cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biologic and immunologic effects of preoperative trastuzumab for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast

BACKGROUND: Through this study, the authors sought to investigate the biologic and immunologic effects of preoperative trastuzumab in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. METHODS: Patients with DCIS were enrolled in this open-label phase 2 trial and tested for HER2. Trastuzumab was given by intravenous infusion (8 mg/kg). The patients then had surgery 14 to 28 days after treatment. Tissue and peripheral blood samples were obtained before therapy and at the time of surgery to examine residual disease and immunologic response. RESULTS: Median age of the 69 enrolled patients was 53 years, mean mammographic size of the DCIS lesions was 5.2 ± 1.2 cm, and 24 patients (35%) were found to have HER2 overexpression/amplification (12 received trastuzumab and 12 untreated patients provided tissue for blinded, controlled biomarker analyses). No overt histologic evidence of response was noted. No significant change in mean pretherapy staining for Ki-67 (44.3 ± 3.4%) and cleaved caspase-3 (2.6 ± 0.8%) was noted when surgical specimens from drug-treated patient samples were compared with those not treated. Trastuzumab significantly augmented antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in 100% of patients; this was demonstrated to be mediated through CD56+ degranulating natural killer cells (P < .01). One patient developed a significant anti-HER2 humoral CD4 T-cell response. CONCLUSIONS: Single-dose monotherapy with trastuzumab for patients with HER2-positive DCIS does not result in significant, clinically overt, histologic, antiproliferative, or apoptotic changes, but does result in the ability to mount ADCC mediated through natural killer cells and may also induce T-cell dependent humoral immunity. Further studies of trastuzumab for DCIS appear warranted. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
Stream water responses to timber harvest: Riparian buffer width effectiveness

Abstract Vegetated riparian buffers are critical for protecting aquatic and terrestrial processes and habitats in southern Appalachian ecosystems. In this case study, we examined the effect of riparian buffer width on stream water quality following upland forest management activities in four headwater catchments. Three riparian buffer widths were delineated prior to cutting; 0 m (no-buffer), 10 m, and 30 m, and one reference site (REF). A two-age prescription timber harvest was conducted on all cut sites with a target residual basal area of approximately 4.0 m2 ha−1. Harvesting occurred from October 2005 through February 2007. Stream sampling was conducted weekly from January 2004 through December 2008. Stream water chemistry, temperature, and total suspended solids (TSS) were used as metrics of water quality. Analyses were conducted on weekly grab samples. Pre-treatment concentrations of all solutes were similar to conditions found in other headwater streams at similar topographic positions around the region. The greatest responses to cutting occurred on the no-buffer site. Compared with pre-harvest levels on the no-buffer site, stream nitrate concentration ([NO3–N]) increased 2-fold during both base and stormflow following harvest, and all base cations increased in concentration. [NO3–N] on the no-buffer site showed steady decline with time following the initial post-harvest increase. The other sites did not show increases in [NO3–N] and very small or no responses in other stream chemistry parameters. There was no TSS response at stormflow on any site, and during baseflow, TSS decreased on all but the no-buffer site. Stream water temperature increased during the summer on the no-buffer site. Although alternative land uses may have different requirements, these results suggest that for riparian buffer widths of 10 m and wider, the forest harvest activities implemented in this study did not substantially impact stream water quality. Hence, 10 m wide buffers in these ecosystems may provide effective protection with respect to stream water chemistry, TSS, and temperature.
The effects of gender and CYP46 and apo E polymorphism on 24S-hydroxycholesterol levels in Alzheimer's patients treated with statins.

To examine the effect of gender and polymorphisms of CYP46 and apo E on plasma levels of 24S-hydroxycholesterol in Alzheimers disease (AD) patients and to determine whether these factors contribute to the variability in responses to statin treatment. Fifty-three AD patients had measurement of plasma levels of 24S-hydroxycholesterol , plasma and lipoprotein cholesterol and genotyping of CYP46 and apo E. Thirty-nine of the subjects subsequently participated in a statin trial for 6 weeks, and had a repetition of the baseline measurements. Baseline levels of 24S-hydroxycholesterol were higher in women than in men. There was a positive and significant correlation of plasma oxysterol levels with levels of total plasma cholesterol (women: r = .72, P < .0001; men: r = .47, P = .02) and non-HDL cholesterol (women: r = .68, P < .0001; men: r = 0.51, P = .01) (and LDL cholesterol) but not HDL cholesterol levels. There was no association of CYP46 or apo E polymorphisms with plasma levels of 24S-hydroxycholesterol. AD subjects treated with statins had a similar percent reduction in lathosterol, 24S-hydroxycholesterol, total cholesterol and non-HDL (and LDL) cholesterol regardless of gender and polymorphisms of CYP46. Subjects with the e4 / 4 polymorphism had less reduction in the ratios of 24S-hydroxycholesterol-LDL cholesterol. Women with AD had higher levels of plasma 24S-hydroxycholesterol levels than men. Women also showed a very strong correlation of plasma levels of 24S-hydroxycholesterol-to-total and non-HDL cholesterol. This may suggest that the oxysterol may be an important marker of AD risk instead of total cholesterol, as suggested by others. Polymorphisms of CYP46 or apo E do not explain levels of oxysterol or non-HDL cholesterol or the responsiveness to statin treatment in this study.
An integrated pharmacogenomic analysis of doxorubicin response using genotype information on DMET genes

