cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical Factors Affecting Quantitative Measurements Using Camera-Based Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (Spect)

The qualitative imaging capability of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using complete angular sampling has previously been demonstrated by several investigators. In order to obtain quantitative information such as absolute volumes and regional radionuclide concentrations using SPECT systems it is necessary to determine the system characteristics which contribute to the intrinsic measurement process and limit its precision. This manuscript describes some of the more important physical factors which can affect the measurement process of scintillation camera based SPECT systems and provides information concerning the type of quantitative measurements that can currently be obtained with these devices. Using our rotating camera based SPECT system the root mean square (rms) noise level in attenuation corrected images of a uniform cylindrical source was measured and found to agree with theoretically predicted vaiues obtained with the following equation: %rms = 100 (1.8)3/2 ? Reff Rs1/2 Abody Cavg / 21/2Ntotal1/2(FF)1/2 where Reff is the "effective" radius of the source, RS is the actual source radius, Abody is the attenuation factor for surrounding non-source body material, Cavg is the average attenuation correction factor for the center of the source, Ntotal is the total number of events, and FF is the algorithm filter factor and equals the integral of the square of the spatial frequency filter function. Using a semi-automatic region of interest (ROI) program and the multi-slice capability of our SPECT system, the volumes of plastic spherical sources placed inside a larger cylindrical source were measured.
Validity of fluorochrome-stained bacteria as tracers of short-term microbial transport through porous media

The effect of fluorochromes on interactions between bacteria and porous media is of concern when such stains are used to tag bacteria for use in transport studies. Column experiments were carried out to test the effect of 4′, 6-diamino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and 3,6-bis[dimethylamino]acridinium chloride (acridine orange) on short-term transport of two bacterial species through aluminum hydroxide-coated sand. The bacterial species were Escherichia coli, an indicator of fecal pollution, and Acinetobacter sp. (ATCC 31012), a strain originally isolated from beach tar. The superficial flow rate through the 1-m long columns was typical of rapid sand filters (1.9 mm s−1). DAPI did not significantly affect the transport of either E. coli or Acinetobacter sp. (P<0.05). Acridine orange significantly increased retention of E. coli, but did not have a significant effect on transport of Acinetobacter sp. (P<0.05). These results suggest that DAPI is a good candidate for tagging bacteria in short-term transport studies.
Legal and ethical duties of health care professionals to incarcerated children.

(1987). Legal and ethical duties of health care professionals to incarcerated children. Journal of Legal Medicine: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 191-263.
Complexation of arsenite with dissolved organic matter: Conditional distribution coefficients and apparent stability constants

Abstract The complexation of arsenic (As) with dissolved organic matter (DOM), although playing an important role in regulating As mobility and transformation, is poorly characterized, as evidenced by scarce reporting of fundamental parameters of As–DOM complexes. The complexation of arsenite (AsIII) with Aldrich humic acid (HA) at different pHs was characterized using a recently developed analytical technique to measure both free and DOM-bound As. Conditional distribution coefficient (KD), describing capacity of DOM in binding AsIII from the mass perspective, and apparent stability constant (Ks), describing stability of resulting AsIII–DOM complexes, were calculated to characterize AsIII–DOM complexation. Log KD of AsIII ranged from 3.7 to 2.2 (decreasing with increase of As/DOM ratio) at pH 5.2, from 3.6 to 2.6 at pH 7, and from 4.3 to 3.2 at pH = 9.3, respectively. Two-site ligand binding models can capture the heterogeneity of binding sites and be used to calculate Ks by classifying the binding sites into strong (S1) and weak (S2) groups. Log Ks for S1 sites are 7.0, 6.5, and 5.9 for pH 5.2, 7, and 9.3, respectively, which are approximately 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than for weak S2 sites. The results suggest that AsIII complexation with DOM increases with pH, as evidenced by significant spikes in concentrations of DOM-bound AsIII and in KD values at pH 9.3. In contrary to KD, log Ks decreased with pH, in particular for S1 sites, probably due to the presence of negatively charged H2 AsO 3 - and the involvement of metal-bridged AsIII–DOM complexation at pH 9.3.
Seventh meeting of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis: reaching the vision by scaling up, scaling down, and reaching out.

