cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sleep and daytime sleepiness of patients with left ventricular assist devices: a longitudinal pilot study.

Context—No empirical longitudinal data on sleep and daytime sleepiness patterns in patients with an implantable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) exist.Objective—(1) To describe the sleep patterns (sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, sleep fragmentation index, total sleep time, and wake after sleep onset), sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness variables and (2) to determine the change in the pattern of these variables before and up to 6 months after LVAD implantation.Design—A longitudinal descriptive repeated-measures design was used. Patients wore wrist actigraphs (AW64 Actiwatch), which objectively measured sleep, for 3 consecutive days and nights before LVAD implant and at the first and second week and first, third, and sixth month after implantation. During these periods, patients also completed questionnaires on sleep quality and daytime sleepiness.Patients—Twelve of 15 patients completed the 6-month data. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and repeated-measures analysis of var...
Instrumentation generating speech spectrograms optically: Coherent optics speeds analysis of speech samples; it's five times faster than older methods

The optical technique used in the speech spectrogram generator described here permits the analysis of signals having frequency components within the ultrasonic or very-low-frequency ranges, and the system is capable of examining large amounts of data continuously throughout the processing.
Mapping of a Molecular Determinant for Protein Kinase C βII Isozyme Function

In human erythroleukemia (K562) cells, the highly related protein kinase C (PKC) alpha and PKC betaII isozymes serve distinct functions in cellular differentiation and proliferation, respectively. Previous studies using two domain switch PKC chimera revealed that the catalytic domains of PKC alpha and betaII contain molecular determinants important for isozyme-specific function (Walker, S. D., Murray, N. R., Burns, D. J., and Fields, A. P. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 92, 9156-9160). We have now analyzed a panel of PKC chimeras to determine the specific region within the catalytic domain important for PKC betaII function. A cellular assay for PKC betaII function was devised based on the finding that PKC betaII selectively translocates to the nucleus and phosphorylates nuclear lamin B in response to the PKC activator bryostatin. This response is strictly dependent upon expression of PKC betaII or a PKC chimera that functions like PKC betaII. We demonstrate that a PKC alpha/betaII chimera containing only the carboxyl-terminal 13 amino acids from PKC betaII (betaII V5) is capable of nuclear translocation and lamin B phosphorylation. These results are consistent with our recent observation that the PKC betaII V5 region binds to phosphatidylglycerol (PG), a potent and selective PKC betaII activator present in the nuclear membrane (Murray, N. R., and Fields, A. P. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 11514-11520). Soluble betaII V5 peptide selectively inhibits PG-stimulated PKC betaII activity in a dose-dependent fashion, indicating that PG-mediated activation of PKC betaII involves interactions with the betaII V5 region of the enzyme. We conclude that betaII V5 is a major determinant for PKC betaII nuclear function and suggest a model in which binding of PG to the betaII V5 region stimulates nuclear PKC betaII activity during G2 phase of the cell cycle.
The chemistry of defense: theory and practice.

Abstract Defensive chemicals used by organisms for protection against potential consumers are generally products of secondary metabolism. Such chemicals are characteristic of free-living organisms with a limited range of movement or limited control over their movements. Despite the fact that chemical defense is widespread among animals as well as plants, the vast majority of theories advanced to account for patterns of allocation of energy and materials to defensive chemistry derive exclusively from studies of plant-herbivore interactions. Many such theories place an undue emphasis on primary physiological processes that are unique to plants (e.g., photosynthesis), rendering such theories limited in their utility or predictive power. The general failure of any single all-encompassing theory to gain acceptance to date may indicate that such a theory might not be a biologically realistic expectation. In lieu of refining theory, focusing attention on the genetic and biochemical mechanisms that underlie chemical defense allocation is likely to provide greater insights into understanding patterns across taxa. In particular, generalizations derived from understanding such mechanisms in natural systems have immediate applications in altering patterns of human use of natural and synthetic chemicals for pest control.
Overexpression of P53 in head and neck cancer

The putative tumor suppressor gene p53 plays a key role in the regulation of cell proliferation. Functional loss of p53 protein through mutation or viral oncogene-complexing can result in p53 protein overexpression detectable by immunocytochemistry, which in turn has been associated with markers of poor prognosis in some cancers. We report here an analysis of p53 overexpression in fixed, embedded specimens from 81 prospectively collected head and neck tumors, both benign and malignant, including 55 squamous cell carcinomas, using monoclonal pAb1801. Sixty-two percent of the squamous cell carcinomas from the head and neck region overexpressed p53, whereas none of the benign tumors or adjacent normal tissues overexpressed p53. Overexpression of p53 was strongly associated (p < 0.01, two-tailed chi-square) with a histologic malignancy grading scale previously shown to have prognostic capabilities. We conclude that p53 overexpression is one of the most common abnormalities identified in head and neck cancer, and may be a useful marker in the study of multistep progression of tumorigenesis.
Generation of hydrogen peroxide from San Joaquin Valley particles in a cell-free solution