Genetic variations like single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in drug metabolizing and transporter (DMET) genes can impact their downstream function and behavior, and play a crucial role in the pharmacokinetics of substrate drugs. These polymorphisms can alter drug response in some patients leading to adverse drug response like toxicity, resistance or lack of sensitivity. We have identified variants in a number of genes that are significantly associated with doxorubicin response in an effort to enhance personalized medicine in the clinic.
Evidence for adrenal involvement in the modulatory role of prolactin in luteinizing hormone secretion in the male rat

Adrenalectomized and non-adrenalectomized male rats were studied to evaluate the interplay of PRL and the adrenal in the regulation of LH secretion during hyperprolactinemia. Hyperprolactinemia was induced by transplantation of pituitaries beneath the kidney capsule or by exogenous administration. Basal serum LH levels were significantly reduced (P 90 days of age) bearing ectopic pituitaries. Pituitary LH release after 10 but not 20 ng LHRH, in the presence or absence of the adrenal, was blunted (P < 0.05) during hyperprolactinemia. Furthermore, chronic hyperprolactinemia slightly suppressed the rise in serum LH after gonadectomy, whereas LH secretion after 20 ng LHRH was markedly diminished in the castrated, hyperprolactinemic male rat, effects which were independent of the presence of the adrenal. Acute hyperprolactinemia (6 h) in the presence but not in the absence of the adrenal in the adult male rat significantly inhibited the LH response to 20 ng LHRH. In the youn postpub...
Image processing in digital mammography: the optimum image for each woman's breasts

Image processing can enhance an image making it easier to identify the signs of cancer or can obscure the signs of cancer. Careful tests of the effects of image processing should be completed first in geometric test objects before they are tried in digital data sets from patients. The major goal of image processing is to optimize the contrast of the signs of cancer; a secondary goal is to decrease the visibility of breast structure and image noise that can interfere with the visibility of cancer. This article discusses aspects of contrast enhancement related to both the digital data set and the interaction of that data set with the image display device, the use of image separation into high and low frequency images and the use of edge enhancement in the detection of the signs of breast cancer.
Optimum Sampling in a Spatial-Temporally Correlated Wireless Sensor Network

The optimum space and time sampling in a wireless sensor network (WSN) with spatial-temporally correlated data is studied in this paper. The impacts of the node density in the space domain and the sampling rate in the time domain on the network performance are investigated asymptotically by considering a large network with infinite area, infinite time period, but finite node density and finite temporal sampling rate. Two cases are studied under the constraint of fixed power per unit area. The first case investigates the estimations of the space-time samples collected by the sensors, and the samples are discrete in both the space and time domains. The second case estimates an arbitrary data point on the space-time plane, by interpolating the discrete samples collected by the sensors. The interactions among the various network parameters and their impacts on the system performance are quantitatively identified with exact analytical expressions.
Properties of photorefractive nonstoichiometric bismuth silicon oxide, BixSiO 1.5 x +2

Single crystals of bismuth silicon oxide (BSO) were Czochralski grown nonstoichiometrically from high-purity starting materials. Several series of three crystals were grown from nonstoichiometric melts starting with a bismuth oxide–rich melt. The intrinsic absorption shoulder of BSO was modified in amplitude with growth from nonstoichiometric melts. Two-beam coupling was used to determine photorefractive material parameters of the nonstoichiometric crystals. The data were analyzed with the two-beam coupling, two-carrier single multivalent ion model of the photorefractive effect. Parameters determined include the effective trap density, the hole–electron competition parameter, and the ratio of hole-to-electron absorption. Higher absorption correspond to a higher effective trap density and gain coefficient. The two-beam coupling gains, measured in the diffusion regime, are believed to be the largest reported for BSO, 0.70 cm−1, and are correlated to nonstoichiometric-growth-induced changes in the native defect concentrations.
Thermal and mechanical properties of blended polyimide and amine‐functionalized poly(orthosiloxane) composites

