cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcitonin in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

SummaryPostmenopausal osteoporosis is a major public health problem. Women at increased risk can now be detected, enabling effective therapeutic intervention. Hormone replacement therapy is well established for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, but alternative treatments are necessary. Calcitonin is an anti-resorptive peptide hormone which has been shown to prevent postmenopausal bone loss. Calcitonin can now be administered by intranasal spray and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of osteoporosis. It may be particularly useful in older women who are less tolerant of hormone replacement therapy.
RANTES and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) play an important role in the inflammatory phase of crescentic nephritis, but only MCP-1 is involved in crescent formation and interstitial fibrosis.

The involvement of chemokines in inflammation is well established, but their functional role in disease progression, and particularly in the development of fibrosis, is not yet understood. To investigate the functional role that the chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein–1 (MCP-1) and RANTES play in inflammation and the progression to fibrosis during crescentic nephritis we have developed and characterized a murine model for this syndrome. Significant increases in T-lymphocytes and macrophages were observed within glomeruli and interstitium, paralleled by an induction of mRNA expression of MCP-1 and RANTES, early after disease initiation. Blocking the function of MCP-1 or RANTES resulted in significant decreases in proteinuria as well as in numbers of infiltrating leukocytes, indicating that both MCP-1 and RANTES (regulated upon activation in normal T cells expressed and secreted) play an important role in the inflammatory phase of crescentic nephritis. In addition, neutralization of MCP-1 resulted in a dramatic decrease in both glomerular crescent formation and deposition of type I collagen. These results highlight a novel role for MCP-1 in crescent formation and development of interstitial fibrosis, and indicate that in addition to recruiting inflammatory cells this chemokine is critically involved in irreversible tissue damage.
Imaging of fibro-osseous lesions of the temporal bone

Fibro-osseus and cartilaginous lesions of the craniofacial region including the temporal bone are uncommon. Diagnosis of these lesions can be challenging due to overlapping clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features. This article discusses the diagnostic features of several fibro-osseus lesions of the temporal bone including: fibrous dysplasia, osteoma, osteoblastoma, chondroblastoma, giant cell tumor, osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and otospongiosis.
TULIPs: Tunable, light-controlled interacting protein tags for cell biology

Light-inducible dimerization tags are engineered to rapidly recruit proteins to precise points in living yeast and mammalian cells. The affinities and response time of the interactions are tunable, and the authors used the system to activate cell signaling and to direct cell polarization in yeast. Naturally photoswitchable proteins offer a means of directly manipulating the formation of protein complexes that drive a diversity of cellular processes. We developed tunable light-inducible dimerization tags (TULIPs) based on a synthetic interaction between the LOV2 domain of Avena sativa phototropin 1 (AsLOV2) and an engineered PDZ domain (ePDZ). TULIPs can recruit proteins to diverse structures in living yeast and mammalian cells, either globally or with precise spatial control using a steerable laser. The equilibrium binding and kinetic parameters of the interaction are tunable by mutation, making TULIPs readily adaptable to signaling pathways with varying sensitivities and response times. We demonstrate the utility of TULIPs by conferring light sensitivity to functionally distinct components of the yeast mating pathway and by directing the site of cell polarization.
Scabies: A Review of Diagnosis and Management Based on Mite Biology

Scabies is a contagious parasitic dermatitis that is a significant cause of morbidity, especially outside of the United States. Scabies is diagnosed most often by correlating clinical suspicion with the identification of a burrow. Although scabies should be on the differential for any patient who presents with a pruritic dermatosis, clinicians must consider a wide range of diagnostic possibilities. This approach will help make scabies simultaneously less over- and underdiagnosed by clinicians in the community. Atypical or otherwise complex presentations may necessitate the use of more definitive diagnostic modalities, such as microscopic examination of KOH prepared skin scrapings, high-resolution digital photography, dermoscopy, or biopsy. Scabies therapy involves making the correct diagnosis, recognizing the correct clinical context to guide treatment of contacts and fomites, choosing the most effective medication, understanding how to use the agent properly, and following a rational basis for when to use and reuse that agent. Although the development of new therapeutic agents is always welcome, tried and true treatments are still effective today. Permethrin is the gold standard therapy, with malathion being an excellent topical alternative. Ivermectin is an effective oral alternative that is especially useful in crusted scabies, patients who are bed ridden, and in institutional outbreaks. Despite the availability of effective therapeutics, treatment failures still occur, mostly secondary to application error (ie, failure to treat the face and scalp or close contacts, failure to reapply medication) or failure to decontaminate fomites. Because increasing resistance to scabies treatments may be on the horizon, we propose that standard of care for scabies treatment should involve routine treatment of the scalp and face and re-treating patients at day 4 on the basis of the scabies life cycle to ensure more efficient mite eradication. Practitioners should attempt to treat all close contacts simultaneously with the source patient. To eradicate mites, all fomites should be placed in a dryer for 10 minutes on a high setting, furniture and carpets vacuumed, and nonlaunderables isolated for a minimum of 2 days, or, for those who wish to be rigorous, 3 weeks.
Synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate and analogues : Probes and modulators of the mammalian PI-PLCS

