cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical Significance of Multiple Drug Resistance Gene Expression in Children with Acute Leukemia

Objective To investigate the expression of genes multiple drug resistanle(mdr1),multidrug resistance associated protoin(MRP),glutathione transterase(GSTπ),lung resistance related protein(LRP) and topoisomerase(TOP)Ⅱα/β involved in multidrug resistance (MDR) and clinical significance. Methods Expression of the six genes above mentioned were measured in 139 acute leukemia patients by RT-PCR methods. Results 1.The expression levels of mdr1,MRP,GSTπ,LRP and TOPⅡα/β in refractory group were very different from those in sensitive group (P0.01). 2.Fourteen relapse children were compared between newly diagnosed and relapse,and there were significant differences in the expression of LRP,TOPⅡα.3.The expression of these genes uncorrela-(ted) with white blood cell count and age of chilrden. 4.Significant correlations were observed between mdr1 and MRP, mdr1 and GSTπ, LRP and mdr1, GSTπ and LRP, MRP and GSTπ, LRP and MRP, TOPⅡα and mdr1, TOPⅡα and MRP, TOPⅡα and GSTπ in all children. Conclusions The expression of mdr1, MRP, GSTπ,LRP,and TOPⅡα are independent unfavorable prognostic factors of relapse and refractory in children with acute leukemia.LRP and TOPⅡα have the relationship with the secondary multidrug resistance. There are correlations between different drug resistance genes.
Reform of drum level protection system for 670t/h boiler

The paper discussed the situation of measuring device of drum level protection system and the hazard of operation in high drum level for 670 t/h boiler,analyzed the optimized configuration of primary measuring device of drum level protection system and proposed the means to eliminate the error of drum nilometer measuring,meanwhile,the drum level protection system was modified,through which the economy and reliability of unit operation was promoted.
Distribution and AIDS Awareness of AIDS High Risk Population in Jingyan County

Objective To survey the distribution and AIDS awareness of AIDS high risk population in Jingyan County.Method The distribution of AIDS high risk population was inquired through related departments,and the questionnaire survey about AIDS awareness and behavior and HIV test were conducted in high risk population.Result Among 736 workers working in public place of entertainment,there were 200 sex workers.Of 80 drug users,15 of them were injection drug users.A total of 1 500 people had commercial blood donation history before 1996.About 100000 people went to other places for job.There were mearly 3 000 floating people in countytown every day.The result of questionnaire survey among 1 208 persons indicated:41.61% of people thought that HIV infection could be prevented,76.00% of people thought that HIV infection could be spread by having dinner together,and 17.09% of people thought that using condom could prevent HIV infection.The usage rate of condom in the sex was 16.42%.Three HIV positive persons were detected in 408 high risk population.Conclusion The high risk population of AIDS distributed widely and the awareness rate about AIDS related knowledge was low among the people in Jingyan County.
Novel recombinant serpin, LEX-032, attenuates myocardial reperfusion injury in cats.

We studied the potential cardioprotective effects of the novel recombinant serine protease inhibitor (serpin), LEX-032, which inhibits the serine proteases elastase and cathepsin G. LEX-032 is a recombinant construct of human alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in which six amino acid residues were replaced around the active center with those of human alpha 1-protease inhibitor. Cats were subjected to 90 min of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion and 270 min of reperfusion (MI/R). Either LEX-032 or its vehicle (i.e., phosphate-buffered saline) was administered intravenously 10 min before reperfusion. Control cats were subjected to sham MI/R. Cats treated with LEX-032 demonstrated a marked reduction in cardiac necrosis after MI/R compared with cats receiving only vehicle (10 +/- 3 vs. 31 +/- 3%, P < 0.01). In addition, relaxation of LAD rings to the endothelium-dependent dilators (e.g., acetylcholine and A23187) was greater in the LEX-032-treated group than in cats receiving vehicle (72 +/- 5 vs. 52 +/- 7%, P < 0.05, and 74 +/- 8 vs. 50 +/- 8%, P < 0.05, respectively), indicating that endothelial function was preserved by LEX-032. Moreover, LEX-032 administration resulted in a marked reduction of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) adherence to ex vivo coronary vascular endothelium compared with vehicle (33 +/- 4 vs. 86 +/- 7 PMNs/mm2, P < 0.01). These data indicate that LEX-032 is a significant cardioprotective agent exerting its protective effect by inhibition of PMN-mediated cellular injury, and this agent represents a novel means of attenuating PMN-mediated reperfusion injury.
Complement-mediated effects of sperm head-directed human antibodies on the ability of human spermatozoa to penetrate zona-free hamster eggs