Nanocomposite films were prepared through the blending of polyimide (PI) with octaphenyl silsesquioxane (OPS) and an amino-functionalized analogue, octaaminophenyl silsesquioxane (OAPS), with a solution-casting method. Although the PI–OPS composites showed visible phase separation at 5 wt %, the PI–OAPS composites were transparent with visible phase separation occurring only at 50 wt % OAPS. The interfacial interactions and homogeneity of the composites were characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic mechanical analysis. SEM analysis showed a uniform fracture surface for OAPS composites at concentrations up to 20 wt %. Interestingly, OAPS-rich particles with sizes of less than 1 μm were formed within the PI matrix for the 50 wt % composite. The PI–OAPS composites showed higher glass-transition temperatures (Tg's) than the pure PI. The PI–OPS composites showed a Tg lower than that of the pure PI, and this suggested poor interfacial interactions. The slightly enhanced thermal stability of PI–OAPS composites (up to 20 wt %) was attributed to the inherent thermal stability of OAPS at higher temperatures. There were small increases in the modulus and strength for the composites with respect to the base polymer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Unleashing the power of wearable devices in a SIP infrastructure

The session initiation protocol (SIP) has been widely adopted for instant messaging (IM) and VoIP telephony both by the enterprise and in service provider systems. Till now, SIP functionality has been accessible to end-users primarily via computing platforms such as an IM client on a laptop or on communication platforms such as an IP phone or a cell phone. We show that wearable devices such as the IBM Linux Watch (WatchPad/spl trade/) can play a powerful role as a control device in a SIP infrastructure, given their easily accessible, always available, and visible user-interfaces. We have designed and prototyped several key control applications, using a SIP User Agent on the WatchPad, such as the ability to initiate and route incoming and outgoing phone calls, receive simple queries as instant messages, and call initiation based on address books residing on wearable devices. We discuss other examples such as video conferencing and the authentication layer for workflow. Our investigation and implementation shows that wearable devices can plug an important gap and significantly enhance user experience.
Indocyanine green fluorescence-guided redo parathyroidectomy

Re-operative neck surgery for hyperparathyroidism is a technically difficult operation that requires adjunctive studies to assist with finding the parathyroid tissues. Intraoperative tests help minimise exploration of the neck and decrease injuries to the surrounding structures. Indocyanine green is a near-infrared fluorescent dye that in pre-clinical models was found to be useful in locating the parathyroid glands of dogs. No study has yet reported its use as a tool for parathyroid localisation in humans. We investigated the use of indocyanine green to assist with localisation of a recurrent parathyroid adenoma using a near-infrared imaging system. After exposure of the neck tissues, the parathyroid gland fluoresced brightly and directed our dissection. Exploration of the neck was minimal, and allowed for fast localisation and excision of the adenoma. Overall, use of indocyanine green is a simple and safe technique of intraoperative parathyroid localisation that warrants further investigation.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: utility of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MR imaging in the detection of cortical and subcortical lesions.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is typically characterized by headache, altered mental functioning, seizures, and visual loss associated with imaging findings of bilateral subcortical and cortical edema with a predominantly posterior distribution. Our goal was to determine whether fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging improves the ability to detect subtle peripheral lesions of PRES, as compared with conventional MR techniques. METHODS: Sixteen patients with clinical and imaging findings consistent with PRES were studied. Thirteen patients had undergone transplantation and had cyclosporin A neurotoxicity. Fast-FLAIR images were compared with spin-echo proton density–and T2-weighted images. RESULTS: FLAIR imaging improved diagnostic confidence and conspicuity of the T2 hyperintense lesions of PRES, typically in the subcortical white matter of the parietooccipital regions bilaterally. On all 23 abnormal MR studies, FLAIR was judged superior to proton density–and T2-weighted images for the detection of PRES in the supratentorial brain. In a mean of 6.7 of 23 studies, FLAIR findings prompted a raise in the grade of disease severity. FLAIR also showed cortical involvement in 94% of patients with PRES and in a mean of 46% of the total lesion burden. In four cases, subtle lesions were virtually undetectable without FLAIR. Brain stem or cerebellar disease was encountered in 56% of patients. CONCLUSION: FLAIR improves the ability to diagnose and detect subcortical and cortical lesions in PRES as compared with proton density–and T2-weighted spin-echo images. We therefore believe that FLAIR should be performed in patients with suspected PRES to allow more confident recognition of the often subtle imaging abnormalities.
Two GABAA responses with distinct kinetics in a sound localization circuit

The temporal characteristics and functional diversity of GABAergic inhibition are determined by the spatiotemporal neurotransmitter profile, intrinsic properties of GABAA receptors, and other factors. Here, we report two distinct GABAA responses and the underlying mechanisms in neurons of the chicken nucleus laminaris (NL), the first encoder of interaural time difference for sound localization in birds. The time course of the postsynaptic GABAA currents in NL neurons, recorded with whole-cell voltage clamp, differed between different characteristic frequency (CF) regions. Compared to low-CF (LF) neurons, middle/high-CF (MF/HF) neurons had significantly slower IPSCs, with a 2.6-fold difference in the decay time constants of spontaneous IPSCs and a 5.3-fold difference in the decay of IPSCs elicited by single-pulse stimulus. Such differences were especially dramatic when IPSCs were elicited by train stimulations at physiologically relevant frequencies, and at high stimulus intensities. To account for these distinct GABAA responses, we showed that MF/HF neurons exhibited more prominent asynchronous release of GABA. Supporting this observation, replacement of extracellular Ca2+ with Sr2+ increased the decay of IPSCs in LF neurons, and EGTA-AM reduced the decay of IPSCs in MF/HF neurons. Furthermore, pharmacological evidence suggests that GABA spillover plays a greater role in prolonging the IPSCs of MF/HF neurons. Consequently, under whole-cell current clamp, synaptically released GABA produced short- and long-lasting suppression of the neuronal excitability of LF and MF/HF neurons, respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that the GABAergic inputs to NL neurons may exert a dynamic modulation of interaural time difference (ITD) coding in a CF-dependent manner.
Mutual coupling-based calibration of phased array antennas

