cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alloplastic Facial Implants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Outcomes and Uses in Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery

Alloplastic materials in facial surgery have been used successfully for various applications in the reconstructive restoration or aesthetic augmentation of the facial skeleton. The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive systematic review of alloplastic implant materials utilized to augment the facial skeleton stratified by anatomical distribution, indication, specific material used, and respective outcomes. A comprehensive systematic review on alloplastic facial implant data was conducted utilizing Medline/PubMed database. Articles were stratified by (1) anatomic localization in the face, as well as (2) alloplastic material. A total of 17 studies (n = 2100 patients, follow-up range = 1 month–27 years) were included. Overall, mersilene mesh implants were associated with the highest risk of infection (3.38%). Methyl methacrylate implants were associated with the highest rate of hematoma (5.98%). Implants placed in the malar region (2.67%) and frontal bones (2.50%) were associated with the highest rates of infection. Implants placed in the periorbital region were associated with the highest rate of inflammation (8.0%), explantation (8.0%), and poor cosmetic outcome (17.0%). Porous implants were shown to be more likely to potentiate infection than non-porous implant types. Alloplastic facial implants are a reliable means of restoring facial symmetry and achieving facial skeletal augmentation with a relatively low complication profile. It is important for plastic surgeons to understand the relative risks for each type of implant to develop postoperative complications or poor long-term cosmetic results. Interestingly, porous implants were shown to be more likely to potentiate infection than non-porous implant types. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
How do hotels manage food waste? evidence from hotels in Orlando, Florida

Food waste is a vital concern for many hotel firms with significant implications for developing competitive strategies, implementing environmental practices, and highlighting corporate social respo...
Experimental study of heat transfer enhancement in liquid piston compressor using aqueous foam

Abstract Efficiency of gas compression can be significantly improved by achieving isothermal compression. A high heat transfer rate in the compression chamber is desired to achieve the isothermal compression process. A large surface area and a high heat transfer coefficient of aqueous foam can be used to achieve a significantly high heat transfer rate in the compression chamber. In this study, a novel heat transfer enhancement technique using aqueous foam is investigated in a compressor for achieving near-isothermal compression. Experiments are performed with the use of aqueous foam generated inside a liquid piston compressor. The volume of aqueous foam in the compression chamber, the air flow rate for foam generation, and various foam generator designs are considered in this parametric investigation. It is observed that the use of aqueous foam in the compression chamber is highly effective in reducing air temperature during the compression process. A higher volume of aqueous foam in the compression chamber leads to a significant increment in isothermal efficiency, however, with higher variability. The higher variability in efficiency is due to the higher cyclic variation of the temperature profiles during compression. A compression chamber completely filled with aqueous foam shows a 4–8% improvement in the efficiency for a compression ratio of 2.5. Moreover, several foam generator designs were tested to identify if there is any dependency of cyclic variability on foam generator design parameters. The results show some promise on optimizing the design to reduce the variability. Overall, the heat transfer enhancement using aqueous foam is effective in achieving an isothermal efficiency up to 92% compared to 86% for the no-foam case in a liquid piston compressor.
Clinical diagnostics and treatment strategies for Philadelphia chromosome–like acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Philadelphia chromosome-like B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL) accounts for 15% to 30% of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in older children, adolescents, and adults and is associated with high rates of conventional treatment failure and relapse. Current clinical trials are assessing the efficacy of the addition of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to chemotherapy for children and adults with Ph-like ALL harboring ABL class translocations or CRLF2 rearrangements and other JAK pathway alterations. However, real-time diagnosis of patients can be quite challenging given the genetic heterogeneity of this disease and the often cytogenetically cryptic nature of Ph-like ALL-associated alterations. In this review, we discuss the complex biologic and clinical features of Ph-like ALL across the age spectrum, available diagnostic testing modalities, and current clinical treatment strategies for these high-risk patients. We further propose a practical and step-wise approach to Ph-like ALL genetic testing to facilitate the identification and allocation of patients to appropriate clinical trials of TKI-based therapies or commercially available drugs. Although the majority of patients with Ph-like ALL can be successfully identified via current clinical assays by the end of induction chemotherapy, increasing diagnostic efficiency and sensitivity and decreasing time to test resulting will facilitate earlier therapeutic intervention and may improve clinical outcomes for these high-risk patients.
The effect of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block on postsurgical pain: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The effect of erector spinae plane block has been evaluated by clinical trials leading to a diversity of results. The main objective of the current investigation is to compare the analgesic efficacy of erector spinae plane block to no block intervention in patients undergoing surgical procedures. We performed a quantitative systematic review of randomized controlled trials in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar electronic databases from their inception through July 2019. Included trials reported either on opioid consumption or pain scores as postoperative pain outcomes. Methodological quality of included studies was evaluated using Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. Thirteen randomized controlled trials evaluating 679 patients across different surgical procedures were included. The aggregated effect of erector spinae plane block on postoperative opioid consumption revealed a significant effect, weighted mean difference of − 8.84 (95% CI: − 12.54 to − 5.14), (P < 0.001) IV mg morphine equivalents. The effect of erector spinae plane block on post surgical pain at 6 h compared to control revealed a significant effect weighted mean difference of − 1.31 (95% CI: − 2.40 to − 0.23), P < 0.02. At 12 h, the weighted mean difference was of − 0.46 (95% CI: − 1.01 to 0.09), P = 0.10. No block related complications were reported. Our results provide moderate quality evidence that erector spinae plane block is an effective strategy to improve postsurgical analgesia.
Recorded Continuous Oximetry Improves Postdischarge Management of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

