cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract B89: Timeliness in follow-up after abnormal mammography screening among Asian groups

Background: Treatment of breast cancer at the earliest possible stage results from a combination of screening for non-palpable abnormalities and timely and appropriate follow-up of abnormal test results. Studies have addressed Black-White differences in follow-up of abnormal mammograms but little is known about other groups including Asian Americans, a population composed of distinct ethnic sub-groups with substantial heterogeneity in risk factors that correspond with important to differences in breast cancer rates. In this study we aimed to assess completion and timeliness of diagnostic follow-up after an abnormal mammogram between White and Asian women and among disaggregated Asian ethnic subgroups. Methods: Using data from the San Francisco Mammography Registry, we identified women with an index abnormal screening mammogram result of BIRADS 0/3+ between the years 2000-2010. Our study sample included women who self-report White or Asian race/ ethnicity, ages 40 and older. Our outcomes were: 1) proportion of women without diagnostic follow-up within a year of their index mammogram, and 2) median days to diagnostic follow-up. Results: We identified 54028 White and Asian women between 2000 and 2010 in the SFMR data. Seventy percent of women were White and 30% were Asians. Among Asians, 16.2% were Chinese, 6.7% Filipina, 1.8% Japanese, 1.1% Vietnamese, 2.4% Other Asian, and 1.4% Mixed Asian. The majority of women were between the ages of 40-59 (67%). A total of 6023 (11.1%) of women did not receive follow-up within one year after an index abnormal mammogram. A higher proportion of Asian women did not receive follow-up compared to Whites (15% vs 10%). Among Asian groups, Filipinas had the highest percentage of women not receiving follow-up (18%) while Japanese women had the lowest (10.4%). In comparisons of individuals who received follow-up to those who did not, a higher proportion of women with no follow-up had lower education levels (24% vs 15%). Median time to diagnostic follow-up for White and Asian women combined was 18 days. The median follow-up time was 15 days for Whites, and 26 days for Asians. Among Asians, the median follow-up time differed significantly among ethnic groups: Japanese women had the lowest (19 days) and Vietnamese women the longest (30 days) followed by Filipinas (28 days). Conclusion: We observed disparities in timeliness to follow-up between White and Asian women and among Asian ethnic groups. Disaggregation of ethnicity can identify subpopulations most in need of breast cancer control, and to provide more specific information on breast cancer patterns. Citation Format: Kim H. Nguyen, Leah Karliner, Rena J. Pasick. Timeliness in follow-up after abnormal mammography screening among Asian groups. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B89. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-B89
Role of Fatty Liver Disease in Childhood Obesity

Publisher Summary Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can no longer be considered a benign entity, as the fat infiltration of the hepatic parenchyma is significantly associated with visceral adiposity, features of the metabolic risk (mainly increased risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and anticipated cardiovascular disease). No matter what the mechanisms of the progression from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are, it seems that even fatty liver can be a worrisome condition, able to significantly impact health costs. It is also likely that by counteracting NAFLD, the onset of the cardiovascular disease can be delayed or reduced. The only proven therapeutic strategy for the treatment of fatty liver in overweight and obese children consists of stable lifestyle changes. So far, the prescription of medications, including insulin sensitizers and antioxidants, did not provide better results than lifestyle changes in terms of both biochemical parameters and liver histology. Other medications (i.e., orlistat or lipidlowering drugs) or medical and surgical procedures (i.e., the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB]) may be prescribed in the presence of poor compliance to the prescription of lifestyle changes or severe metabolic abnormalities associated with overweight and obesity.
Precursor Ion–Ion Aggregation in the Brust–Schiffrin Synthesis of Alkanethiol Nanoparticles

Tetraoctylammonium bromide is used in the Brust–Schiffrin nanoparticle synthesis to phase-transfer chloroaurate ions from the aqueous phase to the organic phase. While it is established that the quaternary ammonium complex self-associates in the organic phase, the actual self-assembled structure is poorly understood. We have confirmed the presence of ion–ion aggregates through quantitative 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), pulsed field gradient, diffusion-ordered NMR (DOSY-NMR), and density functional theory (DFT) based NMR chemical shift calculations. Tetraoctylammonium complexes (TOA-X, where X = Br, Cl, AuCl4–xBrx, AuBr4/Br, and AuBr4/Cl/Br) were investigated to measure the extraction of water into deuterated chloroform. 1H NMR- and DFT-based NMR shielding calculations indicated that deshielding of water is due to hydration of the anion and not the formation of the aqueous core of a reverse micelle. DOSY-NMR results were consistent with the formation of small aggregates at typical Brust...
Efficient computation of the EM field due to a bipole in hydrocarbon exploration

