cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathology and molecular pathology of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common disease that affects men and women of all racial and ethnic groups. This year, it is estimated that 136,830 people will be diagnosed with CRC and approximately 50,310 people will die of the disease in the United States. In both men and women, CRC is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. This chapter introduces the anatomy of the colon and rectum, including its embryology, development and normal histology, and continues with a summary of colorectal lesions and their pathology. Finally, the molecular pathogenesis of CRC is discussed, focusing on the most commonly mutated pathways in CRC. While the genetics are well defined, CRC is a heterogeneous disease that develops via multiple pathways, each of which will likely require specialized therapeutic approaches.
Are Interactions between cis-Regulatory Variants Evidence for Biological Epistasis or Statistical Artifacts?

The importance of epistasis—or statistical interactions between genetic variants—to the development of complex disease in humans has been controversial. Genome-wide association studies of statistical interactions influencing human traits have recently become computationally feasible and have identified many putative interactions. However, statistical models used to detect interactions can be confounded, which makes it difficult to be certain that observed statistical interactions are evidence for true molecular epistasis. In this study, we investigate whether there is evidence for epistatic interactions between genetic variants within the cis -regulatory region that influence gene expression after accounting for technical, statistical, and biological confounding factors. We identified 1,119 (FDR = 5%) interactions that appear to regulate gene expression in human lymphoblastoid cell lines, a tightly controlled, largely genetically determined phenotype. Many of these interactions replicated in an independent dataset (90 of 803 tested, Bonferroni threshold). We then performed an exhaustive analysis of both known and novel confounders, including ceiling/floor effects, missing genotype combinations, haplotype effects, single variants tagged through linkage disequilibrium, and population stratification. Every interaction could be explained by at least one of these confounders, and replication in independent datasets did not protect against some confounders. Assuming that the confounding factors provide a more parsimonious explanation for each interaction, we find it unlikely that cis -regulatory interactions contribute strongly to human gene expression, which calls into question the relevance of cis -regulatory interactions for other human phenotypes. We additionally propose several best practices for epistasis testing to protect future studies from confounding.
Rhode Island's State Rock and Mineral: Cumberlandite & “Bowenite”

(1986). Rhode Island's State Rock and Mineral: Cumberlandite & “Bowenite”. Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 61, Rhode Island, pp. 251-256.
Effects of solvent additive on “s-shaped” curves in solution-processed small molecule solar cells

A novel molecular chromophore, p-SIDT(FBTThCA8)2, is introduced as an electron-donor material for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells with broad absorption and near ideal energy levels for the use in combination with common acceptor materials. It is found that films cast from chlorobenzene yield devices with strongly s-shaped current-voltage curves, drastically limiting performance. We find that addition of the common solvent additive diiodooctane, in addition to facilitating crystallization, leads to improved vertical phase separation. This yields much better performing devices, with improved curve shape, demonstrating the importance of morphology control in BHJ devices and improving the understanding of the role of solvent additives.
The Function and Organization of the Motor System Controlling Flight Maneuvers in Flies.

Animals face the daunting task of controlling their limbs using a small set of highly constrained actuators. This problem is particularly demanding for insects such as Drosophila, which must adjust wing motion for both quick voluntary maneuvers and slow compensatory reflexes using only a dozen pairs of muscles. To identify strategies by which animals execute precise actions using sparse motor networks, we imaged the activity of a complete ensemble of wing control muscles in intact, flying flies. Our experiments uncovered a remarkably efficient logic in which each of the four skeletal elements at the base of the wing are equipped with both large phasically active muscles capable of executing large changes and smaller tonically active muscles specialized for continuous fine-scaled adjustments. Based on the responses to a broad panel of visual motion stimuli, we have developed a model by which the motor array regulates aerodynamically functional features of wing motion.
Radiomics biomarkers for accurate tumor progression prediction of oropharyngeal cancer

Accurate tumor progression prediction for oropharyngeal cancers is crucial for identifying patients who would best be treated with optimized treatment and therefore minimize the risk of under- or over-treatment. An objective decision support system that can merge the available radiomics, histopathologic and molecular biomarkers in a predictive model based on statistical outcomes of previous cases and machine learning may assist clinicians in making more accurate assessment of oropharyngeal tumor progression. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of developing individual and combined predictive models based on quantitative image analysis from radiomics, histopathology and molecular biomarkers for oropharyngeal tumor progression prediction. With IRB approval, 31, 84, and 127 patients with head and neck CT (CT-HN), tumor tissue microarrays (TMAs) and molecular biomarker expressions, respectively, were collected. For 8 of the patients all 3 types of biomarkers were available and they were sequestered in a test set. The CT-HN lesions were automatically segmented using our level sets based method. Morphological, texture and molecular based features were extracted from CT-HN and TMA images, and selected features were merged by a neural network. The classification accuracy was quantified using the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Test AUCs of 0.87, 0.74, and 0.71 were obtained with the individual predictive models based on radiomics, histopathologic, and molecular features, respectively. Combining the radiomics and molecular models increased the test AUC to 0.90. Combining all 3 models increased the test AUC further to 0.94. This preliminary study demonstrates that the individual domains of biomarkers are useful and the integrated multi-domain approach is most promising for tumor progression prediction.
Spinal Cord Hemorrhage.

