cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wrestling With Heart Failure: SUMO-1 to the Rescue

SUMO-1 Gene Transfer Improves Cardiac Function in a Large-Animal Model of Heart Failure Tilemann et al Sci Transl Med . 2013;5:211ra159. A small ubiquitin-like protein was shown to be beneficial to the failing heart through enhancing sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ ATPase 2a (SERCA2a) stability and activity in a large animal model of heart failure. Dysregulation of calcium cycling in cardiomyocytes has been recognized as a major molecular mechanism of heart failure. SERCA2a plays a pivotal role in regulating calcium homeostasis, and reduction of SERCA2a activity has been recognized as a hallmark of heart failure. Hajjar and his colleagues1 reported that the activity of SERCA2a is regulated by conjugation of small ubiquitin-like modifier-1 (SUMO-1) to SERCA2a. They also demonstrated that SUMO-1 gene delivery can restore SERCA2a expression and activity in the failing heart in a mouse model. Based on these findings, they postulated that SUMO modification (SUMOylation) is a critical regulator of SERCA2a function, which led to the design of SUMO-1 gene therapy in a swine ischemia–reperfusion heart failure model.2 The authors performed a temporary balloon occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending artery to create myocardial infarction. One month later, 31 survived pigs were randomized to receive via antegrade coronary infusion either saline or adeno-associated vector type 1 (AAV1) loaded with SUMO-1 (low and high dose), SERCA2a , or both. They showed that both SUMO-1 and SERCA2a levels were increased in the pigs that received AAV1. SUMO-1 with or without AAV1. SERCA2a 2 months later. However, the changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) were not statistically significant in all treated groups. Statistically significant changes were demonstrated in the maximal rate of pressure rise [d P /d t (max)] in the groups that received high-dose SUMO-1 , SERCA2a , or both. Furthermore, the treated groups have less left …
Compilation of stream programs onto scratchpad memory based embedded multicore processors through retiming

The prevalence of stream applications in signal processing, multi-media, and network processing domains has resulted in a new trend of programming and architecture design. Several languages and multicore architectures have been developed to support streaming applications. In many of these multicore architectures scratchpad memories (SPM) have substituted caches due to their lower power consumption. Performance optimization on SPM based architectures requires the programmer/compiler to efficiently manage the limited local memory. Our paper addresses the problem of compilation of stream programs onto multicore architectures that incorporate SPMs. We propose a retiming technique that maximizes the throughput under a memory constraint with a user-specified number of software pipeline stages. Trade-offs between double buffering and code overlay are explored intensively in our technique to achieve the best performance. The efficiency of our technique was evaluated by compiling several stream applications for the IBM Cell BE and comparing their results against existing approaches.
Photonics and Plasmonics in 4D Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

Light–matter interactions at the nanoscale are fundamental to the rapidly developing fields of plasmonics and nanophotonics. These fields hold the promise of advancing both the speed of computers along with communications and may also provide methods to create a new generation of ultrasensitive molecular biosensors. While there are a variety of techniques that can provide static images of these devices with suboptical wavelength precision there are only a few that are capable of capturing the ultrafast dynamics of electromagnetic fields interacting with or produced by nanomaterials. In this Perspective, we aim to introduce the reader to the newly developed field of 4D ultrafast electron microscopy (4D UEM), which provides a unique window into ultrafast dynamics at the nanoscale. We will describe the basic technique and how internal structural, bulk electronic, and surface near-field dynamics can all be obtained with nanometer and femtosecond resolutions. In addition, we will discuss how a variety of diffe...
Rigid bronchoscopy and silicone stents in the management of central airway obstruction

The field of interventional pulmonology has grown significantly over the past several decades now including the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of complex airway disease. Rigid bronchoscopy is an invaluable tool in the diagnosis and management of several malignant and non-malignant causes of central airway obstruction (CAO) and has become integral after the inception of airway stenting. The management of CAO can be a complicated endeavor with significant risks making the understanding of basic rigid bronchoscopy techniques, ablative technologies, anesthetic care and stenting of utmost importance in the care of these complex patients. This review article will focus on the history of rigid bronchoscopy, the technical aspects of performing a rigid bronchoscopy as well as the use of silicone stents their indications, complications and placement techniques.
Nerve growth factor stimulates coupling of beta1 integrin to distinct transport mechanisms in the filopodia of growth cones.

