cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Progress of Research on Visfatin and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus

As an novel adipocytokines recently discovered by Fukuhara et cetera,Visfatin is secreted from visceral adipocyte,and regulated by various factors such as hormones,drugs,glucose,free fatty acids,lipopolysaccharide,Interleukin-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α,growth hormone and so on.It also has a lot of effects such as insulin mimetic effects,nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase activity.It is also involved in the inflammatory response,and has immunifaction,autocrine and paracrine functions.It regulates lipid metabolism as well.Type 2 Diabetes mellitus is metabolic disease of endocrine which is originated by complex action of polygenic inheritance and environmental factor.It is strongly associated with visfatin.Visfatin has important clinical significance in developing new biomarker and drug target for diabetes mellitus.
Fast and Stable Algorithms for Discrete Sine Transformations having Orthogonal Factors

In this chapter we derive fast, recursive, and numerically stable radix-2 algorithms for discrete sine transformations (DST) having sparse and orthogonal factors. These real radix-2 stable algorithms are completely recursive, fast, and based on the simple orthogonal factors. Comparing to the known bulky and mostly unstable DST algorithms, our algorithms are easy to implement and use only permutations, scaling by constants, butterfly operations, and plane rotations/rotation-reflections.
Fluoride Therapy for the Pediatric Patient

This article reviews current concepts regarding the mode of action of fluoride, describes the metabolism of fluoride in the child, brings attention to recent changes in protocol for prescribing fluoride supplements, and describes intensive fluoride regimens for patients with special problems.
Update on the Bethesda System for reporting cervical/vaginal diagnoses.

No public health measure has contributed as much to cancer prevention as the institution of widespread Pap smear screening. There has been abundant epidemiologic evidence, both from North America and Scandinavia [1–8], that mortality from invasive cervical cancer is diminished in screened populations. A more recent study from the Centers for Disease Control has again confirmed decreased mortality from cervical cancer, even when corrected for the prevalence of hysterectomy among those screened [9]. The Pap smear’s empirical success appears to be related to two factors: the accessibility of the cervix for cytologic sampling and the relatively long preinvasive phase of cervical neoplasia, variously known as dysplasia, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and most recently, in the Bethesda System, as squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) (see table 1). Abnormalities in epithelial maturation of increasing severity are transmitted to exfoliated cells detected in the Pap smear. This spectrum of epithelial change corresponds to increasing risk of progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Patients whose smears contain abnormal cells are then referred for colposcopic examination, where precancerous lesions can be confirmed by biopsy and obliterated by cryotherapy, laser therapy, or surgical intervention, thus aborting the carcinogenic process within the affected epithelium.
Diversity of nitrogen fixation strategies in Mediterranean legumes.

Symbiotic N2 fixation (SNF) brings nitrogen into ecosystems, fuelling much of the world's agriculture1 and sustaining carbon storage2,3. However, it can also cause nitrogen saturation, exacerbating eutrophication and greenhouse warming4–7. The balance of these effects depends on the degree to which N2-fixing plants adjust how much N2 they fix based on their needs (their SNF ‘strategies’)5,6. Genetic, biochemical and physiological details of SNF are well known for certain economically important species8,9, but the diversity of N2-fixing plants10 and bacteria11 is enormous, and little is known about most N2-fixing symbioses in natural ecosystems12. Here, we show that co-occurring, closely related herbs exhibit diverse SNF strategies. In response to a nitrogen supply gradient, four species fixed less N2 than they needed (over-regulation), two fixed what they needed (facultative) and two did not downregulate SNF (obligate). No species downregulated but fixed more N2 than it needed (under-regulation or incomplete downregulation), but some species under-regulated or incompletely downregulated structural allocation to SNF. In fact, most species maintained nodules (the root structures that house symbionts) when they did not fix N2, suggesting decoupling of SNF activity and structure. Simulations showed that over-regulation of SNF activity is more adaptive than under-regulation or incomplete downregulation, and that different strategies have wildly different effects on ecosystem-level nitrogen cycling. The balance of beneficial and detrimental effects of nitrogen-fixing plants hinges on the degree to which plants regulate fixation to meet their needs. Legumes show a large diversity of fixation regimes due to differing evolutionary strategies.
Abstract 2635: Methylation in benign prostate and risk of disease progression in men subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer

In DNA from prostate cancer tumors, methylation patterns in gene promoter regions can be a biomarker for disease progression. It remains unclear whether methylation patterns in benign prostate tissue—prior to malignant transformation—may provide similar prognostic information. To determine whether early methylation events predict prostate cancer outcomes, we evaluated histologically benign prostate specimens from 353 men who eventually developed prostate cancer and received “definitive” treatment (radical prostatectomy [58%] or radiation therapy [42%]). Cases were drawn from a large hospital-based cohort of men with benign prostate biopsy specimens collected between 1990 and 2002. Risk of disease progression associated with methylation was estimated using time-to-event analyses. Average follow-up was over 5 years; biochemical recurrence (BCR) occurred in 91 cases (26%). In White men, methylation of the APC gene was associated with increased risk of BCR, even after adjusting for standard clinical risk factors for prostate cancer progression (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 2.26; 95%CI 1.23-4.16). APC methylation was most strongly associated with a significant increased risk of BCR in White men with low prostate specific antigen at cohort entry (HR = 3.66; 95%CI 1.51-8.85). In additional stratified analyses, we found that methylation of the RARB gene significantly increased risk of BCR in African American cases who demonstrated methylation of at least one of the other four genes under study (HR = 3.80; 95%CI 1.07-13.53). These findings may have implications in the early identification of aggressive prostate cancer as well as reducing unnecessary medical procedures and emotional distress for men who present with markers of indolent disease. Citation Format: Benjamin A. Rybicki, Andrew Rundle, Oleksandr Kryvenko, Dhananjay Chitale, Steven Belinsky, Deliang Tang. Methylation in benign prostate and risk of disease progression in men subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2635.
Synthesis and Evaluation of QS-21-Based Immunoadjuvants with a Terminal-Functionalized Side Chain Incorporated in the West Wing Trisaccharide

Three QS-21-based vaccine adjuvant candidates with a terminal-functionalized side chain incorporated in the west wing trisaccharide have been synthesized. The terminal polar functional group serve to increase the solubility of these analogs in water. Two of the synthetic analogs have been shown to have adjuvant activity comparable to that of GPI-0100. The stand-alone adjuvant activity of the new synthetic analogs again confirmed that it is a feasible way to develop new saponin-based vaccine adjuvants through derivatizing at the west wing branched trisaccharide domain. Inclusion of an additional polar functional group such as a carboxyl group (as in 3x) or a monosaccharide (as in 4x and 5x), is sufficient to increase the water-solubility of the corresponding synthetic analogs to a level comparable to that of GPI-0100 and suitable for immunological studies and clinical application. The structure of the incorporated side chain has a significant impact on the adjuvant activity in terms of the magnitude and na...
In vivo pH mapping of injured lungs using hyperpolarized [1- 13 C]pyruvate

PURPOSE To optimize the production of hyperpolarized 13 C-bicarbonate from the decarboxylation of hyperpolarized [1-13 C]pyruvate and use it to image pH in the lungs and heart of rats with acute lung injury. METHODS Two forms of catalysis are compared calorimetrically to maximize the rate of decarboxylation and rapidly produce hyperpolarized bicarbonate from pyruvate while minimizing signal loss. Rats are injured using an acute lung injury model combining ventilator-induced lung injury and acid aspiration. Carbon images are obtained from both healthy (n = 4) and injured (n = 4) rats using a slice-selective chemical shift imaging sequence with low flip angle. pH is calculated from the relative HCO3- and CO2 signals using the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. RESULTS It is demonstrated that base catalysis is more effective than metal-ion catalysis for this decarboxylation reaction. Bicarbonate polarizations up to 17.2% are achieved using the base-catalyzed reaction. A mean pH difference between lung and heart of 0.14 pH units is measured in the acute lung injury model. A significant pH difference between injured and uninjured lungs is also observed. CONCLUSION It is demonstrated that hyperpolarized 13 C-bicarbonate can be efficiently produced from the base-catalyzed decarboxylation of pyruvate. This method is used to obtain the first regional pH image of the lungs and heart of an animal. Magn Reson Med 78:1121-1130, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Discriminant-component eigenfaces for privacy-preserving face recognition

Over the past decades, face recognition has been a problem of critical interest in the machine learning and signal processing communities. However, conventional approaches such as eigenfaces do not protect the privacy of user data, which is emerging as an important design consideration in today's society. In this work, we leverage a supervised-learning subspace projection method called Discriminant Component Analysis (DCA) for privacy-preserving face recognition. By projecting the data onto the lower-dimensional signal subspace prescribed by DCA, high performance of face recognition is achievable without compromising privacy of the data owners. We evaluate our approach on three image datasets: Yale, Olivetti and Glasses datasets — the last is derived from the former two. Our approach can serve as a key enabler for real-world deployment of privacy-preserving face recognition applications, and provides a promising direction to researchers and private sectors.
Retinoic acid signaling regulates Krt5 and Krt14 independently of stem cell markers in submandibular salivary gland epithelium.