Abstract. Epidemiological studies have shown a correlation between exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and adverse health effects. One proposed mechanism of PM-mediated health effects is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) – e.g., superoxide ( • O 2 − ), hydrogen peroxide (HOOH), and hydroxyl radical ( • OH) – followed by oxidative stress. There are very few quantitative, specific measures of individual ROS generated from PM, but this information would help to more quantitatively address the link between ROS and the health effects of PM. To address this gap, we quantified the generation of HOOH by PM collected at an urban (Fresno) and rural (Westside) site in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California during summer and winter from 2006 to 2009. HOOH was quantified by HPLC after extracting the PM in a cell-free, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution with or without 50 μM ascorbate (Asc). Our results show that the urban PM generally generates much more HOOH than the rural PM but that there is no apparent seasonal difference in HOOH generation. In nearly all of the samples the addition of a physiologically relevant concentration of Asc greatly enhances HOOH formation, but a few of the coarse PM samples were able to generate a considerable amount of HOOH in the absence of added Asc, indicating the presence of unknown reductants. Normalized by air volume, the fine PM (PM 2.5 ) generally makes more HOOH than the corresponding coarse PM (PM cf , i.e., 2.5 to 10 μm), primarily because the mass concentration of PM 2.5 is much higher than that of PM cf . However, normalized by PM mass, the coarse PM typically generates more HOOH than the fine PM. The amount of HOOH produced by SJV PM is reduced on average by (78 ± 15)% when the transition metal chelator desferoxamine (DSF) is added to the extraction solution, indicating that transition metals play a dominant role in HOOH generation. By measuring calibration curves of HOOH generation from copper, and quantifying copper concentrations in our particle extracts, we find that PBS-soluble copper is primarily responsible for HOOH production by the Fresno PM. Extrapolating our results to expected concentrations of PM-derived HOOH in human lung lining fluid suggests that typical daily PM exposures in the San Joaquin Valley are unlikely to cause HOOH-mediated acute health effects, but that very high PM events might lead to cytotoxic levels of pulmonary HOOH.
Plasminogen is a joint-specific positive or negative determinant of arthritis pathogenesis in mice.

Objective A fundamental metric in the diagnosis of arthropathies is the pattern of joint involvement, including differences in proximal versus distal joints and patterns of symmetric or asymmetric disease. The basis for joint selectivity among arthritides and/or within a defined disease such as rheumatoid arthritis remains enigmatic. Coagulation and fibrinolytic activity are observed in both experimental animals with inflammatory joint disease and patients with inflammatory arthritis. However, the contribution of specific hemostatic factors to joint disease is not fully defined. We sought to determine the contribution of the fibrinolytic protease, plasminogen, to tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)–driven arthritis in distinct joints in mice. Methods The impact of plasminogen and/or fibrinogen genetic deficiencies on arthritis progression was evaluated in Tg197 mice genetically predisposed to spontaneous, nonabating, and erosive polyarthritis due to exuberant human TNFα expression. Results Elimination of plasminogen in Tg197 mice significantly exacerbated the incidence and severity of arthritis within the paw joints, but simultaneously and dramatically diminished the entire spectrum of pathologies within the knee joints of the same animals. These opposing outcomes were both mechanistically linked to fibrin(ogen), in that superimposing fibrinogen deficiency reversed both the proarthritic phenotype in the paws and arthritis resistance in the knees of plasminogen-deficient mice. Intriguingly, the change in disease severity in the knees, but not the paws, was associated with a plasminogen-dependent reduction in matrix metalloproteinase 9 activity. Conclusion Plasminogen is a key molecular determinant of inflammatory joint disease capable of simultaneously driving or ameliorating arthritis pathogenesis in distinct anatomic locations in the same subject.
In Situ Measurement of Nitrogen during Growth of 4H-SiC by CVD

Real-time analysis of downstream nitrogen process-gas flows during 4H-SiC growth is reported. A Hiden Analytical HPR-20 quadrupole mass-spectrometer (QMS) was used to measure the process gas composition in the gas-stream of a hot-wall chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor. Using the 28 amu peak, it was found that the nitrogen partial pressure measured by the mass spectrometer directly correlates to the expected partial pressure of nitrogen in the process cell based on input flows. Two staircase doping samples were grown to track doping variations. The nitrogen mass flow was varied and corresponded to doping levels ranging from 1x1015 cm-3 to 8x1018 cm-3. Electron and nitrogen concentrations in the epilayers were measured by capacitancevoltage (CV) profiling and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), respectively. These efforts show real-time QMS monitoring is effective during growth for determining relative changes in nitrogen concentration in the gas flow, and thus, the level of nitrogen incorporation into the growing layer.
Preliminary Study of Trap Bycatch in the Gulf of Maine's Northern Shrimp Fishery