The numerical mode matching (NMM) method is employed to compute the electromagnetic field due to a bipole in an orthogonal-plano-cylindrically layered (OPCL) medium which consists of materials stratified planarly and layered cylindrically in the orthogonal directions. We derive the formulas to compute the excitation vectors due to a bipole located at any position with an arbitrary orientation. Finally, the EM field due to a bipole in a five-layer borehole model is presented to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of this method.
Effectiveness of Collaborative Care for Depression in Public-Sector Primary Care Clinics Serving Latinos

Objective:Quality improvement interventions for depression care have been shown to be effective for improving quality of care and depression outcomes in settings with primarily insured patients. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a collaborative care intervention for depression that was tailored for low-income Latino patients seen in public-sector clinics.Methods:A total of 400 depressed patients from three public-sector primary care clinics were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a tailored collaborative care intervention versus enhanced usual care. Social workers without previous mental health experience served as depression care specialists for the intervention patients (N=196). Depending on patient preference, they delivered a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention or facilitated antidepressant medication given by primary care providers or both. In enhanced usual care, patients (N=204) received a pamphlet about depression, a letter for their primary care provider s...
Involvement of Ets Factor Spi-B and Id2 In Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia

Abstract 129 Waldenstrom9s macroglobulinemia (WM) is an incurable disorder with a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate in the bone marrow (BM) and IgM monoclonal gammopathy. WM tumor cells show variable differentiation, ranging from mature B-cells to plasma cells, which likely results from failure to fully undergo differentiation. Here we analyzed the expression of several genes involved in B cell differentiation by real time RT-PCR, such as Ets factors, the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) E proteins, as well as the inhibitors of DNA binding (Id) proteins which antagonize E protein activity. Comparison of bone marrow CD19 + B cells obtained from 12 untreated WM patients with 15 age-matched healthy donors showed that expression of the Ets factor Spi-B was increased four-fold, while Id2 was decreased three-fold. However, transcript levels of E proteins were similar between these two groups. Furthermore, along with differentiation of primary human CD19 + cells from peripheral blood into CD38 + CD20 − plasmablasts, Spi-B and Id2 expression levels were significantly decreased and increased, respectively. Ectopic expression of Spi-B in primary human CD19 + cells inhibited the plasma cell differentiation associated with decreased transcription levels of BLIMP1, XBP-1 spliced form, and IRF4. In addition, overexpression of Spi-B in BCWM.1 WM cells also resulted in repressed expression of BLIMP1, XBP-1 spliced form, and IRF4. Conversely, knocking down Spi-B in BCWM.1 WM cells increased IRF4 and Id2 expression. Importantly, in primary WM bone marrow CD19 + cells, knocking down of Spi-B induced CD38 + CD20 - plasma cell formation and increased expression of BLIMP1, XBP-1 spliced, IRF4, and Id2. Moreover, knocking down Spi-B in primary WM cells decreased Bcl-2 expression. Collectively, our results suggest that Spi-B overexpression plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of WM by repressing factors involved in plasma cell differentiation while promoting tumor cell survival through Bcl-2. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Dynamic testbed demonstration of WFIRST coronagraph low order wavefront sensing and control (LOWFS/C)

To maintain the required performance of WFIRST Coronagraph in a realistic space environment, a Low Order Wavefront Sensing and Control (LOWFS/C) subsystem is necessary. The LOWFS/C uses a Zernike wavefront sensor (ZWFS) with the phase shifting disk combined with the starlight rejecting occulting mask. For wavefront error corrections, WFIRST LOWFS/C uses a fast steering mirror (FSM) for line-of-sight (LoS) correction, a focusing mirror for focus drift correction, and one of the two deformable mirrors (DM) for other low order wavefront error (WFE) correction. As a part of technology development and demonstration for WFIRST Coronagraph, a dedicated Occulting Mask Coronagraph (OMC) testbed has been built and commissioned. With its configuration similar to the WFIRST flight coronagraph instrument the OMC testbed consists of two coronagraph modes, Shaped Pupil Coronagraph (SPC) and Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph (HLC), a low order wavefront sensor (LOWFS), and an optical telescope assembly (OTA) simulator which can generate realistic LoS drift and jitter as well as low order wavefront error that would be induced by the WFIRST telescope’s vibration and thermal changes. In this paper, we will introduce the concept of WFIRST LOWFS/C, describe the OMC testbed, and present the testbed results of LOWFS sensor performance. We will also present our recent results from the dynamic coronagraph tests in which we have demonstrated of using LOWFS/C to maintain the coronagraph contrast with the presence of WFIRST-like line-of-sight and low order wavefront disturbances.
Domain-Independent Monitoring and Visualization of SLA Metrics in Multi-provider Environments

