cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probable causes for reduced BOD test results in hypersaline wastewaters

Abstract The causes for erratic BOD results from wastewaters containing elevated concentrations of salt were investigated. Standard organic solutions and an industrial waste were tested with sewage seed and known species of salt tolerant bacteria using standard and hypersaline dilution water at three salt concentrations. Significant BOD differences were found when saline wastes were diluted with standard (non-saline) BOD dilution water. Bacterial populations to genera were monitored and it was shown that equivalent numbers of bacteria did not have the same capability to degrade a given amount of waste with increases in salt concentrations to the 3% level. Seeding of hypersaline wastewaters with known salt tolerant species is recommended for consistent BOD results.
Height differences of low and high job status, female and male corporate employees

The heights of female and male corporate employees in management and nonmanagement positions were evaluated in two studies in order to determine if there were height differences between the two groups, and if there were any gender × job status (management or nonmanagement) interactions with respect to height. Two studies were conducted having 201 and 200 subjects respectively. Both studies used a two-factor (gender × job status) factorial design and both studies showed that managerial (high status) employees were significantly (p≤.006) taller than those occupying nonmanagement positions, regardless of gender. Possible reasons for the overall phenomenon of taller individuals occupying higher status positions are discussed.
Leg sympathetic response to noxious skin stimuli is similar in high and low level human spinal cord injury.

Abstract Objective To determine if sympathetically mediated vasoconstriction in the lower extremities is injury level dependent. Although sympathetic responses have been measured in the limbs of people with high and low level SCI using blood flow measurements, including Doppler ultrasound and venous plethysmography, a direct comparison between injury levels has not been made. Methods Volunteers with chronic SCI were grouped according to injury level. Above T6: high level (HL, n =7), and T6 and below: low level (LL, n =6). All subjects had complete motor and sensory loss. Leg arterial flows were recorded by venous occlusion plethysmography, and continuous heart rate and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured. The conditioning stimulus consisted of transcutaneous stimulation to the arch of the contralateral foot. Results HL and LL subjects demonstrated a significant decrease in arterial conductance during stimulation with no significant difference found between groups. As expected, only group HL demonstrated a significant increase in MAP. Conclusions These results support our hypothesis that local (leg) sympathetic responses are similar for both high and low level SCI. Significance While low level SCI does not typically present with autonomic dysreflexia, bouts of increased reflex sympathetic activity could have ramifications for metabolism as well as renal and motor system function.
Stress Reactivity and Corticolimbic Response to Emotional Faces in Adolescents

Objective Adolescence is a critical period in the development of lifelong patterns of responding to stress. Understanding underpinnings of variations in stress reactivity in adolescents is important, as adolescents with altered stress reactivity are vulnerable to negative risk-taking behaviors including substance use, and have increased lifelong risk for psychopathology. Although both endocrinological and corticolimbic neural system mechanisms are implicated in the development of stress reactivity patterns, the roles of these systems and interactions between the systems in reactivity to social stimuli in adolescents are not clear. We investigated the relationship between cortisol response to a laboratory-based social stressor and regional brain responses to emotional face stimuli in adolescents. Method Changes in cortisol levels following the Trier Social Stress Test—Child version (TSST-C) were measured in 23 disadvantaged and chronically stressed adolescents who also participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging during processing of emotional faces and structural magnetic resonance imaging. The relationships between changes in cortisol following the TSST-C with regional brain activation during face processing, as well as with regional brain morphology, were assessed. Results Cortisol change on the TSST-C showed a significant inverse relationship with left hippocampus response to fearful faces ( p Conclusions Increased cortisol response to the Trier social stressor was associated with diminished response of the left hippocampus to faces depicting fear. This suggests that HPA–corticolimbic system mechanisms may underlie vulnerability to maladaptive responses to stress in adolescents that may contribute to development of stress-related disorders.
Recurrent Cortical Amplification Produces Complex Cell Responses

Cortical amplification has been proposed as a mechanism for enhancing the selectivity of neurons in the primary visual cortex. Less appreciated is the fact that the same form of amplification can also be used to detune or broaden selectivity. Using a network model with recurrent cortical circuitry, we propose that the spatial phase invariance of complex cell responses arises through recurrent amplification of feedforward input. Neurons in the network respond like simple cells at low gain and complex ceUs at high gain. Similar recurrent mechanisms may play a role in generating invariant representations of feedforward input elsewhere in the visual processing pathway.
Cognitive intelligence in the mapping of underwater acoustic communication environments to channel models