Background and Purpose Spinal cord hemorrhages are rare conditions that can be classified based on the primary location of bleeding into intramedullary (hematomyelia), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), subdural hemorrhage, and epidural hemorrhage. We conducted a literature review to better understand the presenting symptoms, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of spinal cord hemorrhages. Methods We performed a literature search using PubMed with the key words spinal hemorrhage, hematomyelia, spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage, spinal subdural hematoma, and spinal epidural hematoma Results Most commonly, spinal hematomas present with acute onset of pain and myelopathy but a more insidious course also may occur. Spinal SAH may be especially difficult as it may cause cerebral symptoms. The etiologies vary based on the type (location). The most common causes are trauma, iatrogenic causes, vascular malformations, and bleeding diatheses. Management is often aimed toward rapid surgical decompression and correction of the underlying etiology if possible. Conservative management, including administration of large doses of corticosteroids, reversal of anticoagulation, and close monitoring, has been used as bridging for surgical procedure or as the mainstay of treatment for patients with mild or improving symptoms. Conclusions The variable and overlapping presentations of spinal cord hemorrhages make the diagnosis challenging. Maintaining high levels of clinical suspicion and utilizing magnetic resonance imaging may help in making the right diagnosis. Future studies should aim to create standardized outcome grading system and management guidelines for patients with spinal hemorrhage.
Clinical Research Center-Based Investigations and Evidence-Based Medicine

The last decade of the 20th century saw the emergence of a new paradigm in clinical decision making with the appearance of evidence-based medicine (EBM) (1). The ultimate in the hierarchy of evidence in EBM is the randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT). Unfortunately, the N-of-1 RCT, ideal for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions in the individual patient, is rarely feasible or if feasible, is rarely conducted.
Influences on the Development of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles: Insights from a Long-Term Optical Dataset

We present an analysis of an eight-year dataset of field-aligned optical images of the low-latitude, nighttime ionosphere. The duration of this dataset allows us to study the climatology of ionospheric structures, such as equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) and medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) during both high and low solar activity. In this chapter, we concentrate on the climatology of EPBs during both high and low solar activity and a possible linkage between EPBs and MSTIDs during low solar activity. In contrast to climatologies derived from forward-scattering (scintillation) measurement techniques and satellite-based in-situ measurements, we do not find a reduction in the occurrence of EPBs at low solar activities. However, we do find that EPBs typically occur later in the evening at low solar activity levels. We also present statistics for the occurrence of MSTIDs seen to the south of Hawaii during low solar activity, which indicate that the increase in post-midnight, quiet-time EPB occurrence during low solar activity is accompanied by an increase in MSTID occurrence.
Effects of Transient Forebrain Ischemia in Area CA1 of the Gerbil Hippocampus: An in Vitro Study

Lasting loss of function in the CNS after episodes of cerebral ischemia is caused by neuronal cell death (Brierly and Graham, 1984). Among neurons the most vulnerable to transient ischemia are the CA1b pyramidal cells in the hippocampus. The response of these neurons to oxygen deprivation is rather unusual. Following a short period of temporary recovery the signs of degeneration appear gradually, 2–4 days after the ischemic episode (Kirino, 1982, Crain et al., 1988). This phenomen is known as “delayed neuronal death” (Kirino, 1982, Pulsinelli et al., 1982). It is hoped that experimental study of its mechanism may help to devise therapeutical interventions that could arrest the degenerative process. The delayed cell degeneration has been attributed to secondary failure of the circulation by some investigators (Ames et al., 1968) and to a slow, intrinsic neuronal process by others (Simon et al., 1984; Rothman and Olney, 1987). Cells vary greatly in their susceptibility to such damage, and this variability could also be explained either by vascular or by intrinsic cellular differences.
Theory of Electroporation

The electroporation process leads to a membrane state which is characterized by pores and is associated with large transmembrane potentials. The dramatic phenomena attributed to electroporation include rupture, reversible electrical breakdown, the transient high-permeability state, and electrical fusion. All are associated with transmembrane potentials significantly larger than cellular resting potentials. Generally, a theory of electroporation should provide a unified, quantitative description of many experimental observations and be capable of predicting new behavior. In addition to describing the behavior of pore size and number, a theory should also include specific mechanisms for membrane charging by external sources, and specific internal mechanisms for membrane discharging, such as ionic conduction through pores under particular conditions. Further, a theory should yield specific quantitative predictions of experimentally measured behavior, so that comparisons between theory and experiment can be readily made. We first outline essential features of the dramatic phenomena, and then describe basic features of a quantitative theory based on transient aqueous pores. Throughout we use the notation U(t) for the instantaneous transmembrane potential, R(t) for the instantaneous membrane resistance, and P d, m(t) for the instantaneous diffusive permeability of the membrane.
Sleep and neurobehavioral performance vary by work start time during non-traditional day shifts