Background: Retinoic Acid (RA), the active metabolite of Vitamin A, has been demonstrated to be important for growth and branching morphogenesis of mammalian embryonic salivary gland epithelium. However, it is not known whether RA functions directly within epithelial cells or in associated tissues that influence morphogenesis of salivary epithelium. Moreover, downstream targets of RA regulation have not been identified. Results: Here we show that canonical RA signaling occurs in multiple tissues of embryonic mouse salivary glands, including epithelium, associated parasympathetic ganglion neurons, and non-neuronal mesenchyme. By culturing epithelium explants in isolation from other tissues we demonstrate that RA influences epithelium morphogenesis by direct action in that tissue. Moreover, we demonstrate that inhibition of RA signaling represses cell proliferation and expression of FGF10 signaling targets, and upregulates expression of basal epithelial keratins Krt5 and Krt14. Importantly, we show that the stem cell gene Kit is regulated inversely from Krt5/Krt14 by RA signaling. Conclusions: RA regulates Krt5 and Krt14 expression independently of stem cell character in developing salivary epithelium. RA, or chemical inhibitors of RA signaling, could potentially be used for modulating growth and differentiation of epithelial stem cells for the purpose of re-populating damaged glands or generating bioengineered organs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
At the Beginning Was Amount of Material: A Learning Progression for Matter for Early Elementary Grades

A learning progression for matter is a hypothesis about how knowledge about matter could evolve, with proper instruction, from young children’s ideas about objects and liquids to the atomic-molecular theory taught in high school. It involves a series of deep reconceptualizations consisting of mutually constraining changes in a large network of interrelated domain-specific, epistemological, and mathematical knowledge. Each reconceptualization results in a stepping stone—a coherent state of knowledge about matter that is conceptually closer to scientific understanding and helps students keep moving forward. Reconceptualizing matter at the macroscopic level in elementary school is crucial to understanding the atomic-molecular theory in later grades. In this chapter, we elaborate the K-2 section of a learning progression for matter; we describe how preschoolers’ knowledge about matter could be progressively reconceptualized to include concepts of material, amount of material, and weight that are compatible with a scientific theory of matter at the macroscopic level (2nd grade stepping stone). We present a classroom intervention with kindergartners based on this learning progression. Students’ significant progress (compared to a control group) supports the validity of learning progression as a theoretical construct and as an approach to science education.
When Power Structure Interdependency Creates Gaps between Individual and National Values

In 2006, and again in 2010, the Journal of International Business devoted a special section to evaluating very puzzling findings in the 2004 GLOBE study. At the center of what has become a fairly c...
Using metrics to improve software maintenance

Software maintenance is a huge cost within any large software-rich business and can consume a significant proportion of support budgets. The quality of software delivered into BT‘s Systems Integration unit has a major impact not only on the cost and time to integrate, but also on the long-term support of the system. Systems Integration is sponsoring research into ways of assessing software to help with early identification of potential maintenance problem areas and pointing to ways of improving the quality of systems. This paper describes the work that is being done in this area, and focuses on practical applications for assessing code quality, as well as covering some of the ongoing research into software maintenance.
Computational Modeling of Touchscreen Drag Gestures Using a Cognitive Architecture and Motion Tracking

ABSTRACTThis article presents a computational model that predicts finger-drag gesture performance on touchscreen devices, by integrating the queueing network (QN) cognitive architecture and motion tracking. Specifically, the QN-based model was developed to predict two execution times: the finger movement time of drag-gesture (i.e., only the motion time of the finger touched and dragged on the surface of touchscreen) and the comprehensive process time of drag-gesture (i.e., the entire process time to complete the finger-drag task, including visual attention shift, memory storage and retrieval, and hand-finger movements). To develop predictive models for the finger movement time of drag-gesture, 11 participants’ motion data were collected and a regression analysis with parameters of hand-finger anthropometric data and eight angular directions was conducted. Human subject data from our previous study (Jeong & Liu, 2017a) were used to evaluate the QN-based model, generating similar outputs (R2 was more than 8...
Quantification of the Microcirculatory Response to Freezing

Extensive clinical and experimental data verify that freezing and thawing processes can produce trauma and necrosis in living tissue. The primary effects associated with this phenomena have been summarized in several recent reviews1-3. The response of tissue to freezing injury is intimately related to modifications produced in the functional state of the localized circulatory system. Although subzero tissue temperatures are requisite to freezing insult, they may not be damaging per se; concommitant vascular collaspe may be the ultimate factor in tissue death. For example, skin, frozen to the extent that if left in place it will inevitably die, has been shown to survive if transplanted to a normal vascular bed4,5. Thus, under the proper conditions, damage caused by freezing can be reversed if adequate blood circulation is maintained.
Genetic Engineering of Plants: Some Perspectives on the Conference, the Present, and the Future