Over the past decade IT services have become increasingly multi-sourced, from IT outsourcing of functions such as network management and server provisioning to the widespread use of micro-services from different vendors in Cloud applications. Managing end-to-end service quality is becoming an increasing challenge. One of the key issues lies in the exchange of quality-related data between service participants in order to analyze not only SLA compliance but also root causes of failure. Formal SLA specification and management approaches today do not facilitate the specification of metric data in conjunction with a convenient way to supply this data to business analytics tools for detailed analysis. In this industry paper, we propose an extension of the rSLA DSL defining data items to be monitored and a specification-driven generator producing relational, denormalized time series tables accordingly. The resulting time series can be ingested by commonly used Business Intelligence tools such as Watson Analytics or Tableau in a straightforward and efficient manner. Using this approach, service integrators quickly identify problem areas in federated service delivery and consequently improve operational efficiency and avoid penalties related to SLA violations.
Beyond genome‐wide significance: integrative approaches to the interpretation and extension of GWAS findings for alcohol use disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a heritable complex behavior. Due to the highly polygenic nature of AUD, identifying genetic variants that comprise this heritable variation has proved to be challenging. With the exception of functional variants in alcohol metabolizing genes (e.g. ADH1B and ALDH2), few other candidate loci have been confidently linked to AUD. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of AUD and other alcohol-related phenotypes have either produced few hits with genome-wide significance or have failed to replicate on further study. These issues reinforce the complex nature of the genetic underpinnings for AUD and suggest that both GWAS studies with larger samples and additional analysis approaches that better harness the nominally significant loci in existing GWAS are needed. Here, we review approaches of interest in the post-GWAS era, including in silico functional analyses; functional partitioning of single nucleotide polymorphism heritability; aggregation of signal into genes and gene networks; and validation of identified loci, genes and gene networks in postmortem brain tissue and across species. These integrative approaches hold promise to illuminate our understanding of the biological basis of AUD; however, we recognize that the main challenge continues to be the extremely polygenic nature of AUD, which necessitates large samples to identify multiple loci associated with AUD liability.
Rationally Misplaced Confidence

I show that persistent underconfidence and overconfidence each arise from the combination of Bayesian learning about one's own abilities and rationally choosing to exert more effort when more confident. If an agent believes that greater effort reliably improves outcomes, then the agent learns away overconfidence faster than he learns away underconfidence. The agent becomes underconfident on average. In contrast, the agent becomes overconfident on average if he believes that greater effort increases his exposure to chance. The results imply that a principal can extract more effort from an agent by conditioning the precision of feedback on performance, and the mechanism is consistent with modern understanding of depression.
Rational Design of Semiconductor Nanostructures for Functional Subcellular Interfaces

ConspectusOne of the fundamental questions guiding research in the biological sciences is how cellular systems process complex physical and environmental cues and communicate with each other across multiple length scales. Importantly, aberrant signal processing in these systems can lead to diseases that can have devastating impacts on human lives. Biophysical studies in the past several decades have demonstrated that cells can respond to not only biochemical cues but also mechanical and electrical ones. Thus, the development of new materials that can both sense and modulate all of these pathways is necessary. Semiconducting nanostructures are an emerging class of discovery platforms and tools that can push the limits of our ability to modulate and sense biological behaviors for both fundamental research and clinical applications. These materials are of particular interest for interfacing with cellular systems due to their matched dimension with subcellular components (e.g., cytoskeletal filaments), and ea...
The completion agenda in community colleges: What it is, why it matters, and where it’s going

