cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inelastic Neutron Scattering Measurement of Pozzolan Performance in Portland Cement

Pozzolanic materials such as silica fume or fly ash are added to Portland cement concrete mixes to reduce shrinkage and increase durability. One measure of a pozzolan’s performance is its consumption of calcium hydroxide, which is a product of the main cement hydration reaction[1]. Inelastic neutron scattering has been applied to make in situ measurement of the amount of calcium hydroxide in cement paste samples as a function of pozzolan mix fraction, composition and particle size distribution. This is a molecular vibrational spectroscopy technique that identifies calcium hydroxide by the major phonon mode of the OH group oscillations at 41 meV [5]. The method detects calcium hydroxide in both crystalline and amorphous forms. The measurements were made at the recently completed Filter Analyzer Neutron Spectrometer (FANS) at the Center for Neutron Research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD, which has a resolution on the order of 1 meV. The nondestructive nature of the technique makes it possible to remeasure the same specimen over time and thus to determine the kinetics of the pozzolanic reaction.
Distinct clinicopathologic clusters of persons with TDP-43 proteinopathy

To better understand clinical and neuropathological features of TDP-43 proteinopathies, data were analyzed from autopsied research volunteers who were followed in the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) data set. All subjects (n = 495) had autopsy-proven TDP-43 proteinopathy as an inclusion criterion. Subjects underwent comprehensive longitudinal clinical evaluations yearly for 6.9 years before death on average. We tested whether an unsupervised clustering algorithm could detect coherent groups of TDP-43 immunopositive cases based on age at death and extensive neuropathologic data. Although many of the brains had mixed pathologies, four discernible clusters were identified. Key differentiating features were age at death and the severity of comorbid Alzheimer’s disease neuropathologic changes (ADNC), particularly neuritic amyloid plaque densities. Cluster 1 contained mostly cases with a pathologic diagnosis of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-TDP), consistent with enrichment of frontotemporal dementia clinical phenotypes including appetite/eating problems, disinhibition and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Cluster 2 consisted of elderly limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE-NC) subjects without severe neuritic amyloid plaques. Subjects in Cluster 2 had a relatively slow cognitive decline. Subjects in both Clusters 3 and 4 had severe ADNC + LATE-NC; however, Cluster 4 was distinguished by earlier disease onset, swifter disease course, more Lewy body pathology, less neocortical TDP-43 proteinopathy, and a suggestive trend in a subgroup analysis (n = 114) for increased C9orf72 risk SNP rs3849942 T allele (Fisher’s exact test p value = 0.095). Overall, clusters enriched with neocortical TDP-43 proteinopathy (Clusters 1 and 2) tended to have lower levels of neuritic amyloid plaques, and those dying older (Clusters 2 and 3) had far less PPA or disinhibition, but more apathy. Indeed, 98% of subjects dying past age 85 years lacked clinical features of the frontotemporal dementia syndrome. Our study revealed discernible subtypes of LATE-NC and underscored the importance of age of death for differentiating FTLD-TDP and LATE-NC.
9 Frailty is independently associated with worse outcomes and increased resource use following procedures to treat endometrial cancer

Introduction Frailty has been associated with poorer surgical outcomes and is a critical factor in procedural risk assessment. The objective of this study is to validate surgical outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for endometrial cancer (EC). Methods Patients undergoing inpatient gynecologic surgery for EC were identified using the 2005–2017 National Inpatient Sample database. The Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) frailty-defining diagnosis indicator was used to designate frailty. Multivariate regression models were used to assess the association of frailty with post-operative outcomes and resource use. Results Of an estimated 339,846 patients, 2.9% (9,868) were considered frail. After adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics, frailty was associated with a four-fold increase in inpatient mortality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]:4.1; p Conclusion/Implications Frailty is independently associated with worse surgical outcomes, including mortality, and increased resource use in women undergoing surgery for EC. Though there have been improvements in mortality in more recent years, further efforts to mitigate the impact of frailty should be explored.
Unbiased Approaches for Reviewing Entomology Literature: A Systematized Review

Evidence synthesis and knowledge translation are scientific methodological approaches used across different disciplines for combining results from individual studies, interpreting them based on the body of evidence and with the objective of supporting decision-making. Systematic, rapid, and scoping reviews have a direct application in human health and social care, but also in veterinary medicine, which are areas that can overlap with medical and veterinary entomology. As a scientific field, the objective of medical and veterinary entomology is to identify and quantify the role of insects as transmitters of important arthropod-borne pathogens, thus contributing to the study of human and veterinary issues of public health importance. The main objectives of this review are to introduce to entomologists the most common knowledge translation and synthesis methods described in the literature, to then review the use of systematic, rapid, and scoping reviews applied in the medical and veterinary entomology field, using a systematized review approach. We found 120 relevant articles in the literature addressing topics related to medical and veterinary entomology and using systematic reviews of the literature or other evidence synthesis methods, which is concurrent with the ongoing trend towards the use of these methodologies. The application of unbiased approaches to entomology in general, and to medical and veterinary entomology in particular, will strengthen science- and evidence-based conclusions to be used as a tool for informing policy, decisions, and interventions.
Continuous Mixing Technology: Characterization of a Vertical Mixer Using Residence Time Distribution