* Abbreviations: BPD — : bronchopulmonary dysplasia RHO — : recorded home oximetry Bringing a healthy newborn home for the first time can be overwhelming. Bringing a medically fragile, technology-dependent preterm infant with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) home can be life altering. Peri-discharge communication between multiple inpatient and outpatient providers is often fragmented, leaving families vulnerable and stressed.1,2 The equipment commonly used for home monitoring of infants on supplemental oxygen does not communicate with the providers responsible for decisions about titration of the support after discharge. Parents are therefore expected to intermittently report (by recall or by manual diary) the infant’s respiratory status and oxygen saturation trends to the clinicians. Clinicians must make decisions on the basis of the parental history and brief direct observations. Novel approaches to providing high-quality data to the clinicians responsible for postdischarge management of technology-dependent infants with BPD are urgently needed. The recorded home oximetry (RHO) trial reported by Rhein et al3 in this month’s issue of Pediatrics is the first rigorous study to record pulse oximetry in the home environment and use these data to guide the care of preterm infants on supplemental oxygen … Address correspondence to Sara B. DeMauro, MD, MSCE, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Robert’s Center for Pediatric Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2716 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19146. E-mail: demauro{at}email.chop.edu
Multi-task learning for ultrasound image formation and segmentation directly from raw in vivo data

Deep neural networks have demonstrated potential to both create images and segment structures of interest directly from raw ultrasound data in one step, through an end-to-end transformation. Building on previous work from our group, subaperture beamformed IQ data from in vivo breast cyst data was the input to a custom network that outputs parallel B-mode and cyst segmentation images. Our new model includes bright point and line targets during training to overcome the limited field of view challenges encountered with our previous deep learning models, which were purely trained using simulations of cysts and homogeneous tissue structures. This new network resulted in cyst contrast values of $-33.07\pm 10.79\ \text{dB}, -32.09\pm 0.04 \text{dB}$ , and $-15.95\pm 12.04\ \text{dB}$ for simulated, phantom, and in vivo data, respectively, which is an improvement over the contrast of corresponding delay and sum (DAS) images (i.e., $-17.37\pm 6.06\ \text{dB},\ -17.14\pm 0.16\ \text{dB}$ , and $14.80\pm 1.30\ \text{dB}$ for simulated, phantom, and in vivo, respectively). Higher dice similarity coefficients (DSCs) were obtained with in vivo data with the new network ( .83 \pm 0.01$ ) when compared to our previous model ( .63\pm 0.03$ ), and fewer false positives were encountered. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using multi-task learning to simultaneously form a B-mode image and cyst segmentation with a wider field of view that is appropriate for in vivo breast imaging. These results have promising implications for multiple tasks, including emphasizing or de-emphasizing structures of interest for diagnostic, interventional, automated, and semi-automated decision making.
Reconsidering the Constitutionality of Federal Sentencing Guidelines AfterBlakely: A Former Commissioner's Perspective

... On June 24, 2004, the United States Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision that called into question the constitutionality of the federal sentencing guidelines. ... It suggests that Congress would probably fill the void with a strict regime of mandatory minimum sentences likely to make critics of the current federal system wax nostalgic for the good old days of guideline sentencing. ... The Apprendi Court viewed sentencing enhancements that increased the defendant's penalty beyond the authorized statutory maximum sentence as the functional equivalent of an element of a greater offense than the one covered by the jury's guilty verdict. Accordingly, Apprendi held that other than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury, and proved beyond a reasonable doubt. ... As the jury's verdict alone did not authorize punishment beyond the statutory sentencing range for second degree kidnapping, Blakely's penalty violated the Constitution. ... Indeed, at least one federal judge has wisely concluded that Churchill's adage about democracy also applies to the federal guideline system: It is the worst possible way to sentence a defendant, except for all the others. ...
Standardizing Dainotti-correlated gamma-ray bursts, and using them with standardized Amati-correlated gamma-ray bursts to constrain cosmological model parameters.