The completion agenda continues to permeate nearly every facet of contemporary higher education within the United States. As a result, the historical mission of community colleges has shifted from ...
Prominence Mismatch and Markedness Reduction in Word Order

In many 'free' word order languages, it is not uncommon to findfixed word order phenomena in which a certain canonical word orderbecomes fixed under special circumstances. This phenomenon is termedword order freezing. The central dynamic in word order freezing is hierarchy alignment. In Hindi and Korean, for instance, word orderis free when the unmarked association among grammatical functions,semantic roles, case and positions in phrase structure matches therelative prominence relations of these dimensions. However, free wordorder becomes fixed when there is more than onemarked association of elements in these different dimensions of prominencein a single clause. This preference for avoiding highly markedassociations of prominence hierarchies in word order is a case of themore general phenomenon 'markedness reduction' in typologically markedgrammatical contexts. This paper develops an approach to word ordervariation in two scrambling languages, Hindi and Korean, withinOptimality Theory that is capable of subsuming both the free orderingand fixed ordering of constituents under the universal theory ofmarkedness. It accounts in a uniform manner for the universal basis ofword order freezing, while at the same time allowing for the range ofcrosslinguistic and language-internal variation that is observed.
Weekly topotecan and biweekly bevacizumab in recurrent and progressive ovarian carcinoma: A single institution experience for third-line or greater treatment.

e16553 Background: The toxicity and efficacy of combined weekly topotecan and weekly bevacizumab in women with recurrent and progressive ovarian cancer. Methods: Reviewed data-base from 1/2003-pres...
How Strategic Norm-Shaping Undergirds America’s Command of the Commons

The United States government established a Freedom of Navigation program in 1979 with the mandate to conduct diplomatic and military activities to protest other states’ excessive maritime claims and encourage those states to harmonize their claims with U.S. interpretations of international law. Despite the prominence of this program in U.S. maritime strategy, there have been no systematic studies of the patterns in U.S. Freedom of Navigation operations (FONOPs). This paper presents a dataset of all U.S. FONOPs conducted since 1991, which shows that the United States does not conduct FONOPs vis-a-vis all excessive maritime claims everywhere in the world every year. The frequency of such operations varies across time and space. This paper thus develops a theoretical explanation for how the United States decides to conduct FONOPs when and where it does. This paper hypothesizes that the United States uses FONOPs as part of a strategic effort to shape international maritime norms in ways that sustain its command of the sea by legitimating its naval access to key straits and littorals. The paper then outlines a research design for testing this theory and implements the first stage of that empirical strategy. Using statistical data, process tracing, and discourse analysis, this initial plausibility probe demonstrates that a theory of strategic norm-shaping is a strong candidate for explaining patterns in U.S. FONOPs.
Early Enteral Nutrition in Geriatric Burn Patients: Is There a Benefit?

Nutrition is a critical component of acute burn care and wound healing. There is no consensus over the appropriate timing of initiating enteral nutrition in geriatric burn patients. This study aimed to assess the impact of early enteral nutrition on outcomes in this patient population. We performed a 1-year (2017) analysis of the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program and included all older adult (age ≥65 years) isolated thermal burn patients who were admitted for more than 24 hours and received enteral nutrition. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the timing of initiation of feeding: Early (≤24 hours) vs. Late (>24 hours). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to control for potential confounding factors. Outcome measures were hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay, in-hospital complications, and mortality. A total of 1,004,440 trauma patients were analyzed, of which 324 patients were included (Early: 90 vs. Late: 234). Mean age was 73.9 years and mean total body surface area burnt was 31%. Patients in the early enteral nutrition group had significantly lower rates of in-hospital complications and mortality (15.6% vs. 26.1%; p=0.044), and a shorter hospital length of stay (17 [11,23] days vs. 20 [14,24] days; p=0.042) and intensive care unit length of stay (13 [8,15] days vs. 17 [9,21] days; p=0.042). In our regression model of geriatric burn patients, early enteral nutrition was associated with improved outcomes. The cumulative benefits observed may warrant incorporating early enteral nutrition as part of intensive care protocols.
A GEANT4 Study of a Gamma-ray Collimation Array

