cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparing Students for the Parent-teacher Conference in Early Childhood Education

I developed and tested a training module composed of course materials and an examination to train students in an early childhood education program how to conduct a problem-based conference with parents. Students were taught specific strategies and techniques to use in the conference setting, and they completed a simulated parent-teacher conference with a hypothetical problem. Evaluation of this module revealed a significant increase in students' self- reported comfort level with respect to giving parents advice and feeling prepared to conduct one- on-one parent-teacher conferences. Additionally, students reported that this module was very helpful in preparing them for a career in early childhood education. Anecdotal evidence from students completing internships suggests both lasting and practical effects of this module. Communicating with parents, particularly about classroom problems or issues in a child's development, is one of the most difficult tasks faced by early childhood educators (Kinnell, 2002; Morgan, 1989). Although this topic is mentioned frequently in textbooks on early childhood development and care, though usually not in great detail (Deiner, 1997; Driscoll & Nagel, 2002; Gonzalez-Mena & Eyer, 2001), the pedagogical literature yields few examples of empirical evaluations of programs or teaching methods designed to train students to conduct successful parent-teacher conferences in the preschool years. For example, a search of the ERIC database using the subject heading "parent teacher conferences" and the words "teaching" or "training" yielded 107 and 76 hits, respectively. Most of these articles concern primary or secondary school educators, not preschool/early childhood educators, and as Brown and Brown (1992) have observed, "the professional literature is abundant with articles offering practical advice… (but) they are not firmly grounded in
Wear of Dental Amalgam

Summary The wear of dental amalgam was studied by single- and double-pass sliding and by a silicon carbide abrasion test. A dispersed amalgam showed significantly better resistance to two-body abrasion than the spherical amalgams tested. The wear of amalgam was determined by resistance to penetration and by a ductile mode of surface failure over the load range studied. Differences in the wear of amalgam and restorative resins and composites are discussed.
Photodynamic therapy of human lung cancer xenografts in mice

Background There is a need to develop novel therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Photodynamic therapy has been used successfully for endobronchial palliation of NSCLC, and its role in early stages of disease is being explored. We hypothesized that a novel photosensitizer, PS1, would be more effective than the standard agent, porfimer sodium (Photofrin or PFII), in treating human lung cancer xenografts in mice. Materials and methods Patient-derived NSCLC xenografts were established subcutaneously in severe combined immune deficiency mice. Two groups of five mice were injected with PS1 (3-[1′-m-iodobenzyloxy]ethyl-3-devinylpyropheophorbide-a), a chlorophyll-a derivative, or PFII (a purified version of hematoporphyrin derivative) and then treated with nonthermal laser light. Four mice were treated with laser light without photosensitizer and six mice received no treatment at all. All mice were then observed for tumor growth. The tumor growth end point, time-to-1000 mm3, was evaluated using standard Kaplan–Meier methods and the log-rank test. Tumor hematoxylin and eosin and caspase 3 staining was done to evaluate necrosis and apoptosis. Results The median time-to-1000 mm3 was 12, 12, 26, and 52 d for the control, light only, PFII, and PS1 groups. There was a significant association between the tumor growth end point and treatment (P < 0.05). Hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed <1%, 0%, 67%, and 80% necrosis, and caspase 3 positivity was 2%, <1%, 17%, and 39%, respectively, in the same four groups. Conclusions The mice treated with PS1 exhibited a longer time for tumor regrowth and showed more tumor necrosis and apoptosis compared with the other treatment groups. Thus, the novel photosensitizer, PS1, was demonstrated to be more effective than porfimer sodium in this preclinical pilot study.
FreeVGA: architecture independent video graphics initialization for LinuxBIOS

LinuxBIOS is fast becoming a widely accepted alternative to the traditional PC BIOS for cluster computing applications. However, in the process it is gaining attention from developers of Internet appliance, desktop and visualization applications, who also wish to take advantage of the features provided by LinuxBIOS, such as minimizing user interaction, increasing system reliability, and faster boot times. Unlike cluster computing, these applications tend to rely heavily on graphical user interfaces, so it is important that the VGA hardware is correctly initialized early in the boot process in additional to the hardware initialization currently performed by LinuxBIOS. Unfortunately, the open-source nature of LinuxBIOS means that many graphic card vendors are reluctant to expose code relating to the initialization of their hardware in the fear that this might allow competitors access to proprietary chipset information. As a consequence, in many cases the only way to initialize the VGA hardware is to use the vendor provided, proprietary, VGA BIOS. To achieve this it is necessary to provide a compatibility layer that operates between the VGA BIOS and LinuxBIOS in order to simulate the environment that the VGA BIOS assumes is available. In this paper we present our preliminary results on FreeVGA, an x86 emulator based on x86emu that can be used as such a compatibility layer. We will show how we have successfully used FreeVGA to initialize VGA cards from both ATI and Nvidia on a Tyan S2885 platform.
Ultraviolet Emitting SrS:Te Thin Films

