins. IL-10 is a major inhibitor of LPS-induced IFN-γ production. Unlike intact heat-killed gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, the class II major histocompatibility complex did not play a functional role in LPS-induced IFN-γ production. LPS is a potent stimulus for splenic IL-10, IL-12 p40, and IL-15 mRNA expression, whereas IL-12 p35 and IL-18 mRNAs, as well as B7 proteins, are constitutively expressed in the mouse spleen. Of the factors studied, IL-18 serves as the most potent costimulus with IL-12 for IFN-γ production, followed by IL-15 and B7 proteins. These data demonstrate that NK cells and NKT cells are the most abundant IFN-γ-producing cells in the mouse spleen after LPS challenge and that IL-10 and IL-12 are key functional regulators of LPS-induced IFN-γ production.
Synthesis and Characterization of [Cu(NHC)2]X Complexes: Catalytic and Mechanistic Studies of Hydrosilylation Reactions

The preparation of two series of [Cu(NHC)2]X complexes (NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene, X=PF6 or BF4) in high yields from readily available materials is reported. These complexes have been spectroscopically and structurally characterized. The activity of these cationic bis-NHC complexes in the hydrosilylation of ketones was examined, and both the ligand and the counterion showed a significant influence on the catalytic performance. Moreover, when compared with related [Cu(NHC)]-based systems, these cationic complexes proved to be more efficient under similar reaction conditions. The activation step of [Cu(NHC)2]X precatalysts towards hydrosilylation was investigated by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy. Notably, it was shown that one of the N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr) ligands in [Cu(IPr)2]BF4 is displaced by tBuO(-) in the presence of NaOtBu, producing the neutral [Cu(IPr)(OtBu)]. This copper alkoxide is known to be a direct precursor of an NHC-copper hydride, the actual active species in this transformation. Furthermore, reagent loading and counterion effects have been rationalized in light of the species formed during the reaction.
Measurement of inter-rater agreement for transient events using Monte Carlo sampled permutations.

In this paper we demonstrate the adverse effect of serially observed data sequences containing transient events on the calculation of Cohen's κ as an index of inter-rater agreement in the detection of these events. We develop and use a Monte-Carlo-based permutation technique to produce an empiric distribution of κ in the presence of serial dependence. We find that the empiric confidence intervals for κ tend to be wider than parametrically derived intervals and in the case of longer event lengths, are markedly so. We evaluate the effect of number and length of events, and further, describe and evaluate three permutation methods which match specific rating situations. Finally, we apply these techniques to the measurement of inter-rater agreement for sleep disordered breathing events, a transient event identified during nocturnal polysomnography, for which traditionally computed confidence intervals for κ are incorrect. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Large Charged Drop Levitation Against Gravity

A hybrid electrostatic-acoustic levitator that can levitate and manipulate a large liquid drop in one gravity is presented. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time such large drops (up to 4 mm in diameter in the case of water) have been levitated against 1-gravity. This makes possible, for the first time, many new experiments both in space and in ground-based laboratories, such as 1) supercooling and superheating, 2) containerless crystal growth from various salt solutions or melts, 3) drop dynamics of oscillating or rotating liquid drops, 4) drop evaporation and Rayleigh bursting, and 5) containerless material processing in space. The digital control system, liquid drop launch process, principles of electrode design, and design of a multipurpose room temperature levitation chamber are described. Preliminary results that demonstrate drop oscillation and rotation, and crystal growth from supersaturated salt solutions are presented.
Synucleins Are Developmentally Expressed, and α-Synuclein Regulates the Size of the Presynaptic Vesicular Pool in Primary Hippocampal Neurons

alpha-, beta-, and gamma-Synuclein, a novel family of neuronal proteins, has become the focus of research interest because alpha-synuclein has been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. However, the normal functions of the synucleins are still unknown. For this reason, we characterized alpha-, beta-, and gamma-synuclein expression in primary hippocampal neuronal cultures and showed that the onset of alpha- and beta-synuclein expression was delayed after synaptic development, suggesting that these synucleins may not be essential for synapse formation. In mature cultured primary neurons, alpha- and beta-synuclein colocalized almost exclusively with synaptophysin in the presynaptic terminal, whereas little gamma-synuclein was expressed at all. To assess the function of alpha-synuclein, we suppressed expression of this protein with antisense oligonucleotide technology. Morphometric ultrastructural analysis of the alpha-synuclein antisense oligonucleotide-treated cultures revealed a significant reduction in the distal pool of synaptic vesicles. These data suggest that one function of alpha-synuclein may be to regulate the size of distinct pools of synaptic vesicles in mature neurons.
Veterans and the justice system: the next forensic frontier.