This report summarizes the 7th meeting of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF), Washington DC, November 18–19, 2012. The theme, “A Future Free of Lymphatic Filariasis: Reaching the Vision by Scaling Up, Scaling Down and Reaching Out”, emphasized new strategies and partnerships necessary to reach the 2020 goal of elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public-health problem.
A field study of employee e-learning activity and outcomes

Employees with access to e-learning courses targeting computer skills were tracked during a year-long study. Employees’ perceptions of peer and supervisor support, jobcharacteristics (such as workload and autonomy), and motivation to learn were used to predict total time spent using e-learning. Results suggest the importance of motivation to learn and workload in determining aggregate time spent in e-learning courses. Time in courses predicted subsequent differences in computer-related skill and performance improvement as judged by participants’ supervisors. Implications of these findings for the design and administration of e-learning programs are discussed.
Optimization of Cry3A Yields in Bacillus thuringiensis by Use of Sporulation-Dependent Promoters in Combination with the STAB-SD mRNA Sequence

The insecticidal activity of Bacillus thuringiensis strains toxic to coleopterous insects is due to Cry3 proteins assembled into small rectangular crystals. Toxin synthesis in these strains is dependent primarily upon a promoter that is active in the stationary phase and a STAB-SD sequence that stabilizes the cry3 transcript-ribosome complex. Here we show that significantly higher yields of Cry3A can be obtained by using dual sporulation-dependent cyt1Aa promoters to drive the expression of cry3Aa when the STAB-SD sequence is included in the construct. The Cry3A yield per unit of culture medium obtained with this expression system was 12.7-fold greater than that produced by DSM 2803, the wild-type strain of B. thuringiensis from which Cry3Aa was originally described, and 1.4-fold greater than that produced by NB176, a mutant of the same strain containing two or three copies of cry3Aa, which is the active ingredient of the commercial product Novodor, used for control of beetle pests. The toxicities of Cry3A produced with this construct or the wild-type strain were similar when assayed against larvae of the cottonwood leaf beetle, Chrysomela scripta. The volume of Cry3A crystals produced with cyt1Aa promoters and the STAB-SD sequence was 1.3-fold that of typical bipyramidal Cry1 crystals toxic to lepidopterous insects. The dual-promoter/STAB-SD system offers an additional method for potentially improving the efficacy of insecticides based on B. thuringiensis.
The question of tag questions in women's speech: they don't really use more of them, do they?↓

The authors investigate Robin Lakoff's dual claim that women use tag questions in more conversational situations than do men and that such questions signify an avoidance of commitment, causing the speaker ‘to give the impression of not being really sure of himself, of looking to the addressee for confirmation, even of having no views of his own’. They find that in an at least one genuine social context, men did, and women did not, use tag questions, both formal and informal, so the claim is open to serious doubt. (Sex differences in speech; sociolinguistic method.)
Objectively measuring and comparing performance levels of diagnostic imaging systems and practices.

In this issue of Academic Radiology there is an important comprehensive review/tutorial article entitled “Assessment of Medical Imaging Systems and Computer Aids: A Tutorial Review”, authored by Drs. Wagner, Metz and Campbell (1). The article focuses on an important paradigm which results in a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and other estimated performance curves (2–5). The ROC curve is one of the more commonly used analytical tool for assessing and comparing the performance of diagnostic systems both with and/or without the diagnostician or the observer being incorporated as an integral part of the diagnostic system. Diagnostic medicine in general and diagnostic imaging in particular has been evolving gradually over the last few decades from being primarily an art to becoming, at least partially and in many instances largely, a science. As an integral part of this transition there has been an increasing interest in defining different performance measures (summary indices) that enable relevant assessments as well as comparisons of imaging systems and clinical practices (6–8). One of the more profound advancements in this field is the “fully crossed, multiple-reader, multiple-case” (MRMC) approach to executing and analyzing performance assessment studies. These studies are frequently performed under the ROC paradigm in which there is an underlying recognition that a multivariate approach is needed to account for different variance components or
Regulation of β cell glucokinase by S-nitrosylation and association with nitric oxide synthase

Glucokinase (GK) activity plays a key role in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells. Insulin regulates GK activity by modulating its association with secretory granules, although little is known about the mechanisms involved in regulating this association. Using quantitative imaging of multicolor fluorescent proteins fused to GK, we found that the dynamic association of GK with secretory granules is modulated through nitric oxide (NO). Our results in cultured β cells show that insulin stimulates NO production and leads to S-nitrosylation of GK. Furthermore, inhibition of NO synthase (NOS) activity blocks insulin-stimulated changes in both GK association with secretory granules and GK conformation. Mutation of cysteine 371 to serine blocks S-nitrosylation of GK and causes GK to remain tightly bound to secretory granules. GK was also found to interact stably with neuronal NOS as detected by coimmunoprecipitation and fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Finally, attachment of a nuclear localization signal sequence to NOS drives GK to the nucleus in addition to its normal cytoplasmic and granule targeting. Together, these data suggest that the regulation of GK localization and activity in pancreatic β cells is directly related to NO production and that the association of GK with secretory granules occurs through its interaction with NOS.
Multicenter Clinical and Analytical Evaluation of the AxSYM Troponin-I Immunoassay to Assist in the Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction

We evaluated the AxSYM troponin I (cTnI) immunoassay for assisting in the detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). At four sites, the total imprecision (CV) over 20 days was 6.3-10.2%. The minimum detectable concentration was 0.14 +/- 0.05 microgram/L. Comparison of cTnI measurements between the AxSYM and Stratus (n = 406) over the dynamic range of the AxSYM assay demonstrated good correlation, r = 0.881, with a proportional bias: AxSYM cTnI = 3.50(Stratus cTnI) - 1. 10. The confidence intervals (95%) for the slope and intercept were 3.39-3.64 and -1.32 to -0.95, respectively. The expected cTnI concentration in healthy individuals was /=96%, in skeletal muscle injury, chronic renal disease, and same-day noncardiac surgery patients.
Fleet-Wide Environmental Impacts of Future Aircraft Technologies

The impact of aviation on the environment has been at the center of attention recently, and thus, the need to assess the impact of air transportation emissions on the environment is evermore present. This paper presents the continuation of research efforts on a Fleet-Level Environmental Evaluation Tool (FLEET) that assesses the fleet-wide environmental impact of future aircraft concepts and technologies while also considering economics and operational decisions of airlines. Specific improvements to FLEET from previous presented papers consist of a larger network of operations that includes international passenger travel, an updated aircraft retirement and delivery schedule, and a set of future aircraft that meet the NASA Sub-sonic Fixed Wing Project emissions and noise goals. Example analysis results reflect key relationships between emission levels, passenger demand, ticket price, and aircraft technology over a period of several years.
Recurrent Ameloblastoma of the Mandible With Unusual Granular Cell Component

Ameloblastomas can present in various clinical and histomorphologic patterns. The granular cell variant accounts for only 3.5% to 5% of ameloblastomas. The aim of this case report is to present an example of ameloblastoma with unusual granular cell component, affecting a 63-year-old woman, in which both the inner and peripheral layers of follicles composed exclusively by eosinophilic granular cells. Assessment of the immunohistochemical and histochemical profile of the lesion was performed and the challenges of such a diagnosis were also addressed.
Evidence-based Assessment of Health-related Quality of Life and Functional Impairment in Pediatric Psychology

Objective To provide an evidence-based review of measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional impairment, with a specific focus on their use in the field of pediatric psychology. Methods As part of a larger survey of pediatric psychologists from the Society of Pediatric Psychology e-mail listserv (American Psychological Association, APA, Division 54), 16 measures were selected for this psychometric review. Measures that qualified for the review fell into one of the following three categories: (a) generic HRQOL scales, (b) disease-specific quality of life scales, and (c) functional impairment rating scales. Results Psychometric characteristics (i.e., three types of reliability, two types of validity) were strong for the majority of measures reviewed, with 12 of the 16 measures meeting “well-established” evidence-based assessment criteria. Strengths and weaknesses of existing measures were noted. Conclusions Recommendations for future work in this area of assessment are presented, including suggestions that further validation and exploration of measure properties such as factor analysis and changes in HRQOL over time be conducted.
Observing and conditioned reinforcement

When experimenters require their subjects to perform some readily recorded response to gain access to discriminative stimuli but do not permit this behavior to alter the schedule of reinforcement, the response is classified, by analogy, as an “observing” response. Observing responses have been used not only to analyze discrimination learning but also to substantiate the concept of conditioned reinforcement and to measure the reinforcing effect of stimuli serving other behavioral functions. A controversy, however, centers around the puzzling question of how observing can be sustained when the resulting stimuli are not associated with any increase in the frequency of primary reinforcement. Two possible answers have been advanced: (a) that differential preparatory responses to these stimuli as conditional stimuli make both the receipt and the nonreceipt of unconditional stimuli more reinforcing; and (b) that information concerning biologically significant events is inherently reinforcing. It appears, however, that the stimulus associated with the less desirable outcome is not reinforcing. The maintenance of observing can be reconciled with the traditional theory that the acquisition of reinforcing properties proceeds according to the same rules as those for Pavlovian conditioning if it is recognized that the subject is selective in what it observes and procures a greater than proportionate exposure to the stimulus associated with the more desirable outcome. As a result of this selection, the overall frequency of primary reinforcement increases in the presence of the observed stimuli and declines in the presence of the nondifferential stimuli that prevail when the subject is not observing.
Phase II study of carboplatin and erlotinib (Tarceva, OSI-774) in patients with recurrent glioblastoma

Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may be effective in a subset of glioblastoma patients. This phase II study assessed the clinical activity of erlotinib plus carboplatin and to determine molecular predictors of response. The primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS). Patients with recurrent glioblastoma with no more than two prior relapses received carboplatin intravenously on day 1 of every 28-day cycle (target AUC of 6 mg × ml/min). Daily erlotinib at 150 mg/day was dose escalated to 200 mg/day, as tolerated. Clinical and MRI assessments were made every 4 and 8 weeks, respectively. Tumor tissue was evaluated for EGFR, AKT and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) status. One partial response (PR) was observed out of 43 assessable patients. Twenty patients (47%) had stable disease (SD) for an average of 12 weeks. Median PFS was 9 weeks. The 6-month PFS rate was 14%. Median overall survival (OS) was 30 weeks. This regimen was well tolerated with grade 3/4 toxicities of fatigue, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and rash requiring dose reductions. A recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) predicted that patients with KPS ≥90 treated with more than 1 prior regimen had the highest OS. No correlation was observed between EGFR, Akt or PTEN expression and either PFS or OS. Carboplatin plus erlotinib is well tolerated but has modest activity in unselected patients. Future trials should be stratified based on optimal molecular or clinical characteristics.
Low-level sensory processing in obsessive-compulsive disorder: an evoked potential study.