In the bulk SrS has an indirect bandgap of ~ 4.32 eV. When SrS is doped with tellurium, ultraviolet emission occurs at 360 nm (for singlet) and 400nm (for Te-Te dim ers) due to recombination from bound exciton states. In this paper we discuss the ultraviolet emission of pulsed laser deposited thin films of SrS:Te grown at room temperature on Si. Deposited film thickness ranged from 0.1 – 1.5 μm, with optimized films grown at ~0.5 μm to avoid peeling and cracking. Te doping was incorporated by both ion implantation and conventional diffusion of deposited Te capping films. The characteristics of the ultraviolet emission will be discussed along with results from microstructural, chemical and optical characterization techniques.
An experimental library of formalized Mathematics based on the univalent foundations

This is a short overview of an experimental library of Mathematics formalized in the Coq proof assistant using the univalent interpretation of the underlying type theory of Coq. I started to work on this library in February 2010 in order to gain experience with formalization of Mathematics in a constructive type theory based on the intuition gained from the univalent models (see Kapulkin et al. 2012).
Shear Forces Enhance Toxoplasma gondii Tachyzoite Motility on Vascular Endothelium

Toxoplasma gondii is a highly successful parasite that infects approximately one-third of the human population and can cause fatal disease in immunocompromised individuals. Systemic parasite dissemination to organs such as the brain and eye is critical to pathogenesis. T. gondii can disseminate via the circulation, and both intracellular and extracellular modes of transport have been proposed. However, the processes by which extracellular tachyzoites adhere to and migrate across vascular endothelium under the conditions of rapidly flowing blood remain unknown. We used microfluidics and time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to examine the interactions between extracellular T. gondii and primary human endothelial cells under conditions of physiologic shear stress. Remarkably, tachyzoites adhered to and glided on human vascular endothelium under shear stress conditions. Compared to static conditions, shear stress enhanced T. gondii helical gliding, resulting in a significantly greater displacement, and increased the percentage of tachyzoites that invaded or migrated across the endothelium. The intensity of the shear forces (from 0.5 to 10 dynes/cm(2)) influenced both initial and sustained adhesion to endothelium. By examining tachyzoites deficient in the T. gondii adhesion protein MIC2, we found that MIC2 contributed to initial adhesion but was not required for adhesion strengthening. These data suggest that under fluidic conditions, T. gondii adhesion to endothelium may be mediated by a multistep cascade of interactions that is governed by unique combinations of adhesion molecules. This work provides novel information about tachyzoite interactions with vascular endothelium and contributes to our understanding of T. gondii dissemination in the infected host. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is a global parasite pathogen that can cause fatal disease in immunocompromised individuals. An unresolved question is how the parasites circulate in the body to tissues to cause disease. T. gondii parasites are found in the bloodstream of infected animals and patients, and they have been shown to adhere to and cross the endothelial cells that line blood vessel walls. To investigate these interactions, we devised a microfluidic system to visualize parasites interacting with vascular endothelium under conditions similar to those found in the bloodstream. Interestingly, parasite migration was significantly influenced by the mechanical force of shear flow. Furthermore, we identified a role for the parasite surface protein MIC2 in the initial phase of adhesion. Our study is the first to document T. gondii interactions with endothelium under shear stress conditions and provides a foundation for future studies on the molecules that mediate parasite interaction with the vasculature.
Dopamine D3 Receptor Agonist Delivery to a Model of Parkinson's Disease Restores the Nigrostriatal Pathway and Improves Locomotor Behavior

The presence of endogenous stem cell populations in the adult mammalian CNS suggests an innate potential for regeneration and represents a potential resource for neuroregenerative therapy aimed at the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson9s disease. However, it is first necessary to examine the microenvironmental signals required to activate these innate reparative mechanisms. The small molecule neurotransmitter dopamine has been shown to regulate cell cycle in developing and adult brain, and the D 3 receptor is known to play an important role in dopaminergic development. Pharmacological activation of the dopamine D 3 receptor has been shown to trigger neurogenesis in the substantia nigra of the adult rat brain. Here, we examined the cell proliferative, neurogenic, and behavioral effects of the dopamine D 3 receptor agonist 7-OH-DPAT (7-hydroxy- N , N -di- n -propyl-2-aminotetralin) in a 6-hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson9s disease. Consistent with previous findings, we observed a significant induction of cell proliferation in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN C ) with a time-dependent adoption of a neuronal dopaminergic phenotype in many of these cells. Indices of nigrostriatal integrity were also affected. Dopaminergic cell counts in the lesioned SN C recovered substantially in a time-dependent manner. Similarly, retrograde tracing revealed a restoration of striatal innervation from these cells, with evidence for projections arising from newly generated cells. Finally, we observed a substantial and persistent recovery of locomotor function in these animals. The results of these studies will further our understanding of the environmental signals regulating neurogenesis in the adult brain and could have significant implications for the design of novel treatment strategies for Parkinson9s disease.
Evaluation and applicability of water quality and nutrients removal by coastal wetlands receiving treated municipal wastewater and its application