Abstract Introduction It is established that shiftwork causes sleep loss and circadian misalignment. Individuals who work non-traditional day shifts that encroach into typical sleep times, such as those in the service and transportation sectors, may also experience sleep and circadian disruption. We aimed to determine how neurobehavioral performance and sleep would be affected by work start time among individuals working a non-traditional daytime shift pattern. Methods We collected sleep diaries, wrist-worn actigraphy (CamNtech, Cambridge UK), and the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) from 44 pilots (4F) who worked a shift rotation consisting of a five-day baseline block starting in the mid-morning (baseline), five early shifts (early), five high workload midday shifts (midday), and five days of late shifts (late), each separated by 3–4 days off. Results Mixed-model analysis revealed that individuals obtained less sleep when working the early shifts (5.70 ± 0.73 h) relative to baseline (6.78 ± 0.86 h; P Conclusions We found that non-traditional day shifts encroach on an individual's sleep opportunity and such shifts could be a contributing factor to the high prevalence of sleep deficiency observed in modern society. Our findings suggest that it would be prudent for industries requiring such shifts to expand fatigue risk management training to individuals classified as day shift workers.
Model for Coordination of Microtubule and Actin Dynamics in Growth Cone Turning.

In the developing nervous system, axons are guided to their synaptic targets by motile structures at the axon tip called growth cones, which reorganize their cytoskeleton in order to steer in response to chemotactic cues. Growth cone motility is mediated by an actin-adhesion “clutch” mechanism, in which mechanical attachment to a substrate, coupled with polarized actin growth, produces leading-edge protrusion. Several studies suggest that dynamic microtubules (MTs) in the growth cone periphery play an essential role in growth gone steering. It is not yet well understood how the MT cytoskeleton and the dynamic actin-adhesion clutch system are coordinated to promote growth cone navigation. I introduce an experimentally motivated stochastic model of the dynamic reorganization of the growth cone cytoskeleton in response to external guidance cues. Simulations of this model system demonstrate that positive feedback between MTs and the actin-adhesion clutch system gives rise to an influx of MTs to the growth cone leading edge, and local actin protrusion in response to an attractive cue. Quantitative predictions of the MT distribution and the local rate of retrograde actin flow will allow the hypothetical positive feedback mechanism to be experimentally tested.
Effects of Delay of Reinforcement on Retarded Children's Learning

No study has investigated delays of reinforcement of more than 30 seconds in the classroom. Yet many classroom delays exceed 30 seconds. A study designed for a four-way analysis of variance investigated (a) delays of reinforcement of 0, 5, and 15 minutes; (b) returning test stimuli before reinforcement versus not returning test stimuli; (c) primary versus intermediate grade range; and (d) trials. Subjects were educable retarded students in public schools. All main effects were found to be significant as well as the interaction between range (c) and procedure (b), and delay (a) and procedure (b).
Improvement of Low-Temperature zT in a Mg3Sb2–Mg3Bi2 Solid Solution via Mg-Vapor Annealing

Materials with high zT over a wide temperature range are essential for thermoelectric applications. n-Type Mg3 Sb2 -based compounds have been shown to achieve high zT at 700 K, but their performance at low temperatures ( 30 mm has a zT 0.8 at 300 K, which is comparable to commercial thermoelectric materials used at room temperature (n-type Bi2 Te3 ) while reaching zT 1.4 at 700 K, allowing applications over a wider temperature scale.
Dietary fat and obesity as modulators of breast cancer risk: Focus on DNA methylation

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. Validated biomarkers enhance efforts for early detection and treatment, which reduce the risk of mortality. Epigenetic signatures have been suggested as good biomarkers for early detection, prognosis and targeted therapy of BC. Here, we highlight studies documenting the modifying effects of dietary fatty acids and obesity on BC biomarkers associated with DNA methylation. We focus our analysis on changes elicited in writers of DNA methylation (i.e., DNA methyltransferases), global DNA methylation and gene-specific DNA methylation. To provide context, we precede this discussion with a review of the available evidence for an association between BC incidence and both dietary fat consumption and obesity. We also include a review of well-vetted BC biomarkers related to cytosine-guanine dinucleotides methylation and how they influence BC risk, prognosis, tumour characteristics and response to treatment. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on The Pharmacology of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v177.6/issuetoc.
Strategies in Developing a Simulation Research Proposal

This chapter focuses on steps that investigators can take before starting to write a grant proposal in order to increase the likelihood of securing funding.
Controlled stationary/travelling cross-flow mode interaction in a Mach 6.0 boundary layer