On most days in the United States, stories appear in the media related to American soldiers who are deployed overseas. We know that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are like none other that our soldiers have experienced. With multiple tours of duty and exposure to events that may involve
Effects of internet-based voucher reinforcement and a transdermal nicotine patch on cigarette smoking.

Nicotine replacement products are commonly used to promote smoking cessation, but alternative and complementary methods may increase cessation rates. The current experiment compared the short-term effects of a transdermal nicotine patch to voucher-based reinforcement of smoking abstinence on cigarette smoking. Fourteen heavy smokers (7 men and 7 women) completed the four 5-day phases of the study: baseline, patch treatment, voucher treatment, and return to baseline. The order of the two treatment phases was counterbalanced across participants. In the patch treatment condition, participants wore a 14-mg transdermal nicotine patch every day. In the voucher treatment condition, participants received vouchers contingent on abstinence from smoking, defined as producing carbon monoxide (CO) readings of ≤4 parts per million. Participants e-mailed two video clips per day showing them breathing into a CO monitor and the resulting CO reading to clinic staff. In the voucher treatment, 24% of samples were negative, and 5% of samples were negative in the patch treatment. Results suggest that contingent vouchers were more effective than transdermal nicotine patches in promoting abstinence.
Size Matters: Metric Visual Search Constraints from Monocular Metadata

Metric constraints are known to be highly discriminative for many objects, but if training is limited to data captured from a particular 3-D sensor the quantity of training data may be severly limited. In this paper, we show how a crucial aspect of 3-D information-object and feature absolute size-can be added to models learned from commonly available online imagery, without use of any 3-D sensing or reconstruction at training time. Such models can be utilized at test time together with explicit 3-D sensing to perform robust search. Our model uses a "2.1D" local feature, which combines traditional appearance gradient statistics with an estimate of average absolute depth within the local window. We show how category size information can be obtained from online images by exploiting relatively unbiquitous metadata fields specifying camera intrinstics. We develop an efficient metric branch-and-bound algorithm for our search task, imposing 3-D size constraints as part of an optimal search for a set of features which indicate the presence of a category. Experiments on test scenes captured with a traditional stereo rig are shown, exploiting training data from from purely monocular sources with associated EXIF metadata.
A Transcriptome Post-Scaffolding Method for Assembling High Quality Contigs

With the rapid development of high throughput sequencing technologies, new transcriptomes can be sequenced for little cost with high coverage. Sequence assembly approaches have been modified to meet the requirements for de novo transcriptomes, which have complications not found in traditional genome assemblies such as variation in coverage for each candidate mRNA and alternative splicing. As a consequence, de novo assembly strategies tend to generate a large number of redundant contigs due to sequence variations, which adversely affects downstream analysis and experiments. In this work we proposed TransPS, a transcriptome post-scaffolding method, to generate high quality, nonredundant de novo transcriptomes. TransPS shows promising results on the test transcriptome datasets, where redundancy is greatly reduced by more than 50% and, at the same time, coverage is improved considerably. The web server and source code are available.
aex-3 Encodes a Novel Regulator of Presynaptic Activity in C. elegans

C. elegans aex-3 mutations cause pleiotropic behavioral defects that are suggestive of reduced synaptic transmission. aex-3 mutations also show strong genetic interactions with mutations in unc-31 and unc-64, two other genes implicated in synaptic transmission. Physiological and pharmacological studies indicate that aex-3 defects are presynaptic. In aex-3 mutants, the synaptic vesicle-associated RAB-3 protein aberrantly accumulates in neuronal cell bodies and is reduced in synapse-rich axons. This localization defect is specific to RAB-3, since other synaptic proteins are localized normally in aex-3 mutants. aex-3 encodes a 1409 amino acid protein with strong homology to DENN, a human protein of unknown function. In C. elegans, aex-3 is expressed in all or nearly all neurons. These results suggest that AEX-3 is a novel regulator of presynaptic activity that interacts with RAB-3 to regulate synaptic vesicle release.
The cost-effectiveness of temozolomide in the adjuvant treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma in the United States