Abstract Continuous powder mixing technology (CMT) application during continuous direct compression has emerged as a leading technology used in the development and manufacture of solid oral dosage forms. The critical quality attributes of the final product are heavily dependent on the performance of the mixing step as the quality of mixing directly influences the drug product quality attributes. This study investigates the impact of blend material properties (bulk density, API particle size distribution) and process parameters (process throughput, hold up mass and impeller speed) on the mixing performance. Mixing of the blend was characterized using the Residence Time Distribution (RTD) of the process by trending the outlet stream of the mixer using a near-infrared (NIR) probe after the injection of a small mass of tracer at the inlet stream. The outcomes of this study show that the RTDs of the mixer with throughput ranging between 15 and 30 kg/h; impeller speed ranging between 400 and 600 rpm and hold up mass (HUM) ranging between 500 and 850 g can be described by a series of two ideal Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTRs) with different volumes, and correspondingly, different mean residence times. It is also observed that the mixing is mainly occurring in the lower chamber of the CMT and the normalized RTDs of the mixer are similar across the range of process conditions and material attributes studied. The results also showed that the formulation blend with different API particle sizes and bulk properties, like bulk density and flowability, provide insignificant impact on the mixing performance. The CMT allows independent selection of target set points for HUM, impeller rotational speed and line throughput and it shows great robustness and flexibility for continuous blending in solid oral dose manufacturing.
Enteropathy-Associated T-Cell Lymphoma

Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL) is a rare non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma involving the small bowel. Clinical features include gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations and systemic B symptoms. EATL risk factors include untreated celiac disease (CeD), gluten-free diet (GFD) nonadherence, and refractory celiac disease (RCD). Malignant T-lymphocytes are characterized by expression of CD3, CD7, and cytotoxic T-cell markers. Genetic alterations manifest as clonally rearranged T-cell receptor genes, gene amplifications, and mutations involved in oncogenic signaling pathways. Diagnosis of EATL requires evaluation of a tissue specimen, frequently acquired through advanced endoscopic or surgical techniques. Computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance enterography (MRE), and/or positron emission tomography (PET) are needed to assess disease extent. Randomized trials guiding management are lacking, and clinical trial participation is preferred. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) is commonly employed. Outcomes with this approach are suboptimal, and improved therapies are needed. Clinical trials evaluating novel strategies including antibody drug conjugates and immune-mediated strategies are underway.
The Amenity Value of Sports Facilities: Evidence From the Staples Center in Los Angeles:

U.S. cities have recently experienced a boom in new sports facility construction. Although these facilities can provide benefits to local residents, they may also generate negative externalities, m...
Making a Case for Multimodal IPE: Developing a Competency-Based Interprofessional Curriculum for Health Professions Learners at Rural Campuses.

PURPOSE The purpose of this 4-year study was to explore the efficacy of a multimodal interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum that was developed for learners at rural campuses. METHODS Over the study period, participants included 113 learners and 7 faculty facilitators from 4 degree programs: Physician Assistant Studies, Social Work, Imaging Sciences, and Medicine. The study used a mixed-methods design, which included a combination of rating scale items (quantitative) and open response items (qualitative). RESULTS The results demonstrated statistically significant gains in the development of interprofessional competencies and a medium-large effect size for practical significance. The overall program evaluation ratings demonstrated learner satisfaction at or above the midpoint (benchmark) for each of the 4 years evaluated. The faculty facilitation was also rated highly. CONCLUSION The results of this 4-year study indicate that the Rural IPE program curriculum effectively employed technology to meaningfully engage rural learners in the acquisition and application of interprofessional competencies.
Neuroscience Concepts Changed Teachers' Views of Pedagogy and Students.

Advances in neuroscience reveal how individual brains change as learning occurs. Translating this neuroscience into practice has largely been unidirectional, from researchers to teachers. However, how teachers view and incorporate neuroscience ideas in their classroom practices remains relatively unexplored. Previously fourteen non-science teachers participated in a three-week three credit graduate course focusing on foundational ideas in neuroscience. The current work was undertaken to gain insight into if and how individual teachers choose to later apply the proposed set of Educational Neuroscience Concepts (ENCs) in their classrooms. This qualitative follow-up study examined commonalities in how teachers of diverse ages and subjects utilized their new neuroscience understandings. To this end, a year after the course, all participants assessed their perceived usefulness of the ENCs in a survey. Six of those teachers permitted classroom observations and participated in interviews that focused on how the ENCs may have influenced their lesson planning and teaching. The survey revealed that irrespective of subject areas or grade levels taught, teachers found the ENCs useful as organizing principles for their pedagogy now and in the future. Overall teachers estimated that the ENCs’ influence on lesson design had increased from 51% prior to the course to an estimated 90% for future lessons. A cross-case analysis of classroom observations and interviews revealed how teachers used ENCs to inform their pedagogical decisions, organize actions in their classroom, influence their understanding of students, and respond to individual contexts. Teachers recognized the importance of student agency for engaging them in the learning process. The ENCs also offered teachers explanations that affirmed known practices or helped justify exploring untried techniques. The foundational neuroscience concepts offered a small group of teachers a lens to reconsider, re-envision and re-design their lessons. Some teachers applied these ideas more broadly or frequently than others. This case study provided insights into how teachers can directly apply neuroscience knowledge to their practice and views of students.
Ultrasound-guided Injection Treatments versus Surgical Neurectomy for Morton Neuroma: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis.

Background: Morton neuroma is a common, painful disorder of the foot with multiple treatment options of varying cost and effectiveness. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the most co...
Frege, Perry, and Demonstratives

Presentation et discussion de la critique de la theorie fregeenne des demonstratifs par J. Perry. Distinction entre demonstratifs et indexicaux purs. La notion de "role" du demonstratif. La theorie descriptive. Les indexicaux ont-ils un sens? Ce sens s'exprime-t-il dans des descriptions pures ou impures? Comparaison avec les designateurs rigides. Le "sens" partiel des indexicaux. Les theories causales de la reference et le probleme de l'acces cognitif au referent des indexicaux.
Updating models for restoration and management of fiery ecosystems

Abstract Scientific models that guide restoration/management protocols should be reviewed periodically as new data become available. We examine ecological concepts used to guide restoration of pine savannas and woodlands, historically prominent but now rare habitats in the southern North American Coastal Plain. For many decades, pine savanna management has been guided predominantly by a biome-centric succession model. Pine savannas have been considered early-successional communities that, in the absence of fire, transition rapidly toward closed-canopy hardwood forests. Recurrent fires have been viewed as exogenous disturbances that maintain savanna ecosystems as a sub-climax, blocking succession to an equilibrium steady state (closed-canopy forests). Over recent decades, a vegetation-fire feedback model has emerged in which pine savannas are conceptualized as persistent, non-equilibrium communities maintained by endogenous, co-evolutionary vegetation-fire feedbacks. Endemic plant species are resistant to fires and specialized for post-fire conditions generated by frequent lightning fires, primarily within a distinct fire season. These species produce pyrogenic fine fuels that are easily ignited. The resulting fire regimes, entrained by these vegetation-fire feedbacks, are predicted to result in persistent pine savannas. Local variation over space and time in evolutionary feedback mechanisms between pyrogenic vegetation and fire regimes produces heterogeneous landscapes. Disturbances of these feedbacks, such as human fire suppression, are postulated to result in rapid transition to communities lacking feedback elements, such as closed-canopy forest and those without pyrogenic species. Succession-based management focuses on reversing the transition to forest, primarily by removing hardwoods and reintroducing fire as a disturbance. However, we advocate restoration and management approaches that target reinstitution of functional vegetation-fire feedbacks. Such approaches should favor native pyrogenic plant species and reinstitute fire regimes that mimic historical, evolutionarily derived fire regimes. Vegetation-fire feedback concepts should be useful in addressing resistance and resilience of fiery ecosystems worldwide to inherent changes in feedback mechanisms, constituting a framework useful in addressing global management challenges.
The Origin of the Glucosidic Linkage Oxygen of the Cyanogenic Glucosides, Linamarin and Lotaustralin

The incorporation of [18O]oxygen into linamarin and lotaustralin has been studied in linen flax seedlings and the glucosidic linkage oxygen atom shown to be derived from molecular oxygen.
Spatial Inequality in Access to Food Assistance in Indiana

This project is an analysis of the spatial inequality that exists between rural and urban areas in access to food assistance agencies. I gathered the population of all food pantries and soup kitchens in 24 sample counties in Indiana and mapped the location of these agencies using geographic information system analysis. Using the population center of the census block group, I measured the distance from the population center to the nearest food assistance agency. If the closest agency was more than a mile away, the census block group was considered a food assistance desert, a concept I created that draws on the food desert measurement. I found that rural high-poverty counties in my sample are the most likely to contain census block groups that are food assistance deserts, and urban high-poverty counties are the least likely to contain food assistance deserts. From these findings, I determine that access to assistance agencies needs to be increased in rural areas, especially rural areas with high-poverty rates.
Flow sensor using surface acoustic waves

The use of a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) device to measure rate of gas flow is described. The device is a delay-line stabilized SAW oscillator heated to a suitable temperature above the ambient. The delay line is placed in the path of the flowing gas. Flow of gas carries heat away by convection. This lowers the substrate temperature, thereby causing change in the oscillator frequency. The frequency of a 68-MHz oscillator fabricated on Y-cut, Z-propagating lithium niobate substrate increases by more than 160 kHz for variation in flow rate from 0 to 1000 ccm. >
Kinetic Characterization of the ATPase and Actin-activated ATPase Activities of Acanthamoeba castellanii Myosin-2

Phosphorylation of Ser-639 in loop-2 of the catalytic motor domain of the heavy chain of Acanthamoeba castellanii myosin-2 and the phosphomimetic mutation S639D have been shown previously to down-regulate the actin-activated ATPase activity of both the full-length myosin and single-headed subfragment-1 (Liu, X., Lee, D. Y., Cai, S., Yu, S., Shu, S., Levine, R. L., and Korn, E. D. (2013) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110, E23–E32). In the present study we determined the kinetic constants for each step in the myosin and actomyosin ATPase cycles of recombinant wild-type S1 and S1-S639D. The kinetic parameter predominantly affected by the S639D mutation is the actin-activated release of inorganic phosphate from the acto myosin·ADP·Pi complex, which is the rate-limiting step in the steady-state actomyosin ATPase cycle. As consequence of this change, the duty ratio of this conventional myosin decreases. We speculate on the effect of Ser-639 phosphorylation on the processive behavior of myosin-2 filaments. Background: Actin-activated ATPase activity of Acanthamoeba myosin-2 is inhibited by phosphorylation of Ser-639. Results: Kinetic constants for each step of the ATPase cycle were determined for wild-type myosin and the phosphomimetic mutant S639D. Conclusion: Ser-639 phosphorylation reduces actin-activated phosphate-release and hence the steady-state ATPase activity of the myosin. Significance: This is the first example of regulation of a myosin by covalent modification of loop-2.
Kinetics of cytoplasmic aspartate aminotransferase from three genotypes of the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)

Abstract 1. 1. Three genotypic forms of the cytoplasmic enzyme, aspartate aminotransferase from the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) were each analyzed kinetically after partial purification. 2. 2. Kmapp and Vmax for aspartate decreased in value as temperature changed from 37.9 to 15°C for all three forms. 3. 3. For the AA genotype, the binding enthalpies were highest at 37.9°C and lowest at 25°C, while for the A′A′ form, they were lowest at 37.9°Cand highest at 25°C. 4. 4. Results for the heterozygote were generally intermediate reflecting the 5. 5. Inhibition by glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate was of a non-competitive type for all three genotypes. properties of both subunits.
Immunotherapy tackles lupus.

Dysregulation of T cells and B cells occurs in lupus and other autoimmune diseases. A monoclonal antibody therapy that seems to activate T cells restores some balance in a mouse model of lupus ( pages 1405–1413 ).
Is homocysteine an iron- dependent cardiovascular risk factor?

Recent studies of endothelial function suggest that adverse vascular effects of homocysteine are iron-dependent. Iron sucrose worsens and iron chelation eliminates homocysteine-associated decreases in flow-mediated dialation. There may be no vasculopathic effect of homocysteine without available reactive iron. Iron-dependent amplification of the vascular effects of homocysteine may be one of several mechanisms by which stored iron increases cardiac risk.
Lipid mediator production in acute and chronic pancreatitis in the rat.

Abstract Pancreatic production of lipid mediators of inflammation, including eicosanoids and platelet-activating factor (PAF), was examined in two models of pancreatitis in the rat. Chronic pancreatitis was induced by ligation of the pancreatic duct and acute pancreatitis by infusion of sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. In the model of chronic pancreatitis, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), PGD2, 6-keto PGF1α, thromboxane B2 (TXB2), and PAF increased significantly in the pancreas in a similar fashion, whereas leukotriene B4 (LTB4) remained unchanged. BN52021, a PAF antagonist, reduced the accumulation of pancreatic TXB2, 6-keto PGF1α, and PGD2, and did not affect PGE2. In the model of acute pancreatitis, LTB4 increased, whereas PGE2, TXB2, and 6-keto PGF1α decreased significantly; PGD2 changed slightly; and PAF was undetectable. The present results indicate that mild chronic pancreatitis is accompanied by the production and accumulation of a wide spectrum of lipid mediators while LTB4 was the only lipid mediator detected at biologically active concentrations in the model of severe acute pancreatitis. It is suggested that various mediators are involved in establishing a balance between inflammation and the repair of the inflamed pancreatic tissue observed in mild chronic pancreatitis. While both eicosanoids and PAF are involved in such self-limiting responses to inflammatory challenge, PAF seems to play a central role in instigating the production of the various other mediators detected in the model of chronic pancreatitis. In the model of acute pancreatitis while the deficiency of various lipid mediators may render the pancreatic tissue more susceptible to acute damage, enhanced LTB4 appears to contribute to the destructive pathology observed. In conclusion, the diversity of the pancreatic inflammatory responses associated with changes in the production of lipid mediators (hypersecretion or hyposecretion) suggests not only the pathophysiological importance of the individual mediators but also rational strategies for therapeutic intervention.
Long-term culture of mouse cortical neurons as a model for neuronal development, aging, and death

A long-term cell culture system was used to study maturation, aging, and death of cortical neurons. Mouse cortical neurons were maintained in culture in serum-free medium (Neurobasal supplemented with B27) for 60 days in vitro (DIV). The levels of several proteins were evaluated by immunoblotting to demonstrate that these neurons matured by developing dendrites and synapses and remained continuously healthy for 60 DIV. During their maturation, cortical neurons showed increased or stable protein expression of glycolytic enzyme, synaptophysin, synapsin IIa, alpha and beta synucleins, and glutamate receptors. Synaptogenesis was prominent during the first 15 days and then synaptic markers remained stable through DIV60. Very early during dendritic development at DIV3, beta-synuclein (but not alpha-synuclein) was localized at the base of dendritic growth cones identified by MAP2 and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole (AMPA) receptor GluR1. In mature neurons, alpha and beta synucleins colocalized in presynaptic axon terminals. Expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and AMPA receptors preceded the formation of synapses. Glutamate receptors continued to be expressed strongly through DIV60. Cortical neurons aging in vitro displayed a complex profile of protein damage as identified by protein nitration. During cortical neuron aging, some proteins showed increased nitration, while other proteins showed decreased nitration. After exposure to DNA damaging agent, young (DIV5) and old (DIV60) cortical neurons activated apoptosis mechanisms, including caspase-3 cleavage and poly(ADP)-ribose polymerase inactivation. We show that cultured mouse cortical neurons can be maintained for long term. Cortical neurons display compartmental changes in the localization of synucleins during maturation in vitro. These neurons sustain protein nitration during aging and exhibit age-related variations in the biochemistry of neuronal apoptosis.
Pelagic Sargassum community change over a 40-year period: temporal and spatial variability

Pelagic forms of the brown algae (Phaeophyceae) Sargassum spp. and their conspicuous rafts are defining characteristics of the Sargasso Sea in the western North Atlantic. Given rising temperatures and acidity in the surface ocean, we hypothesized that macrofauna associated with Sargassum in the Sargasso Sea have changed with respect to species composition, diversity, evenness, and sessile epibiota coverage since studies were conducted 40 years ago. Sargassum communities were sampled along a transect through the Sargasso Sea in 2011 and 2012 and compared to samples collected in the Sargasso Sea, Gulf Stream, and south of the subtropical convergence zone from 1966 to 1975. Mobile macrofauna communities exhibited changes in community structure and declines in diversity and evenness within a 6-month time period (August 2011–February 2012). Equivalent declines in diversity and evenness were recorded in the same region (Sargasso Sea, 25°–29°N) in 1972–1973. Recent community structures were unlike any documented historically, whether compared to sites of the same latitude range within the Sargasso Sea, or the broader historical dataset of sites ranging across the Sargasso Sea, Gulf Stream, and south of the subtropical convergence zone. Recent samples also recorded low coverage by sessile epibionts, both calcifying forms and hydroids. The diversity and species composition of macrofauna communities associated with Sargassum might be inherently unstable. While several biological and oceanographic factors might have contributed to these observations, including a decline in pH, increase in summer temperatures, and changes in the abundance and distribution of Sargassum seaweed in the area, it is not currently possible to attribute direct causal links.
Abstract LB-341: CD95/FAS promotes tumorigenesis

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC FAS/CD95 has been known as a typical death receptor that enhances cell apoptosis mainly in the immune system. Recent studies indicate that CD95 expression is rarely absent or down-regulated in solid tumors and CD95L, the cognate ligand that binds cell membrane CD95, is constantly shown to be elevated in patient serum as well as tumor microenviroment, raising the question whether CD95 acturally enhances tumorigenesis and through what mechanisms. By stably knocking down endogeneous CD95 expression level using lentivirus based shRNA in six different tumor cell lines that represent liver (HepG2), colon (HCT116), renal (CAKI-1), breast (MCF7), ovary (SKOV3ip1 and HeyA8), in all cases the CD95 knockdown tumor cell lines show a clear reduction in proliferation rate comparing with the corresponding vector control cells. Injection CD95 knockdown SKOV3ip1 cells i.p. into nude mice according to method of well established xenograft ovary cancer animal model again shows a reduced tumor load and this is also confirmed by using a early passage human ovary cancer cell line MONTY-1. Human neutralizing anti-CD95L mAb (NOK-1) rather than mouse anti-CD95 mAb (MFL3) injection into these xenografted nude mice significantly reduced the tumor load, indicating that it's the CD95L secreted by tumor cells rather than the mice microenviroment that stimulates the tumor proliferation. Knocking down FasL expression from the six tumor cell lines mentioned above reduced cell proliferation even more dramatically than knocking down Fas and some cell lines, like HepG2, CAKI-1, MCF7 and HeyA8, even stop growing with reduced FasL expression. The reduced tumor formation by losing FAS/CD95 was also confirmed in vivo in two animal models: DEN induced liver cancer model by using FAS/CD95 liver specific knockout mice and Ade-Cre induced ovary cancer mouse model by generating Fas knockout mice from a mice stain with background of mutated k-ras and deleted Pten expression (LSK-K-ras(G12D/+)Pten(loxP/loxP)). The tumorigenic activity of CD95 is further identified as mediated through the CD95L-CD95-JNK-c-Jun-Fos and EGR1 pathway. These results demonstrate that CD95 plays a major growth promoting role during tumorigenesis and suggest that efforts to inhibit its activity rather than to enhance its activation should be considered during cancer therapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-341.
Expanding resident conferences while tailoring them to level of training: a longitudinal study.

Objective To evaluate the effect of changing a 1-hour weekly all-resident didactic conference to an expanded 4-hour bimonthly level-specific didactic conference. Design Prospective outcome measures included an anonymous 10-item perceptions survey administered at 4 time points (preintervention, 6 months postintervention, 1 year postintervention, and 2 years postintervention), mean attendance rates preintervention and postintervention, and mean ABSITE scores preintervention and postintervention. Setting Large university-based surgical residency. Participants Surgical residents (R1-R5, n = 75) were divided into junior (R1-R3, n = 56) and senior (R4-R5, n = 19) groups. Each group attended a session every other Wednesday. Results Significant improvements were observed in overall resident satisfaction (55% vs 80%, p Conclusions An expanded, bimonthly level-specific didactic curriculum is more effective than a shorter, weekly all-resident conference as evidenced by resident attitudes and attendance. Additional benefits of the alternating schedule include a reduced number of residents in each conference and the availability of residents for clinical educational activities (eg, operative cases or clinic). Expanded educational time has allowed the introduction of nontraditional topics that include leadership, communication, practice management, professionalism, and technical skills training.
Computerized detection of non-calcified plaques in coronary CT angiography: topological soft-gradient detection method for plaque prescreening

Non-calcified plaque (NCP) detection in coronary CT angiography (cCTA) is challenging due to the low CT number of NCP, the large number of coronary arteries and multiple phase CT acquisition. We are developing computervision methods for automated detection of NCPs in cCTA. A data set of 62 cCTA scans with 87 NCPs was collected retrospectively from patient files. Multiscale coronary vessel enhancement and rolling balloon tracking were first applied to each cCTA volume to extract the coronary artery trees. Each extracted vessel was reformatted to a straightened volume composed of cCTA slices perpendicular to the vessel centerline. A new topological soft-gradient (TSG) detection method was developed to prescreen for both positive and negative remodeling candidates by analyzing the 2D topological features of the radial gradient field surface along the vessel wall. Nineteen features were designed to describe the relative location along the coronary artery, shape, distribution of CT values, and radial gradients of each NCP candidate. With a machine learning algorithm and a two-loop leave-one-case-out training and testing resampling method, useful features were selected and combined into an NCP likelihood measure to differentiate TPs from FPs. The detection performance was evaluated by FROC analysis. Our TSG method achieved a sensitivity of 96.6% with 35.4 FPs/scan at prescreening. Classification with the NCP likelihood measure reduced the FP rates to 13.1, 10.0 and 6.7 FPs/scan at sensitivities of 90%, 80%, and 70%, respectively. These results demonstrated that the new TSG method is useful for computerized detection of NCPs in cCTA.
Redox-Responsive Zinc Finger Fidelity Switch in Homing Endonuclease and Intron Promiscuity in Oxidative Stress

It is well understood how mobile introns home to allelic sites, but how they are stimulated to transpose to ectopic locations on an evolutionary timescale is unclear. Here we show that a group I intron can move to degenerate sites under oxidizing conditions. The phage T4 td intron endonuclease, I-TevI, is responsible for this infidelity. We demonstrate that I-TevI, which promotes mobility and is subject to autorepression and translational control, is also regulated posttranslationally by a redox mechanism. Redox regulation is exercised by a zinc finger (ZF) in a linker that connects the catalytic domain of I-TevI to the DNA binding domain. Four cysteines coordinate Zn(2+) in the ZF, which ensures that I-TevI cleaves its DNA substrate at a fixed distance, 23-25 nucleotides upstream of the intron insertion site. We show that the fidelity of I-TevI cleavage is controlled by redox-responsive Zn(2+) cycling. When the ZF is mutated, or after exposure of the wild-type I-TevI to H(2)O(2), intron homing to degenerate sites is increased, likely because of indiscriminate DNA cleavage. These results suggest a mechanism for rapid intron dispersal, joining recent descriptions of the activation of biomolecular processes by oxidative stress through cysteine chemistry.
A porous model for the square pin-fin heat sink situated in a rectangular channel with laminar side-bypass flow

Abstract This work illustrates the compact heat sink simulations in forced convection flow with side-bypass effect. Conventionally, the numerical study of the fluid flow and heat transfer in finned heat sinks employs the detailed model that spends a lot of computational time. Therefore, some investigators begin to numerically study such problem by using the compact model (i.e. the porous approach) since the regularly arranged fin array can be set as a porous medium. The computations of the porous approach model will be faster than those of the detailed mode due to the assumption of the volume-averaging technique. This work uses the Brinkman–Forchheimer model for fluid flow and two-equation model for heat transfer. A configuration of in-line square pin-fin heat sink situated in a rectangular channel with fixed height (H = 23.7 mm), various width and two equal-spacing bypass passages beside the heat sink is successfully studied. The pin-fin arrays with various porosities (e = 0.358–0.750) and numbers of pin-fins (n = 25–81), confined within a square spreader whose side length (L) is 67 mm, are employed. The numerical results suggest that, within the range of present studied parameters (0.358 ⩽ e ⩽ 0.750, 25 ⩽ n ⩽ 81 and 1 ⩽ W/L ⩽ 5), the pin-fin heat sink with e = 0.750 and n = 25 is the optimal cooling configuration based on the maximum ratio of Nusselt number to dimensionless pumping power (Nu/(ΔP × Re3)). Besides, based on medium Nu/(ΔP × Re3) value and suitable channel size, W/L = 2–3 is suggested as the better size ratio of channel to heat sink.
Software development for real-time ultrasonic mapping of tree canopy size

Ultrasonic transducers have been used for the digital control of agrochemical application rates in sprayers and fertilizer spreaders of tree crops for about 16 years. The early systems were developed before the advent of commercial DGPS receivers and relied on real-time tree canopy sensing and agrochemical rate adjustment according to the size of canopy detected. The widespread availability of fast and accurate DGPS service since 2000 and the rapid evolution of laptop computing power, has offered new opportunities for enhanced processing and spatial mapping of ultrasonically sensed orchard or grove data. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a Windows software application for a 10-transducer Durand-Wayland ultrasonic orchard measurement array and Trimble AgGPS132 DGPS that would allow real-time sensing, monitoring, calculation, storage and mapping of citrus tree canopy volume and height. Program code was written in Delphi 5.0 for Windows. Four main program windows displayed (1) real-time instrument status of ground speed, transducer outputs in a bar chart, canopy height, cross-sectional canopy area, and DGPS signal status; (2) database; (3) SQL filter pages to review and sort the acquired spatial data; and (4) canopy volumes and coordinates for individual trees in the citrus grove. The data collected with this automated system were compared with manually measured size data of 30 trees to estimate accuracy, and a grove of 376 citrus trees was surveyed twice with the system to estimate repeatability. Results showed no significant differences between ultrasonically and manually measured tree sizes ranging in height from 2.1 to 4.3m (R^2=0.940^*^*^*; RMSE=0.157m) and in volume from 6.3 to 54.0m^3tree^-^1 (R^2=0.944^*^*^*; RMSE=3.14m^3tree^-^1). The system located tree positions for GIS mapping purposes within 1.37m, 95% of the time.
The tensor distribution function

Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a powerful tool that can be employed to study white matter microstructure by examining the 3D displacement profile of water molecules in brain tissue. By applying diffusion-sensitized gradients along a minimum of 6 directions, second-order tensors can be computed to model dominant diffusion processes. However, conventional DTI is not sufficient to resolve crossing fiber tracts. Recently, a number of high- angular resolution schemes with greater than 6 gradient directions have been employed to address this issue. In this paper, we introduce the tensor distribution function (TDF), a probability function defined on the space of symmetric positive definite matrices. Here, fiber crossing is modeled as an ensemble of Gaussian diffusion processes with weights specified by the TDF. Once this optimal TDF is determined, the diffusion orientation distribution function (ODF) can easily be computed by analytic integration of the resulting displacement probability function.
An Enthalpic ``On/Off Switch'' Linking DNA Binding and Nucleotide Incorporation Activity in Pol I DNA Polymerases

Primer-template DNA (pt-DNA) binding by DNA polymerases is the first step of the polymerization cycle. We have previously characterized the thermodynamics of pt-DNA binding with respect to temperature for the Klenow and Klentaq “large fragment domains” of DNA polymerase I, from Thermus aquaticus and Escherichia coli, respectively. DNA binding affinities for both polymerases are quite tight across wide temperature ranges, 5-70 °C for Klentaq and 5-37 °C for Klenow. Both polymerases show significant heat capacity changes upon binding, yielding curved ΔG versus temperature dependences. This results in large changes in ΔH and TΔS with temperature, including a sign change from positive to negative for both enthalpy and entropy as temperature increases. For both polymerases, DNA binding is enthalpy-driven near their respective physiological temperatures.Herein, nucleotide incorporation activity was measured with respect to temperature to examine how the thermodynamics of initial pt-DNA binding relates to the enzymatic activities of Klentaq and Klenow. It is found that both polymerases are enzymatically inactive until the temperature reaches the point where the enthalpy of binding becomes negative (favorable), despite the fact that they both bind DNA quite well at lower temperatures. The data suggest that, for both polymerases, a negative free energy of binding alone is insufficient to drive catalysis, and that a negative enthalpy of initial binding (ΔH) is required for nucleotide incorporation activity. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation.
Dynamics of Synchronous-Precessing Turborotors With Particular Reference to Balancing. Part 2—Application