Abstract This study used visual and auditory evoked potentials (VEP and AEP) to study low-level sensory processing in a group of 15 unmediated subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and 30 age-matched, gender-matched, and handedness-matched normal controls. EPs were recorded to flash (VEP) and binaural click (AEP) stimulation. OCD subjects were found to have significantly shorter latencies on N1 and P2 of the AEP, and no differences were found in the VEP. Results indicate abnormal information processing states in OCD during low-level auditory processing, but not during low-level visual processing. Neural generators of the VEP and AEP are briefly reviewed and results are discussed in relation to current neurobiological models of OCD.
A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex responses to overtly presented fearful faces in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: Previous functional neuroimaging studies have demonstrated exaggerated amygdala responses and diminished medial prefrontal cortex responses during the symptomatic state in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objectives: To determine whether these abnormalities also occur in response to overtly presented affective stimuli unrelated to trauma; to examine the functional relationship between the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex and their relationship to PTSD symptom severity in response to these stimuli; and to determine whether responsivity of these regions habituates normally across repeated stimulus presentations in PTSD.
Characterization of the Yeast Actin Patch Protein App1p Phosphatidate Phosphatase

Yeast App1p is a phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP) that associates with endocytic proteins at cortical actin patches. App1p, which catalyzes the conversion of phosphatidate (PA) to diacylglycerol, is unique among Mg2+-dependent PAP enzymes in that its reaction is not involved with de novo lipid synthesis. Instead, App1p PAP is thought to play a role in endocytosis because its substrate and product facilitate membrane fission/fusion events and regulate enzymes that govern vesicular movement. App1p PAP was purified from yeast and characterized with respect to its enzymological, kinetic, and regulatory properties. Maximum PAP activity was dependent on Triton X-100 (20 mm), PA (2 mm), Mg2+ (0.5 mm), and 2-mercaptoethanol (10 mm) at pH 7.5 and 30 °C. Analysis of surface dilution kinetics with Triton X-100/PA-mixed micelles yielded constants for surface binding (KsA = 11 mm), interfacial PA binding (KmB = 4.2 mol %), and catalytic efficiency (Vmax = 557 μmol/min/mg). The activation energy, turnover number, and equilibrium constant were 16.5 kcal/mol, 406 s−1, and 16.2, respectively. PAP activity was stimulated by anionic lipids (cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, and CDP-diacylglycerol) and inhibited by zwitterionic (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine) and cationic (sphinganine) lipids, nucleotides (ATP and CTP), N-ethylmaleimide, propranolol, phenylglyoxal, and divalent cations (Ca2+, Mn2+, and Zn2+). App1p also utilized diacylglycerol pyrophosphate and lyso-PA as substrates with specificity constants 4- and 7-fold lower, respectively, when compared with PA.
Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to Study Sex Events Among Very High-Risk Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

MSM continue to represent the largest share of new HIV infections in the United States each year due to high infectivity associated with unprotected anal sex. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has the potential to provide a unique view of how high-risk sexual events occur in the real world and can impart detailed information about aspects of decision-making, antecedents, and consequences that accompany these events. EMA may also produce more accurate data on sexual behavior by assessing it soon after its occurrence. We conducted a study involving 12 high-risk MSM to explore the acceptability and feasibility of a 30 day, intensive EMA procedure. Results suggest this intensive assessment strategy was both acceptable and feasible to participants. All participants provided response rates to various assessments that approached or were in excess of their targets: 81.0 % of experience sampling assessments and 93.1 % of daily diary assessments were completed. However, comparing EMA reports with a Timeline Followback (TLFB) of the same 30 day period suggested that participants reported fewer sexual risk events on the TLFB compared to EMA, and reported a number of discrepancies about specific behaviors and partner characteristics across the two methods. Overall, results support the acceptability, feasibility, and utility of using EMA to understand sexual risk events among high-risk MSM. Findings also suggest that EMA and other intensive longitudinal assessment approaches could yield more accurate data about sex events.
Sonographic evaluation of athletic pubalgia

Athletic pubalgia, or "sports hernia", represents a constellation of pathologic conditions occurring at and around the pubic symphysis. These injuries are primarily seen in athletes or those involved in athletic activity. In this article, we review the sonographic appearance of the relevant complex anatomy, scanning technique for ultrasound evaluation of athletic pubalgia, and the sonographic appearances of associated pathologic conditions.
Long-Term Compliance