We show that each of the three Dainotti-correlated gamma-ray burst (GRB) data sets recently compiled by Wang et al. and Hu et al., that together probe the redshift range $0.35 \leq z \leq 5.91$, obey cosmological-model-independent Dainotti correlation relations and so are standardizable. We use these GRB data in conjunction with the best currently-available Amati-correlated GRB data, that probe $0.3399 \leq z \leq 8.2$, to constrain cosmological model parameters. The resulting cosmological constraints are weak, providing lower limits on the non-relativistic matter density parameter, mildly favoring non-zero spatial curvature, and largely consistent with currently accelerated cosmological expansion as well as with constraints determined from better-established data.
Combining quantum key distribution with chaotic systems for free-space optical communications

In this work, we propose a free-space optical (FSO) communication system that combines chaotic communications with quantum key distribution (QKD) to achieve greater security and range compared to existing FSO techniques such as N-slit interferometers. We utilize Lorenz chaotic transmitter and receiver models, which are inherently auto-synchronizable, to generate chaotic signals used as data carriers. Data are transmitted securely over a classical channel using the Lorenz chaotic communication system, while a quantum channel is used for securely exchanging critical synchronization parameters via a combination of QKD and public-key cryptography protocols. Because FSO communications have been utilized by spaces agencies including NASA and ESA, we provide a concept of operations for a space mission combining chaotic communications and QKD to achieve an end-to-end encrypted deep-space optical communications link. Our experimental work includes successful real-time transmission of high-resolution single-spectral and multi-spectral images, measurement of bit-error-rate over a range of noise levels, and an evaluation of security and robustness of transmissions with dynamic reconfiguration of the chaotic systems.
New Optically Pumped FIR Laser Lines and Frequency Measurements from CH3OD

This work reports the discovery of 45 new optically pumped far-infrared (FIR) laser lines from CH3OD in the range 42.6 μm to 207.2 μm. A highly efficient CO2 laser was used as the pump laser for an Optically-pumped Fabry-Perot FIR laser. The frequencies of most of the new lines were measured in the range 1.7 to 6.4 THz. Twenty-eight CO2 lines were used as pump lines; nineteen of these had frequencies lower than those previously used to pump CH3OD in a FIR laser. Sixteen of the new FIR lines had absorption transitions which belong to the OD bending vibrational mode.
SU-E-J-101: Improved CT to CBCT Deformable Registration Accuracy by Incorporating Multiple CBCTs

Purpose: Combining prior day CBCT contours with STAPLE was previously shown to improve automated prostate contouring. These accurate STAPLE contours are now used to guide the planning CT to pre-treatment CBCT deformable registration. Methods: Six IGRT prostate patients with daily kilovoltage CBCT had their original planning CT and 9 CBCTs contoured by the same physician. These physician contours for the planning CT and each prior CBCT are deformed to match the current CBCT anatomy, producing multiple contour sets. These sets are then combined using STAPLE into one optimal set (e.g. for day 3 CBCT, combine contours produced using the plan plus day 1 and 2 CBCTs). STAPLE computes a probabilistic estimate of the true contour from this collection of contours by maximizing sensitivity and specificity. The deformation field from planning CT to CBCT registration is then refined by matching its deformed contours to the STAPLE contours. ADMIRE (Elekta Inc.) was used for this. The refinement does not force perfect agreement of the contours, typically Dice’s Coefficient (DC) of > 0.9 is obtained, and the image difference metric remains in the optimization of the deformable registration. Results: The average DC between physician delineated CBCT contours and deformed planning CT contours formore » the bladder, rectum and prostate was 0.80, 0.79 and 0.75, respectively. The accuracy significantly improved to 0.89, 0.84 and 0.84 (P<0.001 for all) when using the refined deformation field. The average time to run STAPLE with five scans and refine the planning CT deformation was 66 seconds on a Telsa K20c GPU. Conclusion: Accurate contours generated from multiple CBCTs provided guidance for CT to CBCT deformable registration, significantly improving registration accuracy as measured by contour DC. A more accurate deformation field is now available for transferring dose or electron density to the CBCT for adaptive planning. Research grant from Elekta.« less
Using Community Needs Assessments to Develop Health Curricula.