Abstract Shrimp are one of the most economically valued and internationally traded fisheries products in the world, but there are persistent concerns over the environmental impact of shrimp fisheries, particularly the bycatch. In the Gulf of Maine (GOM), the northern shrimp Pandalus borealis are fished by two types of gear–trawls and traps. Bycatch rates for the trawl fishery were studied previously, but little has been documented for the trap fishery. In this study, onboard observers quantified bycatch on several trap boats along the central coast of Maine during the 2010 and 2011 fishing seasons (i.e., winter). This study found that the average bycatch level for Maine's northern shrimp trap fishery for the areas covered in the study was 1.21% in 2010 and 1.11% in 2011 by weight of landed catch. Although bycatch level and bycatch species composition varied on both temporal and spatial scales, the level of bycatch involved with the GOM's northern trap shrimp fishery was low compared with the global wild-c...
Role of phosphorus in activated sludge.

Monod's kinetic model was used to correlate the specific growth rate of mixed activated sludge with the limiting substrate of phosphorus for both batch and continuous-flow culture systems. In the batch reactor system, the specific growth rate varied from 0.092 to 0.617h/sup -1/ and the saturation constant changed from 25.5 to 117.5 when the COD:P ratio was controlled within the range of 10 to 788 and at the temperature 25/sub +//sub -//sup 0/C. An inverse relationship between specific growth rate and cell yield was found. The maximum specific growth rate and the saturation constant obtained from this study were equal to 0.64 h/sup -1/ and 0.378 mg/L, respectively. In the completely mixed continuous-flow culture system, it was found that the substrate utilization, biological solids production, and sludge composition were markedly affected by the source of phosphorus available in the wastewater. The phosphorus-limited activated sludge is normally high in carbohydrate content and low in protein content. Also, sludge organisms grown under the severely restricted phosphorus condition usually possess a large capsule. These capsulated carbohydratelike substances can be converted to cellular protein if the external source of phosphorus is added. The values of cell yield in the continuous-flow activated sludge system aremore » predictable by the use of kinetic constants that are generated from batch culture studies.« less
MaskIt: privately releasing user context streams for personalized mobile applications

The rise of smartphones equipped with various sensors has enabled personalization of various applications based on user contexts extracted from sensor readings. At the same time it has raised serious concerns about the privacy of user contexts.In this paper, we present MASKIT, a technique to filter a user context stream that provably preserves privacy. The filtered context stream can be released to applications or be used to answer their queries. Privacy is defined with respect to a set of sensitive contexts specified by the user. MASKIT limits what adversaries can learn from the filtered stream about the user being in a sensitive context - even if the adversaries are powerful and have knowledge about the filtering system and temporal correlations in the context stream.At the heart of MASKIT is a privacy check deciding whether to release or suppress the current user context. We present two novel privacy checks and explain how to choose the one with the higher utility for a user. Our experiments on real smartphone context traces of 91 users demonstrate the high utility of MASKIT.
Superoxide Dismutase Activity of Normal Murine Liver, Regenerating Liver, and H6 Hepatoma

By means of both direct assay and gel electrophoresis, normal A/J mouse liver was shown to possess both Cu-Zn and Mn superoxide dismutase (SD) activity. H6 hepatoma cells contained Cu-Zn SD activity, but no Mn SD activity was detectable. Isolated mitochondria from normal liver contained both forms of the enzyme, but isolated mitochondria from H6 hepatoma cells contained no SD activity. To ascertain whether this loss of Mn SD activity was characteristic of these tumor cells or was simply a property of rapidly dividing cells, SD activity was measured in regenerating liver. Mn SD activity was present in the regenerating liver at all times after surgery. Hence loss of the Mn SD activity seemed to be a characteristic of some tumor cells but not of corresponding rapidly dividing normal cells.
Mine Waters: Acidic to Circmneutral

Acid mine waters, often containing toxic concentrations of Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co, and Cr, can be produced from the mining of coal and metallic deposits. Values of pH for acid mine waters can range from −3.5 to 5, but even circumneutral (pH ≈ 7) mine waters can have high concentrations of As, Sb, Mo, U, and F. When mine waters are discharged into streams, lakes, and the oceans, serious degradation of water quality and injury to aquatic life can ensue, especially when tailings impoundments break suddenly. The main acid-producing process is the exposure of pyrite to air and water, which promotes oxidative dissolution, a reaction catalyzed by microbes. Current and future mining should plan for the prevention and remediation of these contaminant discharges by the application of hydrogeochemical principles and available technologies, which might include remining and recycling of waste materials.
The AviD-tag, a NeutrAvidin/avidin specific peptide affinity tag for the immobilization and purification of recombinant proteins

The widespread success of affinity tags throughout the biological sciences has prompted interest in developing new and convenient labeling strategies. Affinity tags are well-established tools for recombinant protein immobilization and purification. More recently these tags have been utilized for selective biological targeting towards multiplexed protein detection in numerous imaging applications as well as for drug-delivery. Recently, we discovered a phage-display selected cyclic peptide motif that was shown to bind selectively to NeutrAvidin and avidin but not to the structurally similar streptavidin. Here, we have exploited this selectivity to develop an affinity tag based on the evolved DRATPY moiety that is orthogonal to known Strep-tag technologies. As proof of principle, the divalent AviD-tag (Avidin-Di-tag) was expressed as a Green Fluorescent Protein variant conjugate and exhibited superior immobilization and elution characteristics to the first generation Strep-tag and a monovalent DRATPY GFP-fusion protein analogue. Additionally, we demonstrate the potential for a peptide based orthogonal labeling strategy involving our divalent AviD-tag in concert with existing streptavidin-based affinity reagents. We believe the AviD-tag and its unique recognition properties will provide researchers with a useful new affinity reagent and tool for a variety of applications in the biological and chemical sciences.
Determination of fundamental supersymmetry parameters from chargino production at CERN LEP II.

If accessible at CERN LEP II, chargino production is likely to be one of the few available supersymmetric signals for many years. We consider the prospects for the determination of fundamental supersymmetry parameters in such a scenario. The study is complicated by the dependence of observables on a large number of these parameters. We propose a straightforward procedure for disentangling these dependences and demonstrate its effectiveness by presenting a number of case studies at representative points in parameter space. Working in the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard model, we find that chargino production by itself is a fairly sensitive probe of the supersymmetry-breaking sector. For significant regions of parameter space, it is possible to test the gaugino mass unification hypothesis and to measure the gaugino contents of the chargionos and neutralinos, thereby testing the predictions of grand unification and the viability of the lightest supersymmetric particle as a dark matter candidate. For much of the parameter space, it is also possible to set limits on the mass of the electron sneutrino, which provide a valuable guide for future particle searches.
Structure, Dynamics, and Function in the Major Light-Harvesting Complex of Photosystem II

In natural light-harvesting systems, pigment-protein complexes (PPC) convert sunlight to chemical energy with near unity quantum efficiency. PPCs exhibit emergent properties that cannot be simply extrapolated from knowledge of their component parts. In this Perspective, we examine the design principles of PPCs, focussing on the major light-harvesting complex of Photosystem II (LHCII), the most abundant PPC in green plants. Studies using two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) provide an incisive tool to probe the electronic, energetic, and spatial landscapes that enable the efficiency observed in photosynthetic light-harvesting. Using the information about energy transfer pathways, quantum effects, and excited state geometry contained within 2D spectra, the excited state properties can be linked back to the molecular structure. This understanding of the structure-function relationships of natural systems constitutes a step towards a blueprint for the construction of artificial light-harvesting devices that can reproduce the efficacy of natural systems.
Resource and Risk Management in the Strategic Alliance Making Process

Resource-based and risk-based views of strategic alliances have not been adequately reflected in the literature. This paper identifies four types of critical resources that the partners bring to an alliance: financial, technological, physical, and managerial resource. It also suggests two basic types of risk in strategic alliances: relational risk and performance risk. The alliance making process is examined in terms of the interactive effects of resource and risk on the orientations and objectives of the prospective alliance partners. Managerial implications are discussed and future research directions indicated in the form of propositions for empirical testing.
Higher-level application of Adaptive Dynamic Programming/Reinforcement Learning - a next phase for controls and system identification?

In previous work it was shown that Adaptive-Critic-type Approximate Dynamic Programming could be applied in a “higher-level” way to create autonomous agents capable of using experience to discern context and select optimal, context-dependent control policies. Early experiments with this approach were based on full a priori knowledge of the system being monitored. The experiments reported in this paper, using small neural networks representing families of mappings, were designed to explore what happens when knowledge of the system is less precise. Results of these experiments show that agents trained with this approach perform well when subject to even large amounts of noise or when employing (slightly) imperfect models. The results also suggest that aspects of this method of context discernment are consistent with our intuition about human learning. The insights gained from these explorations can be used to guide further efforts for developing this approach into a general methodology for solving arbitrary identification and control problems.
Primary socialization theory: comments on racism, sexism, generational neglect, abuse, and abandonment.