This article defines and reviews long-term compliance to health-promoting behaviors in healthy subjects and patients with coronary heart disease. Studies demonstrating problems with patient memory for medical advice reveal the magnitude of barriers therapists encounter in a primary or secondary prevention program. Compliance with weight reduction and exercise conditioning programs in healthy subjects is low because of a variety of behavioral, socioeconomic, and programmatic problems. Long-term exercise training compliance in cardiac rehabilitation programs, despite the presence of a life-threatening disease process, is also low. I present strategies to improve compliance and the rationale for combining these strategies with modification of major risk factors. Physical therapists must be innovative, creative, and experimental in program design when they attempt to improve patients' adherence rate.
MEPE Localization in the Craniofacial Complex and Function in Tooth Dentin Formation

Matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE) is an extracellular matrix protein found in dental and skeletal tissues. Although information regarding the role of MEPE in bone and disorders of phosphate metabolism is emerging, the role of MEPE in dental tissues remains unclear. We performed RNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry analyses to delineate the expression pattern of MEPE during embryonic and postnatal development in craniofacial mineralizing tissues. Mepe RNA expression was seen within teeth from cap through root formation in association with odontoblasts and cellular cementoblasts. More intense expression was seen in the alveolar bone within the osteoblasts and osteocytes. MEPE immunohistochemistry showed biphasic dentin staining in incisors and more intense staining in alveolar bone matrix and in forming cartilage. Analysis of Mepe null mouse molars showed overall mineralized tooth volume and density of enamel and dentin comparable with that of wild-type samples. However, Mepe-/- ...
Red Imported Fire Ant: Effects on Onthophagus gazella and the Horn Fly

When various combinations of populations of red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, dung burying beetles, Onthophagus gazella (F.), and horn flies, Haematobia irritans (L.), were confined in rearing boxes, the imported fire ant alone suppressed horn fly populations more than O. gazella alone. Also, populations of S. invicta plus populations of O. gazella suppressed populations of horn flies more than populations of O. gazella alone. The imported fire ant had little effect on either adults or developmental stages of O. gazella .
A comparison of energy flow in micelle and vesicle structures.

We have investigated the vibrational population relaxation dynamics and state-dependent orientational relaxation behavior of perylene in micelles and vesicles formed using the same amphiphile(s). Decanoic acid and its conjugate base sodium decanoate can form either micelle or vesicle structures in aqueous solution depending on amphiphile concentration and solution pH. The issue of interest in this work is whether or not different assemblies of a given amphiphile manifest different efficiencies with the dissipation of energy. Vibrational population relaxation data show that initial energy flow from the chromophore to the amphiphile aliphatic chains is more efficient in micelles than in vesicles. Longer time scale relaxation, gauged by transient local heating induced by the dissipation of excess energy from perylene shows that the local environment formed by micelles experiences greater temperature change than the local environment formed by vesicles. This finding suggests that the strength of coupling betw...
Carbon dioxide exchange of Alnus rubra

The CO2 exchange response of plants to multiple environmental variables is often difficult to frame for purposes of comparison. In this paper, a nonlinear model relating CO2 exchange to light and temperature is derived from experimental curves determined in other investigations. Parameter values, determined from a least-squares fit of the model to CO2 exchange data, are useful for comparing responses to light and temperature in terms of seasonal phenology, population heterogeneity, or species variation. The model was fitted to CO2 exchange data of a group of 40 Alnus rubra Bong. (red alder) seedlings for steady-state combinations of light and temperature. The average deviation of the data from the model was ±6.7%. This steady-state expression satisfactorily predicted CO2 exchange for dynamic conditions of light and temperature occurring in a diurnal cycle.
Abstract 10879: Efficacy and Safety of Rivaroxaban in Patients With Venous Thromboembolism and Active Malignancy - A Single Center Registry

Background: Active malignancy accounts for 20% of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the community and is the second leading cause of death among cancer patients. Rivaroxaban offers a convenient alternative to conventional anticoagulation for VTE in cancer patients but its efficacy and safety for this group of patients is not well documented. Patients and Methods: All patients with cancer-associated deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), enrolled into Mayo Rochester Thrombophilia Clinic Direct Oral Anticoagulants Registry between November 1, 2012 and April 30, 2015, were followed prospectively to provide an estimate of the efficacy and safety of this form of therapy. Follow up was obtained in person or by mailed or telephone survey. Results: Out of the 377 patients in the registry, 118 (31%) patients (51% female, mean age 66±10 years) had active malignancy related VTE (62% DVT, 24% PE, and 14% DVT/PE) treated with rivaroxaban. The most common malignancies in this group were: gastrointestinal (20%), lung (13%) and ovary/uterine (13%). Over the follow up period, the VTE recurrence rate was 3.3% (2 DVT and 2 PE; of these, 2 occurred during periprocedural interruptions of anticoagulation); and the major bleeding rate was 3%. There were 26 deaths (22%), none related to VTE or bleeding. The main reasons for choosing rivaroxaban were lower cost compared to LMWH, no need for injections, and the lack of food/drug interactions. Conclusions: These data support that rivaroxaban may provide a safe, effective, and convenient alternative treatment option to standard therapy for cancer related VTE treatment.
Update in Pulmonary Medicine: Evidence Published in 2015