Proton beam therapy uses high-energy protons to destroy cancer cells which are still uncertain about where in the body they hit. A possible way to answer this question is to detect the gamma rays produced during the irradiation and determine where in the body they are produced. This work investigates the use of collimators to determine where the proton interactions occur. GEANT4 is used to simulate the gamma production of a source interacting with a collimator. Each event simulates a number of gammas obtained as a function of the position along the detector. Repeating for different collimator configurations can thus help determine the best characteristics of a detector device.
A Strategy for Implementing Change in Radiology Processes to Impact Successful Scheduling and Preparation of Patients

Abstract UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh has made many changes in practice and processes to impact patient satisfaction in our radiology department. The primary aim of this article is to show changes made related to the preparation and care of outpatients to this department focusing on sedation, phone calls, staff impact, and effective patient care. A task force was developed to review and devise scheduling success opportunities. Results included an increase in staff engagement, and many changes have been made and upheld to provide an opportunity to increase satisfaction in the outpatient setting of radiology department.
Beyond Barnwell: Applying lessons learned from the Barnwell site to other historic underground nuclear tests at Pahute Mesa to understand radioactive gas-seepage observations.

Abstract An underground nuclear explosion (UNE) generates radioactive gases that can be transported through fractures to the ground surface over timescales of hours to months. If detected, the presence of particular short-lived radionuclides in the gas can provide strong evidence that a recent UNE has occurred. By drawing comparisons between sixteen similar historical U.S. UNEs where radioactive gas was or was not detected, we identified factors that control the occurrence and timing of breakthrough at the ground surface. The factors that we evaluated include the post-test atmospheric conditions, local geology, and surface geology at the UNE sites. The UNEs, all located on Pahute Mesa on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), had the same announced yield range (20–150 kt), similar burial depths in the unsaturated zone, and were designed and performed by the same organization during the mid-to-late 1980s. Results of the analysis indicate that breakthrough at the ground surface is largely controlled by a combination of the post-UNE barometric pressure changes in the months following the UNE, and the volume of air-filled pore space above the UNE. Conceptually simplified numerical models of each of the 16 historical UNEs that include these factors successfully predict the occurrence (5 of the UNEs) or lack of occurrence (remaining 11 UNEs) of post-UNE gas seepage to the ground surface. However, the data analysis and modeling indicates that estimates of the meteorological conditions and of the post-UNE, site-specific subsurface environment including air-filled porosity, in combination, may be necessary to successfully predict late-time detectable gas breakthrough for a suspected UNE site.
Liver progenitor cell-driven liver regeneration

The liver is a highly regenerative organ, but its regenerative capacity is compromised in severe liver diseases. Hepatocyte-driven liver regeneration that involves the proliferation of preexisting hepatocytes is a primary regeneration mode. On the other hand, liver progenitor cell (LPC)-driven liver regeneration that involves dedifferentiation of biliary epithelial cells or hepatocytes into LPCs, LPC proliferation, and subsequent differentiation of LPCs into hepatocytes is a secondary mode. This secondary mode plays a significant role in liver regeneration when the primary mode does not effectively work, as observed in severe liver injury settings. Thus, promoting LPC-driven liver regeneration may be clinically beneficial to patients with severe liver diseases. In this review, we describe the current understanding of LPC-driven liver regeneration by exploring current knowledge on the activation, origin, and roles of LPCs during regeneration. We also describe animal models used to study LPC-driven liver regeneration, given their potential to further deepen our understanding of the regeneration process. This understanding will eventually contribute to developing strategies to promote LPC-driven liver regeneration in patients with severe liver diseases.
On the Red Antenna States of Photosystem I Mutants from Cyanobacteria Synechocystis PCC 6803.

To identify the molecular composition of the low-energy states in cyanobacterial Photosystem I (PSI) of Synechocystis PCC6803, we focus on high-resolution (low-temperature) absorption, emission, re...
Safety and efficacy comparison of three- vs four-needle technique in the management of moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee using cooled radiofrequency ablation