Background. Theobjectiveofthisworkwastodetermine the cost-effectiveness of temozolomide compared with that of radiotherapy alone in the adjuvant treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Temozolomide is the only chemotherapeutic agent to have demonstrated a significantsurvivalbenefitinarandomizedclinicaltrial.Our analysisbuildsonearlierworkbyincorporatingcaregiver timecostsandgenerictemozolomideavailability.Itisalso the first analysis applicable to the US context. Methods. A systematic literature review was conducted tocollectrelevantdata.Transitionprobabilitieswerecalculatedfromrandomizedcontrolledtrialdatacomparing temozolomide plus radiotherapy with radiotherapy alone.Directcostswerecalculatedfromchargesreported by the Mayo Clinic. Utilities were obtained from a previous cost-utility analysis. Using these data, a Markov model with a 1-month cycle length and 5-year time horizon was constructed. Results. TheadditionofbrandTemodarandgenerictemozolomide to the standard radiotherapy regimen was associated with base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of $102 364 and $8875, respectively, per quality-adjusted life-year. The model was most sensitive to the progressionfree survival associated with the use of only radiotherapy. Conclusions. Both the brand and generic base-case estimates are cost-effective under a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150 000 per quality-adjusted life-year. All 1-way sensitivity analyses produced incremental costeffectiveness ratios below this threshold. We conclude that both the brand Temodar and generic temozolomide are cost-effective treatments for newly diagnosed glioblastoma within the US context. However, assuming that the generic product produces equivalent quality of life and survival benefits, it would be significantly more cost-effective than the brand option.
Neuraxial anesthesia in obstetric patients receiving anticoagulant and antithrombotic drugs

Anticoagulation is indicated for a variety of obstetricand medical conditions in women of childbearing age.Recent guidelines from national and international orga-nizations, the Pregnancy and Thrombosis WorkingGroup and the American College of Chest Physicians,have highlighted the importance of anticoagulant ther-apy in the prophylaxis and treatment of venous throm-boembolism in pregnancy, and in pregnant patients withmechanical heart valves.
Isolated attosecond pulses using multi-cycle drivers and a weak second-harmonic field

Addition of 1% second harmonic intensity to the driving field in high-harmonic generation can be used to double the attosecond-pulse period to one optical cycle, explained by a classical mechanism and observed in a quantum simulation.
Temporal patterns in the distribution, biomass and community structure of macrozooplankton and micronekton within Port Foster, Deception Island, Antarctica

The pelagic community within the flooded caldera of Deception Island, Antarctica, was sampled with a 10-m 2
When 'blue babies' grow up: What you need to know about tetralogy of Fallot

Most babies born with tetralogy of Fallot undergo corrective surgery and survive to adulthood. However, as they get older they are prone to a number of long-term problems, and they often do not receive expert-level follow-up care. This review of the adult complications of tetralogy of Fallot should help primary care practitioners identify these patients, make appropriate and timely referrals, and educate patients and their families.
Environmental controls on soil respiration across a southern US climate gradient: a meta-analysis

Abstract Carbon (C) cycling in the soil is intimately associated with soil respiration as organic matter is decomposed by microbes. Consequently, soil C stocks and sequestration potential are also intimately associated with soil respiration. Although many soils of the southern and southeastern United States (US) are generally more weathered and contain less C than those of the upper Midwest due to moist, and generally warmer climatic conditions, their soil C sequestration potential may be greater due to their ability to produce biomass year-round, which, in turn, results in greater C inputs. Identifying influential environmental factors that control soil respiration across a large geographic area and climate gradient can improve understanding of soil C sequestration potential in the southern US. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of i) physiographic region (i.e., Arkansas Ozark Highlands, Arkansas Delta, and Florida Flatwoods) and ii) soil moisture regime (i.e., udic and aquic) on the relationship among soil respiration and combined soil moisture and soil temperature related environmental parameters. Despite some expected differences and generally low model predictiveness (R 2
Empirical Analysis of Cost Estimation Accuracy in Procurement Auctions