(1979). Using Community Needs Assessments to Develop Health Curricula. Health Education: Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 36-37.
Design of a 90/spl deg/ overmoded waveguide bend

A design for a 90/spl deg/ bend for the TE/sub 01/ mode in over-moded circular waveguide is presented. A pair of septa, symmetrically placed perpendicular to the plane of the bend, are adiabatically introduced into the waveguide before the bend and removed after it. Introduction of the curvature excites five propagating modes in the curved section. The finite element field solver YAP is used to calculate the propagation constants of these modes in the bend, and the guide diameter, septum depth, septum thickness, and bend radius are set so that the phase advances of all five modes through the bend are equal module 2/spl pi/. To a good approximation these modes are expected to recombine to form a pure mode at the end of the bend. >
Low frequency acoustic pulse propagation in temperate forests

Measurements of acoustic pulse propagation for a 30-m path were conducted in an open field and in seven different forest stands in the northeastern United States consisting of deciduous, evergreen, or mixed tree species. The waveforms recorded in forest generally show the pulse elongation characteristic of propagation over a highly porous ground surface, with high frequency scattered arrivals superimposed on the basic waveform shape. Waveform analysis conducted to determine ground properties resulted in acoustically determined layer thicknesses of 4-8 cm in summer, within 2 cm of the directly measured thickness of the litter layers. In winter the acoustic thicknesses correlated with the site-specific snow cover depths. Effective flow resistivity values of 50-88 kN s m(-4) were derived for the forest sites in summer, while lower values typical for snow were found in winter. Reverberation times (T60) were typically around 2 s, but two stands (deciduous and pruned spruce planted on a square grid) had lower values of about 1.2 s. One site with a very rough ground surface had very low summer flow resistivity value and also had the longest reverberation time of about 3 s. These measurements can provide parameters useful for theoretical predictions of acoustic propagation within forests.
The accuracy and effectiveness of routine population screening with mammography, prostate-specific antigen, and prenatal ultrasound: a review of published scientific evidence.

Objective To review published data regarding the accuracy and effectiveness of three screening tests: mammography, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and prenatal ultrasound. Methods Published evidence regarding the accuracy and effectiveness of the three tests was collected by computerized literature search and supplemented by manual review of relevant bibliographies. Results Screening mammograms lower breast cancer mortality by about 20%. Most data come from women aged 50-64 years; women aged 40-49 years may also benefit, but the absolute risk reduction is lower. Up to 1,500 to 2,500 women must undergo screening to prevent one death from breast cancer. Mammograms miss approximately 12% to 37% of cancers, generate false-positive results, and cause anxiety while abnormal results are evaluated. PSA screening can detect 80% to 85% of prostate cancers but has a high false-positive rate. There is little direct evidence that early detection reduces morbidity or mortality. Indirect evidence includes a trend toward earlier stage tumors and steadily declining mortality rates in geographic areas where PSA screening has become common. Potential harms include the morbidity associated with evaluating abnormal results, and complications from treatment (e.g., impotence, incontinence). The overall balance of benefits and harms remains uncertain in the absence of better evidence. Prenatal ultrasound may reduce perinatal mortality, primarily through elective abortions for congenital anomalies, but does not appear to lower live birth rates. Although ultrasound has no proven effect on neonatal morbidity, it provides more accurate estimates of gestational age that prevent unnecessary inductions for post-term pregnancy. Screening detects multiple gestations, congenital anomalies, and intrauterine growth retardation, but direct health benefits from having this knowledge are unproved. Ultrasound has both positive and negative psychological effects on parents. The scans do not appear to harm childhood development. Conclusions Even for the most established screening tests, the appropriateness of routine testing depends on subjective value judgments about the quality of supporting evidence and about the trade-offs between benefits and harms. Individuals, clinicians, policy makers, and governments must weigh the evidence in light of these values and the constraints imposed by available resources.
Recreating the American Republic: Rules of Apportionment, Constitutional Change, and American Political Development, 1700-1870

1. Introduction 2. Raising leviathan: British-American relations, 1700-1774 3. Our emperors have no clothes: the macro-micro synthesis and the American Revolution 4. Union over multiplicity: a bond of words, a confederation in speech, and the constitutional rule of equal state apportionment 5. Contours of the confederation: macro-level conditions, 1776-1786 6. Divide et impera: constitutional heresthetics and the breaking of the articles 7. The veil of representational certainty: the 1787 constitutional convention 8. The relational republic: macro-level conditions, 1790-1860 9. Between consent and coercion: libido dominandum and the end of representation 10. Conclusions.
An Object-Oriented Collection of Minimum Degree Algorithms

The multiple minimum degree (MMD) algorithm and its variants have enjoyed more than 20 years of research and progress in generating fill-reducing orderings for sparse, symmetric, positive definite matrices. Although conceptually simple, efficient implementations of these algorithms are deceptively complex and highly specialized. In this case study, we present an object-oriented library that implements several recent minimum degree-like algorithms. We discuss how object-oriented design forces us to decompose these algorithms in a different manner than earlier codes and demonstrate how this impacts the flexibility and efficiency of our C++ implementation. We compare the performance of our code against other implementations in C or Fortran.
Copyright, Piracy and Fair Use in the Networked Age A Cato Policy Analysis