The cycling of membrane receptors for substrate-bound proteins via their interaction with the actin cytoskeleton at the leading edge of growth cones and other motile cells is important for neurite outgrowth and cell migration. Receptor delivered to the leading edge binds to its ligand, which induces coupling of the receptor to a rearward flowing network of actin filaments. This coupling is thought to facilitate advance. We show here that a soluble growth factor stimulates this cycling. We have used single particle tracking to monitor the effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the movements of beta1 integrin in the plane of the plasma membrane of the filopodia of growth cones. Beta1 integrin was visualized by its binding of 0.2 microm beads coated with a monoclonal Ab directed against an extracellular epitope distant from the binding site for extracellular matrix ligands. The beads were observed by video microscopy. Beads coated with a low concentration of antibody, and therefore bound to unliganded receptor with little cross-linking, showed an increase in both diffusion and directed forward transport in response to NGF. Transport had a net velocity of 37 microm/minute and was characterized by brief periods of sustained forward excursions with a velocity of 75-150 microm/minute. There was a 2-fold increase in the number of beads accumulated at the tips of filopodia after 10 minutes, indicating that NGF enhanced the delivery of beta1 integrin to the periphery. Forward transport was dependent on an intact actin cytoskeleton and myosin ATPase, since treatment with cytochalasin D or the myosin ATPase inhibitor butanedione monoxime inhibited the transport but not the diffusion of receptors. NGF also greatly increased the steady rearward migration of beads coated with a high density of (b)1 integrin antibody, indicating that coupling of cross-linked receptor to the retrograde flow of actin is also enhanced. The rate of the retrograde flow of actin was unaffected by NGF. These studies show that a soluble factor can stimulate the coupling of a receptor for substrate-bound factor to two actomyosin-based transport mechanisms and thus facilitate the response of the growth cone to the substrate-bound factor by increasing cycling of the receptor at the periphery.
Growth, Differential Survival, and Shifting Sex Ratio of Free-Living Libellula pulchella (Odonata: Libellulidae) Dragonflies During Adult Maturation

We performed a mark-recapture study to determine rates of change in body mass during maturation of adult free-living Libellula pulchella Drury dragonflies. We captured, weighed, marked, and released 444 individuals (278 females, 166 males) that were 0–5 d old, including 261 that had emerged on the day of initial capture. On subsequent days, we recaptured 87 individuals at least once, and 6 were recaptured more than once. Nearly all new emergents (mean mass = 272 mg) that were recaptured after 1 or 2 d had lost mass (mean change = −29 mg), whereas most individuals recaptured after ≥3 days had gained mass (mean change = 109 mg; mean rate = 18 mg/d). Individuals that were heavier at emergence were much more likely to gain mass and to be recaptured at ages >1 or 2 d, thus suggesting differential survivorship based on size at emergence. Average growth rates of gainers were as high as 57 mg/d over a 5-d period. The sex ratio of newly emerged adults was heavily biased toward females (61%), but males were significantly larger at emergence, were more successful at gaining mass, and the sex ratio of individuals that ultimately gained mass did not differ significantly from 1:1. New emergents had empty guts and minimal fat, and changes in fat and water content explained very little of the average decrease in body mass observed for most new emergents. Overall, our data suggest that L. pulchella dragonflies face severe energy stress during early adult maturation, which strongly affects their demography.
Biomechanical analysis of anterior and posterior instrumentation systems after corpectomy. A calf-spine model.

To simulate the spinal instability that is found clinically after anterior corpectomy for the treatment of a fracture or a neoplasm, twelve fresh calf-spine segments, each containing five motion segments, were destabilized using a complete anterior corpectomy at the third lumbar level and anterior discectomies at the second and third and the third and fourth lumbar levels. Mechanical non-destructive cyclical testing in axial compression, rotation, and flexion was performed on each spinal segment after stabilization was accomplished. The three anterior-stabilization constructs that were compared were: (1) iliac strut grafting, (2) polymethylmethacrylate and anterior Harrington-rod instrumentation (the technique of Siegal and Siegal), and (3) the Kaneda anterior device. After anterior iliac-crest strut grafting, four types of posterior instrumentation were also tested sequentially: (1) Harrington distraction rods, (2) Luque rectangular instrumentation, (3) Cotrel-Dubousset transpedicular instrumentation, and (4) Steffee transpedicular screws and plates. Rotation, torque, axial displacement, and axial loads were measured during loading across the whole spinal segment between the grip points. Using an anterior extensometer, intervertebral displacement at the second, third, and fourth lumbar levels, and thus across the corpectomy defect at the third lumbar level, was recorded "on line" during testing in flexion and axial load. By recording the intervertebral displacement, the efficacy of each spinal construct in minimizing motion across the corpectomy defect could be quantified. The value for one-way analysis of variance for axial intervertebral displacement across the site of the third lumbar corpectomy was F = 10.5, p less than 0.001. The value for one-way analysis of variance for flexural intervertebral displacement across the corpectomy defect was F = 21.1, p less than 0.001. Homogeneous subsets of rigidity for torsional stiffness revealed that the least rigid constructs were iliac grafting alone, Harrington-rod instrumentation, and Luque rectangular instrumentation. The most rigid constructs were the anterior Kaneda device, transpedicular Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation, and Steffee screws and plates. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: After corpectomy, spinal reconstructive surgery can restore axial, torsional, and flexural rigidity to normal levels. These experimental conclusions applied to the acute restoration of stability, rather than to rigidity after long-term cyclical loading. Using the most rigid anterior system, the Kaneda device, the fixation extended only one vertebral level cephalad and one level caudad to the corpectomy defect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
New Tools for an Old Quest: A Commentary on Jan Kleinheisterkamp, the Impact of International Mandatory Laws on the Enforceability of Arbitration Agreements