An approach to synthesis of 2-modified phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphates, which are substrate analogues useful as probes and modulators of the PI-PLC enzyme family, is described and illustrated for the dibutyl-2-deoxy-2-fluoro analogue, a probe designed for delineating substrate and PI-PLC interactions by X-ray crystallography.
An integral equation approach to scattering by dielectric rings

An integral equation method is applied to calculation of the scattering from homogeneous dielectric rings. The fields in the rings are assumed to be independent of \rho and z . Excellent agreement between the calculated and experimental backscattering cross section is obtained for the case of an axially incident linearly polarized plane wave.
Cross-Domain Data Sharing in Distributed Electronic Health Record Systems

Cross-organization or cross-domain cooperation takes place from time to time in Electronic Health Record (EHR) system for necessary and high-quality patient treatment. Cautious design of delegation mechanism must be in place as a building block of cross-domain cooperation, since the cooperation inevitably involves exchanging and sharing relevant patient data that are considered highly private and confidential. The delegation mechanism grants permission to and restricts access rights of a cooperating partner. Patients are unwilling to accept the EHR system unless their health data are guaranteed proper use and disclosure, which cannot be easily achieved without cross-domain authentication and fine-grained access control. In addition, revocation of the delegated rights should be possible at any time during the cooperation. In this paper, we propose a secure EHR system, based on cryptographic constructions, to enable secure sharing of sensitive patient data during cooperation and preserve patient data privacy. Our EHR system further incorporates advanced mechanisms for fine-grained access control, and on-demand revocation, as enhancements to the basic access control offered by the delegation mechanism, and the basic revocation mechanism, respectively. The proposed EHR system is demonstrated to fulfill objectives specific to the cross-domain delegation scenario of interest.
The Role of Assertiveness and Decision Making in Early Adolescent Substance Initiation: Mediating Processes

This study examined the mediating processes linking assertiveness and decision making to early adolescent substance initiation, along with the moderating effect of gender on those processes. Models specifying negative expectancies and refusal intentions as mediators of individual rights assertiveness and decision-making effects on substance initiation were evaluated across 18 months on a nontreatment cohort of young adolescents participating in a prevention trial (average age 12.3 years at baseline; N 5357). Results indicated that individual rights assertiveness and decision making had indirect effects on substance initiation through effects on negative outcome expectancies and refusal intentions. Gender differences were found in both the average level and the pattern of relationships among the variables. For girls, refusal intentions were negatively associated with later substance initiation. For boys, early levels of substance initiation were negatively associated with later levels of negative expectancies and refusal intentions. Implications for prevention programming are discussed.
Performance Analysis of DHT Algorithms for Range-Query and Multi-Attribute Resource Discovery in Grids

Resource discovery is critical to the usability and accessibility of grid computing systems. Distributed Hash Table (DHT) has been applied to grid systems as a distributed mechanism for providing scalable range-query and multiattribute resource discovery. Multi-DHT-based approaches depend on multiple DHT networks with each network responsible for a single attribute. Single-DHT-based approaches keep the resource information of all attributes in a single node. Both classes of approaches lead to high overhead. Recently, we proposed a heuristic Low-Overhead Range-query Multiattribute DHT-based resource discovery approach (LORM). It relies on a single hierarchical DHT network and distributes resource information among nodes in balance by taking advantage of the hierarchical structure. We demonstrated its effectiveness and efficiency via simulation. In this paper, we analyze the performance of the LORM approach rigorously by comparing it with other multi-DHT-based and single-DHTbased approaches with respect to their overhead and efficiency. The analytical results are consistent with simulation results. The results prove the superiority of the LORM approach in theory
Cyanide enhances hydrogen peroxide toxicity by recruiting endogenous iron to trigger catastrophic chromosomal fragmentation.

Summary Hydrogen peroxide (HP) or cyanide (CN) are bacteriostatic at low-millimolar concentrations for growing Escherichia coli, whereas CN + HP mixture is strongly bactericidal. We show that this synergistic toxicity is associated with catastrophic chromosomal fragmentation. Since CN alone does not kill at any concentration, while HP alone kills at 20 mM, CN must potentiate HP poisoning. The CN + HP killing is blocked by iron chelators, suggesting Fenton's reaction. Indeed, we show that CN enhances plasmid DNA relaxation due to Fenton's reaction in vitro. However, mutants with elevated iron or HP pools are not acutely sensitive to HP-alone treatment, suggesting that, in addition, in vivo CN recruits iron from intracellular depots. We found that part of the CN-recruited iron pool is managed by ferritin and Dps: ferritin releases iron on cue from CN, while Dps sequesters it, quelling Fenton's reaction. We propose that disrupting intracellular iron trafficking is a common strategy employed by the immune system to kill microbes.
A Hierarchical Bayesian Model of Human Decision-Making on an Optimal Stopping Problem