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the water quality of the wetland that received treated municipal wastewater for 40 years and its application for nutrients removal and wetland restoration.Design/methodology/approach – To assess the water quality impact of the study, wetland sampling sites were selected to represent the receiving wetland, wetland background, effluent discharge point, and the adjacent canals. Water samples were taken in different seasons of the year and analyzed for water quality parameters including pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, chloride, total organic carbon, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, TKN and phosphorus. USEPA‐approved standard methods were followed and Quality Assurance/Quality Control procedures were compiled. Analysis of variance and Student Newman‐Keuls Post‐Hoc analysis were performed on the sampling results to evaluate the water quality differences among the sampling sites.Findings – No water quality degradation was detected in the wetland study aft...
DIFFERENTIAL CARDIOPROTECTIVE/CARDIOTOXIC EFFECTS MEDIATED BY β-ADRENERGIC RECEPTOR SUBTYPES

Recent data suggest that beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes couple differentially to signaling pathways regulating cardiac function vs. cardiac remodeling. To dissect the roles of beta1- vs. beta2-receptors in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy, doxorubicin was administered to beta1, beta2, and beta1/beta2 knockout (-/-) and wild-type mice. Expression and activation of MAPKs were measured. Wild-type and beta1-/- mice showed no acute cardiovascular effects, whereas beta2-/- mice all died within 30 min. The additional deletion of the beta1-receptor (beta1/beta2-/-) totally rescued this toxicity. beta2-/- mice developed decreased contractile function, hypotension, QTc prolongation, and ST segment changes and a 20-fold increase in p38 MAPK activity not seen in the other genotypes. The MAPK inhibitor SB-203580 rescued beta2-/- mice from this acute toxicity. The enhanced toxicity in beta2-/- mice was also recapitulated in wild-type mice with the beta2-selective antagonist ICI-118,551, although the rescue effect of the beta1-deletion was not recapitulated using the beta1-selective antagonist metoprolol or the nonselective beta-antagonist propranolol. These data suggest that beta2-adrenergic receptors play a cardioprotective role in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy, whereas beta1-adrenergic receptors mediate at least some of the acute cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines. Differential activation of MAPK isoforms, previously shown in vitro to regulate beta-agonist as well as doxorubicin cardiotoxicity, appears to play a role in mediating the differential effects of these beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes in vivo.
Integrin α3 blockade enhances microtopographical down-regulation of α-smooth muscle actin: role of microtopography in ECM regulation.

Development of functional engineered matrices for regenerative therapies can benefit from an understanding of how physical cues at the microscale affect cell behavior. In this work, we use microfabricated systems to study how stiffness and microscale topographical cues in the form of “micropegs” affect extracellular matrix synthesis. Previous work from our lab has shown that microtopographical cues in 2D and 3D systems decrease cellular proliferation and regulate matrix synthesis. In this work, the combined role of stiffness and topography on ECM synthesis is investigated in a 2D micropeg system. These studies show that fibroblasts cultured on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates with micropegs have reduced expression of collagen type I (Col I) and collagen type VI (Col VI) compared to fibroblasts cultured on flat substrates. In addition, cells on micropegged substrates exhibit down-regulation of other important regulators of ECM synthesis such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and integrin α3 (Int α3). Interestingly, this effect is dependent on the contractility and adhesion of the cells. When cultured in the presence of RhoA kinase (ROCK) and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) inhibitors, no significant differences in the expression of collagen, α-SMA, Int α3, and TGFB1 are observed. Additionally, disruptions in cell adhesion prevent microtopographical regulation of ECM synthesis. When using an antibody to block the extracellular domain of Int α3, no differences in the expression of collagen are observed and blocking Int α3 results in enhanced down-regulation of α-SMA on the stiffer micropegged substrates. These findings demonstrate that regulation of extracellular matrix production by cells on a synthetic substrate can be guided via physical cues at the microscale, and add to the body of knowledge on the role of integrin-mediated mechanotransduction.
Assessment Of The Excellence Of Academic Advising: Lessons Learned

Numerous studies have described the importance of the quality of academic advising in student retention. Some studies have explored the impact of effective academic advising on student retention rates while others have explored the correlation between student retention/satisfaction and advisor-student interaction. Recent studies have also demonstrated the range of students’ expectations about academic advising. However, there are not very many studies to indicate what factors affect an advisor’s effectiveness and success in their performance. Our study attempts to fill this gap in the literature by incorporating these issues in an academic advising effectiveness process. For the purpose of this study, a sample of 225 students in an urban, private university was used to assess the excellence in academic advising. We found that excellence in academic advising is greatly linked to such factors as students’ personal, cultural, and academic background, including the quality of their relationship with their advisor.
The serotonin transporter gene and disease modification in psychosis: evidence for systematic differences in allelic directionality at the 5-HTTLPR locus.