The need for continued genetic improvement in crop varieties is clearly evident. Steady progress in crop yields is expected from current plant breeding procedures, but will the advances be sufficient to meet future food demands? Recent advances in plant molecular and cellular biology have led to a number of approaches for molecular genetic manipulation of crop species. The purpose of this conference was to assess these advances in relation to crop improvement. When considering the potential impact of genetic engineering of plants, we must start with certain premises: First, plant genetic engineering is a long-term effort and expanded research in the basic plant sciences is needed. Advancements in the genetic engineering of plants will depend, in part, on additional knowledge of the biochemical, physiological, and developmental processes of plants. Not only is there a need for pioneering efforts on the technological aspects of plant genetic engineering, but also for basic plant science research on which this technology depends. By the very definition of basic research, 20 to 30 years may be required before we realize benefits from some of the information. But if we do not start now, the information will not be available when needed. Second, a multidisciplinary effort is required. Dean Hess pointed out in his welcome to the conference participants that “We need a continuum from basic research to the applied.” A team effort of scientists knowledgeable in molecular, cellular, and organismal biology is required for maximizing research progress directed toward applications in agriculture. Third, research in plant genetic engineering is worth the effort, even if never directly applied. The basic plant science information deriving from this research is extensive, valuable, and of high quality. Simmonds aptly stated during the conference that “Improved genetic understanding has never failed to have an impact on plant breeding.”
Clinical and Endocrinological Evaluation of Patients with Congenital Microphallus

AbstractEight patients with congenital microphallus were investigated. Plasma luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone and androstenedione levels were obtained in all cases. In addition, the response to the administration of human chorionic gonadotropin, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and adrenocorticotropic hormone, the assessment of testicular histology by electron microscopy and the measurement of dihydrotestosterone formation by preputial skin were determined in some patients. The results of these studies were compared to similar studies in 6 normal prepubertal boys, 4 boys with bilateral cryptorchidism, 1 male infant with anorchia and 1 adult with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.The clinical and endocrinological findings in the 8 patients with microphallus can be divided into 2 distinct categories. In 5 patients the disorder is familial, gonadotropin levels are low and there is a normal response to stimulation with chorionic gonadotropin. The data are compatible with the p...
Purely Nonlinear Norm Spectra and Multidimensional Solitary Waves

Abstract Semilinear elliptic equations on RN with appropriate nonlineari-ties have countable sets of localized classical solutions, both spherical and nonspherical. In explicit examples, norms of these solutions exhibit interesting and unexplained patterns. These norm spectra are purely the result of nonlinearity, having no analog in corresponding linearized problems. We present the examples and discuss their relation to the theory of bifurcation of solutions to semilinear elliptic equations on bounded domains. Interest in localized solutions to semilinear elliptic equations on RN stems in part from the role of such solutions as the spatial profiles of standing solitary wave solutions to nonlinear wave equations in (N + 1) spacetime dimensions. A nonspherical solitary wave carries nonzero (classical) angular momentum in its center-of-momentum frame, and thus represents a “spinning” excitation. The spectra of masses and spins of such solitary waves are determined by the spectra of norms of solutioiis to the associated elliptic equations.
Adipose Tissue Transferrin and Insulin Resistance.

Context Excessive body iron stores are a risk factor for decreased insulin sensitivity (SI) and diabetes. We hypothesized that transcriptional dysregulation of genes involved in iron metabolism in adipocytes causes insulin resistance. Objective and design To define the genetic regulation of iron metabolism and its role in SI, we used gene expression, genotype, and SI data from an African American cohort (N = 256). Replication studies were performed in independent European ancestry cohorts. In vitro studies in human adipocytes were performed to define the role of a selected gene in causing insulin resistance. Results Among 62 transcripts representing iron homeostasis genes, expression of 30 in adipose tissue were correlated with SI. Transferrin (TF) and ferritin heavy polypeptide were most positively and negatively associated with SI, respectively. These observations were replicated in two independent European ancestry adipose data sets. The strongest cis-regulatory variant for TF expression (rs6785596; P = 7.84 × 10-18) was identified in adipose but not muscle or liver tissue. Variants significantly affected the normal relationship of serum ferritin to insulin resistance. Knockdown of TF in differentiated Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome adipocytes by short hairpin RNA decreased intracellular iron, reduced maximal insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and reduced Akt phosphorylation. Knockdown of TF caused differential expression of 465 genes, including genes involved in glucose transport, mitochondrial function, Wnt-pathway/ SI, chemokine activity, and obesity. Iron chelation recapitulated key changes in the expression profile induced by TF knockdown. Conclusion Genetic regulation of TF expression in adipose tissue plays a novel role in regulating SI.
Contribution of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 activation and apoptosis in trichloroethene-mediated autoimmunity