To analyze the safety and efficacy of image-guided genicular nerve cooled radiofrequency ablation (C-RFA) for the treatment of pain in non-surgical candidates with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to compare three- vs four-needle technique. This retrospective study included 50 consecutive patients with pain from moderate to severe knee OA refractory to anti-inflammatory analgesia that failed multiple intra-articular lidocaine-steroid injections and who were non-surgical total knee arthroplasty candidates because of comorbidities. Patients initially underwent anesthetic blocks of the superior medial/lateral femoral and inferior medial tibial genicular nerve branches and in some cases the suprapatellar genicular nerve branch. Radiofrequency ablations of the same nerve branches were performed 1–2 weeks after the nerve blocks. Follow-up outcome was collected at approximately 2 weeks, 1, 3, and 6 months after the C-RFA procedure utilizing VAS and clinically validated questionnaires. A total of 77 knees were treated. The mean total KOOS score improved significantly from baseline at 24.7 ± 14.1 to 59.4 ± 26.5 at 6 months after treatment (p < 0.0001), with significant improvement in mean pain score from 25.5 ± 15.2 to 64.5 ± 25.2 (p < 0.0001) and mean stiffness score from 35.1 ± 21.9 to 65.8 ± 24.9 (p < 0.0001). At 6 months, 65% of all patients demonstrated decreased opiate medication usage, 79% of patients in the four-needle, and 45% of patients in the three-needle arms (p = 0.03). No complications were reported. The four-needle treatment approach offers an advantage in the overall efficacy in treating stiffness and pain in patients with moderate-to-severe OA refractory to conservative treatments leading to decreased opiate usage without complications.
Lower limit of iron quantification using dual-energy CT - a phantom study.

PURPOSE Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) has been proposed for quantification of hepatic iron concentration (IC). However, the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) has not been established, limiting the clinical adoption of this technology. In this study, we aim to (a) establish the LLOQ using phantoms and (b) investigate the effects of patient size, dose level, energy combination, and reconstruction method. METHODS Three phantom sizes and eight vials of ferric nitrate solution with IC ranging from 0 to 10 mg/ml were used. DECT scans were performed at 80/140 and 100/140Sn kVp, and using five different levels of CT dose index (CTDI). An image-domain three-material-decomposition algorithm was used to calculate the IC. The LLOQ was determined based on the coefficient of variation from repeated measurements. RESULTS The measured IC correlated strongly with the true IC in the small and medium phantoms (R2 of linear regression > 0.99) and moderately in the large phantom (0.8 < R2 <0.9). The LLOQ improved with increased CTDI. At 30 mGy, the LLOQ was found to be 0.50/1.73/6.25 mg/ml in the small/medium/large phantoms, respectively. 80/140Sn kVp resulted in superior LLOQ for all phantom sizes compared to 100/140Sn kVp, primarily due to the difference in their iron enhancement ratios (1.94 and 1.55, respectively). Iterative reconstruction was found to further improve the LLOQ (by ~ 11%), whereas reconstruction kernel smoothness had negligible effect. The LLOQ of iron was significantly higher than that of iodine due to its lack of a useful k-edge and lower enhancement ratio. CONCLUSION Iron quantification at clinically important levels was achieved in a small- and a medium-sized phantom using DECT, but proved challenging in a large phantom. Wide spectral separation and accurate calibration were found to be critical to the success of the technology.
Progression of prostate carcinoma is promoted by adipose stromal cell-secreted CXCL12 signaling in prostate epithelium.

Aggressiveness of carcinomas is linked with tumor recruitment of adipose stromal cells (ASC), which is increased in obesity. ASC promote cancer through molecular pathways not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in prostate tumors is promoted by obesity and suppressed upon pharmacological ASC depletion in HiMyc mice, a spontaneous genetic model of prostate cancer. CXCL12 expression in tumors was associated with ASC recruitment and localized to stromal cells expressing platelet-derived growth factor receptors Pdgfra and Pdgfrb. The role of this chemokine secreted by stromal cells in cancer progression was further investigated by using tissue-specific knockout models. ASC deletion of CXCL12 gene in the Pdgfr + lineages suppressed tumor growth and EMT, indicating stroma as the key source of CXCL12. Clinical sample analysis revealed that CXCL12 expression by peritumoral adipose stroma is increased in obesity, and that the correlating increase in Pdgfr/CXCL12 expression in the tumor is linked with decreased survival of patients with prostate carcinoma. Our study establishes ASC as the source of CXCL12 driving tumor aggressiveness and outlines an approach to treatment of carcinoma progression.
Strategies and discoveries leading to the synthesis of trichoaurantianolide natural products

Abstract Studies directed toward strategies for construction of neodolastane diterpenes have culminated in the total synthesis of trichoaurantianolides C and D. This account describes the most challenging aspects of the proposed lines of inquiry, and unanticipated results, encountered in the pursuit of these ideas. Methodology development defined new knowledge of reactivity and stereoselectivity for advancements in organic synthesis. Efforts explore issues of stereocontrol in the formation of highly substituted cycloheptane ring systems. Regioselective oxidation reactions are also described. Several cyclization processes are examined in the course of the study.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Ultrasound Fusion Targeted Prostate Biopsy in a Consecutive Cohort of Men with No Previous Biopsy: Reduction of Over Detection through Improved Risk Stratification.