New Internet-based technologies appear to threaten the ability of copyright owners to collect revenues for their intellectual creations, as epitomized by the recent public trials and tribulations experienced by Napster. As a response, new legislation against pirating and new technologies to protect intellectual products have arisen. These new technologies and counter-technologies have each attracted attention and analysis, sometimes bordering on the apocalyptic, from competing camps. The basic issue, whether technologies that enhance the ability to create unauthorized copying are destructive to the principles of copyright, is not a new one, however. Technologies that make it easier to pirate copyrighted materials have undergone economic examination for over two decades. Prior analysis, and prior experience, has indicated that the previous generations of copying technologies have not had dire consequences for copyright owners. This paper, after examining a history of previous copying technologies, examines the question as to whether new Internet copying technologies are actually likely to be different from the prior generations of copying technologies in being likely to destroy the value of the intellectual property rights, and concludes that the answer is yes, unless consumers are extremely law abiding. It then examines that evidence that has been put forward to support a claim that Napster was destructive of the revenues of CD industry, and concludes that the evidence does not support such a finding. I then explain why it is that the negative impacts of Napster were unlikely to have been felt at the time these examinations were undertaken. Finally, the analysis examines the impact of a possible market-based solution to this potential problem, based on new anti-piracy technologies known as digital rights management. This technology not only promises to make copying harder, but also allows the copyright owner to charge tiny micropayments for various degrees of use of the product. This extra control by copyright owners over the usage of the copyrighted material has set off a firestorm of controversy by individuals concerned that traditional 'fair-use' of a product will disappear and further claiming that digital rights management will lead to economic inefficiency. I show that digital rights management, contrary to these claims, does not eliminate fair use and is likely to enhance economic efficiency. Nevertheless, attempts by government to force the adoption of anti-copying technology appear misguided.
A Study of AR 9144; A Fast-Growing EFR

This paper is a study of NOAA region 9144, an emerging flux region (EFR) which grew rapidly beginning 25 August 2000. This region was visible in SOHO data at 0 UT on 25 August 2000 as a small, isolated spot. It was recognizable as an active region with multiple spots by 06:00 UT on the 25th and was a fully developed AR by 24h UT on the 26th of August. Data are presented from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) experiment on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory satellite (SOHO), from Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) and from the San Fernando Observatory (SFO). The MDI data are Dopplergrams, magnetograms, and continuum images. The BBSO data are high-resolution Hα filtergrams. The SFO data are Dopplergrams, magnetograms and continuum images from the Video SpectraSpectroHeliograph (VSSHG). MDI Doppler images show that during the rapid growth of this EFR during the day of 26 August, the most obvious feature in area and lifetime is a red-shifted area in the trailing part of the region. SFO Doppler images show a more complex pattern, but still dominated by red shifts in the trailing part of the region near the end of the day of 26 August.
Beyond resveratrol: A review of natural stilbenoids identified from 2009–2013

Polyphenols constitute a large chemical class of phytochemicals among which the stilbenoid sub-class has attracted significant attention due to their elaborate structural diversity and biological activities. Resveratrol, a well-known stilbene, has been extensively studied due to its wide range of biological activities and occurrence in plant foods, including grape and some berries. Apart from the intact resveratrol molecule and closely related analogs, this compound can be regarded as a monomer which occurs as a primary building block for subsequent polymerization which leads to extensive structural diversity. Consequently, stilbenoids exhibit a vast array of polymerization and oligomeric construction, with over 60 such naturally occurring stilbenes being isolated and identified in the last five years alone, adding to the hundreds which are already known to date. This review updates the literature on natural stilbenoids which have been isolated and identified since 2009 and discusses the biological activities of this sub-class of bioactive polyphenols as a whole.
Mosaic Structure of Plasmids From Natural Populations of Escherichia coli