The recent growing interest in underwater acoustic communication (UAC) requires an in depth understanding of a vast and diverse water medium. The UAC channel presents many difficulties such as high frequency, space, and time selectivity, frequency dependent noise, and significant range and band limitation on transmission. The existing channel models may not be sufficient to cover the entire UAC channel domain and its many applications. In addition, the choice of channel model from the existing ones may not always be accurate to represent the channel environment. Thus, it is necessary to explore higher communication intelligence in the mapping of UAC channel models according to environment. This paper will present novel cognitive intelligent (CI) algorithm in accurate selection of UAC channel models. To the best knowledge of the authors, cognitive intelligence in the mapping of UAC environment to channel models has not been presented in the literature. Thus this research presents a valuable work.
Issues and non‐issues in the fidelity–bandwidth trade‐off

This paper makes seven points in response to certain claims made by Ones and Viswesvaran (1996, this issue). First, we see no evidence that the fidelity–bandwidth trade-off has become a crisis in the empirical literature. Moreover, we seen no evidence that anyone prefers narrow band personality measures over broad bandwidth scales. In addition, because job performance is complex and multidimensional, broad bandwidth predictors are normally required in personnel selection. Finally, our conclusion is simple—the nature of the criterion dictates the choice of predictors and matching predictors with criteria always enhances validity.
Evaluation of Rectangular and Circular Escape Vents in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Lobster Fishery

Abstract Research was conducted in Hawaii during 1984–1987 to investigate the possibility that escape vents fitted in traps used by the commercial lobster fishery in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands would reduce the catch and mortality of sublegal spiny lobsters Panulirus marginatus (<50 mm tail width) and slipper lobsters Scyllarides spp. (<56 mm tail width) without significantly reducing legal catch. A circular vent was more efficient than the traditional rectangular vent in maximizing escapement of sublegal lobsters and retention of legal ones for both species. Optimum results were attained with two vented panels each containing four 67-mm-diameter circular vents. Traps equipped with the circular vents caught 83% fewer sublegal spiny lobsters and 93% fewer sublegal slipper lobsters than nonvented control traps, and they did not significantly reduce legal catch of either species. In contrast, traps with two 49-mm-high × 285-mm-wide rectangular vents reduced the catch of sublegal spiny and slipper lobst...
Comparison of Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy and Texture Analyzer for Measuring Wheat Bread Changes in Storage

ABSTRACT Bread staling affects bread texture properties and is one of the most common problems in bread storage. Bread firmness, as measured in compression mode by a texture analyzer (TA) has been commonly used to measure bread staling. This study investigated the potential of visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to detect bread changes during storage by comparing NIRS results with those obtained by TA. Twenty-five loaves of commercial wheat white pan bread from one batch were studied over five days. NIRS and TA measurements were made on the same slice at approximately the same time. The experiment was repeated five times using the same kind of commercial samples from five different batches. NIRS measurements of slices, loaf averages, and daily averages were compared with TA measurements. NIRS spectra had a high correlation to TA firmness. NIRS measurements correlated better with the actual storage time and had smaller standard deviations than the TA measurements. The batch difference...
Influence of interleukin-15 on CD8+ natural killer cells in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected chimpanzees.

Chimpanzees are susceptible to human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) and develop persistent infection but generally do not progress to full-blown AIDS. Several host and immunological factors have been implicated in mediating resistance to disease progression. Chimpanzees have a higher prevalence of circulating natural killer (NK) cells than humans; however, their role in mediating resistance to disease progression is not well understood. Furthermore, NK cell survival and activity have been shown to be dependent on interleukin-15 (IL-15). Accordingly, the influence of IL-15 on NK cell activity and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production was evaluated in naive and HIV-1-infected chimpanzees. In vitro stimulation of whole-blood cultures with recombinant gp120 (rgp120) resulted in enhanced IFN-γ production predominantly by the CD3− CD8+ subset of NK cells, and addition of anti-IL-15 to the system decreased IFN-γ production. Moreover, in vitro stimulation with recombinant IL-15 (rIL-15) augmented IFN-γ production from this subset of NK cells and increased NK cell cytotoxic activity. Stimulation with rgp120 also resulted in a 2- to 7-fold increase in IL-15 production. These findings suggest that chimpanzee CD3− CD8+ NK cells play a vital role in controlling HIV-1 infection by producing high levels of IFN-γ, and that IL-15 elicits IFN-γ production in this subpopulation of NK cells in HIV-1-infected chimpanzees.
Cavitation in a Mercury Target

Recent theoretical work on the formation of bubble nucleation centers by energetic particles leads to some reasonably credible calculations of the maximum negative pressure that might be sustained without bubble formation in the mercury target of the Spallation Neutron Source.
Comorbidity and survival in HIV-Infected men in the San Francisco Men's Health Survey

The course of disease associated with infection with the human immunodeficiency virus varies widely. Some patients deteriorate rapidly, while others live for years, even after an illness that defines the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). In this study, comorbidity, or the presence of concurrent health problems, was investigated prospectively as a possible co-factor for different rates of decline in 395 homosexual/bisexual men in the San Francisco Men's Health Study (SFMHS) who were infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Comorbidity data obtained from baseline interviews included both chronic and infectious diseases as well as depression. Smoking, alcohol, and drug use were also examined. The most prevalent comorbid conditions were sexually transmitted diseases (90%) and hepatitis B infection (76%). Most chronic and acute concurrent health conditions were not significant discrete predictors of survival to AIDS or death after controlling for immune status and markers of disease progression. Significantly, other risk factors (e.g., depression and smoking) were found to be associated with more rapid progression. Men with symptoms of depression had a higher risk of progression of AIDS diagnosis; the relative hazard (RH) was 1.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-2.08); smoking was associated with higher risk of death (RH, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.20-2.17). Older age was marginally associated with poorer survival to death. No associations were found between survival and alcohol and drug use.
Defining the boundaries: How sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) balance patient care and law enforcement collaboration

Forensic nursing is multidisciplinary in nature, which can create tensions for practitioners between their responsibilities to patient care and collaborations with law enforcement and prosecutors. Because there are compelling reasons grounded in both nursing theory and legal precedent to maintain separation, there is a pressing need to understand how sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs successfully negotiate these potentially conflicting roles. The purpose of this study was to examine how SANEs define their work with their patients, how they collaborate with law enforcement, and how they negotiate roles differentiation. As part of a mixed methods evaluation of a community-based SANE program, qualitative interviews were conducted with forensic nurses regarding their interactions with patients and members of the legal community. Results indicated that a strong patient care practice had positive indirect effects on victims' participation in the criminal justice system. Implications for forensic nursing practice are discussed.
Modeling Economies of Scale in Transportation Hub Networks

Freight and passenger carriers deploy large hub-and-spoke transportation networks to provide efficient service between many origins and many destinations. These networks use hub facilities that provide a connecting, sorting and/or consolidation function designed to concentrate flows on the inter-hub links to exploit the strong economies of scale in transportation. Yet examination of the optimal solutions of hub location models reveals that the flows on spoke arcs quite often exceed the flows between hubs, which violates the premise underlying the model for economies of scale. This paper provides computational results for a range of hub location problem types and data sets to document this disconnect between the assumed model for transportation cost and the actual optimal flows. This raises an important question for hub location research using the basic model for economies of scale. Some interesting differences between flows in passenger and freight hub networks are also highlighted.
Laboratory Information Management System for Emergency Response: Validation and Quality Assurance of Analytical Methodologies

The Emergency Response Management System is a customizable laboratory information management system (LIMS) developed to support chemical terrorism emergency response laboratory activities at the Ce...
Alternate dosing schedules for topotecan in the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.

Topotecan has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of both platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. However, the optimal dosing for topotecan has not been established. The standard dosing regimen is 1.5 mg/m 2 /day on days 1-5 of a 21-day cycle, with response rates ranging from 13%-33%. Although the resulting hematologic toxicities are reversible and noncumulative, this schedule is associated with significant myelosuppression. Ongoing clinical phase I and II trials have evaluated alternative dosing schedules such as the 21-day 24-hour continuous intravenous (c.i.v.), the 3-day i.v. bolus, the weekly 72hour c.i.v., the weekly 24-hour c.i.v., and the weekly bolus i.v. regimens. Prolonged exposure to topotecan has been shown to increase the efficacy of topotecan, whereas shorter regimens decrease exposure to the drug and therefore decrease toxicity. Preliminary studies investigating the weekly bolus i.v. regimen have demonstrated response rates comparable with those achieved with the standard dosing regimen, with a lower frequency of severe toxicity. Although randomized, controlled comparative trials are necessary to determine relative efficacy, results from studies utilizing other alternative regimens are less encouraging, especially for lower-risk patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer who are likely to tolerate higher doses of topotecan. Optimizing the dosing regimen will also increase the quality of life for the patient through increased efficacy, decreased toxicity, and increased convenience of administration. Continued investigation of the weekly i.v. bolus is needed to fully elucidate the contribution of this regimen to the current armamentarium used in the treatment of patients with relapsed ovarian cancer. The Oncologist 2002;7(suppl 5):29-35
Protection in antibody- and T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases by antiinflammatory IgG Fcs requires type II FcRs

The antiinflammatory activity of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is dependent on the presence of sialic acid in the core IgG fragment crystallizable domain (Fc) glycan, resulting in increased conformational flexibility of the CH2 domain with corresponding modulation of Fc receptor (FcR) binding specificity from type I to type II receptors. Sialylated IgG Fc (sFc) increases the activation threshold of innate effector cells to immune complexes by stimulating the up-regulation of the inhibitory receptor FcγRIIB. We have found that the structural alterations induced by sialylation can be mimicked by specific amino acid modifications to the CH2 domain. An IgG Fc variant with a point mutation at position 241 (F→A) exhibits antiinflammatory activity even in the absence of sialylation. F241A and sFc protect mice from arthritis in the K/BxN-induced model and, in the T cell-mediated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model, suppress disease by specifically activating regulatory T cells (Treg cells). Protection by these antiinflammatory Fcs in both antibody- and T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases required type II FcRs and the induction of IL-33. These results further clarify the mechanism of action of IVIG in both antibody- and T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases and demonstrate that Fc variants that mimic the structural alterations induced by sialylation, such as F241A, can be promising therapeutic candidates for the treatment of various autoimmune disorders.
Maximum Data Gathering in Networked Sensor Systems