Calibration of phased arrays is typically performed once during the manufacturing process, and requires large near-field or far-field antenna ranges. Technology Service Corporation (TSC) has demonstrated that by utilizing element mutual coupling characteristics, modern arrays can be accurately calibrated using only existing array elements as sources. Arrays can therefore be calibrated and recalibrated using an automated on-board procedure, without taking the antenna out of service. This paper discusses the theory of calibration using mutual coupling, and shows successful results of tuning a modern 808-element pre-production antenna using the mutual coupling technique.
Automated Segmentation of Intraretinal Cystoid Fluid in Optical Coherence Tomography

Cystoid macular edema (CME) is observed in a variety of ocular disorders and is strongly associated with vision loss. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides excellent visualization of cystoid fluid, and can assist clinicians in monitoring the progression of CME. Quantitative tools for assessing CME may lead to better metrics for choosing treatment protocols. To address this need, this paper presents a fully automated retinal cyst segmentation technique for OCT image stacks acquired from a commercial scanner. The proposed method includes a computationally fast bilateral filter for speckle denoising while maintaining CME boundaries. The proposed technique was evaluated in images from 16 patients with vitreoretinal disease and three controls. The average sensitivity and specificity for the classification of cystoid regions in CME patients were found to be 91% and 96%, respectively, and the retinal volume occupied by cystoid fluid obtained by the algorithm was found to be accurate within a mean and median volume fraction of 1.9% and 0.8%, respectively.
Forward trafficking of ion channels: what the clinician needs to know.

Each heartbeat requires precisely orchestrated action potential propagation through the myocardium, achieved by coordination of about a million ion channels on the surface of each cardiomyocyte. Specific ion channels must occur within discrete subdomains of the sarcolemma to exert their electrophysiological effects with highest efficiency (e.g., voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels at T-tubules and gap junctions at intercalated discs). Regulation of ion channel movement to their appropriate membrane subdomain is an exciting research frontier with opportunity for novel therapeutic manipulation of ion channels in the treatment of heart disease. Although much research has generally focused on internalization and subsequent degradation of ion channels, the field of forward trafficking of de novo ion channels from the cell interior to the sarcolemma has now emerged as a key regulatory step in cardiac electrophysiological function. In this brief review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the cellular biology governing the forward trafficking of ion channels.
Velocity of the Fashion Process in Women's Formal Evening Dress, 1789-1980

This study tests the proposition that the fashion process is accelerating by utilizing quantitative data and time series analysis. Metrical measurements of persistent features of women's formal eve...
Conceptual versus experimental creativity: Which works best on convergent and divergent thinking tasks?

David Galenson’s research on creativity has identified two unique creative methods: conceptual and experimental. These methods have different processes, goals, and purposes. To determine whether (a) college students use one method more than the other, and (b) if one method is superior to the other, the authors randomly assigned 115 college students to use the conceptual creative method, the experimental creative method, or their own creative method (i.e., how they would solve a creative problem without instruction) while completing two types of convergent and divergent thinking tasks. Participants using the experimental creative method performed better than the other groups on both types of convergent thinking tasks, with most participants using the experimental creative method unaware of this increase in performance.
Large Scale Optoelectronic Integration of Asynchronous Analog Neural Networks

Asimple circuit architecture in standard CMOS technology for the optoelectronic implementation of analog continuous-time neural networks (NN) is presented. The circuit enables the implementation of recurrent NN models with analog synapses and neurons, with continuous dynamics. The basic cell consists of a synapse coupled with a distributed neuron, where synaptic linear superposition and neuron nonlinear thresholding are combined together, using only five MOS transistors and one phototransistor per synapse. The synaptic interaction matrix is imaged continuously on the chip from a spatial light modulator, thus allowing fast reprogramming of the connections. The performance of the proposed system is illustrated by some measurements of synapse and neuron characteristics on a 16 neuron (256 synapse) prototype fabricated in MOSIS CMOS technology. The expected performance and limitations of a scaled up system are discussed.
Limited Impact of a Small Residential Wind Turbine on Birds on an Off-Shore Island in Maine