The distribution of plasmids related to the fertility factor F was examined in the ECOR reference collection of Escherichia coli. Probes specific for four F-related genes were isolated and used to survey the collection by DNA hybridization. To estimate the genetic diversity of genes in F-like plasmids, DNA sequences were obtained for four plasmid genes. The phylogenetic relationships among the plasmids in the ECOR strains is very different from that of the strains themselves. This finding supports the view that plasmid transfer has been frequent within and between the major groups of ECOR. Furthermore, the sequences indicate that recombination between genes in plasmids takes place at a considerably higher frequency than that observed for chromosomal genes. The plasmid genes, and by inference the plasmids themselves, are mosaic in structure with different regions acquired from different sources. Comparison of gene sequences from a variety of naturally occurring plasmids suggested a plausible donor of some of the recombinant regions as well as implicating a chi site in the mechanism of genetic exchange. The relatively high rate of recombination in F-plasmid genes suggests that conjugational gene transfer may play a greater role in bacterial population structure than previously appreciated.
Carotenoids from In Ovo or Dietary Sources Blunt Systemic Indices of the Inflammatory Response in Growing Chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Lutein, a dihydroxycarotenoid, has antioxidant and immunomodulatory potential. Two 2 x 2 x 2 factorial designs examined effects of carotenoids during in ovo embryogenesis and, in the diet posthatch, on the systemic inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In both trials, breeder hens were fed a carotenoid-replete (40 mg lutein/kg) or a carotenoid-deplete diet, eggs were collected, and chicks were hatched from carotenoid-deplete or carotenoid-replete eggs. Meat-type chicks (n = 160 and n = 144, respectively) were then fed diets containing 0 or 40 mg lutein/kg diet and either injected or not injected with LPS. LPS injection increased plasma haptoglobin and Zn (P < 0.01) and reduced plasma Fe and Cu (P < 0.01). Chicks hatched from carotenoid-deplete eggs had greater changes in plasma Fe and S post-LPS than chicks hatched from carotenoid-replete eggs (P < 0.05 for each). Compared with chicks fed 40 mg lutein/kg diet, chicks fed 0 mg lutein had greater body weight losses and higher plasma haptoglobin and relative thymus, bursa, and spleen weights post-LPS (P < 0.05). Data suggest that a lack of carotenoid exposure, either in ovo or posthatch, increases parameters of systemic inflammation.
Effects of almond consumption on the reduction of Ldl-cholesterol: a discussion of potential mechanisms and future research directions

Diet plays a seminal role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Consumption of tree nuts has been shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), a primary target for coronary disease prevention, by 3–19%. Almonds have been found to have a consistent LDL-C-lowering effect in healthy individuals, and in individuals with high cholesterol and diabetes, in both controlled and free-living settings. Almonds are low in saturated fatty acids, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, and contain fiber, phytosterols, and plant protein. Other cardioprotective nutrients unique to almonds include α-tocopherol, arginine, magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium, and potassium. Mechanisms responsible for the LDL-C reduction observed with almond consumption are likely associated with the nutrients almonds provide. Biologically active by nature, these nutrients target primary mechanistic routes of LDL-C reduction, including decreased (re)absorption of cholesterol and bile acid, increased bile acid and cholesterol excretion, and increased LDL-C receptor activity. The nutrients present in almonds may regulate enzymes involved in de novo cholesterol synthesis and bile acid production. Research is needed to understand all mechanisms by which almonds reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
Unusual Tumor Response and Toxicity from Radiation and Concurrent Erlotinib for Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract We report a case of a never-smoker female with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who experienced a striking tumor response to combined low-dose radiation and the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor erlotinib, even though erlotinib alone was not effective in preventing tumor progression. Furthermore, the patient developed symptomatic pneumonitis, which is unusual for the small volume of lung that was exposed to a significant dose of radiation. This case demonstrates that combination therapy with radiation and erlotinib has the potential to significantly benefit a subset of patients with NSCLC in addition to those approximately 10% who have tumors which respond to erlotinib alone. It also highlights the potential risks of molecular targeted radiation therapy.
Nuclease resistance of oligonucleotides containing the tricyclic cytosine analogues phenoxazine and 9-(2-aminoethoxy)-phenoxazine ("G-clamp") and origins of their nuclease resistance properties.

The tricyclic cytosine analogues phenoxazine and 9-(2-aminoethoxy)-phenoxazine (“G-clamp”) are known to significantly enhance the binding affinity of oligonucleotides to their complementary target DNA or RNA strands. To investigate their effect on the nuclease resistance, they were incorporated into model oligomers with a natural phosphodiester backbone, and enzymatic degradation was monitored in an in vitro assay with snake venom phosphodiesterase as the hydrolytic enzyme. In both cases, a single incorporation at the 3‘-terminus completely protected the oligonucleotides against 3‘-exonuclease attack. Further investigations indicate that the observed high nuclease resistance is not due to the lack of binding affinity to the enzyme's active site, since these modified oligonucleotides were able to inhibit degradation of a natural DNA fragment by bovine intestinal mucosal phosphodiesterase in a dose-dependent manner.
Up-regulation of NK cell activating receptors following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation under a lymphodepleting reduced intensity regimen is associated with elevated IL-15 levels.