A 44 base pair insertion (‘l”)/deletion (“s”) polymorphism (called 5-HTTLPR) in the 5′ promoter region of the human serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) modulates expression and has been associated to anxiety and depressive traits in otherwise healthy individuals. In individuals with psychiatric diagnoses, including schizophrenia, it seems to modulate symptom severity. Thus, it may be a disease modifying gene. In this study, 92 patients with psychosis (including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar psychosis, and major depression) were assessed at their first hospital admission. Symptom ratings, including SANS negative symptoms, SAPS positive symptoms, and SCID depressive symptoms, were obtained. Stress was also assessed. Bi-allelic genotyping at the 5-HTTLPR locus was done. Using multiple regression models, we found that 5-HTTLPR genotype (especially in dominant models) accounted for a significant portion of the variance in SCID Depression and SANS (about 5%). In particular we found that the l allele was associated with greater psychopathology. This is consistent with our review of the literature and is at variance with findings in healthy controls that the s allele is associated with greater anxiety and depression levels. We believe that this set of findings argues for principled reversal of directionality in associations at the 5-HTTLPR locus and raises the possibility that allelic variation may have very different consequences for personality traits or psychiatric symptoms depending on epistasis or epigenetic context. Furthermore, these results also imply that categorical diagnostic distinctions may still be relevant in understanding some genetic effects.
Correlation of Dam, Egg, Poult and Adult Weights in Broad Breasted Bronze Turkeys

ABSTRACT THE relationship of dam size to egg and poult weight for both chickens and turkeys has been studied by a number of investigators, but few have reported on poult size and weight at maturity. This study was undertaken primarily to determine the relationship of poult weight to mature weight. Data showing the relationship of dam size to egg weight and egg weight to poult size for different groups are also presented. Halbersleben and Mussehl (1922) reported that chick weight averaged 64 percent of the egg weight and the advantage of chicks hatched from large eggs disappeared with advancing age. Nebraska investigators (1932) found that the weight of poults at 28 days of age did not show any correlation with the weight loss of eggs during incubation and the inherent vitality of poults, when the growth rate during the first four weeks of age is the measure of this quality. The . . .
Detection and Classification of Movements in Bed using Load Cells

The quality of our life is tied to the quality of our sleep. People with sleep deficits may experience impaired performance, irritability, lack of concentration, and daytime drowsiness. Increased mobility in bed can be a sign of disrupted sleep. Therefore, body movements in bed represent an important behavioral aspect of sleep. In this paper, we propose a method for detection and classification of movement that uses load cells placed at each corner of a bed. The detection of movements is based on short-term analysis of the mean-square differences of the load cell signals. Movement classification is based on features extracted from a wavelet-based multiresolution analysis (MRA) to classify the type of movement into two classes: small and large. A linear classifier is trained on each level of the MRA, and the decisions of the 4 classifiers are combined using a Bayesian combination rule. The method is evaluated on load cell data collected from 6 subjects. Each subject performed 5 trials composed of 20 pre-defined movements including small shifts of position to large movements of torso and limbs. The performance measure for the detection problem is the equal error rate (EER). We show that the detection method achieves a 2.9% EER and that the classification method has a classification error of 4%
Sam Shepard, feminist playwright: The destination of a lie of the mind

Always honing the theatrical tools with which to chart unknown emotional territory, Shepard in A Lie of the Mind more radically than before creates a new stage language, returning to the battered, objectified, and silenced female subject a voice of her own. It is a highly physical language, yet one that aims at dissolving the splits between mind and matter, as well as between conflicting and mutually exclusive genders, in an approach towards a concept of love not based on power and submission. This new form is borne by the mockery of men and by their treatment as women. The ensuing redefinition of male consciousness towards a recognition and incorporation of the feminine offers the promise for a shared redemption of the male and female characters alike.
Exact Closure Procedures of Hierarchical VAT Capillary Thermo-Convective Problem for Turbulent and Laminar Regimes