We consider human performance on an optimal stopping problem where people are presented with a list of numbers independently chosen from a uniform distribution. People are told how many numbers are in the list, and how they were chosen. People are then shown the numbers one at a time, and are instructed to choose the maximum, subject to the constraint that they must choose a number at the time it is presented, and any choice below the maximum is incorrect. We present empirical evidence that suggests people use threshold-based models to make decisions, choosing the first currently maximal number that exceeds a fixed threshold for that position in the list. We then develop a hierarchical generative account of this model family, and use Bayesian methods to learn about the parameters of the generative process, making inferences about the threshold decision models people use. We discuss the interesting aspects of human performance on the task, including the lack of learning, and the presence of large individual differences, and consider the possibility of extending the modeling framework to account for individual differences. We also use the modeling results to discuss the merits of hierarchical, generative and Bayesian models of cognitive processes more generally.
Production of a Dry Fermented Turkey Sausage

Abstract A dry fermented sausage, consisting of 45% dark turkey meat, 45% light turkey meat and 10% turkey fat and skin, was produced using a mild heating process. The final product had a pH of 5.3 and a tangy flavor which was acceptable to most consumers.
BIGH3 protein and macrophages in retinal endothelial cell apoptosis

Diabetes is a pandemic disease with a higher occurrence in minority populations. The molecular mechanism to initiate diabetes-associated retinal angiogenesis remains largely unknown. We propose an inflammatory pathway of diabetic retinopathy in which macrophages in the diabetic eye provide TGFβ to retinal endothelial cells (REC) in the retinal microvasculature. In response to TGFβ, REC synthesize and secrete a pro-apoptotic BIGH3 (TGFβ-Induced Gene Human Clone 3) protein, which acts in an autocrine loop to induce REC apoptosis. Rhesus monkey retinal endothelial cells (RhREC) were treated with dMCM (cell media of macrophages treated with high glucose and LDL) and assayed for apoptosis (TUNEL), BIGH3 mRNA (qPCR), and protein (Western blots) expressions. Cells were also treated with ΤGFβ1 and 2 for BIGH3 mRNA and protein expression. Inhibition assays were carried out using antibodies for TGFβ1 and for BIGH3 to block apoptosis and mRNA expression. BIGH3 in cultured RhREC cells were identified by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Distribution of BIGH3 and macrophages in the diabetic mouse retina was examined with IHC. RhRECs treated with dMCM or TGFβ showed a significant increase in apoptosis and BIGH3 protein expression. Recombinant BIGH3 added to RhREC culture medium led to a dose-dependent increase in apoptosis. Antibodies (Ab) directed against BIGH3 and TGFβ, as well as TGFβ receptor blocker resulted in a significant reduction in apoptosis induced by either dMCM, TGFβ or BIGH3. IHC showed that cultured RhREC constitutively expressed BIGH3. Macrophage and BIGH3 protein were co-localized to the inner retina of the diabetic mouse eye. Our results support a novel inflammatory pathway for diabetic retinopathy. This pathway is initiated by TGFβ released from macrophages, which promotes synthesis and release of BIGH3 protein by REC and REC apoptosis.
Palladium nanoparticles on hierarchical carbon surfaces: A new architecture for robust nano-catalysts

Surface activity of heterogeneous catalysts can be enhanced if their sizes are reduced to nanometers. However, loose nanomaterials pose potential health and environmental risks. This issue has been addressed by attachment of palladium nanoparticles on multi-scale hierarchical carbon supports that have exceptionally high surface area per volume. The supports consist of porous carbon foam whose surface has been either chemically functionalized, or morphologically altered by grafting of carbon-nanotubes. It is seen that whereas chemical functionalization does provide some increase in nano-catalyst loading, morphological modification is significantly more powerful. It has the potential to create orders of magnitude increase in catalytic activity within the same overall volume. The synthesis techniques have been investigated in sufficient detail to provide significant control over the density and size of nanoparticles. Abundant distribution of nanoparticles is observed even within the deeper pores of the microcellular foam. The nanoparticles are seen to be metallic Pd having face centered cubic structure. Additionally, the nano-particles and nanotubes are durable, and remain attached to the base support after long periods of rapid rotation in water. These robust hybrid structures show promise in future applications such as sensors, water purification systems, fuel cell electrodes and hydrogen storage sponges.
Liquidity Provision and Noise Trading: Evidence from the "Investment Dartboard" Column