Abstract Because natural killer (NK) cells can be potent anti-tumor effectors after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, we investigated NK reconstitution and receptor expression in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, focusing on the activating receptors that trigger anti-tumor responses. We determined that NK levels in the peri-transplant period were inversely proportional to the dramatic rise and fall in plasma levels of the NK homeostatic cytokine IL-15, which increased more than 50-fold from pretreatment to the day of transplant during the lymphoreductive preparative regimen. Furthermore, in NK cells cultured with IL-15, we observed an up-regulation of the activating receptors NKG2D, NKp30, and NKp46, associated with an increase in anti-tumor lytic activity. Similarly, the expression of these activating receptors increased significantly during the early post-transplant period, concurrent with a rapid increase in total NK cells and a shift toward increased expression of CD56. These data suggest that the cytokine milieu of transplants, in particular elevated levels of IL-15, may contribute to anti-tumor efficacy post-transplant by enhancing the recovery of NK subsets and modulating expression of activating receptors.
Role of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 over-expression in HTLV-1-driven cellular transformation and leukemia

Human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus that infects an estimated 15-25 million people worldwide. HTLV-1 is the causative infectious agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) and a neurodegenerative disease (HAM/TSP). While the probability of presenting any symptoms related to HTLV-1 infection is relatively low (5-10% for the lifetime of an infected individual), the disease progression and prognosis of those infected individuals who develop ATL is fatal, with a median survival range of 8-10 months. Unfortunately, ATL is highly chemotherapy resistant and while many current therapies improve ATL patient survival, the patients consistently relapse. Therefore, a need exists to develop treatments that improve ATL outcome. We have recently identified PRMT5 (protein arginine methyltransferase 5) as a potential target to modulate HTLV-1 gene expression. We find that PRMT5 levels are elevated in T-cell leukemia/lymphoma cell lines compared to freshly isolated naive T-cells. Likewise, PRMT5 levels are elevated in total PBMCs isolated from ATL patients. However, PRMT5 RNA levels do not correlate to PRMT5 protein levels, suggesting a possible post-transcriptional method of regulation. Furthermore, we also show that PRMT5 levels are elevated during T-cell transformation by using HTLV-1 short-term immortalization assays. Utilizing shRNA vectors, we demonstrate that knockdown of endogenous PRMT5 results in decreased cellular proliferation and increased HTLV-1 viral gene expression. In addition, we observe a decrease in cell proliferation and an increase in viral gene expression when HTLV-1-infected/-transformed cells are treated with a novel small molecule inhibitor of PRMT5 (PRMT5i). Conversely, PRMT5i does not induce re-activation from HIV-1 chronically infected cells. We previously reported a protein-protein interaction between the HTLV-1 accessory protein, p30, and PRMT5. We further show PRMT5 enhances the ability of p30 to inhibit viral gene expression. In conclusion, we find PRMT5 to be a negative regulator of HTLV-1 and a potential target in HTLV-1-mediated disease.
Pauses and Syntax in American Sign Language.

Abstract Research on spoken languages has shown that the durations of silent pauses in a sentence are strongly related to the syntactic structure of the sentence. A similar analysis of the pauses (holds) in a passage in American Sign Language reveals that sequences of signs are also interspersed with holds of different lengths: long holds appear to indicate the ends of sentences; shorter holds, the break between two conjoined sentences; and the shortest holds, breaks between internal constituents. Thus, pausal analysis is a guide to parsing sentences in ASL.
Coffee Consumption Associated with Increased Mortality of Women with Breast Cancer.

Abstract Background: There has been some speculation that caffeine consumption may affect breast cancer. Most case–control studies have not documented evidence of a caffeine-breast cancer incidence link; however, there has been very little analysis of the possible effects of caffeine consumption on breast cancer survival. Methods: We examined overall a 20-year survival of 96 women treated for breast cancer between 1990 and 1994. As part of their health history, these women were asked about coffee drinking. Results: Fifty-three women drank one cup a day (79.2% survival), 22 women had two cups a day (72.7% survival), and 21 women drank three or more cups a day (42.9% survival). The effect of coffee consumption on survival was significant (p=0.006, the log rank test). To exclude the effects of lymph node involvement, age at diagnosis, and smoking history, Cox regression was performed. The effect of coffee was significant (p=0.001), independent of the effects of lymph node involvement (p=0.012) and age at dia...
Toxin-induced chemosensory dysfunction: a case series and review.

Background Toxic chemical exposures are estimated to account for 1-5% of all olfactory disorders. Both olfactory neurons and taste buds are in direct contact with environmental agents because of their relatively unprotected anatomic locations, thereby making them susceptible to damage from acute and chronic toxic exposures. The aim of this study was to illustrate different aspects of the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to this disorder using a series of case reports and review of the literature. Methods Cases were selected for inclusion based on a retrospective chart review of patients who presented to a university-based nasal dysfunction clinic with toxin-induced olfactory or gustatory dysfunction between January 1985 and December 2008. Workup included complete history, otolaryngologic examination, psychophysical testing, and imaging. Results Patient ages ranged from 31 to 67 years (mean, 49.3 years). Etiology of chemosensory impairment included exposure to ammonia, isodecanes, hairdressing chemicals, chemotherapy, gasoline, and intranasal zinc. Five of the seven patients (71%) presented with olfactory dysfunction alone, one patient (14%) presented with dysgeusia alone, and one patient (14%) presented with both smell and taste loss. Only one patient (14%) reported parosmias. Tests of olfaction revealed normosmia in one patient (14%), mild-to-moderate hyposmia in one patient (14%), and severe hyposmia to anosmia in five patients (72%). Both patients who reported taste disorders had hypogeusia on testing. Conclusion This case series illustrates the wide spectrum of this disorder and provides a framework for the workup and treatment of these patients.
Calcium-independent calmodulin binding and two-metal-ion catalytic mechanism of anthrax edema factor.