Purpose: MRF-TB (magnetic resonance imaging-ultrasound fusion targeted prostate biopsy) may improve the detection of prostate cancer in men presenting for prostate biopsy. We report clinical outcomes of 12-core systematic biopsy and MRF-TB in men who presented for primary biopsy and further describe pathological characteristics of cancers detected by systematic biopsy and not by MRF-TB.Materials and Methods: Clinical outcomes of 452 consecutive men who underwent prebiopsy multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging followed by MRF-TB and systematic biopsy at our institution between June 2012 and June 2015 were captured in an institutional review board approved database. Clinical characteristics, biopsy results and magnetic resonance imaging suspicion scores were queried from the database.Results: Prostate cancer was detected in 207 of 382 men (54.2%) with a mean ± SD age of 64 ± 8.5 years and mean ± SEM prostate specific antigen 6.8 ± 0.3 ng/ml who met study inclusion criteria. The cancer detection rate of...
Efficient Algorithms for Self Assembling Triangular and Other Nano Structures

Nano fabrication with biomolecular/DNA self assembly is a promising area of research. Building nano structures with self assembly is both efficient and inexpensive. Winfree [1] formalized a two dimensional (2D) tile assembly model based on Wang’s tiling technique. Algorithms with an optimal tile complexity of ($\Theta(\frac{\log(N)}{\log(\log(N))})$) were proposed earlier to uniquely self assemble an N×N square (with a temperature of α= 2) on this model. However efficient constructions to assemble arbitrary shapes are not known and have remained open. In this paper we present self assembling algorithms to assemble a triangle of base 2N − 1 (units) and height N with a tile complexity of Θ(log(N)). We also describe how this framework can be used to construct other shapes.
Introduction to Division Rings

The study of division rings at the beginning stage is a wonderland of beautiful results. It all started with Frobenius’ Theorem (c. 1877) classifying the finite-dimensional division algebras over the reals. Nowadays, we know that the theorem also works for algebraic algebras. Shortly after E. H. Moore completed his classification of finite fields, J. H. M. Wedderburn delighted the world with his “Little” Theorem (c. 1905), that all finite division rings are commutative. Over the years, this result gradually evolved into its various higher forms, of which the commutativity theorems of Jacobson, Kaplansky, and Herstein are prime examples. Then there was the Cartan-Brauer-Hua Theorem (c. 1945 or thereabout): not the result of a collaborative effort, but somehow proved at about the same time, by three famous mathematicians from three different countries. Albeit a smaller result, Herstein’s “little” theorem is equally enchanting: it says that if an element in a division ring has more than one conjugate, it has infinitely many. Even one of my analyst colleagues rediscovered this result, and proposed it as a problem for the Amer. Math. Monthly. And, in the time-honored tradition of that journal, the problem was duly solved by an impressive list of fun-lovers, experts and laymen alike.
An Internet-Based Course: Leadership Issues

It comes as no surprise that persons in leadership roles face many decisions related to providing distance learning experiences, especially ones centered on the Internet. In this paper we will try to focus upon leadership issues that arose during the creation and offering of an Internet-based course for high school chemistry teachers. One of us served as the department chair, another as the professor of record and course designer, and the third as a researcher who developed a systematic case study of the course.
Pump-to-signal RIN transfer in fiber OPAs

Pump to signal RIN transfer in fiber OPAs is investigated theoretically and experimentally. For a 20 dB gain, signal RIN is larger than pump RIN by a factor ranging from 2 to 14.
Branched phospholipids render lipid vesicles more susceptible to membrane-active peptides