Abstract Trichloroethene (TCE), a common environmental toxicant and widely used industrial solvent, has been implicated in the development of various autoimmune diseases (ADs). Although oxidative stress has been involved in TCE-mediated autoimmunity, the molecular mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. These studies were, therefore, aimed to further explore the contribution of oxidative stress to TCE-mediated autoimmune response by specifically assessing the role of oxidative DNA damage, its repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and apoptosis. To achieve this, groups of female MRL +/+ mice were treated with TCE, TCE plus N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or NAC alone (TCE, 10 mmol/kg, i.p., every 4th day; NAC, 250 mg/kg/day in drinking water) for 6 weeks. TCE treatment led to significantly higher levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in the livers compared to controls, suggesting increased oxidative DNA damage. TCE-induced DNA damage was associated with significant activation of PARP-1 and increases in caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8 and -9, and alterations in Bcl-2 and Bax in the livers. Moreover, the TCE-mediated alterations corresponded with remarkable increases in the serum anti-ssDNA antibodies. Interestingly, NAC supplementation not only attenuated elevated 8-OHdG, PARP-1, caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9, and Bax, but also the TCE-mediated autoimmune response supported by significantly reduced serum anti-ssDNA antibodies. These results suggest that TCE-induced activation of PARP-1 followed by increased apoptosis presents a novel mechanism in TCE-associated autoimmune response and could potentially lead to development of targeted preventive and/or therapeutic strategies.
The Occupation-Based Intervention of Bathing: Cases in Home Health Care.

Although bathing skills can be an indicator of long term placement, documentation of occupational therapists doing bathing as an occupation-based intervention is limited. Five clients were referred...
Stereoselective synthesis of 7R-paeonimetaboline-I; Stereoselective route towards paeoniflorigenone

Abstract Development of a successful synthetic route to the racemic monoterpene 7R-paeonimetaboline-I is reported; extension of this methodology in an approach to synthesis of racemic paeoniflorigenone is also summarized.
Rotational effects in Stokes flow; pressure-driven extrusion through an annular hole or concentric holes in parallel walls

This tribute to the late Prof. L.G.N. Filon, who preceded the author as a faculty member of University College London, is devoted to illustrating the application of Abel transform techniques to mixed boundary problems. The two situations discussed below, the pressure-driven extrusion through an annular hole in a plane wall and concentric holes in two planes, have been previously studied as creeping flows but here they are complicated by being set in a viscous fluid undergoing rigid-body rotation. The analysis, adapted from calculations of the Stokes drag on a disk sedimenting in a rotating fluid in the presence of fixed boundaries, may not have direct engineering application but presents classic techniques applied to a set of triple integral equations and a system of dual integral equations.
Improving seismic image using the common-horizon panel

ABSTRACTGenerating high-quality seismic images requires accurate velocity models. However, velocity errors are predictably brought into the models. To mitigate the influences of velocity errors, we...
Assessing patient preferences for switching from warfarin to direct oral anticoagulants

Warfarin remains the most commonly prescribed oral anticoagulant in the United States, but it has disadvantages such as dietary interactions and frequent laboratory monitoring. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been introduced as safer and equally effective alternatives to warfarin. This study assessed patient preference for warfarin or DOAC based on a willingness to pay more for potential DOAC benefits. Current warfarin patients with atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism enrolled in the University of Utah Health Thrombosis Service were given a one-time electronic survey that assessed preferences between warfarin and DOACs using scenarios comparing effectiveness, safety, and convenience. When DOACs were preferred, patients were asked how much more they would be willing to pay monthly for the perceived advantages associated with DOACs. With 123 completed surveys, 68% of patients preferred to stay on warfarin. No particular factor influenced patient preference (lack of routine laboratory monitoring, lower risks of major bleeding, and fewer dietary interactions). Reduced stroke risk was associated with the highest value (willing to pay an additional $21). Considering all factors, patients preferring DOACs would pay a median $18 extra per month for the additional benefits. Prior exposure to DOACs was associated with preference for DOACs. Many patients currently taking warfarin preferred to stay on warfarin when given the choice, despite DOAC benefits. Willingness to pay extra for DOAC advantages did not exceed $20 in the majority of survey respondents. Previous DOAC exposure influences patient preference and perceived value for DOACs.
A case-based approach to aggressive variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma with literature review

Papillary thyroid caarcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid and endocrine malignancy. Although considered to be indolent, aggressive variants have been identified, including the Tall Cell (TCV), Columnar Cell (CCV), Hobnail (HPTC) and Solid Variants (SVPTC). The objective of this study is to pre-operatively recognize the cytologic features of these variants. Four cases with final diagnoses of TCV, CCV, HPTC and SVPTC were reviewed and compared with Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) smears. The first case is a 44-year-old female diagnosed with TCV pre-operatively through FNAB and was confirmed through tissue biopsy showing malignant glands in papillary formation with greater than 50% of tall cells. The second patient is a 54-year-old female with CCV showing stratified columnar cells with cytoplasmic supranuclear and subnuclear vacuoles. Third is a 57-year-old female with HPTC exhibiting eccentrically-located nuclei imparting a hobnail appearance with cellular dyscohesiveness. The fourth case is a 59-year-old female diagnosed with SVPTC showing predominantly solid sheets surrounded by thin, delicate fibrous stroma. They all have nuclear features of PTC. TCV, CCV, HPTC and SVPTC are related to extrathyroidal extension, angiolymphatic invasion, positive surgical margin and lymph node metastasis. FNAB is an important tool to recognize these variants preoperatively and plan for amore comprehensive management.
The Role of B Cell-Activating Factor (BAFF) in the Biology of Multiple Myeloma (MM).