This Update summarizes studies published in 2015 that the authors consider highly relevant to the practice of pulmonary medicine.
Tax-Checking Assessment of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Applying Projection Pursuit Clustering Technique and Its Positive Research

Based on the 15variables'(indexes')tax-reporting data of 386wooden-furniture manufacturing small-and medium-sized enterprises(WFMSMEs)located in some districts of Shanghai city,the ten variables mainly influencing the taxchecking situation(tax evasion or compliance)of the 386 WFMSMEs were obtained by applying sensitivity analysis method(SAM)for selecting input variables.The modelling set data and testing set data(about taking up 45%)with similar characteristics-similar mean values and variance-were divided using self-organizing map(SOM)approach.The practical,feasible and effective projection pursuit clustering(PPC)model for tax-checking assessment was thus established.Compared with the multivariate linear regression(MLR),the multivariate discriminant analysis(MDA),Logistic and the support vector machine(SVM),the established PPC model possesses the most accurate and the lowest classification-error percentage(CEP)of the models.The mean CEP of modelling set data and the testing set data is lower than 6%.The improved PPC model including fewer variables is thus suitable to tax-checking assessment and research.The tax-checking situation of the other 339 WFMEs was also assessed and judged,and the results show that the established improved PPC model possesses high generalization and robustness.
How does age influence research ability? a report from full time science faculty in American universities

The relationship between age and research ability is largely misunderstood.Using data from the most recent faculty survey in American higher education(2004) and applying life course theory,the article reassess the dynamic relationships between age and research ability.We found that age and research ability are positively correlated.Peaks of research capacity not only appear in one particular age period,but also several other age periods.When gender,field of specialty,university prestige,and ethnicity are introduced as control variables,the positive relationships between age and research ability not only stay but also become colorful.Systematical multiple regressions further support the statement that age has positive impacts on research ability.
Gastrin pentapeptide decreases canine gastric transmural pressure.

In 4 conscious, fasted dogs, the transmural pressure of the distended stomach was measured continuously for 75 min, while 154 mM NaCl (0.8 ml per min) was infused intravenously. Identical experiments were repeated on 3 different days, except that gastrin pentapeptide (GPP), 0.1 μg per kg per min, was added to the NaCl infusion from the 15th to the 45th min. The mean gastric transmural pressure of about 11 cm of H2O varied only slightly when NaCl alone was infused. Slow phasic changes in pressure occurred with a frequency of three to five per min and an amplitude of 3 to 11 cm of H2O. Within 2 min after onset of the GPP infusion, mean pressure decreased in all experiments in all dogs, and it remained low throughout the infusion (mean, about 6 cm of H2O). Phasic changes in pressure were nearly abolished by GPP. After GPP infusion was stopped, mean pressure and phasic changes gradually returned to control by 30 min. This experiment shows that gastrin pentapeptide decreases gastric transmural pressure in the distended stomach.
PET imaging of in vivo caspase-3/7 activity following myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury with the radiolabeled isatin sulfonamide analogue [(18)F]WC-4-116.

The utility of [18F]WC-4-116, a PET tracer for imaging caspase-3 activation, was evaluated in an animal model of myocardial apoptosis. [18F]WC-4-116 was injected into rats at 3 hours after a 30 min period of ischemia induced by temporary occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery in Sprague-Dawley rats. [18F]WC-4-116 uptake was quantified by 1) autoradiography, 2) microPET imaging studies, and 3) post-PET biodistribution studies. MicroPET imaging also assessed uptake of the non-caspase-3-targeted tracer [18F]ICMT-18 at 3 hours postischemia. Enzyme assays and Western blotting assessed caspase-3 activation in both at-risk and not-at-risk regions. Caspase-3 enzyme activity increased in the at-risk but not in the not-at-risk myocardium. Quantitative autoradiographic analysis of [18F]WC-4-116 demonstrated nearly 2-fold higher uptake in the ischemia-reperfusion (IR) versus sham animals. [18F]WC-4-116 microPET imaging studies demonstrated that the IR animals was similarly elevated in relation to sham. [18F]ICMT-18 uptake did not increase in at-risk myocardium despite evidence of caspase-3 activation. Biodistribution studies with [18F]WC-4-116 confirmed the microPET findings. These data indicate that the caspase-3-PET tracer [18F]WC-4-116 can noninvasively image in vivo caspase activity during myocardial apoptosis and may be useful for clinical imaging in humans.
Polarized light scanning cryomacroscopy, part II: Thermal modeling and analysis of experimental observations.