We focus on data gathering problems in energy-constrained networked sensor systems. We study store-and-gather problems where data are locally stored at the sensors before the data gathering starts, and continuous sensing and gathering problems that model time critical applications. We show that these problems reduce to maximization of network flow under vertex capacity constraint. This flow problem in turn reduces to a standard network flow problem. We develop a distributed and adaptive algorithm to optimize data gathering. This algorithm leads to a simple protocol that coordinates the sensor nodes in the system. Our approach provides a unified framework to study a variety of data gathering problems in networked sensor systems. The performance of the proposed method is illustrated through simulations.
SOD Mimetics: A Novel Class of Androgen Receptor Inhibitors that Suppresses Castration-Resistant Growth of Prostate Cancer

Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American men. The androgen receptor (AR) is vital for PCa progression, even in the face of castrate levels of serum testosterone following androgen ablation therapy, a mainstay therapy for advanced PCa. Downregulation of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), a major intracellular antioxidant enzyme, occurs progressively during PCa progression to advanced states, and is known to promote AR activity in PCa. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of SOD mimetics on AR expression and function in AR-dependent LNCaP, CWR22Rv1, and LAPC-4AD PCa cells. Treatment with Tempol, a SOD mimetic, not only lowered cellular superoxide levels, but also concomitantly attenuated AR transcriptional activity and AR target gene expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner, in the presence and absence of dihydrotestosterone, the major endogenous AR agonist. Tempol's inhibition of AR was mediated, in large part, by its ability to decrease AR protein via increased degradation, in the absence of any inhibitory effects on other nuclear receptors. Tempol's inhibitory effects on AR were also reproducible with other SOD mimetics, MnTBAP and MnTMPyP. Importantly, Tempol's effects on AR function were accompanied by significant in vitro and in vivo reduction in castration-resistant PCa survival and growth. Collectively, this study has demonstrated for the first time that SOD mimetics, by virtue of their ability to suppress AR function, may be beneficial in treating the currently incurable castration-resistant PCa in which SOD2 expression is highly suppressed.
Good News for Experimental Concept but Bad News for Clinically Effective Therapy

Although it is widely accepted from experimental studies that timely reperfusion limits myocardial infarct size, reperfusion by itself may not achieve the greatest possible effect. In a clinical setting, reperfusion, whether by thrombolytic therapy or emergency coronary angioplasty, never can be achieved instantaneously. Thus, adjunctive therapy, which could either slow ischemic metabolism and cellular injury pending successful reperfusion or protect myocytes against undesired, potentially lethal effects of reperfusion (“lethal reperfusion injury”), should have added clinical benefit for limiting infarct size. Moreover, it would be possible to treat patients at high risk of infarction prophylactically if a safe and effective cardioprotective agent could be developed. Several endogenous mechanisms or exogenous interventions are known to both slow the rate of ischemic metabolism and delay the onset of lethal myocyte injury. For example, the speed at which ischemic cell injury occurs is markedly temperature-dependent. Hypothermia substantially slows ischemic metabolism and the onset of lethal myocyte injury.1 This approach is commonly used in cardiac surgical procedures requiring a cessation of myocardial blood flow to slow ischemic injury and thereby prolong the tolerable period of ischemia. Studies in several animal species have shown that exposing myocardium to ≥1 short (5- to 15-minute) episodes of ischemia (“ischemic preconditioning”) slows energy metabolism and delays the onset of myocardial necrosis in a subsequent prolonged period of ischemia.2 3 Although the mechanism is not completely established, there is considerable evidence that the effect requires activation of ≥1 signaling pathways, the end effect of which is enhanced opening of ATP-dependent potassium (KATP) channels.3 Calcium channel blockers also generally have had cardioprotective, infarct-limiting effects in studies based on an animal model in which infarcts were induced by relatively short periods of ischemia (40 to 90 minutes) followed by reperfusion.4 5 6 Thus, calcium antagonists delay but …
Least squares arrival time estimators for single and piled up scintillation pulses

A new time arrival estimator is developed for the detection of gamma rays using scintillation detectors. The estimator structure reduces to a weighted least squares (WLS) estimate of the arrival time and is found to be the optimal estimator for scintillation pulses. This WLS estimator is applied to scintillation type pulses with fast rise times and exponential decays. The timing resolution is calculated and compared to the resolution of leading edge and constant fraction triggers for a Burle 8850 photomultiplier tube, and to the Cramer-Rao lower bound on estimator performance. The WLS estimator outperforms these conventional arrival time estimators and has the added ability of simultaneously estimating the arrival times of multiple overlapping pulses. This allows for piled up pulses to be effectively separated permitting their individual energies to be estimated. >
Beyond Being and Becoming