Abstract BAFF is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family and is critical for the maintenance and homeostasis of normal B-cell development. Importantly, BAFF promotes the generation of rapidly dividing immunoglobulin secreting plasmablasts from activated memory B cells by enhancing their survival. Given that MM is a cancer of plasma cells and that the signaling cascades implicated in receptor ligand interactions of BAFF are crucial in MM cell biology, we hypothesized that this cytokine may play a critical role in MM cell development, survival, and proliferation. We performed gene expression profiling (GEP) on CD 138+ plasma cells isolated from 90 MM patients (45 newly diagnosed and 45 relapsed) and 11 healthy controls using the Affymetrix U133A arrays. Our data demonstrates increased expression of transmembrane activator and calcium modulator and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI) and B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), 2 receptors used by BAFF to exert its effects. Our data also shows an increased expression of a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), another member of the TNF family with homology to BAFF. Expression levels of BAFF and BAFF-R could not be determined because of lack of these probe sets on the Affymetrix U133A arrays. GEP analysis shows increased BCMA expression (p
Reducing nitrous oxide emissions and optimizing nitrogen-use efficiency in dryland crop rotations with different nitrogen rates

Recent interests in improving agricultural production while minimizing environmental footprints emphasized the need for research on management strategies that reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and increase nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) of cropping systems. This study aimed to evaluate N2O emissions, annualized crop grain yield, emission factor, and yield-scaled- and NUE-scaled N2O emissions under continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (CW) and spring wheat–pea (Pisum sativum L.) (WP) rotations with four N fertilization rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha−1). The N2O fluxes peaked immediately after N fertilization, intense precipitation, and snowmelt, which accounted for 75–85% of the total annual flux. Cumulative N2O flux usually increased with increased N fertilization rate in all crop rotations and years. Annualized crop yield and NUE were greater in WP than CW for 0 kg N ha−1 in all years, but the trend reversed with 100 kg N ha−1 in 2013 and 2015. Crop yield maximized at 100 kg N ha−1, but NUE declined linearly with increased N fertilization rate in all crop rotations and years. As N fertilization rate increased, N fertilizer-scaled N2O flux decreased, but NUE-scaled N2O flux increased non-linearly in all years, regardless of crop rotations. The yield-scaled N2O flux decreased from 0 to 50 kg N ha−1 and then increased with increased N fertilization rate. Because of non-significant difference of N2O fluxes between 50 and 100 kg N ha−1, but increased crop yield, N2O emissions can be minimized while dryland crop yields and NUE can be optimized with 100 kg N ha−1, regardless of crop rotations.
Strategies to Expand the Deceased Donor Pool for Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for children with ESKD; however, access to transplantation is limited by the escalating gap between the organ supply and demand. In 2018, only 36% of the 756 pediatric kidney transplants were living donor transplants, indicating that pediatric candidates rely heavily on the deceased donor waiting list. The prevalence of pediatric candidates on the waiting list was 1585 in December 2018 (1). The increase in prevalence is due to a combination of longer waiting times and a decline in deceased donor transplant rates. According to the annual Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients report, pediatric deceased donor transplant rates declined by 27% from 2009 to 2018 (52/100 versus 37.9/100 waitlist-years). Of the children waitlisted in 2015, 2% died on the waiting list and 15% were still waiting by 2018 (1). Timely transplantation in children is critical for their growth and development. Compared with a functioning graft, dialysis is associated with six times lower patient survival, poorer physical growth, and inferior neurocognitive development (2). Considering the high morbidity and mortality on dialysis, we must explore strategies that would expand the deceased donor pool for children. Despite the severe organ shortage, 20% of kidneys are discarded annually in the United States. In 2019, kidneys from 4460 deceased donors were discarded (3). Of these, 50% were expanded criteria or high kidney donor profile index (KDPI) kidneys (KDPI is a numeric score denoting donor quality based on several donor characteristics), 26% were kidneys donated after cardiac death, and 23% were kidneys at risk of inadvertently transmitting HIV/hepatitis B/hepatitis C to the recipients (3). Other predictors of discard include pediatric donor age, cytomegalovirus seropositivity, hepatitis B/C seropositivity, cigarette use, diabetes, and AB blood type (4). In this article, we review pediatric kidney transplant outcomes associated with kidneys that are …
Investigation of various techniques for controlled void formation in fiberglass/epoxy composites:

The effect of porosity in composite materials has been studied for years due to its deleterious effects on mechanical properties, especially matrix dominated properties. Currently there is an incre...
Foot and Ankle Injuries in Basketball