This article asks whether primary socialization theory adequately deals with the most distressed and disadvantaged members of society. whether for most of them the family, school, and peers are the...
John Eliot and the praying Indians of Massachusetts Bay; Transatlantic transcendentalism: Coleridge, Emerson, and nature

Gray's and Harvey's books will appeal to American and transatlantic religious historians of all types. Gray reminds us that praying Indians engaged in complex negotiations of their own religious id...
Evidence That the Drosophila Olfactory Mutant Smellblind Defines a Novel Class of Sodium Channel Mutation

The smellblind (sbl) gene of Drosophila is associated with olfactory defects, and the paralytic (para) gene encodes a voltage-gated sodium channel. sbl and para have similar genetic map positions, many combinations of sbl and para mutations fail to complement, and two sbl mutations contain molecular lesions within the para transcription unit. sbl mutations also behave like para mutations in that they are enhanced by the mutation no action potential temperature-sensitive (mlenapts1). The simplest interpretation of these results is that sbl and para are the same gene. Two sbl mutations produce olfactory defects not characteristic of classic sodium channel mutations and do not show typical heat-sensitive paralysis, suggesting that these sbl mutants define a novel class of sodium channel mutation.
A simple compact of Mössbauer single-line source

Abstract A single-line, room temperature Mossbauer source of cobaltous oxide doped with lithium is described which has θ M = 410 K, Σ = 0.22±0.02 mm/sec, and which permits maximum radioactive specific activity.
Update on Pulmonary Fibrosis: Not All Fibrosis Is Created Equally.

Context.— Three distinct patterns of pulmonary fibrosis, including usual interstitial pneumonia, fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, and airway-centered fibrosis, can be identified on surgical lung biopsies. Objectives.— To compare the pathologic definitions, clinical and radiographic presentations, etiologies and differential diagnoses, treatments, and prognoses of usual interstitial pneumonia, fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, and airway-centered fibrosis patterns, and to address the challenges and controversies related to pulmonary fibrosis. Data Sources.— Data were derived from published literature and clinical experience. Conclusions.— Although there may be overlap, identification of the dominant form of fibrosis in a particular case can provide a general category of disease and assist in identifying an etiology.
Benefits of adaptive radiation therapy in lung cancer as a function of replanning frequency.

Purpose: To quantify the potential benefit associated with daily replanning in lungcancer in terms of normal tissuedose sparing and to characterize the tradeoff between adaptive benefit and replanning frequency. Methods: A set of synthetic images and contours, derived from weekly active breathing control images of 12 patients who underwent radiation therapy treatment for nonsmall cell lungcancer, is generated for each fraction of treatment using principal component analysis in a way that preserves temporal anatomical trends (e.g., tumor regression). Daily synthetic images and contours are used to simulate four different treatment scenarios: (1) a “no-adapt” scenario that simulates delivery of an initial plan throughout treatment, (2) a “midadapt” scenario that implements a single replan for fraction 18, (3) a “weekly adapt” scenario that simulates weekly adaptations, and (4) a “full-adapt” scenario that simulates daily replanning. An initial intensity modulated radiation therapy plan is created for each patient and replanning is carried out in an automated fashion by reoptimizing beam apertures and weights. Dose is calculated on each image and accumulated to the first in the series using deformable mappings utilized in synthetic image creation for comparison between simulated treatments. Results: Target coverage was maintained and cord tolerance was not exceeded for any of the adaptive simulations. Average reductions in mean lungdose (MLD) and volume of lung receiving 20 Gy or more (V20lung) were 65 ± 49 cGy (p = 0.000 01) and 1.1% ± 1.2% (p = 0.0006), respectively, for all patients. The largest reduction in MLD for a single patient was 162 cGy, which allowed an isotoxic escalation of the target dose of 1668 cGy. Average reductions in cord max dose, mean esophageal dose (MED), dose received by 66% of the heart (D66heart), and dose received by 33% of the heart (D33heart), were 158 ± 280, 117 ± 121, 37 ± 77, and 99 ± 120 cGy, respectively. Average incremental reductions in MLD for the midadapt, weekly adapt, and full-adapt treatments were 38, 18, and 8 cGy, respectively. Incremental reductions in MED for the same treatments were 57, 37, and 23 cGy. Reductions in MLD and MED for the full-adapt treatment were correlated with the absolute decrease in the planning target volume (r = 0.34 and r = 0.26). Conclusions: Adaptive radiation therapy for lungcancer yields clinically relevant reductions in normal tissuedoses for frequencies of adaptation ranging from a single replan up to daily replanning. Increased frequencies of adaptation result in additional benefit while magnitude of benefit decreases.
Abstract 2616: Association ofUGT2B17gene copy number variation with breast cancer risk: The Nashville Breast Health Study

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B17 (UGT2B17) catalyzes the transfer of glucuronic acid from uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid to a variety of substrates, including estrogen, a hormone that plays an important role in the etiology of breast cancer. Glucuronidated estrogens are more polar and water soluble; thus, they are more easily excreted in the bile and urine. The UGT2B17 gene displays variations in copy number (0 copies, 1 copy, and 2 copies), and the null genotype (0 copies) is associated with lower glucuronidating activity in human liver microsomes. In this study, we evaluated the association of UGT2B17 gene copy number variation with breast cancer risk. Included in the study were 1,536 breast cancer cases and 1,205 matched controls recruited into the Nashville Breast Health Study, a population-based, case-control study based in Nashville, Tennessee. Copy number of the UGT2B17 gene was evaluated by real-time PCR by using ABI's TaqMan Copy Number Assays reagents. UGT2B17 gene copy number variation was associated with breast cancer risk with odds ratios of 1.17 (95% CI: 1.00-1.38) and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.02-1.74), respectively, for 1 and 0 copies of the UGT2B17 gene, compared with 2 copies of the gene. The association varied little by menopausal status. The association was consistent in both whites and African Americans. Our study suggests that UGT2B17 gene copy number variation may play a role in the etiology of breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2616. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-2616
Green GSM Network Solution Leading Environmental Protection Trend