Abstract We studied the impact of a small, residential wind turbine on birds on Appledore Island, ME, to augment the limited published data on avian fatalities due to residential turbines. We conducted mortality and behavioral surveys of birds flying in the vicinity of the turbine. We did not detect any turbine-related fatalities during twice-daily surveys from fall 2007 to spring 2012, and we have only two anecdotal reports of collision events. Behavioral observations showed that the majority of birds flew below the turbine propeller (95.5%) vertically and near the turbine (53.4%) horizontally. Our behavioral surveys indicated that birds were often seen close to the monopole, but were less likely to be detected near the turbine blades compared to areas more distant from the blades. Furthermore, birds perching on and around the monopole structure provided additional anecdotal evidence of birds not avoiding the vicinity of the wind turbine. Our findings suggest a limited impact of this residential wind tur...
A loosely coupled parallel algorithm for standard cell placement

We present a loosely coupled parallel algorithm for the placement of standard cell integrated circuits. Our algorithm is a derivative of simulated annealing. The implementation of our algorithm is targeted towards networks of UNIX workstations. This is the very first reported parallel algorithm for standard cell placement which yields as good or better placement results than its serial version. In addition, it is the first parallel placement algorithm reported which offers nearly linear speedup, in terms of the number of processors (workstations) used, over the serial version. Despite using the rather slow local area network as the only means of interprocessor communication, the processor utilization is quite high, up to 98% for 2 processors and 90% for 6 processors. The new parallel algorithm has yielded the best overall results ever reported for the set of MCNC standard cell benchmark circuits.
Differences in self-reported depressive symptoms between patients with epileptic and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

Depression is a multidimensional condition encompassing affective, physiological, and cognitive symptoms. Although depression's high comorbidity with both epileptic and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (ES and PNES) has been established, few studies have addressed whether the types of depressive symptoms experienced differ by seizure type (ES and PNES). This study compared the self-reported depressive symptomatology of patients (n = 60 ES and 59 PNES) who underwent video-EEG monitoring and completed self-reported objective measures of psychopathology (PAI and BDI-II). Differences in depressive symptoms were also compared by gender and among several subgroups with ES. Results revealed the PNES group, particularly PNES females, endorsed a significantly higher level of physiological symptoms of depression as measured by the PAI DEP-P subscale than the ES group; the BDI-II did not differ between groups. These findings have potential clinical implications for the identification and management of depressive symptoms among these patient groups.
Analysis of long-term trends (1950-2009) in precipitation, runoff and runoff coefficient in major urban watersheds in the United States

This study investigates the long-term trends in precipitation, runoff and runoff coefficient in major urban watersheds in the United States. The seasonal Mann‐Kendall trend test was performed on monthly precipitation, runoff and runoff coefficient data from 1950 to 2009 obtained from 62 urban watersheds covering 21 major urban centers in the United States. The results indicate that only five out of 21 urban centers in the United States showed an uptrend in precipitation. Twelve urban centers showed an uptrend in runoff coefficient. However, six urban centers did not show any trend in runoff coefficient, and three urban centers showed a significant downtrend. The highest rate of change in precipitation, runoff and runoff coefficient was observed in the Houston urban watershed. Based on the results obtained, we also attributed plausible causes for the trends. Our analysis indicated that while a human only influence is observed in most of the urban watersheds, a combined climate and human influence is observed in the central United States.
A Case of Sigmoid Colon Tuberculosis Mimicking Colon Cancer

Tuberculosis of the sigmoid colon is a rare disorder. An 80-year-old man visited Bongseng Memorial Hospital for medical examination. A colonoscopy was performed, and a lesion in the sigmoid colon that was suspected to be colon cancer was found. A biopsy was performed, and tuberculous enteritis with chronic granulomatous inflammation was diagnosed. Intestinal tuberculosis is most frequent in the ileocecal area, followed by the ascending colon, transverse colon, duodenum, stomach, and sigmoid colon, in descending order. Hence, we report a case of intestinal tuberculosis in the sigmoid colon, which is rare and almost indistinguishable from colon cancer.
Stimulation-Produced Analgesia

Although it is unlikely that stimulation-produced analgesia (SPA) will soon become a clinical tool in veterinary medicine, animals continue to be valuable in studies that provide information about an endogenous pain-control system of ultimate benefit to humans and to animals. Many milestones in science are accomplished paradoxically as with chronic pain where many advances have come from behavioral models of acute pain. Fortuitously, SPA differs somewhat between humans and animals. Although in humans medial brain stem stimulation alleviates pathological pain without affecting normal (acute) pain perception, the latter is typically used to define SPA in animals. Also the duration of SPA effectiveness in humans greatly exceeds that in animals. Whether these are true species differences or result from differences in techniques of stimulation or pain measurement is not yet known. Although animals can not verbally communicate their pain, their behavior is similar to that of humans in response to noxious stimulation. The most basic of these behaviors is the escape response, which removes the body or limb from threat of tissue destruction. A common demonstration of SPA is that a mouse on a hot plate or a rat with its tail under a heat lamp fails to make the basic escape response.
Constructing Awareness Through Speech, Gesture, Gaze and Movement During a Time-Critical Medical Task