Volume Averaging Theory (VAT), an effective and rigorous approach for study of transport (laminar and turbulent) phenomena, is used to model flow and heat transfer in porous media. The modeling is based on a simple pore level network. The primary difficulties in applying VAT to straight capillary networks, the many unknown integral and differential terms that are needed for closure, are overcome. VAT based modeling of pore level transport in straight capillaries results in two sets of scale governing equations. One scale is the upper scale VAT equations which describe ensemble properties for flow and heat transfer in porous media. The other scale is the lower scale laminar and turbulent transport equations that represent flow and heat transport in each straight pore capillary. It is how the unknown VAT terms in the upper scale equations can be estimated using the relationships between upper scale properties and lower scale properties. Exact closures and mathematical procedures are developed for the turbulent regime, extending the previous laminar regime work. Numerical results for turbulent and laminar transport in straight capillary porous media are shown in this paper.
Learning outcomes of a MOOC designed for attitudinal change: A case study of an Animal Behavior and Welfare MOOC

Abstract This study examines the case of an Animal Behavior and Welfare MOOC that specifically targeted attitudinal change in its learners. Attitudinal learning outcomes were evaluated using an author-developed survey with questions on perceptions in the four areas of attitudinal learning: General Learning, Cognitive Learning, Affective Learning, and Behavioral Learning. The survey also examined learner goals for enrolling in the course and their perceptions of the instructional methods implemented in the course. Results showed that learners perceived positive learning outcomes across all four areas. Statistically significant differences were found in relation to perceptions of attitudinal learning based on their reason for enrolling in the MOOC and its relation to attitude formation. There were also significant differences in learners' reasons for enrollment based on whether they intended to change animal welfare related behaviors due to their MOOC experience. Learners overwhelming indicated that the instructor videos were the most impactful instructional strategy regardless of whether they had a higher perception of learning, or a lower perception. Finally, learners with higher perceptions primarily enrolled in the MOOC in order to form a viewpoint on animal welfare, while lower perception learners enrolled to earn a formal certificate of completion. Implications are discussed for instructional design for attitude change as well as for the use of MOOCs for learning regarding social topics.
Asian Americans and the Peace Imperative

This time, march to save your own life. I call on Asian Americans to join the new peace movement. I start this peace message from a place of grief called September 11. The masters of terror have taken parents from children, children from parents, peace from the hearts of a nation of mourners. We have not enough tears nor enough rage to respond to this chasm of loss. I condemn terrorism, and I call it murder.
Adenoviral reporter gene transfer to the human trabecular meshwork does not alter aqueous humor outflow. Relevance for potential gene therapy of glaucoma.

Obstruction of the aqueous humor outflow from the anterior chamber of the eye leads to an elevation of intraocular pressure in glaucoma, the second major cause of blindness worldwide. Our goal is to be able to modulate aqueous humor outflow resistance by gene transfer to the cells of the trabecular meshwork (TM). We have previously shown that adenoviral vectors are able to transfer a reporter gene to the TM of postmortem human donors. However, assessing gene therapy for glaucoma requires models that can monitor changes in aqueous humor outflow facility (C = flow/pressure). In this study we used four replication-deficient adenoviruses in two such perfusion models. In the first model, whole porcine eyes were infected, perfused at constant pressure and flow changes recorded for 5 h. In the second one, anterior segments from human eyes were infected, perfused at constant flow and pressure changes recorded for 3 days. A single dose of 10(8) adenovirus plaque forming units (pfu) causes a reduction in C while single doses of 10(7), 10(6) and 10(5) p.f.u. do not affect outflow facility and retain positive gene transfer. These findings indicate that adenovirus, at effective doses, could become useful vectors for gene therapy of glaucoma.
A Model for Addressing Client-Clinician Value Conflict

Despite longstanding acknowledgment that values are intrinsic to the process of psychotherapy, the field of psychology has been hesitant to explore the implications of values for the client–clinician relationship. One important issue concerns disagreement between the treatment goals of the client and the personal values of the trainee clinician (referred to here as client–clinician value conflict). In this article, the theoretical and practical importance of values for psychotherapy outcomes is briefly reviewed, with an emphasis on the normative and unavoidable nature of value conflicts between clients and their trainee clinicians. A model for addressing client–clinician value conflict is then presented along with case examples and practical recommendations for professional clinicians, supervisors, and trainees. General guidelines for the application of the model are then discussed in more detail with specific warnings regarding the potential for misuse. It is argued that because value conflicts are an inescapable element of psychotherapy, the best protection that can be afforded to clients is for all trainee clinicians to develop greater personal and professional awareness of their own values and recognize the impact that those values have on the services they provide.
Forced Flow Condensation Simulation and Investigation in Microgravity Saturated Air/Liquid Flow