If the 20th Century was the century of physics, the 21st Century is the century of cybernetics, biology and ecology. Technological advance has both crossed new frontiers and discovered old limits. Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine broke new ground with his understanding that nature, including its human component, seeks to establish order out of chaos by “self-organizing,” not only according to pre-determined laws, but through random creative choices as well that are responsible for the endless novelty and potentiality of being. The technologically-armed purposive role of humans in the Anthropocentric Age thus takes on a new significance: “What we do today depends on our image of the future rather than the future depending on what we do today” as Prigogine puts it. “The equations of the future are written in our actions as well as in nature. Time becomes construction.” Nowhere is this truer than in the new science of genomics, which touches the soul, and in the effort to preserve the ecological balance that has enabled humanity to flourish within the narrow band of earth's livable climate. In this section we bring together leading thinkers, scientists and technologists of our age to address these issues of mankind's fate.
Detection of Specular Highlights in Color Images using a New Color Space Transformation

This paper presents a novel approach to detecting specular highlights in color images taken under non-white illumination conditions. Considering significance of the dichromatic reflection model, our new color representation scheme helps to locate dichromatic planes in which specular highlights can be efficiently detected. We first address how to approximate the color of illuminant and define a new axis in the RGB color cube - namely illumination axis - that comes from the notion of the brightness of the illuminant color. Based on the estimation of the illuminant color, the RGB color space is to be transformed into a new color representation with respect to the estimated color of illuminant. Our proposed specularity detection scheme that consists of the following three steps: (1) determine the dichromatic plane of the object in our new color space, (2) detect both non-specular and unsaturated specular pixels in the dichromatic plane, and (3) detect saturated (clipped) specular pixels which are not in the dichromatic plane
Nutrient removal using biosorption activated media: Preliminary biogeochemical assessment of an innovative stormwater infiltration basin

Soil beneath a stormwater infiltration basin receiving runoff from a 23 ha predominantly residential watershed in north-central Florida, USA, was amended using biosorption activated media (BAM) to study the effectiveness of this technology in reducing inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to groundwater. The functionalized soil amendment BAM consists of a 1.0:1.9:4.1 mixture (by volume) of tire crumb (to increase sorption capacity), silt and clay (to increase soil moisture retention), and sand (to promote sufficient infiltration), which was applied to develop an innovative stormwater infiltration basin utilizing nutrient reduction and flood control sub-basins. Comparison of nitrate/chloride (NO(3)(-)/Cl(-)) ratios for the shallow groundwater indicates that prior to using BAM, NO(3)(-) concentrations were substantially influenced by nitrification or variations in NO(3)(-) input. In contrast, for the new basin utilizing BAM, NO(3)(-)/Cl(-) ratios indicate minor nitrification and NO(3)(-) losses with the exception of one summer sample that indicated a 45% loss. Biogeochemical indicators (denitrifier activity derived from real-time polymerase chain reaction and variations in major ions, nutrients, dissolved and soil gases, and stable isotopes) suggest that NO(3)(-) losses are primarily attributable to denitrification, whereas dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium is a minor process. Denitrification was likely occurring intermittently in anoxic microsites in the unsaturated zone, which was enhanced by the increased soil moisture within the BAM layer and resultant reductions in surface/subsurface oxygen exchange that produced conditions conducive to increased denitrifier activity. Concentrations of total dissolved phosphorus and orthophosphate (PO(4)(3-)) were reduced by more than 70% in unsaturated zone soil water, with the largest decreases in the BAM layer where sorption was the most likely mechanism for removal. Post-BAM PO(4)(3-)/Cl(-) ratios for shallow groundwater indicate predominantly minor increases and decreases in PO(4)(3-) with the exception of one summer sample that indicated a 50% loss. Differences in nutrient variations between the unsaturated zone and shallow groundwater may be the result of the intensity and duration of nutrient removal processes and mixing ratios with water that had undergone little biogeochemical transformation. Observed nitrogen and phosphorus losses demonstrate the potential, as well as the future research needs to improve performance, of the innovative stormwater infiltration basin using BAM for providing passive, economical, stormwater nutrient-treatment technology to support green infrastructure.
A randomized comparison study regarding the impact of short-duration, high-intensity exercise and traditional exercise on anthropometric and body composition measurement changes in post-menopausal women--A pilot study.

BackgroundThe mode and duration of exercise necessary to change body composition and reduce weight remains debatable. Menopause results in hormonal changes that preclude weight loss. This randomized pilot study compared the effects of short-duration, high-intensity interval training and traditional exercise on anthropometric and body composition measurement changes in post-menopausal women.ObjectiveTo compare the effects of short-duration, high-intensity interval training and traditional methods of exercise (walking) on anthropometric, body composition and body weight change over a 12-week period.Main outcome measuresSubjects (N = 18) were post-menopausal, sedentary female volunteers, randomly assigned into one of two exercise groups. Both groups exercised five out of seven days for 12 weeks. The resistance group (n = 8) (54.3 ± 7.3 years; BMI = 28.0 ± 2.1 kg/m2; mean ± SD) exercised for 15.0 ± 3.5 min, which consisted of five different exercise routines including upper and lower extremity, a cardio segme...
Uncertainty in Death and Taxes - The Need to Reform Louisiana's Limited Liability Company Laws

Despite our founding father Benjamin Franklin’s observation about the certainty of death and taxes in this world, the Louisiana statutory scheme governing the limited liability company (LLC) has rendered death and taxes entirely uncertain. This uncertainty can paralyze business, stall successions, and negatively impact tax consequences. The cause of this uncertainty is specific state statutory provisions in Title 12, Chapter 22, Part IV of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, which are rooted in now-stale federal law and are due for reform by the Louisiana legislature. This Article explains the rights of heirs as assignees upon the death of a member of a Louisiana LLC and presents examples of inequities that can occur as a result of the current statutory framework. It then traces the origins of treating heirs of an LLC member as assignees and explains how the original reasoning was based on prior, subsequently overruled, federal tax law and proposes legislative changes to address the LLC in the modern era.
Abstract LB-135: Stanniocalcin 2 attenuates tumor cell proliferation but suppresses apoptosis in nutrient-deprived conditions.

High levels of stanniocalcin2 (STC2), a member of the STC secreted glycoprotein family, correlates with tumor progression and poor prognosis. It has been reported that STC2 is over-expressed in response to various stresses, including hypoxia, endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress and irradiation. Glutamine (Gln) and glucose (Glc) are important nutrients for tumor cells, playing important roles as nitrogen and carbon sources to meet the bioenergetic, biosynthetic and reductive needs. Defective blood supply in solid tumors may result in nutrient insufficiency, including Gln and Glc insufficiency. It remains unknown how tumor cells respond to Gln- and Glc- insufficient microenvironment and regulate their viability and proliferation. Using gene profiling analysis with microarrays, we have identified STC2 as one of the most up-regulated genes in response to either Gln- or Glc- deprivation. We confirm that Gln-deprivation stimulates STC2 expression at both mRNA and protein levels in various human tumor cells by quantitative reverse transcription-real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. Furthermore, we find that Gln-insufficiency activates both nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and ATF4 signaling pathways, which synergistically up-regulates STC2. Finally, we demonstrate that up-regulation of STC2 attenuates tumor cell proliferation but reduces apoptosis in Gln-insufficient conditions. These findings suggest a novel model that STC2 reprograms the priority of tumor cells from rapid proliferation to survival under stress conditions, indicating that STC2 may be a novel target for cancer therapy. Citation Format: Shuo Qie, Lifeng Tian, Chenguang Wang, Nianli Sang. Stanniocalcin 2 attenuates tumor cell proliferation but suppresses apoptosis in nutrient-deprived conditions. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-135. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-135
Raman scattering in Ti 2 O 3 - V 2 O 3 alloys

Raman scattering of single crystals of ${({\mathrm{Ti}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{V}}_{x})}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ with $0\ensuremath{\le}x\ensuremath{\le}0.3$ has been measured between 80 and 700 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. All seven Raman-active phonons of the ${D}_{3d}^{6}$ space-group symmetry were found to show appreciable changes in the frequency, linewidth, and relative intensity as a function of temperature and alloy composition composition in the vicinity of the semiconductor-to-metal transition. In particular, a marked anomaly was observed in the temperature behavior of the lowest frequency mode of ${A}_{1g}$ symmetry. For $x\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.04$ it shows an initial softening followed by a partial recovery in going through the transition temperature. Chi and Sladek have observed a similar decrease and partial recovery for the sound velocity in ${\mathrm{Ti}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. A qualitative discussion of some of these results is given in terms of the free-energy band-crossing model of Zeiger and co-workers.
Air-Coupled Ultrasound: A New Paradigm in NDE

In any ultrasonic investigation, the contact between the transducer and the object has always been a source of problem. With the introduction of the air-coupled ultrasonic probes the couplant is totally eliminated. The limitation of these probes is that they are of very low frequency and as a result they bring their set of restrictions. We present here a couple of results of our investigations of composite structures with air-coupled transducers. The resonance of structures is an important factor which is able to explain observations of air-coupled ultrasonic testing.© 2007 ASME
Metabolism of beta-muricholic acid in the hamster and prairie dog