We conducted a video-based study to examine how medical teams construct and maintain awareness of what is going on in the environment during a time-critical, collaborative task—endotracheal intubation. Drawing on a theme that characterizes work practices in collaborative work settings—reading a scene—we examine both vocal and non-vocal actions (e.g., speech, body movement, gesture, gaze) of team members participating in this task to understand how these actions are used to display status of one’s work or to acquire information about the work status of others. While each action modality was helpful in constructing awareness to some extent, it posed different challenges, requiring team members to combine both vocal and non-vocal actions to achieve awareness about each other’s activities and their temporal order. We conclude by discussing different types of non-vocal actions, their purpose, and the need for computational support in this dynamic work setting.
Other women’s fertility moderates female resource distribution across the menstrual cycle

Abstract Status competition among female mammals tends to intensify near ovulation. Females compete selectively, targeting females who most threaten their own likelihood of conception. The present study explored the extent to which regularly cycling women differentially compete with other women in a behavioral economic game as a function of both women's fertility. We find evidence for an interaction between participant and target fertility, such that women withhold more resources from another woman, thereby keeping more for themselves, when both women are in the fertile (late follicular) phase of their menstrual cycle. Results expand research on women's perceptions of fertility cues in other women by demonstrating a possible role for such cues in modulating female social behavior.
Use of Electrical Resistivity Soundings to Estimate the Depth of Underground Lignite Mine Workings Near Wilton, North Dakota

Active subsidence is occurring above lignite mine workings near Wilton, North Dakota. The subsidence poses a threat to State Highway 36, and impacted areas are in the process of being reclaimed by the North Dakota Public Service Commission. This reclamation work includes an extensive drilling program and provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the use of vertical electrical resistivity soundings (VES) to identify underground workings. Four locations having good subsurface information at the site were chosen for VES work. Apparent resistivity profiles using a symmetrical Schlumberger array were modeled with the automatic interpretation method described by Zohdy (1989). The results indicate unmined and unsaturated lignite of the Bullion Creek Formation has a resistivity similar to the surrounding clays. When modeled as a homogeneous layer, unflooded areas which have been mined have model resistivities approximately two to five times greater. Resolution of the depth to the workings appears to be within several meters, provided the mined horizon lies at a depth of less than 30 m. The predominant orientation of the workings appears to influence significantly the apparent resistivity profile and the model. Although not tested in this study, azimuthal soundings about a common midpoint may provide additional information on the orientation of mine workings in areas where drilling data or mine maps are not available.
Complementary Efforts Make for Efficient Research

Toh and colleagues report an evaluation of the risks of DPP-4 inhibitors using health insurance and health system data partners in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Mini-Sentinel program. The...
Analysis on Results about Pathogens in Foods in Beijing Shunyi District During 2002-2005

Objective To understand the status of the food pollution of shunyi district.Method The samples were detected according to GB/T 4789─2003 microbiological examination of food hygiene.Results From 2002 to 2005 four pathogens (Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli O157, L.Monocytogenes) were tested in six types of foods in this district according to a monitoring program of food contamination of Beijing. 57 strains of pathogens were detected. 2 strains of Salmonella, 26 strains of Staphylococcus and 29 strains of L. monocytogenes were detected, and the strain of Escherichia coli O157 was not detected. The overall detective rate of pathogens was 9.7%. The detective rates of pathogens in the samples of raw milk, raw meat, ice cream, aquatic product and cooked meats were 15.5%, 14.5%, 5.0%, 4.4%, 1.9%, respectively. Pathogens were not detected in vegetables.Conclusion The raw milk and raw meat were the foods most frequently contaminated by pathogens, so that the secondary contamination of food should be pay enough attention.
A Note on the Death Process with a Random Parameter

This note considers a pure death process with random death rate, subject to a 2-state Markov chain. The Kolmogorov forward equations lead to a formal solution in terms of Laplace transforms. The problem is a first step towards solving the carrier borne epidemic where the carriers are subject to this type of death process.
Abstract 667: Tumor cell dormancy is mediated by an increase in RTK signaling in reversible pancreatic cancer models expressing oncogenic K-Ras and c-Myc