This study aims at developing thermal analysis tools and explaining experimental observations made by means of polarized-light cryomacroscopy (Part I). Thermal modeling is based on finite elements analysis (FEA), where two model parameters are extracted from thermal measurements: (i) the overall heat transfer coefficient between the cuvette and the cooling chamber, and (ii) the effective thermal conductivity within the cryoprotective agent (CPA) at the upper part of the cryogenic temperature range. The effective thermal conductivity takes into account enhanced heat transfer due to convection currents within the CPA, creating the so-called Benard cells. Comparison of experimental results with simulation data indicates that the uncertainty in simulations due to the propagation of uncertainty in measured physical properties exceeds the uncertainty in experimental measurements, which validates the modeling approach. It is shown in this study that while a cavity may form in the upper-center portion of the vitrified CPA, it has very little effect on estimating the temperature distribution within the domain. This cavity is driven by thermal contraction of the CPA, with the upper-center of the domain transitioning to glass last. Finally, it is demonstrated in this study that additional stresses may develop within the glass transition temperature range due to nonlinear behavior of the thermal expansion coefficient. This effect is reported here for the first time in the context of cryobiology, using the capabilities of polarized-light cryomacroscopy.
TU-AB-BRA-11: Indications for Online Adaptive Radiotherapy Based On Dosimetric Consequences of Interfractional Pancreas-To-Duodenum Motion in MRI-Guided Pancreatic Radiotherapy

Purpose: Dose limiting structures, such as the duodenum, render the treatment of pancreatic cancer challenging. In this multi-institutional study, we assess dosimetric differences caused by interfraction pancreas-to-duodenum motion using MR-IGRT to determine the potential impact of adaptive replanning. Methods: Ten patients from two institutions undergoing MRI-guided radiotherapy with conventional fractionation (n=5) or SBRT (n=5) for pancreatic cancer were included. Initial plans were limited by duodenal dose constraints of 50 Gy (0.5 cc)/31 Gy (0.1 cc) for conventional/SBRT with prescriptions of 30 Gy/5 fractions (SBRT) and 40–50 Gy/25 fractions (conventional). Daily volumetric MR images were acquired under treatment conditions on a clinical MR-IGRT system. The correlation was assessed between interfractional GTV-to-duodenum positional variation and daily recalculations of duodenal dose metrics. Positional variation was quantified as the interfraction difference in Hausdorff distance from simulation baseline (ΔHD) between the GTV and proximal duodenal surface, or volume overlap between GTV and duodenum for cases with HD0=0 (GTV abutting duodenum). Adaptation was considered indicated when daily positional variations enabled dose escalation to the target while maintaining duodenal constraints. Results: For fractions with ΔHD>0 (n=14, SBRT only), the mean interfraction duodenum dose decrease from simulation to treatment was 44±53 cGy (maximum 136 cGy). A correlation was found between ΔHD and dosimetric difference (R2=0.82). No correlation was found between volume of overlap and dosimetric difference (R2=0.31). For 89% of fractions, the duodenum remained overlapped with the target and the duodenal dose difference was negligible. The maximum observed indication for adaptation was for interfraction ΔHD=11.6 mm with potential for adaptive dose escalation of 136 cGy. Conclusion: This assessment showed that Hausdorff distance was a reasonable metric to use to determine the indication for adaptation. Adaptation was potentially indicated in 11% of the treatments (fractions where GTV-to-duodenum distance increased from simulation), with a feasible average dose escalation of 7.0%. MB, LH, JO, RK, PP: research and/or travel funding from ViewRay Inc. PP: research grant from Varian Medical Systems and Philips Healthcare
Quantum chemical studies of the metabolism of a series of chlorinated ethane anesthetics.

Using a working molecular orbital program based on an iterative extended Huckel method, we have calculated the conformational and electronic properties of a series of nine chloroethane anesthetics. The object of this study was to determine the molecular factors which correlated with the observed specificity of the extent of dechlorination in vitro of these compounds, all believed to be substrates of the same liver microsomal enzyme system. The results of our energy conformation studies reveal that all these compounds have a common minimum energy conformer, characterized by adjacent chlorine atoms as far apart as possible. Chemically, our calculations point to a unique and striking correlation between the extent of dechlorination and the extent of electron deficiency in the most electron-deficient carbon valence atomic orbital in each compound. No such correlation was found with other calculated molecular properties such as C-Cl or C-H bond strengths, or the net charge on the carbon, hydrogen, or chlorine atoms in this series of compounds. Our calculation also show that the electron-deficient carbon atom orbital is used in bonding to a chlorine atom in each compound. Our results are most consistent with a mechanism of dechlorination in which the rate-determining step involves an anionic attack on the electron-deficient carbon atomic orbital. Other calculated molecular characteristics reinforce this conclusion, and allow the further inference that such an anionic attack is accompanied by a chlorine displacement, perhaps aided by a proton on a nearby acidic residue in the metabolizing enzyme.
Metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma of unknown primary origin: a case report and review of the literature.