This paper explores the impact of better cost estimation accuracy for a firm that bids on projects. Specifically, we investigate the effect of cost estimation accuracy on firms’ ability to submit lower bids amounts and their likelihood of winning in a bidding environment. We analyze highway construction bidding data between year 2001 and 2009 from a state department of transportation. Our results suggest that firms with more accurate cost estimation are more likely to lower their bids amounts and thus are more likely to win more bids than firms that have less cost estimation accuracy. The findings help us better understand the process and effect of cost estimation accuracy in the bidding environment and provide practical implications.
Tolerance of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

SummaryTolerance to the hypotensive effects of 5 to 25 mg/kg of delta–9–THC orally administered develops in spontaneous hypertensive rats within 9 days. The weight loss produced by similar doses is maintained throughout the period of therapy.
Variation in Single Spore Cultures of Aspergillus Fischeri

Using a modified Chambers micromanipulator, 448 single spore cultures were obtained from a stock culture of Aspergillus Fischeri, a perithecial form. Certain of these cultures showed striking morph...
Islamic Book Culture through the Lens of Two Private Libraries, 1850–1940

This paper uses the libraries of two prominent Azharī scholars of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a window to the literary horizons of Islamic scholarship at the cusp of the print revolution. A comparative analysis of the two libraries’ holdings in law, theology, philosophy, literature, and Quranic exegesis reveals that the late manuscript tradition was overwhelmingly focused on a small number of curriculum texts and extensive commentaries on them, while ignoring most of the works that we today consider the classics of these fields. Only in the early twentieth century were these classics rediscovered and popularized through print. Further, the vast majority of the printed works in the two libraries was produced in Egypt, but they also contained significant numbers of works from Istanbul, Iran, and India. Books printed in Europe, however, were nearly absent.
Preliminary Investigation Into the Eects of Cross-Flow on Low Reynolds Number Transition

The present work presents a preliminary investigation into the e ects of crossow on transition at low Reynolds numbers, an area which has essentially remained unexplored. The ow around an in nite SD7003 wing at an angle of attack of 4 is considered at a chord Reynolds numbers of 60,000, and for sweep angles ranging between 0 and 60 . A separation bubble is present on the upper surface where the ow transitions to turbulence, and both Tollmien-Schlichting (TS) waves and crossow instabilities are observed. The level of coupling between crossow and streamwise boundary layer velocity components is evaluated by projecting them along two-dimensional equivalent directions. It is established that the crossow cannot be decoupled from the streamwise evolution for sweep angles between about 10 and 40 due to strong non-linear interactions that take place after the laminar boundary layer separates. Hence, in separation-induced transition at low Reynolds numbers, it is not possible to treat streamwise and crossow instabilities independently for wings at intermediate sweep angles, and predicting the mixed transition cannot be reduced to treating the disturbances of each component separately. Furthermore, the type of transition (TS dominated, crossow dominated, or mixed) is a priori unknown, as soon as the ow is slightly misaligned with the wing’s chord|an important presumption for the study of unsteady ows encountered in MAVs and animal locomotion.
Evaluation of infraspinatus reinnervation and function following spinal accessory nerve to suprascapular nerve transfer in adult traumatic brachial plexus injuries

Purpose Our objective was to determine the prevalence and quality of restored external rotation (ER) in adult brachial plexus injury (BPI) patients who underwent spinal accessory nerve (SAN) to suprascapular nerve (SSN) transfer, and to identify patient and injury factors that may influence results. Methods Fifty-one adult traumatic BPI patients who underwent SAN to SSN transfer between 2000 and 2013, all treated less than 1 year after injury with >1 year follow-up. The primary outcome measured was shoulder ER. The outcomes we utilized included “clinically useful ER” (motion ≥ −35° with ≥MRC 2 strength), modified British Medical Research Council (MRC) grading, and electromyographic (EMG) reinnervation. Results EMG evidence of re-innervation was found in 85% of patients. Surgery resulted in improved ER in 41% (21/51) of shoulders at an average of 28 months follow-up. Of these, only 31% (17/51) had clinically useful ER. The average ER active range of motion was 12° from full internal rotation (Range: −60° to 90°) and MRC grade 2.2 (2–4). The only predictor of ER improvement was an isolated upper trunk (C5-C6) injury. Improved ER was clinically evident in 76%, 37% and 26% of upper trunk (UT), C5-C6-C7 and panplexus injuries, respectively (P < 0.03). Conclusions Although 85% had EMG signs of recovery, the SAN to SSN transfer failed to provide useful recovery of ER through reinnervation of the infraspinatus muscle in injuries involving more levels than a C5-C6 root/upper trunk pattern. In patients with greater than C5-6 level injuries alternatives to SAN to SSN transfer should be considered to restore shoulder ER. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 37:365–370, 2017.
SLIK: scalable low-latency indexes for a key-value store

Many large-scale key-value storage systems sacrifice features like secondary indexing and/or consistency in favor of scalability or performance. This limits the ease and efficiency of application development on such systems. Implementing secondary indexing in a large-scale memory based system is challenging because the goals for low latency, high scalability, consistency and high availability often conflict with each other. This paper shows how a large-scale key-value storage system can be extended to provide secondary indexes while meeting those goals. The architecture, called SLIK, enables multiple secondary indexes for each table. SLIK represents index B+ trees using objects in the underlying key-value store. It allows indexes to be partitioned and distributed independently of the data in tables while providing reasonable consistency guarantees using a lightweight ordered write approach. Our implementation of this design on RAMCloud (a main memory key-value store) performs indexed reads in 11 µs and writes in 30 µs. The architecture supports indexes spanning thousands of nodes, and provides linear scalability for throughput.
Innovation as a Dynamic Capability and Its Link to Performance in the Multinational Corporation: An Integrative Framework and Propositions for Research

Global integration of knowledge and innovation transfers in the internationalizing firm has inspired a growing literature in the international business literature. Several streams of studies examined interesting dimensions of this phenomenon, but extant literature is still weak in research that focuses on how knowledge sharing among the headquarters and subsidiaries of the multinational firm can boost performance. In this chapter, we present propositions for future research based on a review of the strands of literature that have addressed innovation in the multinational firm and explore how the firm can utilize innovation as a dynamic capability in driving positional advantage, and by extension improved firm performance.
Cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use among adolescents in foster family homes

Abstract Data from a cross-sectional study conducted in a random sample of children who were placed in foster family homes were used to examine the prevalence and associated factors of substance use (i.e., cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana), and to explore if adolescents in foster family homes had different rates of substance use than those in the general population matched on age, gender and race/ethnicity. Logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with substance use and McNemar tests were used to compare prevalence rates of substance use. Substance use was common among adolescents in foster family homes. A higher number of placement settings were significantly associated with current cigarette use (odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09–1.60), and being placed in special study homes (i.e., fictive kin) was significantly associated with current marijuana use (OR, 6.43; 95% CI, 1.40–29.52). Compared to adolescents in the general population, those in foster family homes had lower rates of current alcohol (9.1% vs. 38.3%, p p = 0.005) use. No significant difference was observed for current cigarette use (18.2% vs. 11.5%, p = 0.08). More research is needed to confirm the lower rate of current substance use in foster family homes than those matched in the general population, and to explore why adolescents in special study homes were more vulnerable to marijuana use.
Classification of acute decompensated heart failure: an automated algorithm compared with a physician reviewer panel: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.

Background—An algorithm to classify heart failure (HF) end points inclusive of contemporary measures of biomarkers and echocardiography was recently proposed by an international expert panel. Our objective was to assess agreement of HF classification by this contemporaneous algorithm with that by a standardized physician reviewer panel, when applied to data abstracted from community-based hospital records. Methods and Results—During 2005–2007, all hospitalizations were identified from 4 US communities under surveillance as part of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Potential HF hospitalizations were sampled by International Classification of Diseases discharge codes and demographics from men and women aged ≥55 years. The HF classification algorithm was automated and applied to 2729 (n=13 854 weighted hospitalizations) hospitalizations in which either brain natriuretic peptide measures or ejection fraction were documented (mean age, 75 years). There were 1403 (54%; n=7534 weighted) event...
Clinical Impact of Frequent Surveillance Imaging in the First Year Following Chemoradiation for Locally Advanced Non-small-cell Lung Cancer.

Abstract Objective Uncertainty exists regarding the optimal surveillance imaging schedule following definitive chemoradiation (CRT) for locally advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) with regards to both frequency and modality. We sought to document the clinical impact of frequent (at least every 4 months) surveillance imaging. Materials and Methods The records of all patients treated with CRT for stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC between August 1999 and April 2014 were reviewed. Patients were included if they underwent frequent (at least every 4 months) chest computed tomography or positron emission tomography for routine surveillance following CRT for at least 1 year or until progression or death. Radiographic findings and clinical interventions within the first year were identified. Results We identified 145 patients with LA-NSCLC treated with CRT, 63 with eligible imaging. Median age was 63.6 years (range, 41.0-86.9 years). Asymptomatic recurrence was radiographically detected in 38 (60.3%). Twenty-one (33.3%) initiated systemic therapy. Two (3.2%) underwent definitive-intent treatment for isolated disease, including lobectomy for a histologically distinct primary NSCLC and stereotactic radiotherapy for an isolated recurrence, both of whom subsequently progressed. Eleven patients (17.5%) received no further therapy. Five patients (7.9%) underwent additional diagnostic procedures for false-positive findings. Conclusions Frequent surveillance within the first year following CRT for LA-NSCLC lung cancer detects asymptomatic recurrence in a high proportion of patients. However, definitive-intent interventions were infrequent. The predominant benefit of frequent surveillance appears to be expedient initiation of palliative systemic therapy. Evidence-based algorithms for surveillance are needed, and should account for expected patient tolerance of and willingness to undergo additional cancer-directed therapies.
Mitochondrial Proteome from Human Peripheral Blood Cells.

Mitochondria play a special role in iron metabolism as the site of heme synthesis for hemoglobin. Mitochondria also function in cellular respiration, apoptosis, amino acid synthesis, Fe-S cluster formation and repair, and redox homeostasis; different blood cell lineages depend on some or all of these diverse mitochondrial functions. Mitochondrial abnormalities in hematopoietic stem cells might manifest themselves in proteomes of all the hematopoietic lineages. Therefore, we have begun characterization of mitochondria from different peripheral blood cell populations: platelets, lymphocytes, neutrophils and reticulocytes with the objective of comparing their function and proteomes in normals and in certain disease states. The procedures utilized as starting material a blood draw of approximately 80 ml from normal volunteers. The peripheral blood samples were separated by centrifugation and Hypaque density gradient into platelet, mononuclear cell, neutrophil and red cell populations. The red cells were further sorted by density gradient and magnetic cell sorting with specific CD71 microbeads to obtain enrichment of reticulocytes (reticulocytes retain their mitochondria and lose these upon maturation into mature red cells). The various cell fractions were evaluated by cell counting, flow cytometry and staining for morphology and identification. In accordance with differences in size and surface characteristics of these cell types, different procedures for cell rupture were utilized: shearing with a home-made device using ball bearings (mononuclear cells, neutrophils), nitrogen cavitation (platelets) and hypotonic shock (reticulocytes). Mitochondria were prepared by differential centrifugation and Percoll density gradient separation. The mitochondria were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, marker enzyme activity (succinate dehydrogenase) and Western blotting with compartment-specific antibodies. Mitochondrial protein profiles were obtained using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry. From 80 ml blood, 50 million lymphoctes were obtained equivalent to 150 microgram mitochondrial protein and 10 fold enrichment of succinate dehydrogenase activity. In parallel, K562 cell mitochondria were studied. The imaging analysis revealed significant differences in the protein patterns due to hematopoietic cell lineage. This work seeks to establish a proteomic database of shared and distinct erythroid, myeloid and lymphoid mitochondrial proteins that will form the basis of future studies of blood diseases in which perturbations of mitochondrial proteins are expected to occur. We are especially interested in examining the mitochondrial proteome and correlating with mitochondrial function in myelodysplasia and sideroblastic anemia.
Infinite state Bayesian networks

A general modeling framework is proposed that unifies nonparametric-Bayesian models, topic-models and Bayesian networks. This class of infinite state Bayes nets (ISBN) can be viewed as directed networks of 'hierarchical Dirichlet processes' (HDPs) where the domain of the variables can be structured (e.g. words in documents or features in images). We show that collapsed Gibbs sampling can be done efficiently in these models by leveraging the structure of the Bayes net and using the forward-filtering-backward-sampling algorithm for junction trees. Existing models, such as nested-DP, Pachinko allocation, mixed membership stochastic block models as well as a number of new models are described as ISBNs. Two experiments have been performed to illustrate these ideas.
The effects of marine vessel fuel sulfur regulations on ambient PM2.5 at coastal and near coastal monitoring sites in the U.S.