How does increased noise trading affect market liquidity and trading costs? We use The Wall Street Journal’s “Investment Dartboard” column, which stimulates noise trading, as a natural experiment to evaluate models of the bid-ask spread. We find that substantial increases in trading volume and significant but temporary abnormal returns occur when analysts recommend stocks in this column, especially when recommendations come from analysts with successful contest track records. We also find an increase in liquidity and a decrease in the adverse selection component of the bid-ask spread. HOW DOES INCREASED NOISE TRADING affect market liquidity and trading costs? A common thread of the theoretical market-microstructure literature suggests that noise trading allows specialists to recoup losses from trades with better-informed investors. 1 Theory states that with lower adverse selection costs the equilibrium bid-ask spread falls and market liquidity increases. Not all bid-ask spread models arrive at this result, however. Some show increased noise trading merely providing cover for informed investors, affecting the spread either not at all or ambiguously. Though noise trading actually constitutes a fundamental component of most microstructure models, little or no empirical evidence exists to reveal the effect of noise-trading changes on liquidity. This lack of evidence is perhaps due to the difficulty of identifying sudden, large shifts in noise trading. Identifying noise trading’s pure effect on liquidity requires an environment in which exogenous noisetrading changes can be observed and the subsequent behavior of marketmakers can be measured. In this paper, we use a “natural experiment” with precisely these characteristics to study the relationship between noise trading and liquidity. Our results support theoretical models that derive a positive relationship between noise trading and liquidity.
Energetic Cost of Generating Muscular Force During Running: A Comparison of Large and Small Animals

The energetic cost of generating muscular force was studied by measuring the energetic cost of carrying loads in rats, dogs, humans, and horses for loads ranging between 7 and 27% of body mass. Oxygen consumption increased in direct proportion to mass supported by the muscles, i.e. V O O2 , L / V O O2 / m L / m = 1.01 ± S.D. ± 0.017, where V O O2 , L is the oxygen consumption of the animal running with a load, V O O2 is the oxygen consumption at the same speed without a load, m L , is the mass of the animal plus the load, and m is the mass of the animal. Stride frequency, average number of feet on the ground over an integral number of strides, the time of contact of each foot relative to the other feet, and the average vertical acceleration during the contact phase were not measurably changed by the loads used in our experiments. From these observations we conclude that the average accelerations of the centre of mass of the animal are not changed by carrying the loads, and that muscular force developed by the animal increases in direct proportion to the load. It follows that the rate of energy utilization by muscles of an animal as it runs along the ground at any particular speed is nearly directly proportional to the force exerted by its muscles. The energetic cost of generating force over an interval of time ( ∫ F dt ) increases markedly with running speed. An important consequence of the direct proportionality between increased oxygen consumption and mass of the load is that small animals expend much more energy to generate a given force at a given speed than large animals.
Fixed step size recursive algorithms for the covering problem

The authors present a family of techniques called adaptive covering algorithms (ACAs) that solve the problem of how to best cover a target shape using a set of simply parametrized elements. The algorithms, inspired by adaptive filtering techniques, provide a computationally simple, robust, and efficient alternative to more traditional methods such as Bayesian approaches, convex hulls, and multilayer perceptrons. The authors develop a theoretical understanding of the ACAs by relating their behavior to the evolution of a deterministic ordinary differential equation (ODE). Stability and instability of the ODE can be interpreted in terms of local stability/instability of the algorithm. In terms of the covering problem, candidate coverings tend to improve as more data are gathered whenever the ODE is stable. Several examples are given which demonstrate the ideas presented, and which verify that the analysis accurately predicts the true behavior of the algorithms. >
British Music Industry: A Case Study In Music Piracy

The case study is about loss of business due to piracy and file-sharing in the music industry in Britain. According to a survey by Ipsos Inc. (2006), CD piracy cost the industry £165m in lost revenue in 2005 - nearly 10% of total sales. The survey found that 37 million pirated CDs were sold in Britain in 2005. The piracy of music in Britain has pinned the British Music Industry (BMI) and the music artists against the internet service providers, the government and the consumers. The BMI is blaming the Internet Service Provider (ISP) firms for not policing illegal downloads of music and asked them to disconnect people who ignore requests to stop sharing music. The ISP firms do not see their role as policing the piracy problem and do not agree with BMI. The BMI is pressuring the government to legislate copyright offenses related to music downloads in Britain. Also, the BMI wants the consumers engaged in copyright offense of music piracy to be prosecuted for criminal offense in addition to civil offenses. The consumers disagree with the BMI. The case study discusses the current actions of the BMI, ISPs and the British Government.
Early introduction of peanut to infants at high allergic risk can reduce peanut allergy at age 5 years