Basketball has become a popular sport in the United States and across the world. Currently, there are an estimated 450 million basketball participants worldwide. The increase in basketball participation has led to an increase in the incidence of basketball-related injuries. Ankle sprains are the most common injury sustained by basketball players. Other common foot and ankle injuries in basketball include muscle strains, stress fractures, midfoot sprains, and Achilles injuries. Risk factors for sustaining basketball-related injuries include longer basketball schedules, sports specialization, cavovarus foot alignment, and inadequate neuromuscular control. Injury prevention strategies include neuromuscular training, supportive shoe wear, adequate recovery, and multi-sport participation. Long-term outcomes are dependent on the location of injury. Lateral ankle sprains have favorable outcomes while Achilles tendon ruptures have a high rate of failed return to play.
A First Look into Users' Perceptions of Digital Medicine Technology

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first digital pill in the United States. Digital medicine technology carries potential to improve public health, however, it might raise questions about privacy and coercion. There is a dearth in existing literature to understand users' perceptions of digital medicine. We addressed this gap in our work. In particular, we conducted semi-structured interview with 15 participants in the USA to gain insights into their perceived benefits and concerns about using digital pill, preferences to share information with others, and their preferred modes of learning about the privacy notice before using digital medicine. This preliminary study shows promise for the CSCW community to conduct further research on this emerging technology.
Application of a Computer Vision Tool for Automated Glottic Tracking to Vocal Fold Paralysis Patients.

Objectives(1) Demonstrate true vocal fold (TVF) tracking software (AGATI [Automated Glottic Action Tracking by artificial Intelligence]) as a quantitative assessment of unilateral vocal fold paraly...
Performance of ABCD-10 and SCORTEN mortality prediction models in a cohort of patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Background Age, bicarbonate, cancer, dialysis, 10% body surface area risk model (ABCD-10) has recently been proposed as an alternative to the SCORe of toxic epidermal necrolysis (SCORTEN) model for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN). In contrast to SCORTEN, ABCD-10 incorporates prior dialysis and upweights the impact of cancer. Objective To determine the performance of ABCD-10 compared with that of SCORTEN in mortality prediction at a large, tertiary burn center. Methods A retrospective analysis of 192 patients with SJS/TEN admitted to the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2019, was conducted. Data on these patients were collected using the burn registry and a manual chart review. The performance of both the mortality prediction models was assessed using univariate logistic regression and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Results The overall mortality was 22% (n = 43). Nine (5%) patients had cancer, and 7 (4%) had undergone prior dialysis; neither factor was associated with mortality (P = .11 and P = .62, respectively). SCORTEN was well calibrated to predict inpatient mortality (P = .82), whereas ABCD-10 appeared to have a poorer fit (P Limitations Small sample size. Conclusion SCORTEN was a better predictor of inpatient mortality than ABCD-10 in a North American cohort of patients treated at the tertiary burn center.
Upper Limb Function

The upper limb (UL) is an engineering marvel that is yet to be duplicated artificially. Current prostheses can restore a degree of UL function, but technology is far from reproducing the dexterity that sound-limbed individuals enjoy. This chapter presents the main functional capabilities of the human hand and arm, and methods to reproduce them. While robotic hardware accomplishes a high degree of manipulation ability, this technology is not yet accessible to human control. Many new approaches to restoring UL dexterity are being developed and promise to revolutionize UL restoration.
Equations to Define Canopy Photosynthesis from Quantum Efficiency, Maximum Leaf Rate, Light Extinction, Leaf Area Index, and Photon Flux Density

In this paper, we compare several published equations which compute instantaneous gross canopy assimilation response to leaf area index (LAI) and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), assuming information available on canopy light extinction (K), leaf quantum efficiency (QE), and single leaf photosynthetic rate in saturating light (LFMAX).
Gecko: contention-oblivious disk arrays for cloud storage

Disk contention is increasingly a significant problem for cloud storage, as applications are forced to co-exist on machines and share physical disk resources. Disks are notoriously sensitive to contention; a single application's random I/O is sufficient to reduce the throughput of a disk array by an order of magnitude, disrupting every other application running on the same array. Log-structured storage designs can alleviate write-write contention between applications by sequentializing all writes, but have historically suffered from read-write contention triggered by garbage collection (GC) as well as application reads. Gecko is a novel log-structured design that eliminates read-write contention by chaining together a small number of drives into a single log, effectively separating the tail of the log (where writes are appended) from its body. As a result, writes proceed to the tail drive without contention from either GC reads or first-class reads, which are restricted to the body of the log with the help of a tail-specific caching policy. Gecko trades-off maximum contention-free sequential throughput from multiple drives in exchange for a stable and predictable maximum throughput from a single uncontended drive, and achieves better performance compared to native log-structured or RAID based systems for most cases. Our in-kernel implementation provides random write bandwidth to applications of 60 to 120MB/s, despite concurrent GC activity, application reads, and an adversarial workload.
Verification of medical guidelines by model checking – a case study