Recent genetic studies of pancreatic cancer expressing mutant Kras and c-Myc strongly favor targeted therapies against these oncogenic drivers for the successful treatment of advanced staged pancreatic cancer. The potential limitation of these treatments is that they likely leave residual cancer cells that can play a role in tumor recurrence. Our study is focused on understanding the molecular mechanism of the survival of pancreatic cancer cells in the absence of the tumor-driving oncogene in order to successfully eliminate cancer cells and prevent tumor relapse. Using a reversible c-Myc-induced pancreatic cancer model, we have demonstrated that expression of c-Myc in pancreatic progenitors is sufficient to induce invasive pancreatic cancer, and its expression is required for the maintenance of tumors at primary and metastatic sites. However, despite the complete macroscopic remission of invasive pancreatic tumors at primary and metastatic sites upon downregulation of c-Myc, a few cancer cells survived and remained dormant for a protracted period of time (Lin et al., 2013). In this current study, we have used a reversible Kras-induced pancreatic tumor model and found that cancer cell dormancy is a common attribute in pancreatic cancer following oncogene ablation. In an effort to identify common, cancer cell-intrinsic molecular pathways that mediate residual disease following the ablation of oncogenic drivers, we performed a genome-wide gene expression analysis (RNA-Seq) of in vivo-derived bulk tumor cells and dormant cancer cells that survived the ablation of c-Myc and oncogenic Kras. Comparison of the gene expression profile of bulk and residual cancer cells revealed that the residual cancer cells have increased receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)/Akt signaling as a common mechanism for their survival in both c-Myc and Kras-induced tumors. We have experimentally validated the importance of this signaling pathway in cancer cell survival in the absence of oncogenic signaling in both tumor models. In comparison to control mice, we observed a significant slow tumor growth and delayed tumor relapse resulting in longer survival of the tumor bearing mice though a combination of this RTK/Akt pathway inhibition and ablation of Kras or c-Myc. In conclusion, our current study in reversible cancer models highlights the importance for the development of an adjuvant therapeutic strategy targeting this RTK/Akt pathway in addition to oncogenic drivers to effectively eradicate residual cancer cells and to prevent pancreatic cancer recurrence. Citation Format: Nirakar Rajbhandari. Tumor cell dormancy is mediated by an increase in RTK signaling in reversible pancreatic cancer models expressing oncogenic K-Ras and c-Myc. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 667.
Do Prolonged Febrile Seizures in an Immature Rat Model Cause Epilepsy

Publisher Summary An ongoing controversy about the outcome of seizures involves the question of whether complex febrile seizures that are longer than 15 minutes, recur within a single febrile episode, or have focal features alter limbic excitability, thereby leading to spontaneous seizures later in life. Because of the difficulty in resolving these important questions regarding the causal relationship of febrile seizures and temporal lobe epilepsy using human studies, animal models, permitting induction of febrile seizures, rapid prospective studies, and interventions addressed at dissecting out their mechanisms and consequences are attractive alternatives. The chapter focuses on a model of complex febrile seizures in the immature rat. The model involves immature rats during a brain-development age generally equivalent to that of the human infant and young child. To obtain a clearer understanding of the precise circuits and cellular mechanisms involved in the effects of complex febrile seizures on long-term limbic excitability, in vitro electrophysiology was carried out using the hippocampal–entorhinal cortex slice preparation. The profound and persistent changes in excitability in these animals resulted in an overall increased propensity to the generation of limbic seizures.
Exceptionalism, the Female Body, and the Public Sphere in the Bachelet Era, 2006–2015

This chapter figures Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at the center of a debate currently underway in the country about the female body (politic): whether to accommodate to the public sphere—taking for granted the embodiment of its economic exceptionalism in male, heterosexual praxis—or to dissent from it. Diamela Eltit’s novel Impuesto a la carne (2010) meditates on Chile’s masculinist exceptionalism from the perspective of two women confined to a hospital; Guillermo Calderon’s play Discurso (2012) asks whether Bachelet can remain an exceptional figure with whom so many Chileans identify, despite the carefully disciplined facade she projects; and La cerda punk by Constanzx Alvarez (2014) performs a radical break with narratives of feminist inclusion in circles of power, in favor of women’s “sexual dissidence.”
Relationships between the Public and Crimmigration Entities in North Carolina: A 287(g) Program Focus:

How does local law enforcement, with the aid of city and county governments, respond to racialized immigrant threat through policy implementation, namely, through adoption of intergovernmental agre...
WATsite2.0 with PyMOL Plugin: Hydration Site Prediction and Visualization

Water molecules in the binding site of a protein significantly influence protein structure and function, for example, by mediating protein-ligand interactions or due to water displacement as driving force for ligand binding. The knowledge about location and thermodynamic contributions of binding site water molecules is crucial for understanding protein function. WATsite is a hydration site analysis program that was developed together with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) based on PyMOL. WATsite identifies hydration sites from a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation trajectory with four different types of explicit water molecules. Hydration sites can be identified with or without the presence of a bound ligand dependent on the scientific problem. The protein desolvation free energy can be estimated for any ligand by summation of the hydration site free energies of the displaced hydration sites. The location and thermodynamic profile of hydration sites mediating the protein-ligand interactions is important for understanding protein-ligand binding. The WATsite program and GUI are available free of charge from http://people.pharmacy.purdue.edu/~mlill/software/watsite/version2.shtml .
S1P receptor 1-Mediated Anti-Renin-Angiotensin System Cardioprotection: Pivotal Role of Mast Cell Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Type 2