Commentary on: Du Toit G, Roberts G, Sayre PH, et al., LEAP Study Team. Randomized trial of peanut consumption in infants at risk for peanut allergy. N Engl J Med 2015;372:803–13[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3]. Peanut allergy has tripled among children in the USA; now affecting over 1%.1 The reason for this increase is unknown. Ingestion of a potential allergen should induce oral tolerance. One theory suggests environmental exposure to food, through an impaired skin barrier such as eczema, could provoke allergy if the food is not being ingested.2 The authors of this study previously observed a rate of peanut allergy 10-fold higher among Jewish children in the UK compared with Jewish children in Israel.3 The notable difference is the virtual lack of … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DN%2BEngl%2BJ%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D372%26rft.spage%253D803%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1056%252FNEJMoa1414850%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F25705822%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1056/NEJMoa1414850&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=25705822&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F20%2F6%2F204.atom
Hostility Patterns Implications for Nursing Practice

In order to present the state of the science of hostility among and across disciplines, a review of the literature was completed. The knowledge gained may influence nursing practice. Scholarly works from nursing, medical and basic sciences, psychology, sociology, education, philosophy, business, communication, and criminology were reviewed. Similar patterns in the use of the concept were discovered. The patterns revealed five themes: hostility as a health-risk factor, hostility as a factor in family relationships, hostility as a factor in perceived challenge, hostility as a factor in criminal behavior, and hostility as a factor in the workplace. Based on the knowledge gained about hostility, implications for nursing practice related to changing the hostile working environment for nurses were suggested using modeling and role-modeling nursing theory.
Low-latency heading feedback control with neuromorphic vision sensors using efficient approximated incremental inference

Asynchronous neuromorphic vision sensors have unique properties that make them ideal for high speed control applications. We consider a one dimensional simplification of a more general six dimensional trajectory tracking problem for mobile platforms, and present a computationally efficient method for feedback control that takes advantage of the asynchronous, event-based nature of these sensors to provide very high bandwidth and low latency feedback. This is an important step toward application of these incredible sensors to mobile robotic systems and useful in its own right. Through experimental tests we compare sensors and show that neuromorphic vision sensors can provide good closed loop performance in terms of computation, data rate, frequency and latency, and tracking error.
Recycling of AQP2 occurs through a temperature- and bafilomycin-sensitive trans-Golgi-associated compartment

The exo- and endocytotic pathway in which aquaporin-2 (AQP2) travels between the plasma membrane and intracellular vesicles is only partially characterized. It is known that the antidiuretic hormon...
The costs of changing sex and the ontogeny of males under contest competition for mates

In its simplest form, the size-advantage hypothesis predicts that individuals should change sex in order to increase their reproductive success. In terms of lifetime expectations, this must be true for the hypothesis to hold. However, as we review here, some loss of reproductive success may occur immediately after sex change. Unavoidable costs (e.g., those resulting from a restructuring of the gonad) have not been adequately distinguished from adaptive allocations of resources which diminish current reproduction in favor of large increases in future mating success. This strategy can become particularly important for species in which a few males monopolize matings. To illustrate this idea, we describe the changes in mating frequency as mature females become sexually active males in three species of protogynous wrasses. In one species, a male defends a permanent, all-purpose territory composed of up to 12 females. When he is removed, a single female changes sex and successfully completes mating sequences with all females in the territory within an average of 5.6 days. This duration roughly corresponds to the time required for functional transformation of gonads; thus, individuals in this species suffer few reproductive losses as a result of changing sex. The largest males in two other species mate with an average of 25 to 50 females per day, but only by successfully defending reproductive territories. In one of those species, individuals that changed sex mated infre- quently over a two-year period after sexual transformation and, by the end of the study, were still well below the average size of males that consistently obtained territories. Sex- changed individuals in the other species had very low reproductive success for up to 45% of the maximum lifespan as a male. It is improbable that the substantial cost of changing sex in the latter two species results from gonad restructuring or from mistakes due to imprecise cues for sex change. Instead, the cost appears to represent an investment in growth rather than current reproduction as a means of rapidly attaining a size advantage when individuals face intense competition for extraordinarily successful mating territories.
Why Are Economists Evaluating the Impact of Gifted Education

Bui, Craig, and Imberman assessed the impact of gifted and talented programs on student achievement using regression discontinuity and random assignment to gifted magnet schools. In both analyses, ...
The “Phoenix Phenomenon” During Resuscitation of Fungi in Foods1,2

During attempts to increase recovery of fungi from foods by providing for a period of resuscitation before plating, a rapid decrease in cell numbers was observed with certain samples. This decrease in numbers occurred for about the first 12 h of incubation followed by a gradual increase in viable cell count thereafter. This pattern of growth has been termed the "Phoenix Phenomenon" and is associated with repair of metabolic injury. Numerous attempts to overcome this decrease in numbers by altering resuscitation menstrua and plating media were not successful.
Pathogen biofilm formation on cantaloupe surface and its impact on the antibacterial effect of lauroyl arginate ethyl.