The theory of Part 1 is applied to a flexible rotor in which bearing forces are taken as linear functions of journal displacement. The balancing problem is viewed as the optimization (by digital computer) of the angular orientations of all disk masses at rotor assembly, after a rough balance of each mass is achieved and the location of its mass center experimentally established. A “disk sensitivity” criterion is suggested for determining which disk locations show the greatest effect of balance change on rotor performance. Finally, an example of the predicted difference in bearing force for a typical rotor with arbitrary disk orientation, and with improved orientation, is presented.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, vincristine, and bleomycin and radical surgery in early-stage bulky cervical carcinoma.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of 2–3 courses of cisplatin, vincristine, and bleomycin was used in the primary treatment of 36 consecutive patients with locally advanced early-stage cervical carcinoma [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (GIGO) stages I b or IIa; tumor size, ≥4 cm]. The effectiveness of the preoperative chemotherapy was evaluated in the surgical specimens. Among the 33 evaluable patients, the overall clinical response rate was 84.8%, which included a complete response in 8 patients (24.2%) and a partial response in 20 subjects (60.6%). No residual tumor was found in the surgical speciments obtained from 2 complete responders. This therapy induced varying degrees of tumor shrinkage and rendered radical surgery feasible in all evaluable cases despite the initial bulky size of the lesions. No significant difference was observed in the response rate according to age and disease stage. Lymph-node metastases were found after chemotherapy in 18.2% (6/33) of the patients. Grade II and III hematological toxicities occurred in 23.3% of the 90 chemotherapy cycles completed. Nausea and vomiting occurred to a mild to moderate degree in 75 (83.3%) cycles. These preliminary results suggest that the administration of induction chemotherapy involving two to three courses of cisplatin, vincristine, and bleomycin prior to surgery is effective in reducing the tumor volume and in providing better circumstances for surgical removal of the early yet bulky cervical tumors and results in tolerable toxicity. This protocol is now undergoing prospective randomized trials to test its impact on long-term survival.
Enhanced momentum transfer from hypervelocity particle impacts

Abstract When hypervelocity particles impact thick targets, the momentum generated in the target can be substantially greater than that associated with the incident projectiles. Adapting an existing model for vaporization-induced impulse generation, a simple model and various scaling laws are derived for this type of momentum enhancement. The model is compared to limited experimental data and is contrasted with other theoretical predictions. The sensitivity to uncertainties in the various input parameters is determined, and the variation of the momentum coupling efficiency is examined. To emphasize the importance of the enhancement phenomenon, illustrative system-level requirements for delivering specific target loads are calculated.
Simulation in Community Health Nursing: A Conceptual Approach

Abstract Simulation activities have proven to be a valuable resource for nursing education, providing students with the opportunity to practice physical assessment and technical skills. Most published simulation scenarios have focused on traditional medical specialties. However, there is a recent trend in which entry-level nurses are increasingly engaged outside the traditional acute care setting. To prepare student nurses for practice in a wide range of community-based environments, nursing programs might consider the use of simulated clinical experiences that focus on community health concepts. The proposed community health nursing simulation curriculum is organized through its relationship to community health themes: (a) care of individuals in the community; (b) care of aggregates in the community; (c) care of vulnerable populations in the community; and (d) health of communities. Within these themes, the clinical scenarios are based in typical community health settings, such as home health care, public health clinics, school health, occupational health, free or migrant clinics, and the community at large. Examples of scenarios for each theme are discussed, including proposed settings, skills, and concepts for each.
A Capacity Theory of Writing: Working Memory in Composition

The review examines ways in which working memory contributes to individual and particularly to developmental differences in writing skill. It begins with a brief definition of working memory and then summarizes current debates regarding working memory and capacity theories in the field of reading. It is argued that a capacity theory of writing can provide a framework within which to consider the development of writing skill, and relevant data are discussed. Effects of capacity limitations are documented in all three component writing processes: planning, translating, and reviewing.
Press Coverage of Mayoral Candidates: The Role of Gender in News Reporting and Campaign Issue Speech

Some research on gender bias in news coverage of political campaigns indicates that the media portray male and female candidates differently. Research to date, however, has focused only on elections to national or statewide offices, where confounding variables such as party, incumbency, and competitiveness are present. The authors resolve this problem by focusing their analysis of media campaign coverage on nonpartisan, open-seat, and competitive mayoral races. The authors’ content analysis of press coverage in six mayoral elections suggests that press coverage is not biased in favor of male candidates. The authors, however, find that the presence of a woman on the ballot expands the range of issue coverage in local campaigns in ways favorable to perceived strengths of female candidates.
Echocardiography in pulmonary vascular disease

The assessment of pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricular function, right ventricular filling pressure, and tricuspid regurgitation provides invaluable information in the care of patients with pulmonary vascular disease. Echocardiography provides a rapid, noninvasive, portable, and accurate method to evaluate these parameters and also provides information on left ventricular and valvular function. Echocardiography has therefore become one of the most commonly performed diagnostic studies in patients with pulmonary vascular disease, and the technique's applications in this area are likely to grow. This article presents an overview of the current uses of echocardiography in pulmonary vascular disease and pulmonary hypertension.