Edema factor (EF), a key anthrax exotoxin, has an anthrax protective antigen-binding domain (PABD) and a calmodulin (CaM)-activated adenylyl cyclase domain. Here, we report the crystal structures of CaM-bound EF, revealing the architecture of EF PABD. CaM has N- and C-terminal domains and each domain can bind two calcium ions. Calcium binding induces the conformational change of CaM from closed to open. Structures of the EF–CaM complex show how EF locks the N-terminal domain of CaM into a closed conformation regardless of its calcium-loading state. This represents a mechanism of how CaM effector alters the calcium affinity of CaM and uncouples the conformational change of CaM from calcium loading. Furthermore, structures of EF–CaM complexed with nucleotides show that EF uses two-metal–ion catalysis, a prevalent mechanism in DNA and RNA polymerases. A histidine (H351) further facilitates the catalysis of EF by activating a water to deprotonate 3′OH of ATP. Mammalian adenylyl cyclases share no structural similarity with EF and they also use two-metal–ion catalysis, suggesting the catalytic mechanism-driven convergent evolution of two structurally diverse adenylyl cyclases.
Computer-Mediated Collocation Resources for Exploring Word Choice in English Academic Writing

This article introduces teachers to some freely available online resources designed to help writers – those of all skill levels, especially language learners – with collocation. It shows how wildcard searches in search engines, online corpora, and concordance tools can be used to check and explore collocations in writing.
An Interactive Problem-Solving Approach to the Teaching of a Marriage and Family Course.

This article describes a method for promoting student interest and involvement in a marriage and family course. The method supplements lectures with problem-solving sessions for small groups. The instructor uses session outcomes to encourage critical evaluation by the entire class. Students' positive reactions to the course emphasize the complementarity of a traditional scholarly approach and interactive personal involvement.
Use of a Caspase Multiplexing Assay to Determine Apoptosis in a Hypothalamic Cell Model

The ability to multiplex assays in studies of complex cellular mechanisms eliminates the need for repetitive experiments, provides internal controls, and decreases waste in costs and reagents. Here we describe optimization of a multiplex assay to assess apoptosis following a palmitic acid (PA) challenge in an in vitro hypothalamic model, using both fluorescent and luminescent based assays to measure viable cell counts and caspase-3/7 activity in a 96-well microtiter plate format. Following PA challenge, viable cells were determined by a resazurin-based fluorescent assay. Caspase-3/7 activity was then determined using a luminogenic substrate, DEVD, and normalized to cell number. This multiplexing assay is a useful technique for determining change in caspase activity following an apoptotic stimulus, such as saturated fatty acid challenge. The saturated fatty acid PA can increase hypothalamic oxidative stress and apoptosis, indicating the potential importance of assays such as that described here in studying the relationship between saturated fatty acids and neuronal function.
Relation between the number of myelin lamellae and axon circumference in fibers of vagus and sciatic nerves of mice.

Nerve fiber populations of the vagus and sciatic nerves of mice were classified according to the number of myelin lamellae present in the sheaths. This method for classifying fiber populations was superior to others used previously since it provided a more sensitive procedure for the analysis of individual fibers and better control over the technical factors involved in tissue processing. The relationship of the number of myelin lamellae in the sheath to axon circumference was found to be linear. In fresh tissue there was one myelin lamella for every 0.24 μ increase in axon circumference above da value of 2.32 μ (the mean circumference of an average-sized nonmyelinated fiber). A formula was proposed which may be useful for understanding how axons control myelin development and interpreting developmental stages, as well as for evaluating pathologic conditions affecting the peripheral nervous system. The critical diameter above which fibers were found to be myelinated was about 0.8 μ for fixed nerve and 1.1 μ for fresh nerve. The ratio of axon diameter to fiber diameter ranged between 0.5 and 0.9 and was not related to fiber size.
Putting the neo into neoangiogenesis.

Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels develop by sprouting of preexisting vessels, and until recently this was considered the sole mechanism of blood vessel formation in postnatal life. The development of the vascular system in the embryo, termed vasculogenesis, is due to in situ differentiation of endothelial progenitors or angioblasts. Studies over the last five years have modified this dogma, since endothelial stem cells have been identified in the adult and have been shown to participate in new blood vessel formation in normal and pathological states, including tumor “neoangiogenesis” (1–5).