Abstract Pathogen biofilm at fruit surface may pose a particular risk to food safety. In this study, the biofilms of Listeria monocytogenes V7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 13311 on cantaloupe fruit surface were visualized, and the resistance of biofilms against lauroyl arginate ethyl (LAE, an antibacterial compound) was evaluated. Each bacterium was inoculated on isolated cantaloupe rind surfaces at 105–106 CFU/cm2 and after incubation for 2, 12, 24, and 48 h, the surfaces were imaged using cryo-scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM). The images showed that both pathogens formed biofilms on rind surfaces, with S. Typhimurium forming biofilm in 12 h and L. monocytogenes cells starting to aggregate in 2 h. For the inoculated rind surfaces treated with LAE, the cell counts were affected by both the incubation time and LAE concentration. For rind surface with 2 h incubation of S. Typhimurium, 400 and 800 μg/mL LAE was able to achieve >2.00 log reduction; however, 12 h incubation required 1600 and 2000 μg/mL LAE for >2.00 log reduction. In contrast, even the highest LAE concentration (2000 μg/mL) was unable to cause 1.00 log reduction for L. monocytogenes regardless the incubation time applied. The results showed that the biofilms of both bacteria substantially reduced LAE efficacy, and that the biofilm of L. monocytogenes was more resistant than that of S. Typhimurium.
Transmittance Scaling for Reducing Power Dissipation of a Backlit TFT-LCD

This chapter presents transmittance scaling; a technique aimed at conserving power in a transmissive TFT-LCD with a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlight by reducing the backlight illumination while compensating for the luminance loss. This goal is accomplished by adjusting the transmittance function of the TFT-LCD panel while meeting an upper bound on a contrast distortion metric. Experimental results show that an average of 3.7X power saving can be achieved for still images with a mere 10% contrast distortion.
Small-x asymptotics of the quark helicity distribution: Analytic results

Abstract In this Letter, we analytically solve the evolution equations for the small-x asymptotic behavior of the (flavor singlet) quark helicity distribution in the large- N c limit. These evolution equations form a set of coupled integro-differential equations, which previously could only be solved numerically. This approximate numerical solution, however, revealed simplifying properties of the small-x asymptotics, which we exploit here to obtain an analytic solution. We find that the small-x power-law tail of the quark helicity distribution scales as Δ q S ( x , Q 2 ) ∼ ( 1 x ) α h with α h = 4 3 α s N c 2 π , in excellent agreement with the numerical estimate α h ≈ 2.31 α s N c 2 π obtained previously. We then verify this solution by cross-checking the predicted scaling behavior of the auxiliary “neighbor dipole amplitude” against the numerics, again finding excellent agreement.
Five palaeobiological laws needed to understand the evolution of the living biota

The foundations of several disciplines can be expressed as simple quantitative laws, for example, Newton's laws or the laws of thermodynamics. Here I present five laws derived from fossil data that describe the relationships among species extinction and longevity, species richness, origination rates, extinction rates and diversification. These statements of our palaeobiological knowledge constitute a dimension largely hidden from view when studying the living biota, which are nonetheless crucial to the study of evolution and ecology even for groups with poor or non-existent fossil records. These laws encapsulate: the critical fact of extinction; that species are typically geologically short-lived, and thus that the number of extinct species typically dwarfs the number of living species; that extinction and origination rates typically have similar magnitudes; and, that significant extinction makes it difficult to infer much about a clade's early history or its current diversity dynamics from the living biota alone. Although important strides are being made to integrate these core palaeontological findings into our analysis of the living biota, this knowledge needs to be incorporated more widely if we are to understand their evolutionary dynamics.
Immunologic response to vaccine challenge in pregnant PTPN22 R620W carriers and non-carriers.

OBJECTIVES Influenza infection is a significant cause of respiratory morbidity among pregnant women. Seasonal influenza vaccination engages innate immune receptors to promote protective immunity. A coding polymorphism (R620W) in PTPN22 imparts elevated risk for human infection and autoimmune disease, predisposes to diminished innate immune responses, and associates with reduced immunization responses. We sought to quantify the effects of PTPN22-R620W on humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to the inactivated influenza vaccine among healthy pregnant women. STUDY DESIGN Immune responses were measured in healthy pregnant R620W carrier (n = 17) and non-carrier (n = 33) women receiving the 2013 quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (Fluzone). Hemagglutination inhibition assays were performed to quantify neutralizing antibodies; functional influenza-reactive CD4 T cells were quantified by flow cytometry, and influenza-specific CD8 T cells were enumerated with MHC Class I tetramers. Antibody seroconversion data were evaluated by Chi-square analysis, and the Mann-Whitney or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were applied to T cell response data. RESULTS PTPN22 R620W carrier (n = 17) and non-carrier (n = 33) groups did not differ in age, parity, BMI, gestational age at time of vaccine, or history of prior influenza vaccination. After Fluzone exposure, 51.5% of non-carriers met criteria for antibody seroconversion to H1N1 influenza, compared with 23.5% of R620W carriers (p = 0.06). Influenza-reactive CD4 T cells showed modest increase at days 9-15 after vaccination in both R620W carriers and non-carriers (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively). However, there was no difference in overall response between the two groups (p = 0.6). The vaccine did not result in significant induction of influenza-specific CD8 T cells in either group. CONCLUSIONS There was no significant difference among healthy pregnant R620W carriers and non-carriers in H1N1 antibody seroconversion rates after influenza vaccination. Studies of larger cohorts will be needed to define the effect of PTPN22 risk allele carriage on antibody and T cell responses to influenza vaccination during pregnancy.
Perceptions of Changing Communities among Rural Elders: Impact on Well-Being