Based on the presentation of green energy-saving techniques, such as smart traffic allocation, carrier frequency smart power off, discontinuous transmission, smart amplifier control and enhanced coverage, and natural cooling base station design idea, it describes the green GSM network solution of ZTE.
Elements of yogic practice: Perceptions of students in healthcare programs.

Background: The practice of yoga has a long history as an integrated lifestyle science. Those who have practiced yoga in its full form (including all eight traditional aspects) find that it touches almost every aspect of their inter- and intra-personal lives. Despite this rich history, the West has adopted limited aspects of yoga practice. When understood narrowly as a physical fitness practice, healthful benefits of yoga may be lost, possibly promoting body-consciousness and injury instead. Aim: To understand whether students in healthcare programs view yoga from a physical fitness versus holistic perspective, we explored perceptions of what constitute yoga's essential practices. Methods: We assessed endorsement of the eight limbs of yoga via the acceptability of yoga survey. The sample ( n = 498) was recruited from programs in 10 healthcare professions at a Northwestern university. Participants were categorized as nonyogis, contemplators, yogis, and superyogis. Results: Across all groups, findings confirmed a narrow definition of yoga as portrayed in popular media and gym-based yoga classes. Breathing and posture practices were the most commonly endorsed practices, even among the sample's most seasoned yoga practitioners. Ethical practices and daily commitments of introspection, disciplined practice, or living with purity were least commonly associated with yoga despite their foundational nature in yoga philosophy. Concentration and meditation practices were only moderately endorsed as essential practices. Super-yogis endorsed a wider variety of limbs than nonyogis, contemplators, and yogis. Conclusions: We offer a rationale for these findings along with recommendations that may help augment the definition of yoga and hence maximize its benefits.
Deichbau und Selbstopfer: der Katastrophendiskurs in Theodor Storms Der Schimmelreiter

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Bewaltigungsstrategien gegen verheerende Flutkatastrophen in Theodor Storms Der Schimmelreiter (1888), indem er Schlusselstellen aus der Novelle – die schleswig-holsteinische Sturmflut von 1756, die Wahrnehmung ominoser Warnzeichen seitens der aberglaubischen Marschbewohner und das heroische Selbstopfer des Deichgrafen Hauke Haien – innerhalb des Katastrophendiskurses des 18. Jahrhunderts kontextualisiert.
Protestant-Catholic Conflict in the United States: The Cases of John F. Kennedy and Ronald W. Reagan

President-elect John F. Kennedy asked his brother-in-law Sargent Shriver to lead his transition team in 1960. Shriver suggested candidates for the future president’s closest advisers, particularly cabinet- level nominees. As an active Catholic who attended Mass daily Shriver was pleased to hear that one candidate for Secretary of Defense, auto executive Robert McNamara, had recently read a 1955 book, The Phenomenon of Man, by the French Jesuit priest, paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. However, rather than share Shriver’s enthusiasm about the candidate’s affinity for a Catholic scholar’s work, Kennedy wanted to know if McNamara might be Catholic. ‘There mustn’t be too many in the cabinet, the first Catholic President said’, according to Shriver’s assistant Harris Wofford. After searching through Who’s Who, Shriver and Wofford confirmed that McNamara was not Catholic, and Kennedy endorsed the nomination.1
The emergence of acid ceramidase as a therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common adult leukemia. Only a fraction of AML patients will survive with existing chemotherapy regimens. Hence, there is an urgent and unmet need to identify novel targets and develop better therapeutics in AML. In the past decade, the field of sphingolipid metabolism has emerged into the forefront of cancer biology due to its importance in cancer cell proliferation and survival. In particular, acid ceramidase (AC) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target due to its role in neutralizing the pro-death effects of ceramide.Areas covered: This review highlights key information about AML biology as well as current knowledge on dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism in cancer and AML. We describe AC function and dysregulation in cancer, followed by a review of studies that report elevated AC in AML and compounds known to inhibit the enzyme.Expert opinion: AML has a great need for new drug targets and better therapeutic agents. The finding of elev...
Urologic Instrumentation: Endoscopes and Lasers