In the ischemic-reperfused (I/R) heart, renin-containing mast cells (MC) release enzymatically active renin, activating a local renin-angiotensin system (RAS), causing excessive norepinephrine release and arrhythmic dysfunction. Activation of Gi-receptors on MC and/or ischemic preconditioning (IPC) prevent renin release, thus providing anti-RAS cardioprotection. We questioned whether sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a sphingolipid produced in the I/R heart, might afford anti-RAS cardioprotection by activating Gi-coupled S1P1 receptors (S1P1R) on MC. We report that activation of Gi-coupled S1P1R in cardiac MC confers IPC-like anti-RAS cardioprotection due to S1P1R-mediated inhibition of I/R-induced cardiac MC degranulation and renin release. This results from an initial translocation of protein kinase C subtype-e and subsequent activation of aldehyde dehydrogenase type 2 (ALDH2), culminating in the elimination of the MC-degranulating effects of acetaldehyde and other toxic species produced during I/R. Inhibition of toxic aldehydes-induced MC-renin release prevents local RAS activation, reduces infarct size, and alleviates arrhythmias. Notably, these cardioprotective effects are lacking in hearts and MC from gene-targeted knock-in mice (ALDH2*2) in which ALDH2 enzymatic activity is maximally reduced. Thus, ALDH2 appears to play a pivotal role in this protective process. Our findings suggest that MC S1P1R may represent a new pharmacologic and therapeutic target for the direct alleviation of RAS-induced cardiac dysfunctions, including ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure.
Topological materials discovery using electron filling constraints

Nodal semimetals are classes of topological materials that have nodal-point or nodal-line Fermi surfaces, which give them novel transport and topological properties. Despite being highly sought after, there are currently very few experimental realizations, and identifying new materials candidates has mainly relied on exhaustive database searches. Here we show how recent studies on the interplay between electron filling and nonsymmorphic space-group symmetries can guide the search for filling-enforced nodal semimetals. We recast the previously derived constraints on the allowed band-insulator fillings in any space group into a new form, which enables effective screening of materials candidates based solely on their space group, electron count in the formula unit, and multiplicity of the formula unit. This criterion greatly reduces the computation load for discovering topological materials in a database of previously synthesized compounds. As a demonstration, we focus on a few selected nonsymmorphic space groups which are predicted to host filling-enforced Dirac semimetals. Of the more than 30,000 entires listed, our filling criterion alone eliminates 96% of the entries before they are passed on for further analysis. We discover a handful of candidates from this guided search; among them, the monoclinic crystal Ca2Pt2Ga is particularly promising. Electron filling criterion can guide the search for new topological materials with nodal-point or nodal-line Fermi surfaces.
READING THE JOURNEY MOTIF IN THREE MIDDLE GRADES NOVELS FROM TWO CULTURES

The journey motif has been used for a very long time in literature beginning with the Greeks. For example, in Oedipus the King , Oedipus in running away from Thebes to forestall the words of the gods from coming to pass finds out who he really is and what he has done. - killed his father and married his mother as was foretold. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, undertaken by a group of pilgrims allows each narrator to tell us who he/she really is and enables the reader to see not only the irony but the hypocrisy for some of the characters in the Tales. This paper analyzes three young adult novels from two cultures using the journey motif as the vehicle for the analysis. The three novels are Bud Not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham both by Paul Curtis and Journey to Jo’burg by Naidoo (1986) A content analysis approach was used. It was found that these novels are suitable for young adult readers. Finally, five strategies for reading these novels were also discussed.
Natural Symptoms? The Intersection of Social, Biological, and Genetic Determinants of Depression in Later Life

Abstract Purpose This study explores the social, biological, and genetic determinants of depression in later life. It adds complexity to the idea that later life depression is a natural outgrowth of vascular impairment, antagonistic pleiotropy, or compromised neuroanatomical structures, arguing instead for the importance of education as a fundamental cause. Methodology/approach The study uses the NAS-NRC Twin Registry of World War II Veterans. The use of twins permits the exploration of gene-environment interplay. A recent survey instrument associated with the registry contains numerous indicators of health, including a measure of depression. Findings The results show that education has a strong negative relationship with depression among those in their 70s and early 80s. Although this relationship is partly explained by lower rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes among the well-educated, the relationship between education and many common physical illnesses is quite small. Most people of this age experience at least one chronic illness. The relationship between education and depression is explained, instead, by how education reduces impairments in activities of daily living. These impairments are not an inevitable outgrowth of declining health. The well-educated are better able to moderate the impact of poor health on daily functioning. Moreover, the well-educated are able to avoid the otherwise strong genetic risks for depression in later life. Gene × environment models show a high heritability for later life depression on average, but also reveal that this heritability declines with increasing education. Among those with a four-year college degree, the heritability of depression is very small. Originality/value These patterns are interpreted in light of compensatory gene × environment interactions, which emphasize the importance of especially enriched environments for overcoming genetic risk.