Rural changes have created concerns about the well-being of older adults aging in place. This study used a basic interpretive approach to examine the attitudes of community change among older adult...
Teaching L2 interactional competence: problems and possibilities

This contribution outlines the problems and possibilities of three issues with regard to the teaching of L2 interactional competence (IC): (1) specifying IC, (2) standardising IC, and (3) translati...
Complex Anatomy: Horseshoe, Pelvic, and Malrotated Kidneys

This chapter focuses on the use of flexible ureteroscopy for the treatment of calculi in patients with complex renal anatomy. This includes patients with horseshoe, pelvic, and malrotated kidneys. After discussing the anatomy and embryology of these renal anomalies, this chapter explains how these renal anomalies may lead to the formation of renal calculi. As well an analysis of the literature that is available on this subject is performed. Finally, a description of the technique and equipment used at our institution is reviewed.
Spatial/Angular Contributon Maps for Improved Adaptive Monte Carlo Algorithms

In the field of biomedical optics, use of light to detect cancerous tissue transformations often involves a low probability detector response because tissue is very turbid and scattering is highly forward-peaked. In these applications, we use a contributon map to extend the geometric learning of adaptive Monte Carlo algorithms. The contributon function provides a phase space map of the lossless flow of “contributon particles” that necessarily are transported from source to detector. This map is utilized within an adaptive sequential correlated sampling algorithm to lower the variance systematically and provide improved convergence rates over conventional Monte Carlo.
PAR2 Pepducin-Based Suppression of Inflammation and Itch in Atopic Dermatitis Models

PAR2 has been proposed to contribute to lesion formation and intense itch in atopic dermatitis. Here, we tested the ability of a cell-penetrating pepducin, PZ-235, to mitigate the potentially deleterious effects of PAR2 in models of atopic dermatitis. PZ-235 significantly inhibited PAR2-mediated expression of inflammatory factors NF-κB, TSLP, TNF-α, and differentiation marker K10 by 94%–98% (P
Advances in Measuring Patient-Reported Outcomes: Use of Item Response Theory and Computer Adaptive Tests

Well-designed patient-reported outcomes are capable of measuring information important to both patients and clinicians. Including these outcomes in research reports provides a consistent, comparable outcome in research studies. However, classic measures of a reasonable fixed-length survey only measure part of the spectrum of function, and more comprehensive measures of function are too burdensome to complete regularly. Modern measurement techniques, including item response theory and computer adaptive tests, can drastically reduce the number of items to administer while improving the overall precision of the measurement. The following chapter provides the basic information needed to select and use these modern measurement techniques. Considering the rapid development of measures, the reader will need to review all of the available options.
Struggling to-be or not-to-be a bilingual teacher: Identity formation in a Change Laboratory intervention:

While the methodology of formative intervention research has long been established, the aspect of new instrumentality of Change Laboratory is fragmentally documented. Therefore, in this study, we m...
Preparing Pharmacists to Care for Patients Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious, highly prevalent public health problem associated with poor health outcomes, negative impacts on medication behavior, and increased health care utilization and costs. Pharmacists, the most accessible health care providers, are the only provider group not required to be trained on this topic. Training can prepare pharmacists to safely and appropriately care for patients experiencing IPV. This project evaluated a pharmacy-specific continuing professional development module on IPV utilizing a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study design. Practicing community pharmacists were recruited from a market research panel to complete the online module. A novel method for managing IPV disclosures, the Care, Assess for safety, Refer, and Document (CARD) method, was included in the training. A total of 36 pharmacists completed the study, including a three-month follow-up assessment. Participants reported increased perceived preparedness and knowledge, workplace and self-efficacy, staff preparation, and legal requirements, but not actual knowledge. Practice changes, including identification of legal reporting requirements (19.4%) and development of protocols for managing IPV disclosures (13.9%), were reported at follow-up. This is the first examination of an educational module on the topic of IPV for pharmacists and it positively impacted pharmacists' preparedness and practice behaviors related to IPV over an extended follow-up period.
Translation of CCR2-targeted PET imaging of head and neck cancer