Experiments were performed to further investigate a quadratic interaction between stationary and travelling cross-flow modes that was revealed in the previous experiment by Corke et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 856, 2018, pp. 822–849) in the boundary layer on a sharp right-circular cone at an angle of attack at Mach 6.0. As with the previous experiment, passive discrete roughness was applied near the cone tip, just upstream of Branch I of the linear stability neutral curve for stationary cross-flow modes. The passive roughness consisted of indentations (dimples) that were evenly spaced azimuthally to excite a specific azimuthal wavenumber. A plasma actuator was located just downstream of the discrete roughness array. This was designed to produce an azimuthally uniform unsteady disturbance with a frequency that was at the centre of the band of most amplified travelling cross-flow modes. Measurements consisted of off-wall azimuthal profiles of mean and fluctuating total pressure at different axial locations. Spectra of total-pressure fluctuations verified the receptivity of the boundary layer to the unsteady excitation. This affected the azimuthal and streamwise development of the stationary cross-flow modes, with a general effect to move the transition location upstream by approximately 16 %. The quadratic interaction between the stationary and travelling cross-flow modes was further enhanced by the excitation of the travelling cross-flow mode. This was particularly evident by an enlarged band of azimuthal wavenumbers over which a significant triple phase locking existed. The significantly enlarged range of wavenumber sum and difference interactions offered a mechanism for rapid spectral broadening that could account for the hastened transition by the addition of unsteady disturbances.
Ir56d-dependent fatty acid responses in Drosophila uncovers taste discrimination between different classes of fatty acids

Chemosensory systems are critical for evaluating the caloric value and potential toxicity of food prior to ingestion. While animals can discriminate between 1000s of odors, much less is known about the discriminative capabilities of taste systems. Fats and sugars represent calorically potent and innately attractive food sources that contribute to hedonic feeding. Despite the differences in nutritional value between fats and sugars, the ability of the taste system to discriminate between different rewarding tastants is thought to be limited. In Drosophila, sweet taste neurons expressing the Ionotropic Receptor 56d (IR56d) are required for reflexive behavioral responses to the medium-chain fatty acid, hexanoic acid. Further, we have found that flies can discriminate between a fatty acid and a sugar in aversive memory assays, establishing a foundation to investigate the capacity of the Drosophila gustatory system to differentiate between various appetitive tastants. Here, we tested whether flies can discriminate between different classes of fatty acids using an aversive memory assay. Our results indicate that flies are able to discriminate medium-chain fatty acids from both short- and long-chain fatty acids, but not from other medium-chain fatty acids. Characterization of hexanoic acid-sensitive Ionotropic receptor 56d (Ir56d) neurons reveals broad responsive to short-, medium-, and long-chain fatty acids, suggesting selectivity is unlikely to occur through activation of distinct sensory neuron populations. However, genetic deletion of IR56d selectively disrupts response to medium chain fatty acids, but not short and long chain fatty acids. These findings reveal Ir56d is selectively required for fatty acid taste, and discrimination of fatty acids occurs through differential receptor activation within shared populations of neurons. These findings uncover a capacity for the taste system to encode tastant identity within a taste category.
Site-Specific Recombination with Inverted Target Sites: A Cautionary Tale of Dicentric and Acentric Chromosomes

Site-specific recombinases are widely used tools for analysis of genetics, development, and cell biology, and many schemes have been devised to alter gene expression by recombinase-mediated DNA rearrangements. Because the FRT and lox target sites for the commonly used FLP and Cre recombinases are asymmetrical, and must pair in the same direction to recombine, construct design must take into account orientation of the target sites. Both direct and inverted configurations have been used. However, the outcome of recombination between target sites on sister chromatids is frequently overlooked. This is especially consequential with inverted target sites, where exchange between oppositely oriented target sites on sisters will produce dicentric and acentric chromosomes. By using constructs that have inverted target sites in Drosophila melanogaster and in mice, we show here that dicentric chromosomes are produced in the presence of recombinase, and that the frequency of this event is quite high. The negative effects on cell viability and behavior can be significant, and should be considered when using such constructs.
Ecological Interactions and Macroevolution: A New Field with Old Roots

Linking interspecific interactions (e.g., mutualism, competition, predation, parasitism) to macroevolution (evolutionary change on deep timescales) is a key goal in biology. The role of species int...
Novel Creation of a Noneverted Stoma During Ileal Conduit Urinary Diversion: Technique and Short-term Outcomes.