The metabolism of beta-muricholic acid was investigated in the prairie dog and the hamster. Intravenous infusion into bile fistula hamsters showed that beta-muricholic acid was extracted by the liver and secreted into the bile (> 85% in 1 h). Hepatic extraction of this compound and cholic acid in the prairie dog was not as rapid as in the hamster. In the bile of the prairie dog, most (93%) of the administered beta-muricholic acid was present as the taurine conjugate. In the hamster, 28% of infused beta-muricholic acid was secreted in unconjugated form, 43% as the taurine conjugate, and 22% as the glycine conjugate. In both species, the administered compound underwent little biotransformation. After intraduodenal injection of [6 alpha-3H]-labeled beta-muricholic acid into bile fistula hamsters, the bile acid was rapidly secreted into the bile; more than 80% of the administered radioactivity was recovered in 3 h. In the prairie dog, biliary recovery after intraduodenal administration of either beta-muricholic acid (43% in 3 h) or cholic acid (22% in 3 h) was slower than in the hamster. After intragastric administration, more than 80% of beta-muricholic acid was recovered unchanged in feces of both animal species.
Point Measurement of Detonation Wave Speed

Accurate determination of the speed of a detonation wave is important for studies of detonation phenomena. Different types of sensors that measure pressure, ion and flame have been used for this purpose.
Divisions and Comminglings: Sons and Daughters

Blake conceives of human beings as multiple. On the large scale, Albion is the cosmic man and all humans are a part of him, just as the body of Christ is supposed to contain all Christians, according to St Paul (1 Cor. 12:12). But each of those humans contained in the cosmic man is also composed of other beings. Every human has component parts. There is the (male) human, the overriding, core or true person to whom the other components should be subordinate; there are the emanation and the spectre; and, there are the children. The emanation and spectre are, indeed, like children since they are ‘born’, if not from the womb, from other places on the body of the human, such as the bosom (which can connote ‘womb’) or the back. It is as though each person is a family. Furthermore, these subordinate parts can also multiply in different ways, whether by having offspring, or by splitting into multiple beings. The result is an overwhelming proliferation, a Chinese box effect which recalls preformationist embryology and its idea of emboitement: all future generations to be descended from one person are already contained in that person. It also recalls the long lists of genealogies in the Bible, such as in Genesis, ‘the book of the generations of Adam’ (5:1). In Genesis, the chains of who begat whom continue without interruption (and without females) until a problem arises, an unusual situation such as barrenness which requires a fuller narration. For Blake (who has his own book of ‘the Generations of the Giant Albion’ — Jerusalem [7:49]), generation itself is the problem.
Optimal Cervical Cancer Screening in Women Vaccinated Against Human Papillomavirus

Background Current US cervical cancer screening guidelines do not differentiate recommendations based on a woman's human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination status. Changes to cervical cancer screening policies in HPV-vaccinated women should be evaluated. Methods We utilized an individual-based mathematical model of HPV and cervical cancer in US women to project the health benefits, costs, and harms associated with screening strategies in women vaccinated with the bivalent, quadrivalent, or nonavalent vaccine. Strategies varied by the primary screening test, including cytology, HPV, and combined cytology and HPV "cotesting"; age of screening initiation and/or switching to a new test; and interval between routine screens. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted from the societal perspective to identify screening strategies that would be considered good value for money according to thresholds of $50 000 to $200 000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Results Among women fully vaccinated with the bivalent or quadrivalent vaccine, optimal screening strategies involved either cytology or HPV testing alone every five years starting at age 25 or 30 years, with cost-effectiveness ratios ranging from $34 680 to $138 560 per QALY gained. Screening earlier or more frequently was either not cost-effective or associated with exceedingly high cost-effectiveness ratios. In women vaccinated with the nonavalent vaccine, only primary HPV testing was efficient, involving decreased frequency (ie, every 10 years) starting at either age 35 years ($40 210 per QALY) or age 30 years ($127 010 per QALY); with lower nonavalent vaccine efficacy, 10-year HPV testing starting at earlier ages of 25 or 30 years was optimal. Importantly, current US guidelines for screening were inefficient in HPV-vaccinated women. Conclusions This model-based analysis suggests screening can be modified to start at later ages, occur at decreased frequency, and involve primary HPV testing in HPV-vaccinated women, providing more health benefit at lower harms and costs than current screening guidelines.
Abstract CT227: MC1273: Phase II evaluation of aggressive dose de-escalation for adjuvant chemoradiation in HPV associated oropharynx cancer