348 Objectives: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for ca. 4% of malignancy worldwide. Although it is curable in the early stages, the survival rate of patients with advanced cancer has not significantly improved. Hence, the current unmet clinical need is to develop diagnostic tools to detect the disease at the early stages. The previous studies revealed the upregulation of chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) in HNSCC. In this study, we assessed the performance of CCR2 PET detecting HNSCC in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models and human tissues and translated this radiotracer in humans. Methods: The novel CCR2-targeted PET tracer, 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i, was employed for PET imaging. Multiple-time-point PET imaging was performed in HNSCC PDX models in order to assess the correlation between tracer uptake and HNSCC progression. Pathophysiological analysis and autoradiography studies of human HNSCC tissues were carried out to confirm CCR2 upregulation and binding of 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i to human CCR2. Competitive receptor blocking studies were conducted to verify CCR2 specific binding of the radiotracer. 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i PET/CT in healthy volunteers demonstrated acceptable radiation dosimetry. PET/CT imaging in head and neck cancer patients is underway. Results: Tumor uptake was gradually increased in HNSCC PDX mice from 0.87 ± 0.14 %ID/g at 9 weeks post tumor implantation to 1.70 ± 0.35 %ID/g at 13 weeks. Competitive receptor blocking showed significantly decreased tumor uptake (p < 0.005), indicating the targeting specificity of the tracer. IHC showed CCR2 overexpression in PDX tumors and human HNSCC tissues. Autoradiography studies demonstrated the binding of 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i to human CCR2. Human radiation dosimetry in healthy volunteers showed 0.064 ± 0.011 rem/mCi of gender average effective dose (0.07 rem/mCi for females and 0.0575 rem/mCi for males). The dose-limiting organ is the urinary bladder wall due to rapid renal clearance. PET healthy volunteers showed minimal tracer uptake in the head and neck area. Conclusions: CCR2 is a promising imaging biomarker for human HNSCC imaging. The sensitivity and specificity of 64Cu-DOTA-ECL1i warrant further investigation in HNSCC patients.
All-optical microdisk switch using EIT

We present theoretical results of a low-loss all-optical switch based on electromagnetically induced transparency and the quantum Zeno effect in a microdisk resonator. We show that a control beam can modify the atomic absorption of the evanescent field which suppresses the cavity field buildup and alters the path of a weak signal beam. We predict more than 35 dB of switching contrast with less than 0.1 dB loss using just 2 μW of control-beam power for signal beams with less than single photon intensities inside the cavity.
Abstract PS2-10: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a diagnostic tool to identify putative germline BRCA mutations

Background: As the role of precision medicine in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) expands, there is an increasing emphasis on diagnostic tools to characterize both somatic and germline alterations that drive carcinogenesis. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has provided an important means for real-time, non-invasive detection and monitoring of tumor somatic alterations without standard paired white blood cell testing. However, its application for the detection of germline mutations remains relatively understudied. Here, we characterize the role of BRCA1&2 ctDNA mutant allele frequency (MAF) to identify underlying putative germline BRCA1&2 mutations. Methods: Patient data were retrospectively obtained under an IRB-approved protocol to review ctDNA data at Northwestern University between 2015 and 2020. All ctDNA samples were analyzed using the Guardant360 next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay (Guardant Health). Patients with ctDNA alterations in the BRCA genes were identified at all mutant allele frequencies (MAF). Clinical data were collected including breast cancer subtype, prior lines of therapy, tissue-based NGS and germline testing information. Separate CLIA-approved testing performed per standard of care was used as the gold standard for germline testing. Statistical analysis was used to test the association of MAF cut-offs with the presence or absence of a germline alteration. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. Results: We identified 127 patients with breast cancer who underwent ctDNA collection. There were 69 HR+ HER2-, 24 HER2+, and 34 triple negative breast cancer (TN) patients. Of these, 8 patients had known BRCA1 germline mutations, as confirmed with separate germline testing, and 9 patients had known BRCA2 germline mutations. BRCA1 germline mutations were significantly association with age Discussion: ctDNA alterations of BRCA1 with MAF>32.4% and BRCA2 with MAF>28.5% in clinical ctDNA testing were useful criterion to identify germline BRCA mutations. The data suggest the potential to utilize ctDNA as a diagnostic tool to predict germline mutations based on MAF thresholds. Future prospective studies are needed to determine how ctDNA testing may be incorporated into existing clinical algorithms to refer patients for germline testing. Citation Format: Saya Jacob, Andrew Davis, Paolo D9Amico, Lorenzo Gerratana, Michael Burns, Ami Shah, Neelima Katam, Firas Wehbe, Qiang Zhang, Elena Vagia, Lisa Flaum, Kalliopi Siziopikou, Leonidas Platanias, Amir Behdad, William Gradishar, Massimo Cristofanilli. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a diagnostic tool to identify putative germline BRCA mutations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS2-10.