Cystourethroscopic examination of the bladder and urethra is the gold standard for the diagnosis of lower urinary tract disorders. It offers direct visualization of the bladder urothelium and provides initial access to the ureteral orifices for assessment and treatment of the upper tracts. It is a cornerstone in the workup for gross and microscopic hematuria and useful in the investigation of lower urinary tract symptoms stemming from anatomic obstruction or neurologic, inflammatory, neoplastic, or congenital disorders. Beyond this, instruments passed through the cystoscope or specially designed resectoscopes allow minimally invasive treatment of identified pathology.
Evolution to Liberation: Political Reflections on Morality and Nonhumans

In his chapter, Steve Sapontzis presents a discussion of morality focusing on its origin and purpose in human psychology. Contrary to what might be expected, a humanistic idea of morality need not limit moral concern to inter-human relations. This is because, he argues, the purpose of morality is to reinforce our other-centered feelings in their struggle with human selfishness, and the class of others whose well-being motivates us is not limited to human beings. The chapter concludes with some practical inferences for nonhuman animal liberation from this idea of morality.
Combatting Identity Theft: A Proposed Ethical Policy Statement and Best Practices

The purpose of this article is to explore the law related to identity theft, to review corresponding rights, and responsibilities of stakeholders involved in identity theft and to formulate a system of best practices businesses could engage in to prevent or reduce identity theft threats. Utilizing two ethical frameworks based on deontological approaches, the authors conclude that there should be a well-defined management scheme to prevent identity theft, which is easy to comprehend and comply with for all stakeholders. Our proposed management scheme incorporates both legal and ethical elements such that identity theft will be more difficult. Further, our proposal would also address business entities’ practices that are so careless that identity theft is made possible at all or made easier: ethical business practice can do much to reduce or eliminate identity theft.
Trends in active surveillance for very low-risk prostate cancer: do guidelines influence modern practice?

As recommended by current NCCN guidelines, patients with very low-risk prostate cancer may be treated with active surveillance (AS), but this may be underutilized. Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we identified men (2010-2013) with biopsy-proven, very low-risk prostate cancer that met AS criteria as suggested by Epstein (stage ≤ T1c; Gleason score (GS) ≤ 6; PSA 1 compared to younger groups), uninsured (vs. any insurance type, OR's > 1); or treated at academic/research center (OR > 1). The overall use of AS increased from 11.6% (2010) to 27.3% (2013). We found a low, but rising rate of AS in a nationally representative group of very low-risk prostate cancer patients. Disparities in the use of AS may be targeted to improve adherence to national guidelines.
The Camera-Based Assessment Survey System (C-BASS): A towed camera platform for reef fish abundance surveys and benthic habitat characterization in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract An ongoing challenge for fisheries management is to provide cost-effective and timely estimates of habitat stratified fish densities. Traditional approaches use modified commercial fishing gear (such as trawls and baited hooks) that have biases in species selectivity and may also be inappropriate for deployment in some habitat types. Underwater visual and optical approaches offer the promise of more precise and less biased assessments of relative fish abundance, as well as direct estimates of absolute fish abundance. A number of video-based approaches have been developed and the technology for data acquisition, calibration, and synthesis has been developing rapidly. Beginning in 2012, our group of engineers and researchers at the University of South Florida has been working towards the goal of completing large scale, video-based surveys in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This paper discusses design considerations and development of a towed camera system for collection of video-based data on commercially and recreationally important reef fishes and benthic habitat on the West Florida Shelf. Factors considered during development included potential habitat types to be assessed, sea-floor bathymetry, vessel support requirements, personnel requirements, and cost-effectiveness of system components. This regional-specific effort has resulted in a towed platform called the Camera-Based Assessment Survey System, or C-BASS, which has proven capable of surveying tens of kilometers of video transects per day and has the ability to cost-effective population estimates of reef fishes and coincident benthic habitat classification.
Chronic Urolithiasis and Subsequent Cystectomy in a San Esteban Island Chuckwalla, Sauromalus varius

ABSTRACT Cystic calculi were detected during physical examination of an adult San Esteban Island chuckwalla, Sauromalus varius. This lizard had developed calculi on five previous occasions, requiring multiple surgical interventions. Cystectomy was elected to resolve the current episode and to prevent any additional calculi from forming. Plasma osmolarity and biochemistry analyses were evaluated at regular intervals before and after removing the bladder. No adverse clinical or biochemical effects were observed. Cystectomy is a viable option for managing chronic urolithiasis in captive reptiles, however, because the bladder can be a site of post-renal modification of urine, it may not be appropriate in certain species or situations.
The Need for Integrating the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle in the United States of America

Current practice for commercial spent nuclear fuel management in the United States of America (US) includes storage of spent fuel in both pools and dry storage cask systems at nuclear power plants. Most storage pools are filled to their operational capacity, and management of the approximately 2,200 metric tons of spent fuel newly discharged each year requires transferring older and cooler fuel from pools into dry storage. In the absence of a repository that can accept spent fuel for permanent disposal, projections indicate that the US will have approximately 134,000 metric tons of spent fuel in dry storage by mid-century when the last plants in the current reactor fleet are decommissioned. Current designs for storage systems rely on large dual-purpose (storage and transportation) canisters that are not optimized for disposal. Various options exist in the US for improving integration of management practices across the entire back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.
Stability of hand force production. II. Ascending and descending synergies.