For as long as there have been governments and tradesmen, a tension has existed between a state’s claim to regulate conduct that affects its citizenry and commercial parties’ demands to resolve their disputes themselves in accord with their own expectations of appropriate conduct. Dr. Jan Kleinheisterkamp has embarked on a quest to find the balance in his essay, “The Impact of Internationally Mandatory laws on the Enforceability of Arbitration Agreements.” This commentary appraises his efforts.
Extracting Electron Densities in N-Type GaAs From Raman Spectra: Theory

In this paper, we present the theory for calculating Raman line shapes as functions of the Fermi energy and finite temperatures in zinc blende, n-type GaAs for donor densities between 10(16) cm(-3) and 10(19) cm(-3). Compared to other theories, this theory is unique in two respects: 1) the many-body effects are treated self-consistently and 2) the theory is valid at room temperature for arbitrary values of the ratio R = (Q (2)/α), where Q is the magnitude of the normalized wave vector and α is the normalized frequency used in the Raman measurements. These calculations solve the charge neutrality equation self-consistently for a two-band model of GaAs at 300 K that includes the effects of high carrier concentrations and dopant densities on the perturbed densities of states used to calculate the Fermi energy as a function of temperature. The results are then applied to obtain the carrier concentrations from Fermi energies in the context of line shapes in Raman spectra due to the coupling between longitudinal optical phonons and plasmons. Raman measurements have been proposed as a non-destructive method for wafer acceptance tests of carrier density in semiconductor epilayers. The interpretation of Raman spectra to determine the majority electron density in n-type semiconductors requires an interdisciplinary effort involving experiments, theory, and computer-based simulations and visualizations of the theoretical calculations.
Pressure Response in Enclosures During and After Large-Scale Flame Spread: Testing and Modeling

As part of the risk mitigation effort supporting the development of a zero-gravity largescale fire demonstration experiment, normal-gravity flame-spread tests were conducted on thin fuels in a sealed chamber capable of accommodating large-scale samples. The primary objective of these tests was to measure pressure rise in a large sealed chamber during and after flame spread and to characterize that data as a function of sample material, burning direction (upward/downward), heat release rate, total heat release, and heat loss mechanisms. Ignition at the bottom of a sample resulted in a rapid acceleratory upward turbulent flame spread. As the amount of fuel burned increases, the pressure rise in the chamber increases since the volume of hot gas generated is larger. The upward flame spread slows down as initial pressure is reduced, causing a drop in peak pressure and a shift to the right in time for peak pressure. Ignition at the top of a sample resulted in a slow, steady flame spread with a very small flat flame across the top of each burning cheesecloth sample. For downward flame spread, the pressure rises to a maximum steady-state pressure during the burn. This indicates that the heat dissipation to the surroundings has matched the heat generated by the flame for this long, slow burn. Heat sinks were used for overpressure mitigation above the burning samples so that the flame plume would pass through the heat sink and deposit the heat there instead of heating the atmosphere. For upward and downward flame spread, the heat sink was very effective in reducing the pressure by a factor of at least four. The heat sink was determined to be an effective mitigation strategy for the flight experiment.
On the Role of Screening for Intracranial Aneurysms in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Intracranial aneurysm (ICAN) formation is a well-known complication in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). In these patients, aneurysms are thought to form as a consequence of abnormal polycystin protein expression in vascular myocytes, which impairs the structural
Effect of Sweating on Shell Penetration of Salmonella enteritidis

Abstract Egg sweating has been reported to increase bacterial contamination of eggs. The USDA has proposed regulations to lower the required holding temperature of processed table eggs. This change will increase the probability that eggs will sweat during transportation and delivery. This study was initiated to determine whether sweating would increase the penetration of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) into shell eggs. Commercial shell eggs were candled after processing, divided into intact and cracked groups, and stored at 45°F. Half the eggs were inoculated by immersion in a solution containing 106 Se/mL, air dried, and returned to refrigeration. Half of each group was removed from refrigeration and allowed to sweat for 3 hr. The eggers were then quantitatively cultured to determine levels of SE penetration. Sweating did not seem to increase the number of SE-positive eggs or the number of SE present. Dramatically higher number of SE were found in SE-contaminated cracked eggs than in sound eggs. This suggests that sweating for 3 hr does not increase egg contamination with SE; however, cracked eggs are more likely to suffer contamination through the shell.
Predicting the Present with Google Trends

In this paper we show how to use search engine data to forecast near-term values of economic indicators. Examples include automobile sales, unemployment claims, travel destination planning and consumer confidence.
Equilibrium and dynamic spectroscopic studies of the interaction of monomeric β-lactoglobulin with lipid vesicles at low pH.