This paper presents a case study on how to apply formal modeling and verification in the context of quality improvement in medical healthcare. The aim is to verify quality requirements of medical guidelines and clinical treatment protocols that are used to standardize patient care both for general practitioners and hospitals. This research is supported by the European Commission's IST program and brings together experts from computer science, artificial intelligence in medicine, hospitals, and the Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement (CBO). We present the process of formal modeling and verification of guidelines using the modeling language Asbru, temporal logic for expressing the quality requirements, and model checking for proof and error detection. The approach is illustrated with a case study on a guideline from the American Association for Pediatrics on “Jaundice in healthy Newborns”.
Identifiability conditions for deterministic blind beamforming in the presence of incoherent multipath with small delay spread

In a recent paper, van der Veen has developed a baseband-equivalent data model for antenna array reception of multiple sources subject to incoherent multipath with small delay spread. Capitalizing on the structure of this model, van der Veen proposed a SVD/EVD-based blind beamforming algorithm. The starting point of our work is the realization that the above model can be viewed as a low-rank (trilinear) decomposition of a three-way received data array. Using a basic uniqueness result for low-rank decomposition of three-way arrays, data smoothing, and two new Lemmas pertaining to the so-called k-rank of certain structured matrices, we derive herein several interesting identifiability results for deterministic blind beamforming in the presence of incoherent multipath with small delay spread. The utility of the core results also extends beyond the application scope of this paper.
Uncertainty analysis for a virtual flow meter using an air-handling unit chilled water valve

A virtual water flow meter is developed that uses the chilled water control valve on an air-handling unit as a measurement device. The flow rate of water through the valve is calculated using the differential pressure (DP) across the valve and its associated coil, the valve command, and an empirically determined valve characteristic curve. Thus, the uncertainty in the measurements could be significantly greater than for conventional hardware flow meters. In this article, mathematical models are developed and used to conduct uncertainty analyses for the virtual flow meter, and the results from the virtual meter are compared to measurements made with an ultrasonic flow meter. Theoretical uncertainty analysis shows that the total uncertainty in flow rates from the virtual flow meter is 1.46% with 95% confidence; comparison of virtual flow meter results with measurements from an ultrasonic flow meter yielded an uncertainty of 1.46% with 99% confidence. The comparable results from the theoretical uncertainty a...
Adherence of cell surface mutants of Candida albicans to buccal epithelial cells and analyses of the cell surface proteins of the mutants.

Strains of Candida albicans, selected on the basis of their reduced agglutination with a polyclonal anti-Candida antiserum, were tested for their adherence to human buccal epithelial cells (BEC). Of four strains, one (A9V2) had reduced binding to BEC in vitro. Adherence of wild type (wt) yeast cells (A9), as measured by the percentage of BEC with adhering Candida cells, was 73.4% +/- 3.8% compared with 49.3% +/- 3.1% for A9V2 (P less than 0.01). From yeast cells of A9 and A9V2, whole-cell extracts and dithiothreitol-, Zymolyase-, or beta-mercaptoethanol-solubilized cell extracts were compared by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting (immunoblotting). From dithiothreitol-solubilized cell extracts, proteins with molecular masses of 55 to 60, 80 to 84, 115, and 165 kDa were observed from wt (A9) cells but were highly reduced in amount or absent from A9V2 cells. Western blot profiles of Zymolyase-solubilized extracts from both A9 and A9V2 were similar in appearance, while 55-, 80- to 84-, 115-, and 165-kDa proteins were observed only in A9 cells extracted with beta-mercaptoethanol. Strain A9V4, also selected by reduced agglutination but which adhered as well as strain A9, lacked the 80- to 84-kDa and 115-kDa proteins but otherwise was similar to strain A9. These results indicate that the 55- to 60- and 165-kDa proteins may be related to an adhesin function in C. albicans. The differences observed in the protein profiles of the wt adhering strain and its derived nonadhering mutant are similar to those described for another matched pair of C. albicans strains. Images
Effects of extended father-infant contact during the newborn period

Abstract Studies within the past decade have suggested that extended contact between mothers and newborns may have positive effects on later parent-infant interaction and may impact favorably upon the establishment of the mother-to-infant attachment bond. The present study was designed to determine whether similar extended contact effects occur for fathers. The results indicated that a group of fathers who attended their infants' births and received extended postpartum hospital contact with their infants engaged in greater amounts of en face behavior and vocalization with their infants and were more involved in infant caretaking responsibilities at 6 weeks postpartum and had higher self-esteem scores following the births compared to another group of fathers who attended their infants' births but received traditional amounts of hospital contact. Although there were more behavioral similarities than differences between the two groups of fathers, positive effects were found on behavioral measures, standardized psychometric measures, and on self-report questionnaires. The results indicated that extended contact effects are at least as salient with fathers as with mothers.