The ability of immunoglobulins of IgA, IgG, and IgM classes to mediate complement-dependent membrane damage varies. Sera containing antisperm antibodies of differing immunoglobulin classes were studied, in association with complement, for their ability to alter human sperm penetration of zona-free hamster eggs. Sera that contained immunoglobulins of IgG, IgA, or IgM classes directed primarily against the sperm head (as determined by immunobead binding) were selected from men and women judged to be at risk for immune causes of infertility. Spermatozoa were incubated in these sera in the presence and absence of complement. Following an additional incubation in a modified Biggers, Whitten and Whittingham medium, zona-free hamster eggs were inseminated with these spermatozoa. Antibodies known to fix complement (IgG and IgM) diminished the percentage of eggs penetrated and the number of penetrating sperm per egg without impairing the ability of sperm to contact the egg surface, as judged by comparable numbers of spermatozoa adherent to the oolemma. IgA, which cannot fix the first component of complement, did not alter the ability of sperm to penetrate eggs.
Hypereosinophilia Progressing to Granulocytic Sarcoma and Acute Myelocytic Leukemia with Trisomy 8: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Conditions associated with increased peripheral blood and bone marrow eosinophil count may be reactive, clonal or idiopathic. Clonal eosinophilic disorders are characterized by increased production of eosinophils alongside a clone of malignant cells. In these patients, the eosinophils can either be demonstrated as being part of the malignant clone or produced as a result of cytokine production by the malignant clone. Criteria for the diagnosis of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) include the exclusion of other known causes of hypereosinophilia. A few patients with the initial diagnosis of HES develop clonal disorders manifested by granulocytic sarcoma or acute leukemia. We report a patient with a nine year history of HES before progressing to chloroma and acute leukemia. Cytogenetic studies on the bone marrow specimen revealed trisomy 8. This report and others in the literature support the concept that at least some cases of HES are as yet unidentified clonal diseases. Cytogenetic studies are therefore recommended at diagnosis and during the follow up of patients with HES.
Changing paradigms in restorative dentistry

Dramatic improvements in oral health have occurred during the last twenty years. Success is most noticeable in children and young adults, but also extends to the general population. The impact from declining disease rates, improved restorative materials and techniques, new diagnostics and treatments, a broad array of preventives, and better ways to deliver products and services to the public are demonstrated in the decline in the number of restorative procedures performed each year, including a 40% decline in the use of amalgam over the last eleven years. The new paradigm for restorative dentistry calls for an increasingly conservative approach to treatment. The question now is not primarily whether amalgam, composite, or any other material will fill a cavity. The real issue is to make the distinction between caries as a disease and caries as a lesion. Treating caries as a disease requires a new approach to patient management. A diagnosis of caries requires that a patient risk profile be established. We can no longer be limited in our efforts to merely restore the individual tooth surface. This paper discusses the need to cure disease and restore the total integrity of our patients' oral health.
Back-side readout silicon photomultiplier

We present a novel structure for the back-side readout silicon photomultipler (SiPM). Current SiPMs are front-illuminated structures with front-side readout, which have relatively small geometric fill factor leading to degradation in their photon detection efficiency (PDE). Back-side readout devices will provide an advantageous solution to achieve high PDE. We designed and investigated a novel structure that would allow back-side readout while creating a region of high electric field optimized for avalanche breakdown. In addition, this structure has relatively high fill factor and also allow direct coupling of individual micro-cell of the SiPM to application-specific integrated circuits. We will discuss the performance that can be attained with this structure through device simulation and the process flow that can be used to fabricate this structure through process simulation.
Female Online Sex Workers’ Perceptions of Exit from Sex Work

ABSTRACTAlthough the sex work industry has evolved with the emergence of internet marketing, little research examines sex workers who advertise online (i.e., online sex workers) and how their work experiences may differ from those of other sex workers who have been studied more extensively. This qualitative study addresses this gap by examining female online sex workers’ perceptions of exit from sex work. Data come from semi-structured interviews conducted in Southern California in 2014, with twenty-seven female online sex workers. Participants varied in their perceptions of exit meaning, desirability, and feasibility, and in their intentions to exit from sex work.
CHAPTER 5 – Genetics

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews genetic influences on inflammation, metabolism, and longevity in animal models and humans. Mutations in insulin-like metabolic pathways shared broadly by eukaryotes can also influence longevity. These metabolic pathways also interface with inflammation. Certain mutations of insulin signaling that increase the worm life span also increase resistance to infections. The human apoE alleles influence many aspects of aging and disease; the apoE4 allele shows population differences in frequency and effects that may prove to be exemplars of gene–environment interactions during aging. The persistence of the apoE4 allele may be due to balancing selection for pathogen resistance, for hepatitis virus C. Two lipoprotein system gene variants are associated with survival to advanced ages, apoC3 and CETP. IL-6 alleles influence vascular disease and possibly survival to advanced age. The main gene candidates for longevity thus are lipoprotein and inflammatory system genes, which are strongly associated with vascular disease. Although the heritability may be minor in the individual variations, careful analysis of gene–environment interactions will be fruitful in identifying potential interventions, as evidenced by responses to diet in the lipoprotein gene variants.
A Prospective, Randomized Study of Cyclosporine or Corticosteroids As an Adjunct to Plasma Exchange for the Treatment of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

INTRODUCTION: A prospective, randomized study (NCT00713193) was undertaken to compare the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine (CSA) and prednisone (P) as adjuncts to plasma exchange therapy (PEX) in the treatment of acquired TTP. The primary objective was to determine if CSA or P given as an adjunct to PEX has a lower exacerbation rate. Secondary endpoints included the effect of CSA and P on the ADAMTS13 activity and anti-ADAMTS13 antibody concentration and their relationship to clinical outcomes. METHODS: Patients were randomized 1:1 to CSA (2-3mg/kg/d orally) or P (1mg/kg/d orally) with daily PEX until response was achieved (normal platelets , LDH). After stopping PEX CSA was continued for 6 months; P was continued at full dose for the first 4 weeks, then tapered over 4 weeks. Exacerbation was defined as recurrent thrombocytopenia requiring PEX 30 days after the last PEX. ADAMTS13 biomarkers were obtained pretreatment, weekly for 4 weeks after the last PEX, monthly for 5 months, and then every 3 months until 42 months of follow-up. RESULTS: Since November 2007, 26 patients were randomized to CSA (n=12) or P (n=14) and followed for a median 42 m. (range, 1 -42). The study was halted after a planned interim analysis. Response rates were comparable in both arms (CSA: 11/12(92%); P:11/14,(79%);p=0.2), with one patient dying on each arm before achieving a response, and 2 P treated patients crossing over to the CSA arm after failing to achieve a response. The exacerbation rate on the CSA arm was 3/11(27%) v. 1/11(9%) on the P arm (p=0.3). Relapses in patients that achieved remission (without exacerbation) occurred in 5/8 CSA treated patients and 4/10 P treated patients at a median of 7 m. (range, 3-39) and 16m. (range, 4-26), respectively. Serial measurements of the ADAMTS13 activity and IgG inhibitor concentrations over the first 30 days after the last PEX and over the 6 m. CSA treatment course are show in Figures 1 and 2. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the exacerbation rate between the CSA and P arms. However, improvement in the ADAMTS13 activity and suppression of the anti-ADAMTS13 antibodies were significantly better in the P arm compared to the CSA-treated patients. These ADAMTS13 activity and inhibitor concentration data for the first time provide support for the efficacy of P as an adjunct to PEX, and the superiority of P over CSA as an adjunct to PEX therapy in the initial treatment of acquired TTP. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Using a Corporate Partnership to Enhance Learning in a Sourcing Negotiation Role-Play

Although role-plays can be effective teaching tools for buyer-supplier negotiation, learning can be somewhat limited because typically novices are negotiating with each other. We describe how we collaborated with a corporate partner, CACI International, to develop and implement a repeatable sourcing and negotiation role-play that helps to address this limitation. The role play, used in a dual listed undergraduate/MBA strategic sourcing course, covers the sourcing process from strategy development, solicitation, bidding, negotiation, and supplier selection for security services. The unique aspect of the role play is that CACI supply managers assume the role of suppliers throughout the activity including during phone negotiations with student teams. Content analysis of student reflections and a student survey show that the highest degree of perceived learning from the role-play was in the negotiation. Ways to modify the role-play approach when you do not have strong corporate partnerships are discussed.
Ability to adjust nocturnal fat oxidation in response to overfeeding predicts 5-year weight gain in adults

Objective To determine whether metabolic responses to short-term overfeeding predict longitudinal changes in body weight. Methods Twenty-four-hour energy expenditure (EE) and substrate utilization were measured at baseline in a room calorimeter following 3 days of eucaloric and hypercaloric feeding (40% excess) in a sample of lean adults (n: 34; age: 28 ± 2 y; BMI: 22 ± 3 kg/m2). Body mass and fat mass (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) were measured annually for 5 years. Regression analyses examined whether changes in EE and fuel use with overfeeding predicted body weight and composition changes over 5 years. Results Overfeeding increased EE and reduced fat oxidation when examined over the 24-hour, waking, and nocturnal periods. Absolute change in body mass over 5 years was 3.0 ± 0.6 kg (average rate of change = 0.7 ± 0.1 kg/y, P < 0.001). Lower nocturnal (but not 24-hour or waking) fat oxidation (r = −0.42, P = 0.01) and EE (r = −0.33, P = 0.05) with overfeeding were the strongest predictors of 5-year weight gain. When adjusted for covariates, changes in nocturnal fat oxidation and EE with overfeeding predicted 41% of the variance in weight change (P = 0.02). Conclusions Failure to maintain fat oxidation at night following a period of overfeeding appears to be associated with a metabolic phenotype favoring weight gain.
Abstract 64: Microvascular Endothelial Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress and Reduced Arginine: Adma in Premenopausal Women With HIV

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is common in persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who are receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Since CVD generally begins with microvascular dysfunction, we tested the hypothesis that women with HIV have microvascular endothelial dysfunction. We related this to reactive oxygen species (ROS), NOS substrate: inhibitor ratio (arginine: ADMA) and inflammation. Subcutaneous microvascular arterioles (SMAs) were isolated from gluteal skin biopsies from 11 premenopausal, virally suppressed African American HIV positive women receiving HAART but without CVD risk factors and 10 healthy matched controls in the Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WHIS). Preconstricted SMAs were mounted in a Mulvany-Halpern myograph and relaxed with graded concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh). Endothelium derived relaxation (EDR), endothelium-derived relaxation factor (EDRF; NOS-dependent relaxation), endothelium derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF; K+-channel dependent relaxation) and endothelium derived contracting factor (EDCF; ACh-induced contraction with relaxation pathways inhibited) were related to plasma cytokines (array) and plasma arginine: ADMA ratio (measured by capillary zone electrophoresis).Compared to controls, HIV infected subjects had reduced EDRs (50±6 vs 78±3%; P< 0.01), EDRF (27±4 vs 38±3%, P< 0.05), EDHF(18±4 vs 39±4%, P< 0.05) and decreased NO activity (0.18±0.05vs 0.69±0.17ΔUnits, P< 0.05 from DAF-FM fluorescence).They had an ACh-induced EDCF (21±2vs7±3%, P< 0.01) and increased microvascular ROS (0.14±0.04 vs 0.04±0.04 Δunits; P< 0.01 from tempo-9ACfluorescence). Plasma cytokines in HIV subjects showed enhanced inflammation and plasma arginine: ADMA concentrations were reduced (178±12 vs 203±13 μmol/ μmol; P< 0.005). In conclusion, pre-menopausal women receiving HAART with virally suppressed HIV who were free of CVD risk factors developed defective microvascular EDRF and EDHF with reduced NO and NOS substrate: inhibitor ratio. They had inflammation and their microvessels developed a new ACh-induced EDCF and enhanced ROS. These profound microvascular disturbances in apparently healthy young women may herald the development of premature CVD.
Raphael and the Redefinition of Art in Renaissance Italy

Raphael was one of the most important artists of the Italian Renaissance and one of the most important and influential in the entire history of art. His practice of 'synthetic' or 'critical' imitation became a model of creative method; his engagement with the principle of decorum revealed its deeper expressive and philosophical significance and the operation of his workshop helped to redefine the nature of the work that artists do. Robert Williams draws upon the history of literature, philosophy, and religion, as well as upon economic history, to support his detailed and illuminating accounts of Raphael's major works. His analyses serve as the foundation for a set of hypotheses about the aims and aspirations of Italian Renaissance art in general and the nature of art-historical inquiry.
THE WORK OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH PROGRAM

This article begins by recounting the circumstances that led to the AICPA's decision in 1957 to appoint a special committee to recommend a stronger research program to support the process of establishing accounting principles. It then proceeds to examine in depth the committee's sometimes difficult deliberations that eventually led to a unanimous report, in which it recommended the creation of an Accounting Principles Board and an enlarged accounting research division within the Institute. In the course of the article, the author brings out the strong philosophical differences among several of the Big Eight accounting firms that had been impeding the work of the Committee on Accounting Procedure and that also intruded into the Special Committee's deliberations.
Climbing the ladder or getting stuck: An optimal matching analysis of racial differences in college football coaches’ job-level career patterns

Abstract To better understand the documented racial inequality in access to high status positions within the American labor market, this study investigates racial differences in job-level career patterns within the college football coaching profession. Using data on the career histories of 319 college football coaches from the 2009 season, this study examines whether black and white coaches have different job-level mobility patterns throughout their careers using optimal matching sequence analysis. Descriptive results identify five common career trajectories within the college football coaching profession that are distinguished by their relative levels of job mobility and stagnation, and the amount of time spent at the lower college and high school levels of competition before reaching the highest level of college football. Subsequent analyses indicate that white coaches are more likely to follow upward career trajectories while black coaches are more likely to get stuck in careers characterized by low-level positions. These racial differences are due, in part, to coaches’ experience as football athletes (i.e. position played). However, even given the same pre-career experience, racial differences emerge in the likelihood of traversing mobile or stagnant career pathways. The results point to particularistic processes operating to perpetuate racial inequality within the college football coaching profession similar to those that have been shown to operate in other high-status labor market contexts.
Type i interferon responses to airway pathogens

The type I interferons (IFNs) have been studied extensively in the context of viral infections, and have now been recognized as influencing the outcome of bacterial infections. The innate immune system possesses numerous receptors, including TLRs, RIG-like and cytosolic receptors to recognize specific molecular patterns of invading pathogens, be they viral or bacterial. Several of these receptors result in the activation of the type I signaling pathway via intracellular recognition of products such as: DNA, RNA, LPS, and peptidoglycan. Type I IFN signaling leads to the activation of inteferons alpha and beta that via the IFNAR receptor and JAK/STAT signaling influence the transcription of hundreds of genes. The receptors that lead to type I IFN signaling can be found on numerous cell types in the airways: epithelial cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, which all respond to pathogens in unique ways to produce type I IFNs. The effect of type I IFNs on the infection outcome is variable. Type I IFNs can lead to protective as well as sensitizing effects depending upon the bacterial pathogen and the site of infection. Type I IFNs are able to exert their effects through both direct activation of antimicrobial gene products as well as immunomodulation of cell activation and chemotaxis. Bacterial pathogens, both intracellular and extracellular are able to activate the type I IFN response in the airway. Their ability to activate this pathway and the host outcome will be discussed.
Ecological Consequences of the Replacement of Native Grassland by Juniperus virginiana and Other Woody Plants

Although grasslands have been altered by humans for thousands of years (Wedel 1961; Bond et al. 2003), the loss of grassland as a result of anthropogenic activities has increased dramatically over the past 150 years. When Europeans first settled the Midwest and Great Plains, the greatest threat to native grasslands was the conversion of the most highly productive of these ecosystems to row-crop agriculture (Samson and Knopf 1994). Later, with improvements in soil moisture management and irrigation technology, even low-productivity grasslands were plowed. Today, those remnants of the most productive grasslands that escaped the plow are threatened, as are most of Earth’s ecosystems, by a variety of global change phenomena (Vitousek et al. 1997), with the invasion and expansion of woody species into grasslands one of the greatest of these threats. The replacement of grasslands by shrubland, woodland, and forest is a concern not only in the United States but worldwide (Archer et al. 1988; Van Auken 2000; Roques et al. 2001; Silva et al. 2001). Species of woody plants that invade grasslands may include both native plants which previously existed as more minor components of the ecosystem as well as alien species (Bragg and Hulbert 1976; Harcombe et al. 1993). In the mesic grasslands of the central United States, the last remaining extensive tracts of tallgrass prairie in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas are at risk from both shrub expansion from within and forest encroachment from the edges. Alteration in land management (grazing regimens) and the loss of an essential natural driver in the system (fire) associated with human population growth are two causal mechanisms often cited for the increase in shrubs and trees in northeast Kansas tallgrass prairies (Figure 1;Knight et al. 1994; Hoch et al. 2002; Briggs et al. 2002; Heisler et al. 2003). Shrub patches or “islands” that rapidly expand with reduced fire frequencies may be key focal sites for the establishment of many forest species in this and similar grasslands (Petranka and McPherson 1979; Gehring and Bragg 1992; Lett and Knapp 2005). Ultimately, however, closed-canopy Juniperus virginiana forest can completely displace the native grassland ecosystem in many sites (Hoch et al. 2002). A similar replacement of grassland by this and other Juniperus species has occurred in Texas and Oklahoma (see other chapters in this volume).
Direct Detection of Akhiezer Damping in a Silicon MEMS Resonator.

Silicon Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) resonators have broad commercial applications for timing and inertial sensing. However, the performance of MEMS resonators is constrained by dissipation mechanisms, some of which are easily detected and well-understood, but some of which have never been directly observed. In this work, we present measurements of the quality factor, Q, for a family of single crystal silicon Lame-mode resonators as a function of temperature, from 80–300 K. By comparing these Q measurements on resonators with variations in design, dimensions, and anchors, we have been able to show that gas damping, thermoelastic dissipation, and anchor damping are not significant dissipation mechanisms for these resonators. The measured f · Q product for these devices approaches 2 × 1013, which is consistent with the expected range for Akhiezer damping, and the dependence of Q on temperature and geometry is consistent with expectations for Akhiezer damping. These results thus provide the first clear, direct detection of Akhiezer dissipation in a MEMS resonator, which is widely considered to be the ultimate limit to Q in silicon MEMS devices.
The Holocaust and New World Slavery: A Comparative History

This volume offers the first, in-depth comparison of the Holocaust and new world slavery. Providing a reliable view of the relevant issues, and based on a broad and comprehensive set of data and evidence, Steven Katz analyzes the fundamental differences between the two systems and re-evaluates our understanding of the Nazi agenda. Among the subjects he examines are: the use of black slaves as workers compared to the Nazi use of Jewish labor; the causes of slave demographic decline and growth in different New World locations; the main features of Jewish life during the Holocaust relative to slave life with regard to such topics as diet, physical punishment, medical care, and the role of religion; the treatment of slave women and children as compared to the treatment of Jewish women and children in the Holocaust. Katz shows that slave women were valued as workers, as reproducers of future slaves, and as sexual objects, and that slave children were valued as commodities. For these reasons, neither slave women nor children were intentionally murdered. By comparison, Jewish slave women and children were viewed as the ultimate racial enemy and therefore had to be exterminated. These and other findings conclusively demonstrate the uniqueness of the Holocaust compared with other historical instances of slavery.
An evaluation of the effectiveness of foot care education in rural clinics.

Approximately 13.3% of Mississippi’s adult population lives with diabetes, with a higher prevalence among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic minorities. However, there is no recorded data regarding the effectiveness of education on foot ulcer prevention provided to patients in the rural clinic network. Future studies to evaluate the effectiveness of foot care education would benefit from a racially-, ethically-, and socioeconomically-diverse education program. This study combined verbal and visual education tools to improve the acquisition of knowledge and measure the effectiveness of knowledge the diabetic type 2 patients retained. A convenience sample of patients (N = 9) completed pre-and post-intervention questionnaires. A convenience sample of the clinic’s nurses (N = 4) completed only a pre-intervention questionnaire. Data collection for this project included a 5-min formative one-on-one interview, pre- and post-test approach. The Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) 20.0 was used to analyze the transcripts from the focus group, descriptive statistics from the demographic sheet, the questionnaire, and surveys. Qualitative themes were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and to capture the participants’ perception of their experiences. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic data and the knowledge retained. Variables were calculated using central tendency of mean, median, and mode. Satisfaction score with the education provided yielded a mean of 4.56 and standard deviation (SD) of .527. Detailed prospective research is required to determine if implementing education early in the patient’s plan of care will improve the patient’s overall health care status thus, decreasing facility costs.
Targeting destabilized DNA G-quadruplexes and aberrant splicing in drug-resistant glioblastoma

Abstract Temozolomide (TMZ) is a chemotherapy agent that adds mutagenic adducts to guanine, and is first-line standard of care for the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM). Methyl guanine methyl transferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair enzyme that can remove O6-methyl guanine adducts prior to the development of catastrophic mutations, and is associated with TMZ resistance. However, inhibition of MGMT fails to reverse TMZ resistance. Guanines are essential nucleotides in many DNA and RNA secondary structures. In several neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), disruption of these secondary structures is pathogenic. We therefore took a structural view of TMZ resistance, seeking to establish the role of guanine mutations in disrupting critical nucleotide secondary structures. To test whether these have functional impacts on TMZ-resistant GBM, we focused on two specific guanine-rich regions: G-quadruplexes (G4s) and splice sites. Here we report broad sequence- and conformation-based changes in G4s in acquired or intrinsic TMZ resistant vs. sensitive GBM cells, accompanied by nucleolar stress and enrichment of nucleolar RNA:DNA hybrids (r-loops). We further show widespread splice-altering mutations, exon skipping, and deregulation of splicing-regulatory serine/arginine rich (SR) protein phosphorylation in TMZ-resistant GBM cells. The G4-stabilizing ligand TMPyP4 and a novel inhibitor of cdc2-like kinases (CLKs) partially normalize G4 structure and SR protein phosphorylation, respectively, and are preferentially growth-inhibitory in TMZ-resistant cells. Lastly, we report that the G4- and RNA-binding protein EWSR1 forms aberrant cytoplasmic aggregates in response to acute TMZ treatment, and these aggregates are abundant in TMZ resistant cells. Preliminary evidence suggests these cytoplasmic EWSR1 aggregates are also present in GBM clinical samples. This work supports altered nucleotide secondary structure and splicing deregulation as pathogenic features of TMZ-resistant GBM. It further positions cytoplasmic aggregation of EWSR1 as a potential indicator for TMZ resistance, establishes the possibility of successful intervention with splicing modulatory or G4-targeting agents, and provides a new context in which to study aggregating RNA binding proteins.
Nicotine Impairs the Response of Lung Epithelial Cells to IL-22

Smoking is a major risk factor for pulmonary diseases that include chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and cancer. Nicotine is the toxic and addictive component of tobacco products, like cigarettes, that negatively affects the immune system. Here, we examined the effect of nicotine on the IL-22 pathway that protects lung function by increasing transepithelial resistance and epithelial cell regeneration and repair. Our results indicate that exposure to nicotine impairs the regenerative capacity of primary bronchial epithelial cells in scratch assays. IL-22 at 100 ng/ml significantly improved wound healing in epithelial cells; however, the exposure to nicotine hampered the IL-22-mediated effect of wound healing. Investigation into the mechanisms showed that IL-22 receptor, IL-22Rα1, was downregulated in the presence of nicotine as determined by q-PCR and flow cytometry. We also investigated the effect of nicotine on IL-22 production by T cells. Results indicate that nicotine inhibited the secretion of IL-22 from T cells in response to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) ligand, FICZ. Altogether, the data suggests that nicotine negatively influences the IL-22-IL-22R axis. This impairment may contribute to the nicotine-mediated detrimental effects on lung function.
Recent Advances in the Medical Management of Early Pregnancy Loss

To provide an update on advances in medical management of early pregnancy loss, including the addition of mifepristone pretreatment to existing regimens. The utilization of misoprostol for medical management of early pregnancy loss has been studied extensively and is established as a safe and effective treatment. Two recent randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that the addition of mifepristone pretreatment significantly increases the effectiveness of misoprostol and a large body of data demonstrate the excellent safety profile of mifepristone. However, the Food and Drug Administration Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy restrictions impose a major barrier to mifepristone use. The addition of mifepristone to existing misoprostol regimens has significantly improved the effectiveness and patient-centered benefits of medical management of early pregnancy loss. Mifepristone restrictions need to be removed in order to decrease the barriers to women obtaining evidence-based care.
Abstract TP228: The Overlap of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome and Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome

Introduction: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical syndrome with typical neuroimaging findings of vasogenic cerebral edema in posterior brain regions. Reversible cerebr...
On parameterized complexity of the word search problem in the Baumslag-Gersten group

We consider the word search problem in the Baumslag-Gersten group GB. We show that the parameterized complexity of this problem, where the area of van Kampen diagram serves as a parameter, is polynomial in the length of the input and the parameter. This contrasts the well-known result that the Dehn function and the time complexity of the word search problem in GB are non-elementary.
Psychodynamic understanding and treatment of patients with congenital disability

This paper is a follow-up to an article published in 1989 by Cubbage and Thomas. The purpose of that article was to provide a comprehensive analysis of classical Freudian concepts such as castration anxiety, narcissism and self-regard, fear of the loss of love, secondary gain, the death instinct, and ego strength as they related to the treatment and personality development of persons with disabilities. Despite a rigorous review of the literature, an important paper of Freud's with direct and significant implications for persons with congenital or other early-life disabilities was inadvertently overlooked. The purpose of the present paper is to correct that oversight and to provide an almost verbatim synopsis and rehabilitation treatment implications of Freud's (1916) comments on "Exceptions," a character designation that includes persons with congenital or other early-life disabilities that are viewed by the patient as having occurred through no fault of his or her own.
A Concept Mapping Activity to Enhance Pharmacy Students' Metacognition and Comprehension of Fundamental Disease State Knowledge.

Objective. To examine the impact of pre-class concept mapping activities on pharmacy students' ability to self-assess their degree of foundational disease state knowledge and predict their pre-class quiz performance. Methods. Second year pharmacy students in a problem-based learning course were responsible for self-directed learning of foundational knowledge for 14 disease states. After completing their independent pre-class reading, students worked in groups to create concept maps for which feedback was provided for four laboratory sessions, worked in groups to create concept maps but received no formal feedback for three laboratory sessions, and did not engage in any formal group activity for seven laboratory sessions. The day following each session, prior to the formal in-class discussion, students were asked to predict the number of questions they could answer correctly on a quiz covering foundational knowledge and then completed the quiz. Quiz performance was compared based on the three conditions, and bias and absolute bias were calculated to evaluate students’ metacognitive skills. Results. There was no difference in pharmacy students’ metacognition based on the conditions, as reflected by inaccuracy between predicted and actual quiz scores. However, when students had engaged in concept mapping the previous day, their quiz performance was significantly higher than when they had not. Conclusion. Concept mapping did not improve pharmacy students’ metacognitive skills but did have a small effect on their quiz performance. More research is needed to tease apart the roles of concept mapping, group activity, and feedback in altering pharmacy students’ quiz performance and metacognitive skills.
The right default mode network is associated with the severity of chronic itch.

Itch severity in chronic itch patients is influenced by mental state. However, the brain network mediating this nuisance relationship remains unknown. The medial parietal cortex (MPC) is a key hub of the default mode network (DMN) that regulates the mental state and also a brain region selective for itch (i.e., itch, but not pain, activates the MPC). Moreover, antidepressants are used in the treatment of chronic itch and are well known to alter activity in DMN.
The Genocide Name Game: The Case for Crimes Against Humanity To Prevent Genocide

A consistent thorn in the side of United States and Turkey’s relations relates to events that transpired a century ago. Not infrequently, the United States Congress debates resolutions connected to the early twentieth-century Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire. These resolutions vary from labeling the atrocities genocide, to commemorating the victims of the genocide, to calling on Turkey to acknowledge genocide. In each of these instances, Turkey has bristled at the word “genocide,” often reminding the United States of the importance of good relations between the two countries. Turkey has, in fact, spent millions of dollars lobbying the U.S Department of Justice “to convey the seriousness of the genocide issue and the potential threat it poses to U.S.-Turkish relations.” That the Armenian genocide was perpetrated more than a century ago by the Ottoman Empire, a ruling force that has been extinct for almost as long, seems to be of little matter to the Turkish government; for Turkey, any connection to the term “genocide” is a non-starter. I start with this anecdote because it highlights the politicization of the term “genocide.” Undoubtedly, Turkey wishes that any acknowledgement of Ottoman abuses against the Armenians would disappear; however, the term “genocide” has a potency that can jeopardize fragile diplomatic relations. Turkey’s response reflects the widespread belief that genocide, unlike other mass atrocities, such as war crimes or crimes against humanity, is the “crime of all crimes.” The term “genocide,” with its historical connotations to the Holocaust and gas chambers, and its contemporary conflation with the necessity to intervene, is provocative. While sounding the alarm for genocide can call the world to attention regarding ongoing abuses, the term “genocide” can shut the door to diplomacy that could quell mass abuses and often catalyzes a superfluous debate over whether the abuses constitute genocide. In these ways, the term “genocide” frustrates genocide prevention. To be sure, the Ottoman hostility against Armenians was genocide and historians, human rights activists, and government officials should rightly call it so. However, in instances of ongoing abuses that appear to meet the criteria of genocide, the triggering effect of the term “genocide” can hinder effective action to stem the abuses. If policymakers, human rights activists, and international bodies are serious about preventing ongoing abuses, it is most prudent for them to move away from using the term “genocide” and adopt the less fraught “crimes against humanity” to describe ongoing abuses. This article argues that use of the term “crimes against humanity” is a more effective prevention tool than using the term “genocide.” Given the political realities around the term “genocide,” politicians, policy makers, human rights activists, and others who are committed to stopping ongoing genocide should describe the atrocities as crimes against humanity.
Performance of Pumps with Liquefied Gases

Test data have been obtained on three commercially available water pumps adapted for use with cryogenic fluids. Much of this information is reported in a National Bureau of Standards Report.1 Since this report was issued some new data have been obtained on the water pumps, and some preliminary tests have been made on a single stage aircraft fuel booster pump. The purpose here is to discuss some of the test work completed to date and indicate the problems involved.
Cell proliferation and gene expression were regulated by contact between prostate cancer cells PC3 and primary osteoblasts in different stages of bone metastasis.

3419 Bone is the most common target of prostate cancer metastasis. It has been postulated that a ‘vicious cycle’ between cancer cells and bone cells is established that leads to the formation of skeletal metastases. The interaction between prostate cancer cells and bone cells is an important step in this process, but is poorly characterized. Our hypothesis is that direct contact between cells (mediated by receptors) is required for metastasis formation in addition to interaction mediated by soluble factors. In order to explore the dynamic regulation in cell proliferation, gene expression profile and cell interaction between two cell populations, we established a co-culture system containing prostate cancer cell lines (PC3 or DU145) and primary cultures of osteoblasts (derived from rat bone marrow or from long bone). Different ratios (1:100, 1:10, 1:1 and 10:1) between prostate cancer cells and osteoblasts mimicked the different stages of metastasis development. Proliferation of two types of cells in the co-culture system was measured by labeling prostate cancer cells (or bone cells) with CSFE (Vybrant) dye, and quantitating the proportion of co-culture cells with flow cytometic analysis. Gene expression profiles were assayed with microarray. The results showed that proliferation of PC3 prostate cancer cells was suppressed by co-culturing with osteoblasts during the first 48 hours in comparison to prostate cancer cell culture alone. In contrast, PC3 prostate cancer cells stimulated proliferation of osteoblasts. Expression of uPA in prostate cancer cells was highly up-regulated in the co-culture system. Besides uPA, prostate cancer cells expressed many other potential mediators of osteoblastic metastasis, including endothelin-1, TGF-β2, BMP, IGFBP 1 and 3, prostate-specific antigen and FGF. Those factors stimulated proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts, which expressed the bone formation markers type I collagen, alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin. The osteoblastic metastasis-related genes were dynamically regulated during the progression of prostate cancer cells growth and proliferation when PC3 were co-cultured with osteoblasts. These results set a foundation for future studies that will identify receptors in osteoblasts and prostate cancer cells that mediate changes in proliferation and expression in response to contact in co-culture.
Mathematical models in developmental biology

Introduction Catastrophe theory Pattern formation Differential adhesion and morphogenesis The origins of movement Chemotaxis Cell proliferation Somite formation in vertebrates Compartments Segmentation of insect embryos Supplementary notes Bibliography Index
Is Crawford a 'Get Out of Jail Free' Card for Batterers and Abusers? An Argument for a Narrow Definition of 'Testimonial'

In domestic violence and familial abuse cases, prosecutors much often rely on hearsay statements made by the victim during or shortly after the alleged crime. Such statements may include 911 calls for assistance or spontaneous utterances to law enforcement officers or others. Prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in Crawford v. Washington, the admissibility of such hearsay statements in the face of the Confrontation Clause had depended upon finding that the hearsay statement was reliable. However, under Crawford, admissibility now depends on whether the hearsay statement is not “testimonial.” This raises the question of how to define “testimonial statements.” Professor Chase proposes that a statement should only be found to be testimonial if there is government involvement in creating the statement with an eye toward admitting the statement at trial. This narrow definition is more consistent with the purpose of the Confrontation Clause and with Crawford than broader definitions. Professor Chase also discusses that, because of due process confrontation requirements independent of the Confrontation Clause, non-testimonial statements which pass Confrontation Clause scrutiny must still be shown to be reliable to be admissible. Professor Chase applies her framework to types of hearsay evidence that are often available in domestic violence and familial abuse case, such as 911 calls, statements made to responding officers or medical providers, formal statements given to police or investigators after the initial response to the incident, statements given to individuals other than police officers and investigators, and dying declarations. She concludes her article by considering the doctrine of forfeiture as a means of admitting even “testimonial” hearsay.