β-Lactoglobulin (βLG) is a member of the lipocalin protein family that changes structure upon interacting with anionic surfactants and lipid vesicles under higher-pH conditions at which βLG is dimeric. In this study, a β-sheet to α-helix transformation was also observed for monomeric βLG obtained at pH 2.6 when it was mixed with small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) of zwitterionic lipids, but being mixed with anionic lipids produced little change. The dynamics and extent of this change were quite dependent on the lipid character, phase, and vesicle size. With 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), at ∼50 °C and pH 2.6, the βLG converted to a substantially helical form upon addition of ∼10 mM lipid in a two-step kinetic process having time constants of ∼1 and ∼25 h, as monitored by circular dichroism (CD). Fluorescence changes were simpler but implied a rapid initial change in the Trp environments followed by a slower process paralleling the change in secondary structure. Polarization attenuated t...
A Bibliography of the Alkali Bee, Nomia melanderi (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

The alkali bee, Nomia melanderi Cockerell, is endemic to certain arid and semi-arid portions of the western United States. It was first described by Cockerell in 1906 from a specimen collected at Yakima, WA. It is a solitary, gregarious bee that nests in soil with a continuous source of sub-surface moisture. Adults emerge in early summer and females construct nests and collect pollen for their young over about a 30-day period. Average numbers of progeny per female are 7–11 in well-managed natural or artificial bee beds depending on type of nesting site. Alfalfa is attractive to this polylectic bee and its potential as an alfalfa pollinator was first noted in the late 1940's in California, Utah, and Washington. Since that time, considerable research has been conducted on biology and management of this pollinator.
The Trapeziometacarpal Arthrosis Symptoms and Disability Questionnaire: Development and Preliminary Validation

Background: Symptoms and disability at the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint are typically assessed with general measures that may not be able to accurately discriminate between TMC arthrosis–specific...
Swine Genetic Evaluation and Selection Programs12

Summary Swine selection procedures which utilize not only each animal’s performance but also performance of relatives can potentially increase the rate of genetic improvement by increasing the accuracy of selection. Four criteria are: (1) accurate evaluation of both young and old males and females, (2) timeliness of data analysis and summarization, (3) ability to account for possible biases including prior genetic selection and assortative mating, and (4) practical considerations concerning computer memory requirements and cost. Best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) procedures provide accurate predictions of genetic merit by simultaneously predicting breeding values and adjusting for fixed effects. Simplified BLUP procedures including the reduced animal model (RAM) with recursive prediction or SHORT-CUT BLUP provide accurate genetic evaluation with reduced computer memory requirements. Multivariate BLUP can be simplified or reduced by the use of canonical transformations. The use of multivariate BLUP genetic evaluations in conjunction with quadratic bioeconomic objectives should result in the selection criteria which will maximize selection response. Seedstock producers should select their replacements relative to the intended use of their descendants in commercial crossbreeding systems. For this reason, three indexes are suggested: a terminal sire, general, and dam-breed (maternal) objective. With the implementation of a comprehensive genetic program, alternative selection programs including the intense selection of dams for a maternal objective can further increase genetic progress.
Impact of indwelling biliary stent or sphincterotomy on gallbladder visualization on cholescintigraphy

1675 Objectives Biliary dynamics may be altered in patients with biliary stent placement (STENT) or sphincterotomy (SPHIX). We assessed the frequency and positive-predictive value (PPV) of gallbladder (GB) nonvisualization on cholescintigraphy for acute cholecystitis in such patients. Methods Of 1,650 cholescintigraphy performed over the past 10 years, a medical record search revealed 48 scans performed in post STENT patients and 11 scans in post SPHINX patients. From the STENT group, 22 cases were excluded; 17 were excluded because of history of cholecystectomy and 5 were excluded because the scan showed no or minimal radiopharmaceutical excretion from liver parenchyma, leaving 26 cases for analysis. From the SPHINX group, 4 cases were excluded because of history of cholecystectomy, leaving 7 for analysis. Results Of the 26 post STENT cases, GB was visualized after 60 minutes in only 1 case and not visualized in the remaining 25. Of the 25 without GB visualization, 5 GBs were surgically removed; 4 of these demonstrated chronic cholecystitis and 1, acute cholecystitis on histopathology. Of the 7 post SPHINX cases, GB was visualized in 5 (3 within 1 hour and 2 after morphine administration) and not visualized in the remaining 2; GB was removed from one of the 2 and demonstrated acute cholecystitis. Conclusions In patients with indwelling biliary stents, cholescintigraphy is futile in the evaluation of acute cholecystitis as the frequency of GB non-visualization is extremely high (25/26 in this study) and the PPV of this finding is very low. On the other hand, cholescintigraphy appears useful in excluding acute cholecystitis in patients with sphincterotomy as the frequency of GB visualization is fairly high, while the PPV of GB nonvisualization in this population is uncertain.
Carboplatin plus paclitaxel in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies : The Cleveland Clinic experience

To examine the toxicity profile and antineoplastic activity of carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve of 4 to 7.5) plus 3-hour infusional paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) (135 or 175 mg/m2) in women with advanced gynecologic malignancies, we retrospectively reviewed the experience of the Gynecologic Cancer Program at The Cleveland Clinic with this combination chemotherapy regimen. To date, 92 patients (median age, 67 years) have received a total of 460 courses (median number per patient, six) of this two-drug combination. The initial paclitaxel dose was 175 mg/m2 and the carboplatin area under the concentration-time curve was > or = 5 in 72% and 73% of patients, respectively. The major toxicity was neutropenia (grade 4 in 9% of patients), resulting in two febrile episodes and a single septic death. Grade 4 thrombocytopenia and grade 3 peripheral neuropathy were noted in one and two patients, respectively. Twelve patients (13%) experienced at least one episode of paclitaxel-associated hypersensitivity, but all were able to continue with the treatment program. Of the 62 patients with ovarian cancer or primary peritoneal carcinoma with carbohydrate antigen-125 levels > or = 60 U/mL before the initiation of chemotherapy, 74% exhibited a > or = 90% decline in the tumor marker following treatment. We conclude that the combination of carboplatin and 3-hour infusional paclitaxel can be administered in the outpatient setting with a highly acceptable toxicity profile and with major activity in patients with ovarian cancer and primary carcinoma of the peritoneum.
Non-small cell lung cancer: current treatment and future advances

Lung cancer has a poor prognosis; over half of people diagnosed with lung cancer die within one year of diagnosis and the 5-year survival is less than 18%. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the majority of all lung cancer cases. Risk factors for developing NSCLC have been identified, with cigarette smoking being a major factor along with other environmental and genetic risk factors. Depending on the staging of lung cancer, patients are eligible for certain treatments ranging from surgery to radiation to chemotherapy as well as targeted therapy. With the advancement of genetics and biomarkers testing, specific mutations have been identified to better target treatment for individual patients. This review discusses current treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy as well as how biomarker testing has helped improve survival in patients with NSCLC.
Past and future Buddhas

Thus far, this book's meditations on the concept, imagery, and narrative role of nirvana have considered it primarily as a goal for any individual: to attain ( pari )nirvana, in life and at the moment of death, is to become characterized by the epithet buddha , ‘awakened’. In turning now to some closer and more extended analyses of textual dynamics, of narrative as an expression and embodiment of temporality, it will look more at those special people for whom Buddha is not merely an adjective but a name. The person whose life-story is so often told as that of the Buddha Gotama – who in Pali is specified as such either by his family name Gotama or by the phrase aṃhākaṃ Buddho , ‘our Buddha’ – can be singled out in Roman script by using the definite article, capitalizing the word, or both: not just a person who is buddha , but one who is (for us) ‘a’ or (more often) ‘the Buddha’. In Pali, such Buddhas, in the past, present, and future, are differentiated from ordinary (!) enlightened people by being called sammā-saṃbuddha -s, Fully Enlightened Beings. They rediscover the Truth ( Dhamma ) by themselves, at a time when it has been lost, and re-institutionalize the dissemination of the Truth in a Dispensation ( sāsana ). In contrast, ordinary enlightened people, male and female Arahants, are buddha , ‘awakened’, and they become so by hearing the salvific message from a Fully Enlightened Buddha or from one of his disciples or later followers.
The Waning of the Sovereign State: Towards a New Paradigm for International-Law?

The concept of an international community made up of sovereign States is the basis of our intellectual framework for international law. A look at history, however, tells us that conceptions of world order have by no means always been shaped by the model of sovereign co-equal actors with a territorial basis. Although there are old historical precedents for relations between territorial communities on an equal footing, the imperial conceptions of Roman times and of the Middle Ages were based on entirely different ideas. They were strongly hierarchical and paralleled religious or secular concepts of subordination and dependence. Sixteen forty-eight, the year of the Peace of Westphalia, is usually given as the decisive date for the transition from the vertical imperial to the horizontal inter-State model.' Needless to say, in historical terms this is an oversimplification. The Empire existed until 1806 and the process towards sovereign equality was gradual. It culminated with the collapse in the early twentieth century of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires, and the displacement of the Concert of Europe as the most important international arena by an open global community of States. Colonialism was not really a deviation from this movement The existence of different forms of social organization in other parts of the world was a welcome excuse for European powers with colonial ambitions to deny statehood to these communities and to annex the territory inhabited by them. Decolonization consisted basically of the extension of European political structures to these
Die Natur des Lichtes

Die Optik beschaftigt sich mit der Erzeugung und Ausbreitung von Licht sowie mit seiner Wechselwirkung mit Materie. Seit Menschengedenken haben Philosophen und Naturwissenschaftler versucht zu erklaren, was Licht ist, wobei sie ihr wachsendes Verstandnis der Natur auf die Probe stellten. Obwohl viele der fruhen Vorstellungen sich als falsch erwiesen, sind andere doch wiederholt durch experimentelle Tests bestatigt worden, so zum Beispiel das Prinzip der endlichen Lichtgeschwindigkeit, das Minimalprinzip der Licht ausbreit ung und die Vorstellung, das Licht sich wie eine Welle verhalt.
Treatment of Hypoparathyroidism

Acute and chronic hypoparathyroidism can result in cardiac, renal, and psychiatric disease. Acute treatment consists of intravenous calcium gluconate. The mainstay of chronic treatment consists of calcium and calcitriol. Thiazide diuretics can be used to mitigate calciuria and nephrolithiasis. Calcilytics, which are not yet widely available for treatment of hypoparathyroidism, offer the potential for improved calcium homeostasis and fewer complications, especially to patients with activating CaSR mutations. Hormone replacement therapies such as PTH 1-34 and PTH 1-84 may offer advantages over calcium and calcitriol; however, further studies are required to characterize potential renal protection by reduction of hypercalciuria. Autologous parathyroid transplant is frequently used when risk of hypoparathyroidism is deemed to be high preoperatively or intraoperatively. In general, immediate autotransplant is more successful than transplant after cryopreservation. Conversely, allogeneic parathyroid transplants have not shown long-term success, except in the setting of immunosuppression. Future studies should focus on generation of functional parathyroid cells from autologous sources such as pluripotent stem cells or thymus.
How Persons with Visual Impairments Explore Novel Spaces: Strategies of Good and Poor Performers.

The study presented here examined the videotaped search patterns and strategies that 65 persons with visual impairments used to locate and learn the arrangement of five objects in a novel space. Vi...
Frequency and Value of Benefits as Determinants of Reciprocity Behavior

3 studies which examined the effects of asymmetry of resources on reciprocity behavior are reported. The results of Experiment I gave only suggestive evidence that when a person has capabilities different from his benefactor’s, and as a consequence discovered that frequency and magnitude of benefits received were contradictory bases for determining how much to reciprocate—a compromise was made between these two. Experiments II and III clearly showed that when faced with an asymmetrical exchange relationship, Ss compromised magnitude and frequency in their reciprocity behaviors.
Innovation, financial reporting quality, and audit quality

We examine the relation between innovation and financial reporting quality (FRQ) and the implications of audit quality for this relation. We first document a negative relation between innovation and FRQ. This result is consistent with greater earnings management at higher innovation firms, likely because of the more opaque information environment that gives managers the opportunity to act opportunistically. We then examine whether audit quality moderates the observed negative relation between innovation and FRQ because audit quality constrains managers’ opportunities to manage earnings. We find results consistent with the predicted moderating effect. Lastly, we verify that these findings hold in a difference-in-differences test designed around an exogenous event, state R&D tax credits.
Abstract 48: Targeting IL-1 signaling to improve tumor response to erlotinib in HNSCC

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) including erlotinib have demonstrated poor clinical response rates for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to date compared to the EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab. Therefore we seek to identify molecular mechanisms involved in tumor response to erlotinib and ultimately improve the anti-tumor efficacy of erlotinib for HNSCC patients. We have shown that erlotinib-treated HNSCC cell lines induced the expression and secretion of a wide variety of genes involved in inflammation and immune response including interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) compared to control-treated cells. The secretion of IL-6 from HNSCC cells in response to erlotinib was found to be triggered by MyD88-dependent IL-1 signaling and suppression of IL-1 signaling (using a neutralizing IL-1α antibody) significantly enhanced the anti-tumor efficacy of erlotinib in vivo. In erlotinib-resistant HNSCC cell lines, IL-1 signaling was significantly upregulated compared to their respective parental cell lines. Blockade of IL-1 signaling using a neutralizing IL-1α antibody or an IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) antagonist was able to significantly suppress the growth of erlotinib-resistant HNSCC xenografts as a single agent and in combination with erlotinib which was associated with reduced immune cell recruitment and angiogenesis. Altogether, blockade of the IL-1 pathway may represent a novel strategy to improve tumor response to erlotinib and other EGFR TKIs in HNSCC patients. Citation Format: Andrean Simons, Aditya Stanam, Adam Koch, Madelyn Espinosa-Cotton, Katherine Gibson-Corley. Targeting IL-1 signaling to improve tumor response to erlotinib in HNSCC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-AHNS Head and Neck Cancer Conference: Optimizing Survival and Quality of Life through Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research; April 23-25, 2017; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(23_Suppl):Abstract nr 48.
An assessment of state government revenue changes for the years 1984 through 1997

This paper examines revenue changes for all fifty states in the United States for the years 1984 to 1997. The study employs longitudinal data drawn from U.S. government publications to assess changes that occurred during the period investigated. Using techniques for testing mean differences including a discriminant analysis procedure aimed at examining regional differences, the study finds that revenues did not increase significantly for all categories. Specifically, the estimated increase in overall general revenue was significantly different from zero, but revenues from taxes on individuals, general and selective sales did not experience notable upward changes. Changes in intergovernmental transfers, corporate taxes, current charges, and insurance trust funds were found to be significant. The results did not indicate regional patterns in revenue growth, and state government regional membership did not make a significant difference.
Conferencing Cuba’s Geographies of Speleology: The Politics of Inclusion and Hospitality among Cave Explorers and Scientists

From the 13th to the 17th of April of 2015, Cuban cave explorers and scientists, or speleologists, gathered to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Sociedad Espeleologica de Cuba (SEC) in the city...
Developing an integrated framework to build a decision support tool for urban water management

This paper presents an integrated, computer-based generic framework to couple urban water related models into a decision support tool (DST) for urban-water management. The DST, built on a participatory modelling approach, enables stakeholders to analyze impacts of climate variation, population growth, and alternative management solutions ranging from centralized to distributed options. The coupling of external models, building of the DST, and execution of simulation processes is achieved by employing GoldSim, which is linked to a database management tool and a shared library. A post-processing package generates outcomes for decision makers in the form of a new criterion, the Water System Performance Index (WSPI). The application of DST is demonstrated for the water service area of the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU). Results show that a decentralized alternative increases the reliability of the system without changing the system9s vulnerability. Centralized alternative improves the overall performance of the system based on WSPI results, but decrease in performance is still noticeable under the hot and dry climate condition. Overall, the system is very sensitive to changes in climatic conditions. Results show that during droughts, supply management is not the sole solution and compulsory demand-management practices should be instigated.
Single-energy non-contrast hepatic steatosis criteria applied to virtual non-contrast images: is it still highly specific and positively predictive?

Aim To determine the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of single-energy non-contrast hepatic steatosis criteria on dual-energy virtual non-contrast (VNC) images. Materials and methods Forty-eight computed tomography (CT) examinations, which included single-energy non-contrast (TNC) and contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT angiography (CTA) of the abdomen, were enrolled. VNC images were reconstructed from the CTA. Region of interest (ROI) attenuations were measured in the right and left hepatic lobes, spleen, and aorta on TNC and VNC images. The right and left hepatic lobes were treated as separate samples. Steatosis was diagnosed based on TNC liver attenuation of ≤40 HU or liver attenuation index (LAI) of ≤–10 HU, which are extremely specific and predictive for moderate to severe steatosis. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of VNC images for steatosis were calculated. VNC-TNC deviations were correlated with aortic enhancement and patient water equivalent diameter (PWED). Results Thirty-two liver ROIs met steatosis criteria based on TNC attenuation; VNC attenuation had sensitivity, specificity, and a positive predictive value of 66.7%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Twenty-one liver ROIs met steatosis criteria based on TNC LAI. VNC LAI had sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values of 61.9%, 90.7%, and 65%, respectively. Hepatic and splenic VNC-TNC deviations did not correlate with one another (R2=0.08), aortic enhancement (R2 Conclusions Non-contrast hepatic attenuation criteria is extremely specific and positively predictive for moderate to severe steatosis on VNC reconstructions from the arterial phase. Hepatic attenuation performs better than LAI criteria. VNC deviations are independent of aortic enhancement and PWED.
Challenges in Electronic Decision Support Implementation

The previous chapter considered the various kinds of alerts. I now discuss how these can be implemented, and explore the issues related to standardization – more precisely, the lack of it. The presence of standards allows sharing of intellectual effort, so no one can be opposed to it in principle. However, while standardization has been enforced in many areas of biomedicine, standardization efforts in decision support have not been very successful to date. Let us first look at one of the root sources of the problem: namely, no one can mandate that all EMRs be built exactly alike.
Smoluchowski-Vlasov Equations, Reference Memory Function Approximation, and Molecular Models for Transport and Relaxation in Fluids

A reference memory function approximation to the generalized Langevin equation (GLE) is generated by setting the normalized l th memory function of the time correlation function of interest equal to the l th normalized memory function of the time correlation function of a reference dynamical variable. Specializing this general prescription in various ways leads to known approximation schemes. Among them are the Vineyard and Kerr approximations for a simple fluid and their generalization to fluids of polar molecules; the Smoluchowski-Vlasov equations for polar molecules and electrolyte solutions, and especially, the extensions of these theories needed for use with interaction site models.
Uncertainty as a Resource in Risk Comparisons

A pathological debate has evolved on the appropriate role of risk analysis at the federal level in the US. On one hand, substantial academic, public and private sector efforts have developed techniques and justifications for incorporating risk analytical information into “risk rationalizing” decisions. At the same time, a normative critique has jelled around the inadequacy of risk analysis methods to fully describe, and thus to compare, risks (the “holistic” complaint) and the exclusive nature of the risk assessment process (the “anti-democratic” complaint). The past decade has also seen another substantial trend in risk analysis research: improved understanding, description and management of uncertainty. Unfortunately, inadequate attention has been given to merging the normative and technical trends. This has led to several undesirable consequences in the US, Europe, and other developed countries, consequences that include the potential for systematically arbitrary decisions, undermined credibility of risk analysis as a decision input, and pathological debate about the appropriate role of risk information in the risk regulatory debate. This suggests some lessons for developing countries as they adopt risk analytical methods, and undertake risk comparison exercises. In particular, careful attention to uncertainties and the technical debate may provide an opportunity to broach the current normative stalemate in countries that rely extensively on risk data, and to avoid that stalemate in developing countries.
Interventions for Postsurgical Opioid Prescribing: A Systematic Review.

Importance Over the past 20 years, opioid misuse and opioid addiction have risen to epidemic proportions in the United States. One-third of adults receiving long-term opioid therapy report that their first opioid prescription came from a surgeon, indicating that postsurgical prescribing is an important point of intervention in the opioid epidemic. Such interventions differ from historical interventions on prescribing in that they must be closely monitored to ensure pain continues to be adequately controlled after surgical procedures. As evidence on nonopioid-based pain control grows, a key question is how to implement practice change in postsurgical discharge prescribing. Objective To examine interventions associated with changing opioid prescription practices on surgical discharge. Evidence Review Studies published after 2000 that included interventions that aimed at postsurgical opiate stewardship and evaluated outcomes were included. PubMed and Embase were searched through March 2018 for relevant articles, with additional articles retrieved based on citations in articles retrieved in the initial search. Quality was assessed by 2 independent reviewers using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies, and quality scores were reconciled through discussion and mutual agreement. Findings Eight studies met inclusion criteria, of which 3 were preintervention and postintervention comparison studies, 3 were controlled clinical studies, 1 was a time-series study, and 1 compared postintervention results with a predetermined baseline. Interventions done at the organization level, including changes to electronic health records order sets and workflow, showed clear positive results. Additionally, 2 studies that centered on developing guidelines based on actual patient opioid use and disseminating these guidelines to clinicians reported reductions up to 53% in the quantity prescribed. No increases in emergency department visits or refill requests were reported in studies measuring these outcomes. However, 1 study focused on reducing the number of children who were prescribed codeine found via check-in telephone calls that 13 of 240 patients (5.4%) had inadequately controlled pain. Conclusions and Relevance The studies reviewed provide evidence that clinician-mediated and organizational-level interventions are powerful tools in creating change in postsurgical opioid prescribing. This summary highlights paucity of high-quality studies that provide clear evidence on the most effective intervention at reducing postoperative opioid prescribing.
The Use of K+ Sensitive Electrodes to Gain an Understanding of Myocardial Ischemia

Since the early work of Harris and co-workers (4), it has been known that the acute interruption of coronary blood flow results in the appearance of potassium in the vein draining the ischemic area and in the coronary sinus. This early work and the subsequent studies which evolved from it established the relationship between ischemia and an increase in extracellular potassium and suggested that the accumulation of potassium was an important factor in the development of the electrical and mechanical disorders which characterize myocardial ischemia. It is readily apparant, however, that the appearance of potassium in the coronary sinus or coronary vein and the magnitude of the change in coronary venous potassium are influenced by several factors, including the following: 1) the mass of the ischemic myocardium, 2) the magnitude of the change in extracellular K+ in the ischemic myocardium, and 3) the volume of blood from nonischemic areas which must be present for any flow to occur in the vein draining the ischemic area.
A vignette on model-based quantile regression: analysing excess zero response

Abstract Quantile regression is widely seen as an ideal tool to understand complex predictor-response relations. Its biggest promise rests in its ability to quantify whether and how predictor effects vary across response quantile levels. But this promise has not been fully met due to a lack of statistical estimation methods that perform a rigorous, joint analysis of all quantile levels. This gap has been recently bridged by Yang and Tokdar [18] . Here we demonstrate how their joint quantile regression method, as encoded in the R package qrjoint , offers a comprehensive and model-based regression analysis framework. This chapter is an R vignette where we illustrate how to fit models, interpret coefficients, improve and compare models and obtain predictions under this framework. Our case study is an application to ecology where we analyse how the abundance of red maple trees depends on topographical and geographical features of the location. A complete absence of the species contributes excess zeros in the response data. We treat such excess zeros as left censoring in the spirit of a Tobit regression analysis. By utilising the generative nature of the joint quantile regression model, we not only adjust for censoring but also treat it as an object of independent scientific interest.