The interest in forced flow condensation in microgravity is motivated by the design of propulsion and power generation, thermal management and life support space systems. Through the NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunity Program, a group of students from the University of Tennessee designed and flew experiments aboard KC-135 aircraft (Johnson Space Center) in March 2003 and March 2004 to investigate simulated forced flow condensation using air-water mixture flow. The experimental apparatus consisted of water loop flow through a clear one-inch pipe. Saturated vapor was simulated by the injection of (water) fog in the test section. The experiments confirmed anticipated slug and annular air/liquid flow patterns under microgravity. The temperature measurements indicated lower water temperature and higher fog exit temperatures at microgravity condition when compared with normal gravity results (water flow rate of 1.2 gallons per minute). At the same time it was observed that for relatively small water flow rate and velocity, heat exchange between air and water streams was larger for reduced gravity conditions as compared to normal gravity conditions. This is found to be related to the phase distribution and flow patterns at different water flow rates and velocities.
Biomarkers of risk to develop lung cancer in the new screening era

Low-dose computed tomography for high-risk individuals has for the first time demonstrated unequivocally that early detection save lives. The currently accepted screening strategy comes at the cost of a high rate of false positive findings while still missing a large percentage of the cases. Therefore, there is increasing interest in developing strategies to better estimate the risk of an individual to develop lung cancer, to increase the sensitivity of the screening process, to reduce screening costs and to reduce the numbers of individuals harmed by screening and follow-up interventions. New molecular biomarkers candidates show promise to improve lung cancer outcomes. This review discusses the current state of biomarker research in lung cancer screening with the primary focus on risk assessment.
Respiratory tract nursing on arvical esophageal carcinoma total laryngectomy patients

Objective:To investigate the airway management after the total laryngectomy for esophageal carcinoma patients.Method:The airway management of 45 esophageal carcinoma patients were retrospectively analyzed.Result:Except for one patient died in hospital and one left the hospital automatically,other 43 cases were recovered and discharged.Conclusion:Systemic,scientific and standardized airway management decreases the postoperative respiratory complications of esophageal carcinoma patients and increases the successful rate of the surgery.
Computational Topology in Reconstruction, Mesh Generation, and Data Analysis.

Many applications involving shapes and data not only require analyzing and processing their geometries, but also associated topologies. In the past two decades, computational topology, an area rekindled by computational geometry has emphasized processing and exploiting topological structures of shapes and data. The understanding of topological structures in the context of computations has resulted into theoretically sound practical algorithms and has also put a thrust in developing further synergy between mathematics and computations in general. This talk aims to delineate this perspective by considering three applications, namely, (i) surface/manifold reconstructions, (ii) mesh generation, and (iii) topological data analysis for which computational topology has played a crucial role. For each of the three topics, we will give the necessary backgrounds in topology, state some of the key results, and indicate open questions/problems. The hope is that the talk will further stimulate the interest in tying topology and computation together.
Nuclear Deoxyribonucleic Acid Content Measured By Static Cytometry: Important Prognostic Association For Patients With Clinically Localized Prostate Carcinoma Treated By External Beam Radiotherapy

AbstractTo determine if relative nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content is an important prognostic parameter for patients with clinically localized prostate carcinoma treated by external beam radiotherapy, we performed static DNA cytometry on archival paraffin embedded prostate needle biopsy specimens obtained before treatment. DNA content was measured with the Zeiss IBAS 2000 Image Analyzer and the Feulgen staining method. Tumor samples from 65 patients with clinically localized carcinoma of the prostate treated with at least 6,000cGy. from 1974 to 1980 were studied. Patients and tumors were divided into 2 groups: group 1—31 patients with relative DNA content less than 1.5 times normal and group 2—34 patients with relative DNA content greater than 1.5 times normal. The prostate cancer nonprogression rate at 10 years was 64% for group 1 and 11% for group 2. Prostate cancer cause specific survival at 10 years was 73% for group 1 and 20% for group 2. These differences are highly significant (p <0.0001)...
Laboratory Diagnosis of Pneumocystosis

Laboratory diagnosis of pneumocytosis requires that appropriate specimens be properly obtained, that these specimens be appropriately processed in the laboratory, examined by competent personnel, and reported in a timely fashion. The laboratory section that performs the evaluation and the methods and stains used vary depending on the interests and capabilities of persons at each institution.
Molecular Mechanisms of AF64A Toxicity in the Cholinergic Neuron

When AF64A was initially developed (Fisher and Hanin, 1980; Mantione et al., 1981), it was with the goal in mind to induce a permanent cholinergic deficit in the brain, thus mimicking the neurochemical cholinergic deficiency reported in brains of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) (Bowen et al., 1976; Davies and Maloney, 1976). In addition to producing this chemical deficit, rats and mice treated with AF64A were also shown to exhibit deficits in memory and learning (Chrobak et al., 1987; Walsh and Chrobak, 1991; Chrobak and Walsh, 1991). As a consequence, in the search for potential drugs for the treatment of the cognitive deficits in AD, many investigators began to use the AF64A-treated rat to test various compounds for their ability to reverse the neurochemical and cognitive deficits induced by the cholinotoxin (See review by Hanin, 1996).
Stable Phosphorus-Enriched (0001) Surfaces of Nickel Phosphides