In spite of the increasingly sophisticated diagnostic workup, detailed investigations fail to reveal a primary site of origin for about 3–5% of metastatic tumors. The most commonly reported subtype in cancer of unknown primary origin is adenocarcinoma. Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare poorly differentiated aggressive subtype of adenocarcinoma that most commonly arise from the gastrointestinal tract. It usually presents late and is associated with poor prognosis. Treatment options remain limited to anecdotal reports. However, immunohistochemical studies can be useful in suggesting an origin and therefore may help guide investigations and treatment options. Here we present an unusual case of metastatic SRCC of unknown primary origin presenting as peritoneal carcinomatosis in a 73-year-old man. We also review the literature on metastatic SRCC of unknown primary origin and discuss the relevant findings. This work highlights the importance of collaboration between clinicians and pathologists as well as detailed histopathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular analyses which can help guide investigations and management options.
What Unions Do for Regulation

The question of how organized labor affects the content, enforcement, and outcomes of regulation is especially timely in an era in which protective laws and regulations are being scaled back or minimally enforced and union membership is in decline. This article surveys literature from a wide array of regulatory domains—antidiscrimination, environmental protection, product quality, corporate governance, law enforcement, tax compliance, minimum wage and overtime protection, and occupational safety and health—in an effort to identify common findings on what unions do for regulation. Literature on the topic has taken up five questions: how labor unions affect the passage of protective laws and regulations; how they affect the outcomes that regulators target; how they affect the intensity of regulatory enforcement; the specific activities and channels of influence they use to influence regulated outcomes; and the role they play in self-regulation. Drawing on empirical literature from the domains listed, I revi...
Non-intrusive gas flow measurement using thermal signatures with online dynamic parameter estimation

Fluid flow in pipes is a key component in many industrial systems, including process heating & cooling, building space conditioning, oil & gas production, and steam systems. When evaluating these systems for potential energy savings or health diagnostics, one of the critical measurements is the flow rate of the working fluid. Current methods for non-intrusive, non-invasive methods are expensive and often require time-consuming calibration. Research in the literature on potential low-cost flow rate measurement relies on knowledge of pipe parameters, pipe dimensions and fluid properties. This paper presents work on using dynamic parameter estimation using the gradient descent method with the thermal response of a pipe to measure flow. Using a constant heat flux and derived analytical model, the thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and internal flow rate are estimated online during data collection. Initial parameter estimates are dynamically determined to improve convergence by leveraging unique relationships in the thermal response. Simulation results show the potential of the method, along with preliminary experimental results from air flow in a steel pipe.
Strengths and Limitations of Forensic Child Sexual Abuse Interviews with Anatomical Dolls: An Empirical Review

A comprehensive review of the use of anatomical dolls reveals three areas of research: (1) normative studies (with no known history of sexual abuse) of children's interactions with anatomical dolls; (2) comparative studies of children suspected of being victims of sexual abuse, and those believed not to be; and (3) the role anatomical dolls play in the identification of a child who has been sexually abused. The results of empirical studies in each area are mixed and inconsistent. However, there is general clinical support for the use of the anatomical doll as a demonstration aid during forensic interviewing with children over 3 years of age.
Impact of academic experience and school climate of diversity on student satisfaction

Utilising data from a research university (N = 7219), we examined the extent to which three factors, climate of diversity (COD), course learning experience (CLE) and research practice experience, predicted undergraduates’ overall satisfaction. COD was the most influential predictor of student satisfaction after controlling for the other two. In addition, the moderation effects of gender and race/ethnicity on these predictive relationships were tested. Only race/ethnicity had a moderation effect on COD and CLE.
Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative disorders.

Abstract Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous member of the herpesvirus family that is associated with a variety of lymphomas and lymphoproliferative diseases. It encodes a multitude of genes that drive proliferation or confer resistance to cell death. Among these are two key viral proteins which mimic the effects of the activated cellular signaling proteins. EBV-associated lymphomas include Burkitt's lymphoma; natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, lymphoma and lymphoproliferative diseases in immunocompromized populations, and Hodgkin's lymphoma. The character of the viral association differs among these entities with some consistently associated with EBV in all populations and all parts of the world, and others associated with the virus only in particular circumstances. An example of the former is nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma, while an example of the latter is Burkitt's lymphoma. The pattern of viral gene expression also varies among tumor types with different viral genes playing key roles in different tumors and conferring sensitivity to immune surveillance. Thus some of the post-transplant lymphoproliferative diseases are exquisitely sensitive to CD8 T-cell immunosurveillance, while other tumors such as Burkitt's lymphoma may be nearly impervious to such surveillance. Knowledge of the EBV association is not only important for understanding the pathogenesis of these tumors, but is increasingly important for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment.