cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction of proinflammatory mediators by CHI3L1 is reduced by chitin treatment: decreased tumor metastasis in a breast cancer model

Disseminated metastasis accounts for over 90% of breast cancer deaths. Recently, elevated serum levels of a glycoprotein known as chitinase-3 like-protein-1 (CHI3L1) has been correlated with poor prognosis and shorter survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer. In this study, we show that there are increased levels of CHI3L1 in plasma of tumor-bearing mice and that both tumor cells and immune cells express and secrete CHI3L1. However, the biological and physiological functions of CHI3L1 are still unclear. We demonstrate that while CHI3L1 has an inhibitory role in the expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), CHI3L1 up-regulates pro-inflammatory mediators, C-chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), chemokine CX motif ligand 2 (CXCL2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) all of which contribute to tumor growth and metastasis. We found that in vitro inhibition of CHI3L1 by siRNA suppressed the production of CCL2, CXCL2 and MMP-9 by macrophages. In vivo treatment of mammary tumor-bearing mice with chitin (β-(1-4)-poly-N-acetyl D-glucosamine), a TH1 adjuvant and a ligand for CHI3L1, promoted immune effector functions with increased production of IFN-γ and decreased CCL2, CXCL2 and MMP-9 expression. In vivo administration of chitin to mammary tumor-bearing mice significantly decreased lung metastasis. These studies show that CHI3L1 plays a role in tumor progression and that chitin can inhibit the pleiotropic effects of CHI3L1 giving support to the idea that CHI3L1 is a useful therapeutic target for treatment of breast cancer.
Emergency department initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract Background Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest carries a dismal prognosis. Percutaneous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used with success for in-hospital arrests, and some literature suggests improvement in long-term survival for out-of-hospital arrests as well. Objectives This case highlights the use of ECMO in the emergency department. Case Report We report a case in which emergency physician-initiated ECMO was used as a bridge to definitive care in an out-of- hospital cardiac arrest in the United States. Conclusions ECMO is a novel adjunct for patients in cardiac arrest in whom the usual advanced life support techniques have failed.
A note on the heat transfer by the axisymmetric thermal convection in a rotating fluid annulus

Abstract Some new measurements are presented of the axisymmetric heat transport in a differentially heated rotating fluid annulus. Both rigid and free upper surface cases are studied, for Prandtl numbers of 7 and 45, from low to high rotation rates. The rigid lid case is extended to high rotation rates by suppressing the baroclinic waves, that would normally develop at some intermediate rotation rate, with the use of sloping endwalls. A parameter P is defined as the square of the ratio of the (non-rotating) thermal sidewall layer thickness to the Ekman layer thickness. For small P the heat transport remains unaffected by the rotation, but as P increases to order unity the Ekman layer becomes thin enough to inhibit the radial mass transport, and hence the heat flux. No explicit Prandtl number dependence is observed. Also this scaling allows the identification of the region in which the azimuthal velocity reaches its maximum. Direct comparisons are drawn with previous experimental and numerical results, whi...
Merging component models and architectural styles

1. ABSTRACT Components have increasingly become the unit of development of software. In industry, there has been considerable work in the development of component interoperability models, such as ActiveX, CORBA and JavaBeans. In academia, there has been intensive research in developing a notion of software architecture. Our research involves studying how standard component models can be extended to accommodate important issues of architecture, including a notion of architectural style and support for explicit connectors. In this paper, we discuss issues arising from our initial effort in this research, where we have extended the JavaBeans component model to support component composition according to the C2 architectural style. 1.1
Analysis of phase-focused near-field testing for multiphase-center adaptive radar systems

Airborne or spaceborne radar systems often require tests before deployment to verify how well the system detects targets and suppresses clutter and jammer signals. The radar antenna diameter can be large and thus the conventional far-field test distance is impractical to implement. The theory and simulations of phase-focused near-field testing for adaptive phased array antennas is discussed. With near-field source deployment, standard phased-array near-field phase focusing provides far-field adaptive nulling equivalent performance at a range distance of one aperture diameter from the adaptive antenna under test. Both main beam clutter sources and sidelobe jammer sources are addressed. The phased array antenna elements analyzed are one-half wavelength dipoles over the ground plane. Bandwidth, polarization, array mutual coupling, and finite array edge effects are taken into account. Numerical simulations of an adaptive antenna that has multiple displaced phase centers indicate that near-field and far-field testing can be equivalent. >
Precise SDF1-mediated cell guidance is achieved through ligand clearance and microRNA-mediated decay

During animal development, SDF1 simultaneously guides various cell types to different targets. As many targets are in close proximity to one another, it is unclear how the system avoids mistargeting. Zebrafish trigeminal sensory neurons express the SDF1 receptor Cxcr4b and encounter multiple SDF1 sources during migration, but ignore all but the correct one. We show that miR-430 and Cxcr7b regulation of SDF1a are required for precise guidance. In the absence of miR-430 or Cxcr7b, neurons responded to ectopic SDF1a sources along their route and did not reach their target. This was due to a failure to clear SDF1a transcript and protein from sites of expression that the migrating neurons had already passed. Our findings suggest an “attractive path” model in which migrating cells closely follow a dynamic SDF1a source that is refined on a transcript and protein level by miR-430 and Cxcr7b, respectively.
Reduced complexity trellis code transfer function computation