Objective To report our experience with a noneverted stoma technique used in ileal conduit urinary diversion. We successfully utilize this technique in patients when traditional everted stoma maturation is difficult due to a thick abdominal wall, bulky mesentery, and poor bowel compliance. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent surgical creation of ileal conduit using a noneverted stoma technique between 2009 and 2018. We recorded demographic and perioperative information, including 30-day postoperative complications, and stoma appearance at last follow-up visit. Using R software, chi-square testing of the distribution of stoma outcomes for obese and nonobese patients was performed. Results There were a total of 42 patients who underwent noneverted stoma maturation technique by a single surgeon. Our cohort meets obese criteria with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 30.2. Mean length of follow-up was 16.6 months (1-62). On follow-up, 35 (83.3%) of stomas were pink and everted appearing, 4 (9.5%) were flush, small, or noneverted, 1 (2.3%) had an eschar or area of granulation tissue around the stoma, and 2 (4.7%) did not have a stoma description documented. There were 9 (21%) stoma-related complications in our cohort. There was no statistical difference in stoma outcomes between obese (BMI > 30) and nonobese (BMI Conclusion Ileal conduit creation with a noneverted stoma provides good stoma protuberance in patients with a thick abdominal wall, bulky mesentery, and poor bowel compliance. This technique is safe and should be considered in patients in whom stoma maturation is difficult.
On Realization of the Original Weyl–Titchmarsh Functions by Shrödinger L-systems

We study realizations generated by the original Weyl–Titchmarsh functions $$m_\infty (z)$$ and $$m_\alpha (z)$$ . It is shown that the Herglotz–Nevanlinna functions $$(-\,m_\infty (z))$$ and $$(1/m_\infty (z))$$ can be realized as the impedance functions of the corresponding Shrodinger L-systems sharing the same main dissipative operator. These L-systems are presented explicitly and related to Dirichlet and Neumann boundary problems. Similar results but related to the mixed boundary problems are derived for the Herglotz–Nevanlinna functions $$(-\,m_\alpha (z))$$ and $$(1/m_\alpha (z))$$ . We also obtain some additional properties of these realizations in the case when the minimal symmetric Shrodinger operator is non-negative. In addition to that we state and prove the uniqueness realization criteria for Shrodinger L-systems with equal boundary parameters. A condition for two Shrodinger L-systems to share the same main operator is established as well. Examples that illustrate the obtained results are presented in the end of the paper.
School Counselors’ Perceptions of School Shooting Causes and Protocols

In order to ascertain school counselors’ beliefs regarding the causes of and strategies for preventing school shootings, 50 school counselors participated in a qualitative survey. The survey used C...
MicroRNA-99 family in cancer and immunity

The microRNA (miR)-99 family comprising miR-99a, miR-99b, and miR-100 is an evolutionarily conserved family with existence dating prior to the bilaterians. Members are typically oncogenic in leukemia while their functional roles in other cancers alternate between that of a tumor suppressor and a tumor promoter. Targets of the miR-99 family rank in the lists of oncogenes and tumor suppressors, thereby illustrating the dual role of this miR family as oncogenic miRs (oncomiRs) and tumor suppressing miRs (TSmiRs) in different cellular contexts. In addition to their functional roles in cancers, miR-99 family is implicated in the modulation of macrophage inflammatory responses and T-cell subsets biology, thereby exerting critical roles in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, establishment of peripheral tolerance as well as resolution of an inflammatory reaction. Here, we review emerging knowledge of this miR family and discuss remaining concerns linked to their activities. A better dissection of the functional roles of miR-99 family members in cancer and immunity will help in the development of novel miR-99-based therapeutics for the treatment of human cancer and immune-related diseases. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
A Theoretically Based Analysis of Twitter Conversations about Trauma and Mental Health: Examining Responses to Storylines on the Television Show Queen Sugar.

Entertainment programming in the United States has long addressed major public health issues. In the present study, we used a culture-centric approach to systematically investigate the role of tele...
Maternal Prenatal Hair Cortisol Is Associated with Child Wheeze among Mothers and Infants with Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Who Face High Socioeconomic Adversity

The association of co-occurring prenatal stress and tobacco exposures on childhood wheezing and asthma are not well established. In this study, we compared maternal prenatal hair cortisol concentration (HCC) to the maternal report of infant wheezing (y/n) in the first year of life among mother-infant dyads exposed to tobacco smoke and socioeconomic adversity. Data were obtained from the Vitamin C to Decrease Effects of Smoking in Pregnancy on Infant Lung Function study. Maternal adversity was defined by the level of education, household income, and health insurance provider. Hair was collected at delivery, representing average circulating third-trimester cortisol levels. HCC was log transformed and dichotomized into high/low cortisol groups that were placed into a multivariate model predicting wheeze. Subjects (n = 132) were primarily White with ≤high school education and receiving government-provided health insurance. Forty-five percent of infants wheezed. Average HCC was 3.39 pg/mg hair. Women with HCC > 3.55 pg/mg were more than twice as likely to report having a child who wheezed (odds ratio 2.56, 95% confidence interval 1.22-5.40; p = 0.01), adjusting for insurance provider and maternal asthma. Among this sample of dyads with prenatal smoke exposure, elevated maternal HCC was associated with child wheeze that was not diminished after consideration of covariates.
An Overview of Computer Supported Query Formulation.