We expand analysis of action in the space of hypothetical control variables to hierarchically organized multieffector systems. We also introduce the novel concept of ascending synergies, which refl...
Is race an independent prognostic factor for survival from prostate cancer

frican-American men have been reported to have the highest incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer in the world. No definitive explanation currently exists to explain these two observations. Some investigators believe that one or more of these phenomena result from biologic differences corresponding to phenotypic features called "race." Unfortunately, "race" interacts with socioeconomic status, and socioeconomic status independently affects survival from cancer.1'2 Such factors as poor health status, diet, lifestyle, and the quality of health care received are difficult to quantify, thus invoking "race" is problematic, particularly when there is no clear-cut biologic definition of what race really is. Proponents of "non-race-based" explanations argue that Scandinavian countries have some of the highest incidence/mortality rates in the world, while Africa has among the lowest mortality rates, casting doubts on the independent significance of race.3'4 If "black genes" were critical, Africans should have the highest rates, while African Americans (in whom it
A first collision source method that satisfies discrete S/sub N/ transport balance

The standard first collision source method is modified to include the angle-integrated, mesh cell balance equation. This modification produces a method that is fully consistent with our normal S/sub N/ balance which is essential for diagnostic purposes. The method is also second order in mesh refinements. Illustrative results are also presented in the paper. 3 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
ANALYSIS OF SPIN CORRELATIONS IN THE $beta$ DECAY OF THE $lambda$ HYPERON.

Recent experimental data on the $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay of the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ are analyzed. Integrated expressions for the measured quantities in terms of form factors are given up to second order in the parameter $\ensuremath{\beta}=\frac{({m}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\ensuremath{-}{m}_{p})}{{m}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}$. The sensitivity of these experimental quantities as functions of specific form factors is studied in detail and exhibited in a form which is useful for the analysis of present experiments and for the planning of future ones. Within the framework of $V\ensuremath{-}A$ theory, the possibility is explored that the data require the presence of an induced pseudotensor form factor. Qualitative discussions of the ${q}^{2}$ dependence of some form factors and of possible admixtures of scalar and tensor interactions are also given.
“Air” on the side of caution: The importance of early recognition and intervention in Ludwig’s angina

Ludwig’s angina is a deep neck infection of the supramylohyoid and inframylohyoid spaces. Without prompt recognition and intervention, it can progress to airway compromise with significant morbidity and mortality. Although otolaryngologists and oral surgeons are well-versed in this condition, it is vital that physicians across all specialties are knowledgeable about the presentation and basic treatment of this potentially fatal condition. Here we report a case of Ludwig’s angina in a 29-year-old male that was successfully managed with both medical and surgical intervention. We also aim to describe the presentation and treatment of Ludwig’s angina in order to increase awareness in non-surgical fields.
The value of a cross-discipline team-based approach for resection of renal cell carcinoma with IVC tumor thrombus: A report of a large, contemporary, single-institution experience.

INTRODUCTION We report the evolution of the largest, contemporary, single-institution experience with this complex procedure to highlight the value of a cross-discipline, team-based approach. METHODS Patients from a prospectively maintained database who underwent resection of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus from 2005 to 2016 at a single-institution were included for analysis. RESULTS Of 140 patients, 102 (73%) had tumor thrombus below the level of the hepatic vein confluence, and 96 (69%) were performed for curative-intent, while 43 (31%) were cytoreductive procedures for clinical trial consideration. Median overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort was 43.8 months (5-year OS:43%), and 73.6 months (5-year OS:59%) for those without metastatic disease. Fifty-one patients underwent resection from 2005 to 2010 and 89 from 2011 to 2016. All procedures since 2011 were performed by the same cross-discipline dedicated team of two surgeons, composed of a surgical and urological oncologist. When comparing the two time-periods, the team-approach after 2011 had shorter operative-times (5.3 vs 6.7 hours; P = 0.009), decreased ICU-utilization (25% vs 72%; P < 0.001), and decreased ICU length-of-stay (0.4 vs 2.2 days; P = 0.001). This group also trended towards less blood loss (1.2 vs 1.8 L), shorter average hospital length-of-stay (10 vs 11 days), and decreased 90-day mortality (6% vs 10%). CONCLUSION Resection of RCC with IVC tumor thrombus yields long-term survival. A dedicated, cross-discipline, and team-based approach optimizes patient outcomes and may improve value of care by reducing utilization of expensive hospital resources.
Perceived Unfair Treatment by Police, Race, and Telomere Length: A Nashville Community-based Sample of Black and White Men.

Police maltreatment, whether experienced personally or indirectly through one’s family or friends, represents a structurally rooted public health problem that disproportionately affects minorities....