An appropriate transfer function T(W,I) allows computation of the distance spectra and union bounds on the bit error rate for 2/sup ve/-state trellis codes. Various state transition diagrams can yield the correct transfer function. Biglieri (1984) described a general algorithm using a 2/sup 2/spl nu/(e)/-state transition diagram. Rouanne and Costello (1989) and Zehavi and Wolf (1987) demonstrated that a 2/sup /spl nu/(e)/-state transition diagram is sufficient for quasi-regular codes. This paper computes the transfer function using a 2/sup /spl nu/(e)+/spl nu/(q)/-state transition diagram where /spl nu//sub q/ might be any integer between zero and /spl nu//sub e/. The particular value of /spl nu//sub q/ depends on the relationship between the constellation labeling and the convolutional encoder. For quasi-regular codes, /spl nu//sub q/=0 and the overall number of states is the same as with the technique of Rouanne et al. For codes that are not quasi-regular, the new technique often improves efficiency with /spl nu//sub q/</spl nu//sub e/ and sometimes /spl nu//sub q/=0.
Dolomitization by Spray-zone Brine Seepage, San Andres, Colombia

ABSTRACT Dolomitization of Pleistocene carbonates on San Andres Island has occurred as a result of brine seepage in the spray zone. Brines have formed by supratidal evaporation of surf spray and sea water trapped in splash pools on a rocky coast line where the solutions percolated downward through metastable algal packstone. The formation of evaporites and dolomite is terminated when brines are diluted by meteoric water. The dolomitized algal limestone grades laterally into unaltered algal limestone exhibiting typical cementation by sparry calcite. The algal limestone is accreted to the weathered surface of a cliff-forming limestone of Miocene age.
Stability of organic solar cells

Organic solar cells degrade rapidly under both environmental and light exposure. In this paper, we review some of the changes in fundamental properties of organic solar cells under both photon-induced and environment-induced exposure which lead to changes in conversion efficiency. It is shown that the fundamental material properties, such as mobility of holes, defect densities in the absorbing material, and defect densities at the interface change as the device is exposed to air and to environmental exposure. It is also shown that contact effects can also play a major role in degradation.
Suppression of voltage-dependent K+ currents in retinal bipolar cells by ascorbate

Ascorbate, often used as an antioxidant in neural studies, may also serve as a neuromodulator in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS), in that it modulates the synaptic actions of glutamate and dopamine. Retina of fish contain a high concentration of ascorbate. The release and/or uptake of neurotransmitters are related to membrane potential, which to a large extent is determined by the activity of K+ channels. As retinal bipolar cells are subject to synaptic input from glutamatergic and dopaminergic sources, the effects of ascorbate on voltage-dependent K+ currents (I(K)(v)) of the mixed rod-cone ON-center bipolar cells (Mb) in goldfish retinal slices were studied using whole-cell recording techniques. I(K)(V) was suppressed reversibly 60% by 100-200 microM ascorbate. The effect of ascorbate was not due to changes in pH, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, any Ca2+-dependent or Na+-dependent action. However, the suppressive effect of ascorbate was blocked by cholera toxin and Wiptide, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor. It is concluded that ascorbate, at physiological concentrations, inhibits I(K)(V) of bipolar cells via a Gs-protein-PKA system. This effect of ascorbate should be taken into account when using ascorbate as an antioxidant in retinal studies involving dopamine.
Management of gastric variceal bleeding: Role of endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound

Gastric varices (GVs) are notorious to bleed massively and often difficult to manage with conventional techniques. This mini-review addresses endoscopic management principles for gastric variceal bleeding, including limitations of ligation and sclerotherapy and merits of endoscopic variceal obliteration. The article also discusses how emerging use of endoscopic ultrasound provides optimism of better diagnosis, improved classification, innovative management strategies and confirmatory tool for eradication of GVs.
Clades of γ-glutamyltransferases (GGTs) in the ascomycota and heterologous expression of Colletotrichum graminicola CgGGT1, a member of the pezizomycotina-only GGT clade

Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT, EC 2.3.2.2) cleaves the γ-glutamyl linkage in glutathione (GSH). Ascomycetes in either the Saccharomycotina or the Taphrinomycotina have one to three GGTs, whereas members of the Pezizomycotina have two to four GGTs. A Bayesian analysis indicates there are three well-supported main clades of GGTs in the Ascomycota. 1) A Saccharomycotina and a Taphrinomycotina-specific GGT sub-clade form a yeast main clade. This clade has the three relatively well-characterized fungal GGTs: (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CIS2 and Schizosaccharomyces pombe Ggt1 and Ggt2) and most of its members have all 14 of the highly conserved and critical amino acids that are found in GGTs in the other kingdoms. 2) In contrast, a main clade (GGT3) differs in 11 of the 14 highly conserved amino acids that are found in GGTs in the other kingdoms. All of the 44 Pezizomycotina analyzed have either one or two GGT3s. 3) There is a Pezizomycotina-only GGT clade that has two well-supported sub-clades (GGT1 and GGT2); this clade differs in only two of the 14 highly conserved amino acids found in GGTs in the other kingdoms. Because the Pezizomycotina GGTs differ in apparently critical amino acids from the cross-kingdom consensus, a putative GGT from Colletotrichum graminicola, a member of the Pezizomycotina, was cloned and the protein product was expressed as a secreted protein in Pichia pastoris. A GGT enzyme assay of the P. pastoris supernatant showed that the recombinant protein was active, thereby demonstrating that CgGGT1 is a bona fide GGT.
14-3-3 (Bmh) Proteins Regulate Combinatorial Transcription following RNA Polymerase II Recruitment by Binding at Adr1-Dependent Promoters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Adr1 and Cat8 are nutrient-regulated transcription factors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that coactivate genes necessary for growth in the absence of a fermentable carbon source. Transcriptional activation by Adr1 is dependent on the AMP-activated protein kinase Snf1 and is inhibited by binding of Bmh, yeast 14-3-3 proteins, to the phosphorylated Adr1 regulatory domain. We show here that Bmh inhibits transcription by binding to Adr1 at promoters that contain a preinitiation complex, demonstrating that Bmh-mediated inhibition is not due to nuclear exclusion, inhibition of DNA binding, or RNA polymerase II (Pol II) recruitment. Adr1-dependent mRNA levels under repressing growth conditions are synergistically enhanced in a mutant lacking Bmh and the two major histone deacetylases (HDACs), suggesting that Bmh and HDACs inhibit gene expression independently. The synergism requires Snf1 and Adr1 but not Cat8. Inactivating Bmh or preventing it from binding to Adr1 suppresses the normal requirement for Cat8 at codependent promoters, suggesting that Bmh modulates combinatorial control of gene expression in addition to having an inhibitory role in transcription. Activating Snf1 by deleting Reg1, a Glc7 protein phosphatase regulatory subunit, is lethal in combination with defective Bmh in strain W303, suggesting that Bmh and Snf1 have opposing roles in an essential cellular process.
Alignment-based codeword-dependent cepstral normalization

This paper proposes the alignment-based codeword dependent cepstral normalization algorithm (ACDC/sub N/) which aims to alleviate the acoustical mismatch that occurs when the speech recognizer faces environmental conditions not observed in the training data. ACDC/sub N/ is based on the linear channel model of the environment originally proposed by Acero (1990) and on the CDCN solution to this model. ACDC/sub N/ substitutes the codebook (Gaussian mixture model) employed by CDCN for the state distributions employed by the recognizer's HMMs under the assumption that these HMM distributions will model the associated speech segments better than the general GMM distribution. The feature-frame to HMM-state association is obtained through an alignment of a first decoding-pass hypothesis. From this alignment, ACDC/sub N/ obtains an estimate of the environmental parameters (noise and channel vectors) which are then employed to obtain an MMSE estimate of the clean speech vectors, in a way similar to Aero's method. ACDC/sub N/ produces an overall reduction of the error rate of over 30 % in the noise range of 0 to 20 dB on experiments conducted on the Aurora-2 noisy digits database.
Autonomous receiver architecture for multi-gigabit photonic assisted RF signals

We present a novel DSP architecture that identifies multi-gigabit photonic assisted RF signals with minimum prior knowledge of the received signal. Experimental investigation demonstrates successful identification of optically generated RF carriers modulated with 8 Gbaud BPSK/QPSK/8-QAM/16-QAM, after wireless transmission over 1 m in the V-band.
A Family of Partial Orderings for Positive Dependence Among Fixed Marginal Bivariate Distributions.

This paper introduces a systematic and intuitive approach to generating a family of partial orderings, for positive dependence, on bivariate distributions with fixed-marginals. This family includes the more concordant and the more TP2 orderings, as well as some existing orderings. Positive dependence ordering (PDO) properties are discussed for these orderings. Also some implications and equivalences among these orderings are established.
CATASTROPHES AND CONSUMPTION FAILURE

Disaster research has been concerned with the role of adverse environmental conditions vis-a-vis adverse social conditions in determining food access during catastrophes. This paper investigates the issue, and presents household-data from flood-devastated Bangladesh to argue that, while hunger is clearly associated with exposure to disaster conditions, prior deficits in resources (given the education, occupation and ownership of productive assets of household-members) are more significant in determining the risk of consumption failure during catastrophes. The paper finds that, the risk-generating factors are often interrelated, but, their relative contributions vary across households having varying locations of natural hazards and in consumption distribution.
Democratic peace versus democratic conflict in Africa

The roughly 50 years of Cold War between the Western bloc and the defunct Communist bloc was not just a bipolar struggle for ideological supremacy between the capitalist and socialist systems, it was also constructed by the victorious Western camp as a moral struggle between liberal democracy (canvassed as a universal good) and a godless form of totalitarian dictatorship (viewed as inherently evil). The West indisputably won the Cold War. Communism was vanquished and most of the former communist countries euphorically embraced capitalist economic reforms with its concomitance of liberal democracy.
A rare form of cardiomyopathy: left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy

Left ventricular non-compaction is a recently recognized, rare form of cardiomyopathy. It is based on the arrest of endomyocardial morphogenesis during embryogenesis. It was first described in 1984 by Engberding who described it as isolated ‘sinusoids’ within the LV. Right now its prevalence is estimated at 0.014 to 1.3 and 3–4% in heart failure patients. Its clinical manifestations are highly variable, ranging from no symptoms to disabling congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, and systemic thromboemboli. Doppler Echocardiogram is considered the diagnostic procedure of choice and treatment is symptomatic management of its symptoms and complications. Keywords: Cardiomyopathy; congenital; non-compaction; left ventricle; heart failure (Published: 17 February 2016) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2016, 6 : 29888 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v6.29888
Role of Natural Killer Cells in Tumor Growth and Metastasis: C57BL/6 Normal and Beige Mice

The role of natural killer (NK) cells in tumor growth and metastasis was studied in syngeneic normal and beige inbred C57BL/6 mice. Mice with the beige point mutation have been shown to be deficient in nonstimulated NK activity. Tumor-passaged B16 malignant melanoma cells were refractory to NK activity as determined by in vitro assay, but after in vitro culture they became sensitive to NK activity. The NK-insensitive B16 tumor grew and metastasized similarly in normal and beige mice. However, the NK-sensitive B16 tumors grew more slowly and produced fewer metastases in normal mice than in NK-deficient beige mice. Activation of NK cells by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection decreased the rate of growth and number of metastases of both NK-sensitive and NK-insensitive tumors in both normal and beige mice. These results suggest the importance of NK cells as a determinant of tumor growth and metastasis.
Cognitive reflection and antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections

Background Variation in clinical decision-making could be explained by clinicians' tendency to make 'snap-decisions' versus making more reflective decisions. One common clinical decision with unexplained variation is the prescription of antibiotics for acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Objective We hypothesized that clinicians who tended toward greater cognitive reflection would be less likely to prescribe antibiotics for ARIs. Methods The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) is a psychological test with three questions with intuitive but incorrect answers that respondents reach if they do not consider the question carefully. The CRT is scored from 0 to 3, representing the number of correct answers. A higher score indicates greater cognitive reflection. We administered the CRT to 187 clinicians in 50 primary care practices. From billing and electronic health record data, we calculated clinician-level antibiotic prescribing rates for ARIs in 3 categories: all ARIs, antibiotic-appropriate ARIs and non-antibiotic-appropriate ARIs. Results A total of 57 clinicians (31%) scored 0 points on the CRT; 38 (20%) scored 1; 51 (27%) scored 2; and 41 (22%) scored 3. We found a roughly U-shaped association between cognitive reflection and antibiotic prescribing. The antibiotic prescribing rate for CRT scores of 0, 1, 2 and 3 for all ARIs (n = 37080 visits) was 32%, 26%, 25% and 30% (P = 0.10); for antibiotic-appropriate ARIs (n = 11220 visits) was 60%, 55%, 54% and 58% (P = 0.63); and for non-antibiotic-appropriate ARIs (n = 25860 visits) was 21%, 17%, 13% and 18%, respectively (P = 0.03). Conclusions In contrast to our hypothesis, there appears to be a 'sweet-spot' of cognitive reflection for antibiotic prescribing for non-antibiotic-appropriate ARIs. Differences in clinicians' cognitive reflection may be associated with other variations in care.
An Evaluation of Methods for Measuring Corn Earworm Injury

The magnitude of variance ratios obtained from analyses, when 3 corn earworm injury measurement scales (Centimeter, Survey, and Visual) were used on 5 sweet corn single crosses, indicated that under artificial infestation the Centimeter Scale based on depth of penetration gave the most precise measurements. Deviations from normal were found for the frequency distribution of inbred means obtained by a previously used measurement method (Injury Index). Tests for normality of the distribution of individual plants measured on the Centimeter Scale also indicated anormality. The anormalities occurred in both segregating and nonsegregating generations and appeared to be more closely associated with certain inbreds. Anormality of the Centimeter Scale was largely attributed to grouping in a single injury class all ears which had feeding on unfilled tips. A Revised Scale, which eliminates this discrepancy and generates frequency distributions in nonsegregating generations that are essentially normal, is proposed.
In Situ Raman Study of Nickel Oxide and Gold-Supported Nickel Oxide Catalysts for the Electrochemical Evolution of Oxygen

An in situ Raman spectroscopic investigation has been carried out to identify the composition of the active phase present on the surface of nickel electrodes used for the electrochemical evolution of oxygen. The electrolyte in all cases was 0.1 M KOH. A freshly polished Ni electrode oxidized upon immersion in the electrolyte and at potentials approaching the evolution of oxygen developed a layer of γ-NiOOH. Electrochemical cycling of this film transformed it into β-NiOOH, which was observed to be three times more active than γ-NiOOH. The higher activity of β-NiOOH is attributed to an unidentified Ni oxide formed at a potential above 0.52 V (vs Hg/HgO reference). We have also observed that a submonolayer of Ni oxide deposited on Au exhibits a turnover frequency (TOF) for oxygen evolution that is an order of magnitude higher than that for a freshly prepared γ-NiOOH surface and more than 2-fold higher than that for a β-NiOOH surface. By contrast, a similar film deposited on Pd exhibits a TOF that is similar ...
Cladribine and Fludarabine Nucleotides Induce Distinct Hexamers Defining a Common Mode of Reversible RNR Inhibition

The enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is a major target of anticancer drugs. Until recently, suicide inactivation in which synthetic substrate analogs (nucleoside diphosphates) irreversibly inactivate the RNR-α2β2 heterodimeric complex was the only clinically proven inhibition pathway. For instance, this mechanism is deployed by the multifactorial anticancer agent gemcitabine diphosphate. Recently reversible targeting of RNR-α-alone coupled with ligand-induced RNR-α-persistent hexamerization has emerged to be of clinical significance. To date, clofarabine nucleotides are the only known example of this mechanism. Herein, chemoenzymatic syntheses of the active forms of two other drugs, phosphorylated cladribine (ClA) and fludarabine (FlU), allow us to establish that reversible inhibition is common to numerous drugs in clinical use. Enzyme inhibition and fluorescence anisotropy assays show that the di- and triphosphates of the two nucleosides function as reversible (i.e., nonmechanism-based) inhibitors o...
Dual inhibitory effect of mangiferin on cyclooxygenases and 5-lipoxygenase in lipopolysaccharide-induced chronic inflammation

Objective: To investigate the dual inhibitory effect of mangiferin(MGF) on cyclooxygenase-1/2(COX-1/2) and 5-lipoxygenase(5-LOX) in lipopolysaccharide-induced chronic inflammation.Methods: SD rats(n=60) were randomly divided into control group,model group,prednisone group(5 mg·kg-1·d-1),mangiferin high,middle and low dose group.Chronic inflammation was induced by injection of lipopolysaccharide(200 μg·kg-1) via caudal vein once a week.MGF(200,100 and 50 mg·kg-1·d-1) was orally given for 4 weeks.The levels of COX-1/2 and 5-LOX in leucocytes,and serum levels of the COX products PGE2,PGF2α,and the 5-LOX products LTB4,LTC4,LTD4 and LTE4 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Gene expressions of COX-1/2 and 5-LOX in leucocytes were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results: Compared with chronic inflammation control,MGF at 100 and 200 mg·kg-1·d-1 significantly reduced the levels of COX-2 and 5-LOX in leucocytes,and serum levels of PGE2,PGF2α,LTB4,LTC4,LTD4 and LTE4(P0.01 or 0.05).MGF at 200 mg·kg-1·d-1 also reduced leucocyte COX-1(P0.01).Conclusion: Mangiferin simultaneously inhibits leucocyte COX-1/2 and 5-LOX in lipopolysaccharide-induced chronic inflammation.
Lack Of Clinical Benefit For Routine Surveillance Imaging For Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma In First Complete Remission

Abstract Background The use of routine surveillance imaging (RSI) for patients in first complete remission (CR1) following front-line rituximab (R) based anthracycline therapy remains controversial. We compared patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who received an R-CHOP or a similar regimen, obtained a CR and then were followed by either RSI or clinical surveillance (CS) in which scans were only performed for signs or symptoms. Methods Patients from three tertiary care center from 2001-2011, who achieved a CR1 with frontline R-CHOP or similar therapy for DLBCL, and had a minimum follow up of 1 year were analyzed. Patients with HIV-related lymphoma, transformed lymphoma, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders were excluded. Patients with composite lymphoma were included only if the DLBCL component was >50%. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the surveillance strategy employed. Baseline patient characteristics, prognostic features, treatment type, and outcomes were compared. Results 391 patients with DLBCL treated with R-CHOP or similar regimens who obtained CR1 were analyzed. There were 129 patients in the CS group and 262 in the RSI group. Patient characteristics (age, gender, stage, and IPI) were similar in the two groups. The median follow up is 5 years (range 1 – 12). Relapse after CR1 was detected in 26 (20%) of patients in the CS group and 46 (18%) of the RSI group. The median number of images in the CS group was 0 (range 0-14) and 4 (range 1-27) in the RSI group, p Conclusions The majority of relapses in patients with DLBCL after achieving CR1 to an R-CHOP or similar regimen occur when signs or symptoms of the disease lead to evaluation and are not detected by RSI. Although asymptomatic relapses are occasionally detected by RSI, in this large cohort of patients neither a PFS nor OS benefit could be demonstrated in favor of RSI. Given the additional cost, radiation exposure and risk of additional procedures, we conclude that the use of RSI in patients with DLBCL in CR1 has limited clinical utility. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. 5 year Overall Survival CS Group RSI Group p-value Low IPI (n=174) 94 (84-98) 97 (90-99) 0.53 Low-Int IPI (n=86) 84 (57-95) 88 (74-94) 0.71 High-Int IPI (n=93) 78 (29-93) 90 (68-97) 0.25 High IPI (n=38) 74 (29-93) 78 (53-91) 0.83
Primary osteoporosis in men: role of sex steroid deficiency.

This presentation explores the role of estrogen deficiency in the causation of age-related bone loss in both sexes. Over life, women experience 2 phases of bone loss—an early, rapid postmenopausal phase that classically has been attributed to estrogen deficiency and a subsequent slow phase that previously has been attributed to aging changes. Men have only the slow continuous phase of bone loss. The hypothesis is developed here that most of the slow late phase in aging women and much of the slow continuous phase in aging men both are due to estrogen deficiency.
Cattle Finishing Systems

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes the most common systems of finishing cattle. All systems described and detailed in the programs are designed to start at the point when the initial health conditioning period of 2 to 4 weeks is completed. Characteristics of cattle finishing systems cover choice grades of steer calf, heifer calf, yearling steer and two-year-old steer, select grades of the same breeds, standard grades of yearling steer and two-year-old steer. Self-feeding of a balanced diet containing approximately 20% of roughage is practical and uncomplicated. For starting fresh cattle, a mixture of 8:1 has been used as a starting point in all feeding programs for many decades without encountering any problems. Self-fed cattle have the option of regulating their own intake due to influence of their environment better than the feedlot operator is able to estimate. Perhaps hand-fed cattle do not make these adjustments as readily. Some feedlots will tend to follow a “recipe” approach to feeding finishing cattle. In this type of program, purchased cattle are virtually scheduled for a definite sale date, plus or minus a few days. This is particularly characteristic of larger feedlots where overhead cost is fairly constant. One can feed show calves quite similar to other finishing cattle and such cattle will respond well if they have the genetic potential to do so. Undoubtedly, precedent and prejudice enter into the practice of castrating male calves intended for the feedlot in the United States and Great Britain.
Introducing Close-Range Photogrammetry for Characterizing Forest Understory Plant Diversity and Surface Fuel Structure at Fine Scales

AbstractMethods characterizing fine-scale fuels and plant diversity can advance understanding of plant-fire interactions across scales and help in efforts to monitor important ecosystems such as lo...
Superoxide Dismutase Family of Enzymes in Brain Neurogenesis and Radioprotection

The family of superoxide dismutases (SODs) have an almost ubiquitous presence in living organisms. Their importance in maintaining normal cellular functions and fate decisions has been demonstrated in a large number of studies since their discovery in 1968. Studies of pathological conditions resulting from naturally occurring SOD mutations in human populations or from altered SOD levels created in animal models further highlighted the critical roles of SODs in maintaining the redox balance for normal tissue functions. The production of adult-born neurons in the hippocampus is important for the neuronal plasticity of learning and memory, and yet the process is exquisitely sensitive to changes in the redox balance in its microenvironment. Consequently, mutant mice deficient in CuZnSOD or MnSOD showed altered progenitor cell differentiation towards the astroglial, instead of the neuronal, lineage, while EC-SOD deficient mice exhibited a significant reduction in the production of newborn neurons. Similarly, ionizing radiation, even at low doses, led to persistent perturbation of the tissue redox environment and suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis. The defects in hippocampal neurogenesis resulting from EC-SOD deficiency or ionizing irradiation also correlated with impairments in hippocampal-dependent functions of learning and memory. To correct the persistent redox imbalance following irradiation, enhanced EC-SOD levels in mature hippocampal neurons were achieved by transgenic approach. The transgenic mice were able to minimize irradiation-induced suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis and the associated cognitive defects, suggesting that SOD-based antioxidant supplementation may be an efficacious therapeutic approach to CNS defects following ionizing radiation therapy. The new generation Mn-containing porphyrins had been demonstrated to possess high SOD-like activities, and some of them were able to cross the blood brain barrier. Their radioprotective capacity had been demonstrated in a number of tissues in radiation animal models. Application of Mn porphyrins for the preservation of hippocampal neurogenesis and cognitive functions in experimental models will increase their potential relevance towards human radiation therapy of the CNS.
Towards City-Scale Building Energy Performance Benchmarking: Poster Abstract

Cities across the country (20 to date) are rapidly passing laws to mandate the collection and disclosure of energy usage data with the hopes that such data could be utilized to benchmark building energy performance and provide a basis for designing and deploying efficiency measures. We present an integrated data-driven method based on recursive partitioning and stochastic frontier analysis to benchmark energy performance of the building stock across an entire city. We implement the proposed method to over 10,000 buildings in New York City. The preliminary results quantify the potential for building energy efficiency and support policymakers for further examining effects of interventions.
The SRL peptide of rhesus rotavirus VP4 protein governs cholangiocyte infection and the murine model of biliary atresia.

Biliary atresia (BA) is a neonatal obstructive cholangiopathy which progresses to end stage liver disease, often requiring transplantation. The murine model of BA, employing rhesus rotavirus (RRV), parallels human disease and has been used to elucidate mechanistic aspects of a virus induced biliary cholangiopathy. We previously reported that RRV VP4 gene plays an integral role in activating the immune system and induction of BA. Utilizing rotavirus binding and blocking assays, this study elucidated how RRV VP4 protein governs cholangiocyte susceptibility to infection both in vitro and in vivo in the murine model of BA. We identified the amino acid sequence on VP4 and its cholangiocyte binding protein, finding that the sequence is specific to those rotavirus strains which cause an obstructive cholangiopathy. Pretreatment of murine and human cholangiocytes with this VP4 derived peptide (TRTRVSRLY), significantly reduced RRV's ability to bind and infect the cells. However, the peptide did not block cholangiocyte binding of TUCH and Ro1845, strains which do not induce murine BA. The SRL sequence within TRTRVSRLY is required for cholangiocyte binding and viral replication. The cholangiocyte membrane protein bound by SRL was found to be Hsc70. Inhibition of Hsc70 by siRNAs reduced RRV's ability to infect cholangiocytes. This virus-cholangiocyte interaction is also seen in vivo in the murine model of BA, where inoculation of mice with TRTRVSRLY peptide significantly reduced symptoms and mortality in RRV-injected mice. Conclusion: The tri-peptide SRL on RRV VP4 binds to the cholangiocyte membrane protein Hsc70 defining a novel binding site governing VP4 attachment. Investigations are underway to determine the cellular response following this interaction to understand how it contributes to the pathogenesis of BA. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Transient Adenosine Release Is Modulated by NMDA and GABAB Receptors.

Adenosine is a neuroprotective agent that modulates neurotransmission and is modulated by other neurotransmitters. Spontaneous, transient adenosine is a recently discovered mode of signaling where adenosine is released and cleared from the extracellular space quickly, in less than three seconds. Spontaneous adenosine release is regulated by adenosine A1 and A2a receptors, but regulation by other neurotransmitter receptors has not been studied. Here, we examined the effect of glutamate and GABA receptors on the concentration and frequency of spontaneous, transient adenosine release by measuring adenosine with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in the rat caudate-putamen. The glutamate NMDA antagonist, 3-(R-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP, 6.25 mg/kg i.p.), increased the frequency of adenosine transients and the concentration of individual transients, but NMDA (agonist, 50 mg/kg, i.p.) did not change the frequency. In contrast, antagonists of other glutamate receptors had no effect on the f...
Semi-parametric difference-based estimation of partial linear regression models

This article describes the plreg Stata command, which implements the difference-based algorithm for estimating the partial linear regression models.
Abstract No. 281 - Medical emergencies and cardiopulmonary arrests in interventional radiology

Purpose To characterize the circumstances and outcomes of medical emergencies (ME) and cardiopulmonary arrests (CPA) in patients undergoing IR procedures. Materials and Methods Retrospective review of all ME/CPAs occurring between July 2006 and Dec. 2011 was performed. Procedure type, technical outcome, complications, etiology and location of ME/CPA, event outcome, and post-event mortality were all collected. Frequency of CPA/ME by procedure type and relative risk (RR) of ME/CPA were calculated. Results 58 events occurred during 38,927 procedures. Complete records were available for 55(12 CPA, 43 ME) occurring in 53 patients (mean age 63yrs, 58.5% M) during 37 inpatient (10 CPA, 27 ME) and 18 outpatient (2CPA, 16ME) encounters. Frequency and location of ME/CPA are summarized in the Table. Seven events (13%) occurred before start of the procedure. 18 ME/CPA (33%) occurred in the holding area. 35 procedures (64%) were completed successfully. All patients survived the event. From the time of the event, 42 patients (76%) were alive at discharge, 37 (67%) at 1 month, 26 (47%) at 3 months, and 23 (42%) at 1 year. Procedural complications were attributed as the cause of 22 ME (51%) and 1 CPA (8%, p=0.018). Of the 12 CPAs, 9 occurred in hemodialysis (HD) access cases (75%). The RR of a ME/CPA occurring during HD access case compared to all other cases was 5.2 (CI=3.02-8.95). Conclusion Incidence of ME/CPAs in patients undergoing IR procedures is low, yet 1-year mortality following these events is high. Vigilant observation of patients in the holding area is warranted given frequency of ME/CPAs in this location. MEs are significantly more likely to be directly attributed to a procedural complication then CPAs. The RR of ME/CPAs is significantly higher in HD access interventions.
Iliac crest bone grafting for mandibular reconstruction: 10-year experience outcomes.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate 10-year patient data related to mandibular reconstruction with NVBG at a tertiary academic center. Patients and Methods Sixty patients with mandibular mandibular reconstruction were included. Patients were divided to continuity defect and non-continuity defect. Pathology lesion, immediate reconstruction, smoking habit, medical comorbidities, site and size of the defect, surgical approach, intraoperative perforation, cadaveric bone use, and maxilla-mandibular fixation use were analyzed as factors of influence on success. Success was defined as maintenance of more than 50% of graft for non-continuity defects (NCD) and bone continuity and stability for continuity defect (CD), and absence of infection on last follow up upon clinical and radiographic examination. Complications were classified as minor or major. Results The reconstruction was successful in 28 (87%) of CD patients and 23 (82.1%) of NCD patients. Analyses showed that the size of defect was significantly associated with failure. All 4 failed cases of CD had defects more than 9 cm. Four patients had major complications and 43 minor complication. Conclusions Nonvascularized iliac crest bone grafts are highly successful in mandibular continuity reconstruction for non-Cancer patients and should be considered as first choice for defects less than 9 cm. They are less predictable for defects larger than 9 cm but can be considered in these cases with osteoconductive cribs. Symphysis involvement may or may not be associated with lower success rate if our protocol is followed.
Pin1 mediates Aβ42-induced dendritic spine loss

Early-stage Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the loss of dendritic spines in the neocortex of the brain. This phenomenon precedes tau pathology, plaque formation, and neurodegeneration and likely contributes to synaptic loss, memory impairment, and behavioral changes in patients. Studies suggest that dendritic spine loss is induced by soluble, multimeric amyloid-β (Aβ42), which, through postsynaptic signaling, activates the protein phosphatase calcineurin. We investigated how calcineurin caused spine pathology and found that the cis-trans prolyl isomerase Pin1 was a critical downstream target of Aβ42-calcineurin signaling. In dendritic spines, Pin1 interacted with and was dephosphorylated by calcineurin, which rapidly suppressed its isomerase activity. Knockout of Pin1 or exposure to Aβ42 induced the loss of mature dendritic spines, which was prevented by exogenous Pin1. The calcineurin inhibitor FK506 blocked dendritic spine loss in Aβ42-treated wild-type cells but had no effect on Pin1-null neurons. These data implicate Pin1 in dendritic spine maintenance and synaptic loss in early Alzheimer's disease.
Preparing for an Academic Career: The Significance of Mentoring.

Introduction Mentorship is essential for students considering a future in academic medicine. Mentoring is recognized as one of the most important factors in determining career success through enhan...
Thinking and Speech and Verbal Data

In this chapter I shift from looking at the reading, writing, and nonverbal composing processes of the previous section and explore one research method, protocol analysis, from a Vygotskian perspective. I make no claims that this method is the best method for conducting a Vygotskian analysis of literacy processes. It is, however, one that I’ve used frequently and thought about quite a bit.
Neuromuscular function : comparison of symptomatic and asymptomatic polio subjects to control subjects

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic polio survivors by history of acute poliomyelitis illness, electromyographic evidence of terminal motor unit reorganization, and neuromuscular function of the quadriceps femoris muscle. Thirty-four symptomatic postpolio subjects, 16 asymptomatic postpolio subjects, and 41 controls were studied. A questionnaire assessed polio history. Peak knee extension torque was measured isokinetically and isometrically. Endurance (time to exhaustion) was measured at 40% of maximal isometric torque. Work capacity was determined as the product of torque and duration. Recovery of isometric strength was measured at regular intervals for ten minutes after exhaustion. Quantitative electromyography was also performed on the quadriceps to determine motor unit action potential duration and amplitude. It was found that symptomatic subjects had evidence of more severe original polio involvement by history (documented electromyographically), were weaker and capable of performing less work than asymptomatic subjects, and recovered strength less readily than controls.
The Functionality of Communal Coping in Chronic Uncertainty Environments: The Context of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon

ABSTRACTMost research suggests that communal coping, where a group of people own and act upon a shared stressor or uncertainty together, enhances mental health and fosters coping efficacy. The majo...
Phonetic interactions in the bilingual production of Galician and Spanish /e/ and /o/:

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:This study investigates the cross-linguistic phonetic interactions in the production of closed mid vowels of Galician-Spanish bilinguals in a semi-urb...
Effect of vanadium oxide addition on thermomechanical behaviors of borosilicate glasses: Toward development of high crack resistant glasses for nuclear waste disposal

Abstract The effect of of V2O5 additions (up to 8 mol%) on the physical properties (e.g., density, glass transition temperature and refractive indices) and mechanical behaviors (e.g., hardness, fracture toughness, elastic modulus) of a soda-lime borosilicate glass with a composition of 60.2SiO2-16.0B2O3-12.6Na2O-3.8Al2O3-5.7CaO-1.7ZrO2 (mol%) have been investigated systematically. It was found that introducing V2O5 decreases the glass transition temperature and hardness while increases the refractive index and crack initiation load. Composition-property relationships, especially on mechanical properties, were examined in order to provide insights for the development of new glass materials with outstanding mechanical properties. The results show that V2O5 can be a glass component for engineering and insuring high crack resistant glasses and glasses with long-term stability. Additionally, elastic properties as a function of temperature were studied using Brillouin light scattering and temperature-independent elastic moduli behaviors were observed.
Iatrogenic cartilage injury associated with the use of stainless-steel cannulas and silicone-guarded cannulas for canine stifle arthroscopy.

Objective To determine the ability to reduce iatrogenic cartilage injury (IACI) during canine stifle arthroscopy by using a silicone arthroscope cannula guard. Study design Ex vivo canine cadaver experimental study. Animals Paired canine stifles from 14 cadavers (≥20 kg). Methods Stifles (N = 28) were assigned to unguarded traditional or silicone-guarded arthroscopy. Stifle arthroscopy and full joint exploration with meniscal probing was performed by a second-year surgery resident (I.C.) in fourteen canine cadavers, alternating between left and right stifles for guarded vs unguarded arthroscopy. After arthroscopy, stifles were disarticulated, and india ink assay was performed to identify IACI. Total IACI number, lesion length and area, duration of procedure, and procedure difficulty score were recorded for each stifle. Results Unguarded arthroscopy resulted in more total IACI per joint (unguarded 5.2 ± 3.0, guarded 2.4 ± 1.4; P = .02), larger IACI area (unguarded 5.2 ± 4.2 mm2 , guarded 2.3 ± 1.5 mm2 ; P = .02), and IACI length (unguarded 13.6 ± 6.9 mm, guarded 8.6 ± 5.9 mm; P = .03). No difference was identified in duration of procedure (unguarded 11.8 ± 5.2 minutes, guarded 13.8 ± 4.3 minutes; P = .79) or procedure difficulty score (unguarded 1.7 ± 0.6, guarded 1.6 ± 0.6 P = .73). Conclusion Silicone-guarded arthroscope cannulas decreased IACI number and size during canine cadaveric stifle arthroscopy without increasing duration of procedure or surgical difficulty. Clinical significance Silicone-guarded arthroscope cannulas may be safer than traditional cannulas for novice veterinary surgeons performing stifle arthroscopy.