Most present day organisations make use of some automated information system. This usually means that a large body of vital corporate information is stored in these information systems. As a result, an essential function of information systems should be the support of disclosure of this information. We purposely use the term {\em information disclosure} in this context. When using the term information disclosure we envision a computer supported mechanism that allows for an easy and intuitive formulation of queries in a language that is as close to the user's perception of the universe of discourse as possible. From this point of view, it is only obvious that we do not consider a simple query mechanism where users have to enter complex queries manually and look up what information is stored in a set of relational tables. Without a set of adequate information disclosure avenues an information system becomes worthless since there is no use in storing information that will never be retrieved.
Development and analytical validation of a novel bioavailable 25-hydroxyvitamin D assay.

BACKGROUND Bioavailable 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) may be a better indicator of vitamin D sufficiency than total 25OHD. This report describes a novel assay for measuring serum bioavailable 25OHD. METHODS We developed an assay for 25OHD % bioavailability based on competitive binding of 25OHD tracer between vitamin D-binding protein (DBP)-coated affinity chromatography beads and serum DBP. Bioavailable 25OHD, total 25OHD, albumin, and DBP protein concentrations were measured in 89 samples from hospitalized patients and 42 healthy controls to determine how the DBP binding assay responds to differences in concentrations of DBP and compares to calculated bioavailable 25OHD values. RESULTS DBP binding assay showed a linear relationship between DBP-bound 25OHD tracer recovered from bead supernatant and DBP calibrator concentrations (y = 0.0017x +0.731, R2 = 0.9961, p<0.001). Inversion of this relationship allowed interpolation of DBP binding equivalents based upon 25OHD tracer recovered. The relationship between DBP binding equivalents and % bioavailability fits a non-linear curve, allowing calculation of % bioavailable 25OHD from DBP binding equivalents (y = 10.625x-0.817, R2 = 0.9961, p<0.001). In hospitalized patient samples, there were linear relationships between DBP protein concentrations and DBP binding equivalents (y = 0.7905x + 59.82, R2 = 0.8597, p<0.001), between measured vs. calculated % bioavailability (y = 0.9528 + 0.0357, R2 = 0.7200, p<0.001), and between absolute concentrations of measured vs. calculated bioavailable 25OHD (y = 1.2403 + 0.1221, R2 = 0.8913, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The DBP-binding assay for bioavailable 25OHD shows expected changes in 25OHD % bioavailability in response to changes in DBP concentrations and concordance with calculated bioavailable 25OHD concentrations.
Spatiotemporal Characterization of VIIRS Night Light

The VIIRS Day Night Band sensor on the Suomi NPP satellite provides almost a decade of observations of night light. The daily frequency of sampling, without the temporal averaging of annual composites, requires the distinction between apparent changes of imaged night light related to the imaging process and actual changes in the underlying sources of the light being imaged. This study characterizes night light variability over a range of spatial and temporal scales to provide a context for interpretation of changes on both subannual and interannual time scales. This analysis uses a combination of temporal moments, spatial correlation and Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis. A key result is the pervasive heteroskedasticity of VIIRS monthly mean night light. Specifically, the monotonic decrease of temporal variability with increasing mean brightness. Anthropogenic night light is remarkably stable on subannual time scales. Overall variance partition derived from the eigenvalues of the spatiotemporal covariance matrix are 88%, 2% and 2% for spatial, seasonal and interannual variance in the most diverse geographic region on Earth (Eurasia). Heteroskedasticity is present in all areas for all months, suggesting that much, if not most, of observed month-to-month variability may result from luminance of otherwise stable sources subjected to multiple aspects of the imaging process varying in time. Given the skewed distribution of all night light arising from radial peripheral dimming of bright sources, even aggregate metrics using thresholds must be interpreted in light of the fact that much larger numbers of more variable low luminance pixels may statistically overwhelm smaller numbers of stable higher luminance pixels and cause apparent changes related to the imaging process to be interpreted as actual changes in the light sources.
Leveraging entrepreneurial ecosystems as human resource systems: A theory of meta-organizational human resource management

Abstract Entrepreneurs require human resources to establish and scale their ventures; however, constraints often prevent entrepreneurs from investing in formal human resource systems. How entrepreneurs overcome human resource challenges by leveraging their entrepreneurial ecosystems as informal inter-organizational talent management systems has been overlooked by scholars. We propose a model of entrepreneurial ecosystem human resource management, theorizing that ecosystem participants collectively perform the human resource management function for entrepreneurship communities. Drawing from economic rents theory, we explain how entrepreneurial ecosystems encourage a form of meta-organizational human resource management that allows ecosystem participants to coordinate talent acquisition, learning and development, performance management and rewards, and retention. Coordinated entrepreneurial ecosystems improve entrepreneurial performance by sourcing talent, onboarding selected members, enculturating ecosystem values, developing entrepreneurial skills, and retaining human resources, which in turn generates rents. We discuss how our theory catalyzes research at the HR and entrepreneurial ecosystems interface and reveals insights for practitioners.
Establishment and Maintenance of the Interferon-Induced Antiviral State: Studies in Enucleated Cells