Background: Traditional adjuvant therapy for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) consists of 60-66 Gy of radiation therapy (XRT) given in 2 Gy daily fractions along with high dose cisplatin if the patient has high risk factors. Despite the excellent cure rates for HPV+ OPSCC, one in three patients treated with conventional treatment will develop grade >3 long-term sequelae from therapy. There is intense interest in de-intensifying adjuvant therapy for this patient population in order to maximize quality of life while maintaining excellent historical rates of disease control. Methods: MC1273 is a phase II non-randomized trial open at Mayo Clinic Rochester testing a novel course of aggressive therapy de-escalation following surgery for HPV+ OPSCC. The primary endpoint is local/regional control at 2 years while secondary endpoints include toxicity and quality of life (QOL). The eligibility criteria include all patients with p16-positive OPSCC with less than a ten pack-year smoking history who have had a complete surgical resection. Exclusion criteria include positive surgical margins, prior history of malignancy, and history of connective tissue disorders. Patients are divided into two prospective cohorts depending upon risk factors found at surgery. Patients with intermediate risk disease (≥T3, ≥N2, lymphovascular invasion, or perineural invasion) are enrolled in MC1273A while patients with extracapsular extension (ECE) are enrolled in MC1273B. Patients on MC1273A receive 30 Gy of radiation delivered in 1.5 Gy twice-daily fractions over the course of two weeks along with weekly docetaxel (15 mg/m2) given on day 1 and day 8. Patients on MC1273B receive a similar treatment regimen but also have the nodal level with positive ECE concurrently boosted to 36 Gy in 1.8 Gy twice-daily fractions. In addition to standard of care follow-up, patients receive a swallowing assessment with speech therapy immediately before XRT, one month post-XRT, and one year post-XRT. Patients also have QOL assessment consisting of the XeQOLS, Eq-5D, FACT HN 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr CT227. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-CT227
CHAPTER 78 – Integrin Signaling: Cell Migration, Proliferation, and Survival

Publisher Summary Integrins are a family of heterodimeric, transmembrane receptors that mediate attachment of cells to the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Integrins are responsible for sensing many aspects of the microenvironment, including the structure and composition of the ECM as well as biochemical signals generated following growth factor or cytokine stimulation. Integration of these complex signals contributes to the regulation of cellular migration, growth, and survival within an organism. A central function of integrins is to mediate a structural linkage between the dynamic intracellular cytoskeleton and the ECM that conveys both mechanical and chemical signals. Cell migration provides an exceptionally relevant model to study integrin signaling. Migration is a complex cellular process that involves the extension of lamellipodia; adhesion at sites within newly formed lamella, organization of force-generating adhesions, contraction and cell-body displacement, and detachment of the cell rear. The initial steps in cell migration require the formation of protrusive structures (lamellipodia) at the leading edge of the cell, and the stabilization of the protrusion by newly formed adhesion complexes. Cell proliferation is in dynamic balance with cell death. In cancer, increasing evidence indicates that integrins synergize with growth factor receptor signals to promote cell proliferation and to stimulate the migration of tumor cells from the primary site, and function to promote growth and survival at distant metastatic sites. Integrins play a major role in remodeling the tumor microenvironment, and are important regulators of migration and metastatic growth.
The Effects of Student Tutors on Learning by Unit Mastery Instructional Methods

In a section of an introductory psychology course employing unit-mastery learning procedures, small groups of students were assigned to individual tutors for testing and tutoring. In 2 other sections unassigned groups of tutors were made available to students. Relative to the latter sections, the individually tutored students performed at a higher level in a number of respects on the unit quizzes, earned higher course grades, and expressed more favorable attitudes toward their tutors. The results were interpreted in terms of interactions between the reinforcing value of the tutors and the types of student-tutor relationships which evolved in the testing situation.
If You Build It, They Will Come: Initial Experience with a Multi-Disciplinary Pediatric Neurocritical Care Follow-Up Clinic

Pediatric Neurocritical Care diagnoses account for a large proportion of intensive care admissions. Critical care survivors suffer high rates of long-term morbidity, including physical disability, cognitive impairment, and psychosocial dysfunction. To address these morbidities in Pediatric Neurocritical Care survivors, collaboration between Pediatric Neurology and Pediatric Critical Care created a multidisciplinary follow-up clinic providing specialized evaluations after discharge. Clinic referrals apply to all Pediatric Neurocritical Care patients regardless of admission severity of illness. Here, we report an initial case series, which revealed a population that is heterogenous in age, ranging from 1 month to 18 years, and in diagnoses. Traumatic brain injuries of varying severity as well as neuroinfectious and inflammatory diseases accounted for the majority of referrals. Most patients (87%) seen in the clinic had morbidities identified, requiring ongoing evaluation and expansion of the clinic. Cognitive and psychological disturbance were seen in over half of patients at the initial clinic follow-up. Sleep disturbances, daytime fatigue, headache or chronic pain, and vision or hearing concerns were also common at initial follow-up. Data from this initial population of clinic patients reiterates the need for specialized follow-up care, but also highlights the difficulties related to providing this comprehensive care and evaluating interventions to improve outcomes.
What's In a Name? Tropes of Belonging and Identity in The Namesake

(2007). What's In a Name? Tropes of Belonging and Identity in The Namesake. South Asian Review: Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 182-200.