In August of 2012 the U.S. began implementing fuel sulfur limits on certain large commercial marine vessels within 200 nautical miles (nm) of its coasts as part of a North American Emissions Control Area (NA-ECA). The NA-ECA limited fuel sulfur use in these vessels to below 1% in 2012 and to below 0.1% starting in 2015. This work uses ambient PM2.5 monitoring data from the U.S. IMPROVE network and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor modeling to assess the effectiveness of the NA-ECA at reducing ambient PM2.5 from high-sulfur residual fuel oil (RFO) use. RFO combustion emissions of PM2.5 are known to have a fairly unique vanadium (V) and nickel (Ni) trace metal signature. To determine if IMPROVE sites were affected by residual fuel oil combustion, V and Ni data from 65 IMPROVE sites in coastal States of the U.S. were analyzed from 2010 to 2011, the two years prior to NA-ECA implementation. 22 of these IMPROVE sites had a V and Ni correlation coefficient (r2) greater than 0.65 and were selected for further analysis by PMF. The slopes of the correlations between V and Ni at these 22 sites ranged from 2.2 to 4.1, consistent with reported V:Ni emission ratios from RFO combustion. Each of the 22 IMPROVE sites was modeled independently with PMF, using the available PM2.5 chemical speciation data from 2010 to 2015. PMF model solutions for the 22 sites contained from 5 to 9 factors, depending on the site. At every site a PMF factor was identified that was associated with RFO combustion, however, 9 sites had PMF factors where RFO combustion was mixed with other aerosol sources. For the remaining 13 sites, PM2.5 from RFO combustion was analyzed for three time periods; 2010–2011 representing the time period prior to the NA-ECA implementation (pre-NA-ECA), 2013–2014 representing the time period where fuel sulfur was limited to 1.0% (NA-ECA 1.0% S), and 2015 representing the time period where fuel sulfur was limited to 0.1% (NA-ECA 0.1% S). All 13 sites indicated statistically significant reductions in the contribution of RFO combustion to PM2.5 between the pre-NA-ECA period and the two periods of fuel sulfur control. The average decrease in annual average PM2.5 from RFO combustion from the pre-NA-ECA to NA-ECA 1% S period was 50.2% (range, 29.0%–65.4%) and from the pre-NA-ECA to NA-ECA 0.1% S period was 74.1% (range, 33.0%–90.4%).
Abstract 1782: Post-translational regulation of cyclins by Aspirin through 26S proteasome: Implications in chemoprevention

Recent studies have shown that, regular use aspirin for 5 years or more, decreases the occurrence of cancer of the colon, skin, breast, prostate and lung tissues. However, the mechanism of its anti-cancer effects are not completely understood. We hypothesized that Aspirin9s chemo preventive action may involve proteins important in the regulation of cell cycle. Using multiple colon and skin cancer cells, we studied whether aspirin modulates the expression of cyclin B1. Cyclin B1 is a regulatory protein involved in mitosis and promotes the passage of cell cycle from G2 to M phase. Cyclin B1 along with Cyclin dependent Kinase 1(CDK1) regulates chromosomal condensation, nuclear envelope break down and spindle pole assembly in early mitosis. We demonstrate that, in HT-29 human colon and Sk-Mel 28 skin cancer cells, aspirin dose dependently decreased the levels of cyclin B1. This was further confirmed using immunofluorescence studies. To determine the involvement of proteases, we determined whether the lactacystin, a 26S proteasomal inhibitor, would reverse the inhibitory effect of aspirin on cyclin B1. We observed that pretreatment of cells with lactacystin completely reversed the decrease in levels of cyclin B1 in aspirin treated cells. Transfection of the DDK tagged cyclin B1 into HT-29 cells were carried out to establish whether the decrease observed occurs through a nuclear independent and post-translational mechanism. We observed that, aspirin significantly decreased the exogenously transfected DDK tagged cyclin B1 protein. Our results, for the first time show that anticancer effects of aspirin may occur through cyclin B1 degradation mediated by 26S proteasomes. Citation Format: Rakesh Dachineni, Guoqiang Ai, Hemachand Tummala, Jayarama B. Gunaje. Post-translational regulation of cyclins by Aspirin through 26S proteasome: Implications in chemoprevention. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1782. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1782