In heterogeneous catalysis, catalyst synthesis precedes operation and, in most cases, is conducted in an altogether different chemical environment. Thus, determination of the structure and composition of the catalyst surface(s) due to fabrication is essential in accurately evaluating their eventual structure(s) during operation, which provides the origin of their catalytic activities and are therefore key to catalyst optimization. We explore the reconstructions of both Ni2P(0001) and Ni5P4(0001)/(0001) surfaces with first-principles density functional theory (DFT). Most of the stable terminations under realistic synthesis conditions are determined to be P-rich on both materials. A P-covered reconstruction of the Ni3P2 termination of Ni2P(0001) is found to be most stable, consistent with the current literature. By contrast, the most energetically favorable surfaces of Ni5P4 are found to be the Ni3P3 and Ni4P3 bulk-derived terminations with P-adatoms. The preferred excess P binding sites and their energies...
A Critique of FCC'S TV White Space Regulations

Broadband access constitutes the "oxygen" for the Internet Era, to which end, the issue of spectrum management is foundational. In this position paper, we present an overview of FCC's pioneering work framing TV white space rules that allows unlicensed access by secondary users while protecting licensed primary users. The core contribution of this paper is an in-depth analysis of FCC's TV white space regulations (often treated as a global template). We argue that FCC's current white space regulations does not achieve the desired balance between effectively promoting unlicensed secondary access and providing adequate protection of the primary. As more countries around the world look at framing white space regulations, we argue for incorporating a more flexible design that can catalyze a white space device ecosystem to flourish, similar to Wi-Fi.
Taking Telemedicine to the Next Level in Diabetes Population Management: a Review of the Endo ECHO Model

Worldwide increases in diabetes prevalence in the face of limited medical resources have prompted international interest in innovative healthcare delivery models. Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a "telementoring" program which has been shown to increase capacity for complex disease management in medically underserved regions. In contrast to a traditional telemedicine model which might connect a specialist with one patient, the ECHO model allows for multiple patients to benefit simultaneously by building new expertise. We recently applied the ECHO model to improve health outcomes of patients with complex diabetes (Endo ECHO) living in rural New Mexico. We describe the design of the Endo ECHO intervention and a 4-year, prospective program evaluation assessing health outcomes, utilization patterns, and cost-effectiveness. The Endo ECHO evaluation will demonstrate whether and to what extent this intervention improves outcomes for patients with complex diabetes living in rural New Mexico, and will serve as proof-of-concept for academic medical centers wishing to replicate the model in underserved regions around the world.
Cutting Down Trees: Law-Making Under the Shadow of Great Calamities

The paper explores some of the reasons that explain why it is that we seem unable to prevent ourselves from repeating past errors when dealing with acute emergencies and terrorist threats. It highlights the tension that exists between democratic values and responding to terrorism and argues that counter-terrorism measures depend, to a large extent, on the belief in our ability to separate emergency from normalcy, counter-terrorism measures from the ordinary legal system. It is this dichotomized vision that the paper challenges. The argument put forward is that bright-line distinctions between emergency and normalcy, counter-terrorism and "normal" law, are illusory.
Clinical and Radiologic Predictive Factors of Rib Fractures in Outpatients With Chest Pain.

Purpose To identify the clinical and radiologic predictive factors of rib fractures in stable adult outpatients presenting with chest pain and to determine the utility of dedicated rib radiographs in this population of patients. Method and Materials Following Institutional Review Board approval, we performed a retrospective review of 339 consecutive cases in which a frontal chest radiograph and dedicated rib series had been obtained for chest pain in the outpatient setting. The frontal chest radiograph and dedicated rib series were sequentially reviewed in consensus by two fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists blinded to the initial report. The consensus interpretation of the dedicated rib series was used as the gold standard. Multiple variable logistic regression analysis assessed clinical and radiological factors associated with rib fractures. Fisher exact test was used to assess differences in medical treatment between the 2 groups. Results Of the 339 patients, 53 (15.6%) had at least 1 rib fracture. Only 20 of the 53 (37.7%) patients' fractures could be identified on the frontal chest radiograph. The frontal chest radiograph had a sensitivity of 38% and specificity of 100% when using the rib series as the reference standard. No pneumothorax, new mediastinal widening or pulmonary contusion was identified. Multiple variable logistic regression analysis of clinical factors associated with the presence of rib fractures revealed a significant association of trauma history (odds ratio 5.7 [ p p p p Conclusion In the stable outpatient setting, rib fractures have a higher association with a history of minor trauma and age ≥40 in the adult population. Radiographic findings associated with rib fractures include pleural effusion. The frontal chest radiograph alone has low sensitivity in detecting rib fractures. The dedicated rib series detected a greater number of rib fractures. Although no patients required hospitalization, those with rib fractures were more likely to receive narcotic analgesia.
Lung cancer screening patient navigation for current smokers in community health centers: A randomized controlled trial.

1506Background: Annual chest computed tomography (CT) can decrease lung cancer mortality in high risk individuals. Patient navigation (PN) has been shown to improve cancer screening rates in unders...
Output feedback control of a single phase voltage source inverter utilizing a variable structure observer

A robust nonlinear controller is presented for output tracking of a single phase LC-filtered voltage source inverter. The proposed control uses a second order system model to develop an output feedback control scheme based on a variable structure observer. The use of this nonlinear observer allows for elimination of costly current sensors and the ripple and noise which is inherent in such measurements in a PWM switching environment. The variable structure component of the observer allows for it to be robust to a wide range of load conditions. This combined controller/observer scheme is validated by a Lyapunov stability analysis which proves convergence of the tracking errors and boundedness of all signals in the closed loop system. Further validation and performance evaluation is provided by experimental results which demonstrate the steady-state and transient performance of the scheme under a highly nonlinear rectifier load.
Abstract 242: The pH Influences Angiotensin-(1-7) Forming Enzyme Activities in the Kidney

The kidney plays a pivotal role in acid-base balance. Hydrogen and bicarbonate titration through the nephron produces ranges in urinary pH from 4.5 to 8. All of the components of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) are expressed in the kidney and intrarenal angiotensin II (Ang II) and Ang-(1-7) are formed by multiple independent enzymatic pathways. Most enzymes function optimally at the pH of their native environment. Since small changes in pH can have significant effects on enzyme activities, we investigated the influence of pH on renal Ang II processing to Ang-(1-7). Wild type (WT) and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) knock out (KO) mouse kidney homogenates (20-30 μg protein) were incubated for 30 min at 37°C in 50 mM citrate, phosphate or glycine buffer (pH 4-10) containing 50 μM substrate. First, activity was analyzed using the fluorogenic substrate MCA-Ala-Pro-Lys(Dnp)-OH. A second approach, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry ((MALDI MS), allowed for the use of the natural substrate, Ang II. In the WT, the fluorogenic assay system detected activity at pH 4, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 with minimal differences. Using MALDI MS, renal enzymatic Ang-(1-7) formation was observed at a pH range between 4 and 9 with two peaks at pH 5.5 and 8. At pH
Macromolecular Assemblies of the Mammalian Circadian Clock.

Summary The mammalian circadian clock is built on a feedback loop in which PER and CRY proteins repress their own transcription. We found that in mouse liver nuclei all three PERs, both CRYs, and Casein Kinase-1δ (CK1δ) are present together in an ∼1.9-MDa repressor assembly that quantitatively incorporates its CLOCK-BMAL1 transcription factor target. Prior to incorporation, CLOCK-BMAL1 exists in an ∼750-kDa complex. Single-particle electron microscopy (EM) revealed nuclear PER complexes purified from mouse liver to be quasi-spherical ∼40-nm structures. In the cytoplasm, PERs, CRYs, and CK1δ were distributed into several complexes of ∼0.9–1.1 MDa that appear to constitute an assembly pathway regulated by GAPVD1, a cytoplasmic trafficking factor. Single-particle EM of two purified cytoplasmic PER complexes revealed ∼20-nm and ∼25-nm structures, respectively, characterized by flexibly tethered globular domains. Our results define the macromolecular assemblies comprising the circadian feedback loop and provide an initial structural view of endogenous eukaryotic clock machinery.
Spontaneous Vacuum Fluctuations and the Fundamental Sensitivity Limit of Wavelength-Multiplexed Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Array Readouts

Multiplexed wavelength shift detectors are increasingly used to read out arrays of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors that are illuminated by amplified spontaneous emission sources. The fundamental sensitivity limit of these systems is due to excess noise from the light source. This limit is evident when optical intensity is high enough to overcome the electronic noise of the measurement system. Here, we derive a formula for the fundamental sensitivity limit and show it is only a function of sensor optical bandwidth. The formula is corroborated by experiment by measuring the wavelength noise of 12 FBG sensors as a function of optical intensity. First, the expected noise vs. intensity is calculated from the formula with known sensor optical bandwidths and shown to agree to the measured results without fit. Then, the formula is fit to the experimental data, with optical bandwidth as a parameter, to extract the optical bandwidth of each FBG from the noise saturation behavior with respect to optical intensity.
Theoretical Studies of Surface Reactions on Metals: Cluster and Embedding Theory

This work describes the foundations of a theoretical method to determine the structure and reactivity of molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces with emphasis on electronic materials and transition metal substrates. Electronic structures are described by an ab initio embedding formalism that permits an accurate determination of reaction energetics and structure. The approach is designed to treat individual molecular events at the surface: adsorbate bonding, coadsorption and reactions.