Requirements for the physical presence of the cell's nucleus for the establishment and maintenance of the interferon-induced antiviral state were investigated. Enucleated chicken embryo fibroblasts were obtained by cytochalasin B treatment during centrifugation. The inhibition of vaccinia virus cytoplasmic DNA synthesis, monitored by autoradiography, was used to measure the antiviral activity resulting from interferon treatment. The antiviral state is not established in cells treated with interferon after removal of their nuclei. On the other hand, cells first treated with interferon for 6 or 12 h and then enucleated express the antiviral state. Furthermore, the antiviral state is maintained in enucleated cells for 16 h after enucleation. The antiviral state appears to be more stable in enucleates than in the residual nucleated cells found in the same cultures. Single cells of antiviral populations are found to be either fully permissive or fully restrictive to vaccinia DNA synthesis. The effect of an increasing intracellular multiplicity of infectious virus is to overcome the antiviral cell's block against viral DNA synthesis.
A 256 K static random-access memory implemented in silicon-on-insulator technology

We discuss a 256 K static random-access memory for space applications, implemented in an advanced silicon-on-insulator technology. Results obtained in electrical characterization, radiation testing and reliability evaluations are discussed. The part is being sampled and will be built in a production submicrometer fabrication facility on 6" starting substrates. The HS-65759 will provide a cost-effective solution for SEU-resistant memory for demanding space applications. >
A matrikine-mediated pathway of MMP-9 release from neutrophils

Introduction: Our group has previously characterized N-acetyl-Pro-Gly-Pro (Ac-PGP) as an important neutrophil (PMN) chemoattractant generated through collagen degradation by matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). MMP-9 is present in PMN granules but whether Ac-PGP regulates MMP-9 release from these cells is unknown. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine if Ac-PGP can mediate MMP-9 release from PMNs and to highlight the pathways which regulate this response. Methods: Primary human blood PMNs were pretreated with and without an ERK1/2 MAPK inhibitor (U0126) or the CXCR1/CXCR2 inhibitor Repertaxin and then incubated with Ac-PGP. The cell supernatants and lysates were analyzed for MMP-9 levels and intracellular pathway activation, respectively. In addition, after stimultating PMNs with C13, N15 labeled Ac-PGP, supernatants were incubated overnight with type I collagen to measure the ongoing generation of Ac-PGP. Results: We found that Ac-PGP induced significant release of MMP-9 (in a dose- and time-dependent manner) and activated the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway. This MMP-9 release was attenuated by an inhibitor of ERK1/2 and upstream blockade of CXCR1/CXCR2 with Repertaxin led to decreased MMP-9 release and ERK 1/2 activation. Supernatants obtained from PMNs stimulated by C13 N15 labeled Ac-PGP generated increased endogenous Ac-PGP when incubated with intact collagen; this effect was inhibited by an ERK1/2 pathway inhibitor. Conclusions: These data indicate that ECM-derived Ac-PGP results in MMP-9 release from activated PMNs through the ligation of CXCR1 and CXCR2 and subsequent activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK, demonstrating a new pathway of matrikine-mediated protease regulation and subsequent “feed-forward” Ac-PGP production.
Closed Fractures of the Tibial Shaft. A Meta-analysis of Three Methods of Treatment*

We reviewed the literature to determine the clinical outcomes of the treatment of closed fractures of the tibial shaft with immobilization in a cast, open reduction with internal fixation, or fixation with an intramedullary rod. We reviewed 2372 reports of comparative trials and uncontrolled studies of series of patients published between 1966 and 1993. Nineteen reports, involving six controlled trials and twenty-seven groups of patients, met our inclusion criteria. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the quality of the literature in terms of the experimental design and the method of assessment of outcome. Outcomes from controlled trials were summarized with odds ratios and risk differences, and outcomes from case series were summarized by the medians of the reported results. The studies that were reviewed generally had few subjects and were poorly designed. The comparative trials showed treatment with a cast to be associated with a lower rate of superficial infection than open reduction and internal fixation (mean difference, -5.81 per cent; p = 0.02) and open reduction and internal fixation to be associated with a higher rate of union by twenty weeks than treatment with a cast (mean difference, -18.07 per cent; p = 0.008). There were no other significant associations. There were insufficient data for us to evaluate any aspect of functional status, level of pain, or other patient-reported outcomes of any of the methods of treatment. The results of the present review suggest that the data from the published literature are inadequate for decision-making with regard to the treatment of closed fractures of the tibia.
Infrared laser effects on the eye: implications for safety and medical applications

With the increasing use of both pulsed and CW lasers in the spectral region between 1100 nm and 3000 nm, biological research studies were performed in several laboratories to better define threshold effects. From this research both national committees (e.g., ANSI Z136 in the USA) and international committees (IEC TC76) have recommended increased occupational exposure limits (ELs) for lasers in this spectral region during the last year. Within the retinal hazard region, at wavelengths between 1200 and 1400 nm, ELs were increased by 8, and at wavelengths between 1400 nm and 2600 nm the ELs were raised as much as 100 times for short-pulse exposure, depending upon corneal penetration depth for each wavelength. The measuring aperture has also been modified so that some low-power optical-fiber diode laser sources are no longer considered potentially hazardous. Some of the research that led to these EL revisions also has implications for corneal refractive surgery.
The design of multiactivity multifacility systems

Abstract : We consider a service/distribution system in which each of N activities is to be carried out at one or several facility locations according to one of a specified set of configurations; each configuration is a specific subset of the set of L facilities being considered, along with a specific strategy for their use. We call such a system a multiactivity multifacility system and present a mathematical formulation for its optimal design that includes capacity restrictions at the facilities and the treatment of multiple criteria. The design problem is simply to choose an appropriate configuration for each of the N activities. We discuss various criteria and we show that the multiactivity multifacility design problem includes many familiar discrete location problems as special cases. We introduce a 0-1 linear optimization model called the team generalized assignment problem (T-GAP) and show that parametric solution of a T-GAP will yield all efficient solutions of the multiactivity multifacility design problem with multiple criteria. Rather than attempting to find all efficient solutions, however, we advocate an interactive approach and describe an interactive branch-and-bound algorithm that solves the design problem as a finite sequence of T-GAPs. We also discuss efficient ways to solve T-GAPs.
SU-E-T-570: Optimizing Dose Calculation Parameters for GPU-Based Treatment Planning

Purpose: Graphics processing unit (GPU)‐based treatment planning is clinically desirable given its extremely high efficiency. One technical barrier for clinical implementation is the relatively small memory of GPU cards. The goal of this study is to find the optimal parameters used in dose deposition matrix (DDM) computations via finite size pencil beam (FSPB) model for IMRT optimization that maintains plan quality while minimizing memory usage. Methods: We used our in‐house GPU‐based treatment planning system, SCORE, to investigate the impact of parameters used in DDM calculations, i.e., beamlet size and dose cutoff value, on the resulting plan quality and memory usage. We varied beamlet width from 2mm to 6mm, while fixing beamlet height to 5mm, and dose cutoff value from 0.01% to 1% of the maximum beamlet dose. For each combination of parameters we used SCORE to create the DDM. A treatment plan is optimized using the DDM and the resulting final dose distribution is evaluated by comparing it with the ground truth distribution (obtained under 2mm beamlet width and 0.01% dose cutoff value) using gamma test (2mm/2%) passing rate. Results: We tested various combinations of the parameters on head/neck, prostate, and lung cancer patients. It is found that plan quality is highly sensitive to the beamlet size, such that increasing beamlet width to 3mm will reduce the passing rate to below 90%. In contrast, when keeping beamlet width at 2mm, but increasing dose cutoff parameter to 0.1%, a passing rate of over 95% is still maintained. The memory usage is reduced by a factor of 5.5 on average. Conclusion: The optimal parameter for DDM calculation using FSPB model is beamlet size of 2mm and dose cutoff value of 0.1%, under which high plan quality is maintained while GPU memory usage is greatly reduced.
An optimal parallel algorithm for the maximal element problem (abstract)

Given a set (p1, p2, …, pn) of n points in a plane, a point pi dominates another point pj iff X (pi) ≥ X(pj) and Y (pi) ≥ Y(pj) where X (p) and Y (p) denote the coordinates of a point p. Our problem is to find the points which are dominated by no other point. These points are called maximal elements. In this abstract we suggest an O (log n) parallel algorithm with O (n) processors in the EREW parallel model which is weaker than CREW. (Note that most parallel algorithms in the literature use the power of CREW PRAM model.) The main idea is to reduce the problem to the parallel prefix problem [2]. Our algorithm runs as follows: First, from P = {pl, …, pn}, find a subset P' = {p1 …, pm }, where each point pi is dominated by no other point having the same X -coordinate aspi. This can be done in O (log n) time with O (n) processors in the EREW model applying the parallel sort algorithm by [1]. Next sort P' according to the X -coordinate of each point and store each Y -coordinate in an array A in the increasing order of the corresponding X -coordinate. Assume that the Y -coordinate of pi is stored in A [i ] for i = 1, 2, …, m. Then for each A [i ], find an index j such that i ≤ j and A [j] ≥ A [k ] for each i ≤ k ≤ m. If i = j, then pi is one of the maximal elements. Th is can be done in O (log n) time with O (n) processors on the EREW parallel model by applying a parallel prefix algorithm |2|.