Iso- and anteiso-branched lipids are abundant in the cytoplasmic membranes of bacteria. Their function is assumed to be similar to that of unsaturated lipids in other organisms - to maintain the membrane in a fluid state. However, the presence of terminally branched membrane lipids is likely to impact other membrane properties as well. For instance, lipid acyl chain structure has been shown to influence the activity of antimicrobial peptides. Moreover, the development of resistance to antimicrobial agents in Staphylococcus aureus is accompanied by a shift in the fatty acid composition toward a higher fraction of anteiso-branched lipids. Little is known about how branched lipids and the location of the branch point affect the activity of membrane-active peptides. We hypothesized that bilayers containing lipids with low phase transition temperatures would tend to exclude peptides and be less susceptible to peptide-induced perturbation than those made from higher temperature melting lipids. To test this hypothesis, we synthesized a series of asymmetric phospholipids that only differ in the type of fatty acid esterified at the sn-2 position of the lipid glycerol backbone. We tested the influence of acyl chain structure on peptide activity by measuring the kinetics of release from dye-encapsulated lipid vesicles made from these synthetic lipids. The results were compared to those obtained using vesicles made from S. aureus and Staphylococcus sciuri membrane lipid extracts. Anteiso-branched phospholipids, which melt at very low temperatures, produced lipid vesicles that were only slightly less susceptible to peptide-induced dye release than those made from the iso-branched isomer. However, liposomes made from bacterial phospholipid extracts were generally much more resistant to peptide-induced perturbation than those made from any of the synthetic lipids. The results suggest that the increase in the fraction of anteiso-branched fatty acids in antibiotic-resistant strains of S. aureus is unlikely to be the sole factor responsible for the observed increased antibiotic resistance. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Antimicrobial peptides edited by Karl Lohner and Kai Hilpert.
Wavelet based methods for multiscale tomographic reconstruction

The authors combine wavelet bases with a natural-pixel type representation of an object, originally developed for incomplete data tomography problems, to construct "natural wavelet bases" for tomographic reconstruction. For the case of noisy projection data the authors use this multiscale framework to explicitly account for noise by calculating multiscale MAP estimates based on a certain self-similar prior. >
Optimizing read convoys in main-memory query processing

Concurrent read-only scans of memory-resident fact tables can form convoys, which generally help performance because cache misses are amortized over several members of the convoy. Nevertheless, we identify two performance hazards for such convoys. One hazard is underutilization of the memory bandwidth because all members of the convoy hit the same cache lines at the same time, rather than reading several different lines concurrently. The other hazard is a form of interference that occurs on the Sun Niagara T1 and T2 machines under certain workloads. We propose solutions to these hazards, including a local shuffle method that reduces interference, preserves the beneficial aspects of convoy behavior, and increases the effective bandwidth by allowing different members of a convoy to concurrently access different cache lines. We provide experimental validation of the methods on several modern architectures.
Effect of treatment rationale and problem severity upon therapeutic preferences.

Summary.-Undergraduate men and women (n = 172) initially indicated their preferences for behavioral or psychoanalytic therapy. Participants then read a case description of either test anxiety or paranoid schizophrenia followed by a behavioral or psychoanalytic treatment rationale tailored to the problem. They rated the credibility of the treatment rationale and then once again indicated their preference so that changes in preferences could be assessed. Behavioral treatment rationales received significantly higher credibility ratings than psychoanalytic rationales. Behavioral rationales were seen as significantly more credible than psychoanalytic rationales for test anxiety, and the two rationales received similar credibility ratings for paranoid schizophrenia. Rationales significantly affected therapeutic preferences. Women were more internally oriented, gave higher credibility ratings, and were more willing to consider seeking psychological help than men. The modifiability of therapeutic preferences is discussed. Treatment rationales have elicited varying credibility and effectiveness ratings. Perceptions of confidence and faith in the therapy approach and in the therapist can be modified by the treatment rationale. Perceptions of treatment rationales are also influenced by and concomitantly affect persons' views of clinical problems (11, 12, 13). However, little is known concerning whether treatment rationales can influence preferences for therapy. Current research concerning whether preferences can be modified is mixed. In one study preferences changed significantly over the course of therapy (8), and in another were highly stable (6). This study assessed whether treatment rationales tailored to different psychological problems could influence initially held preferences for therapy. The study of the persuasiveness of treatment rationales is important in its own right since it may contribute to the efficacy of a treatment approach (10). Participants initially indicated their preference for either a behavioral or psychoanalytic therapeutic orientation after reading a brief description of each. They then assessed rhe credibility of either a behavioral or psychoanalytic treatment rationale which was tailored either to test anxiety or paranoid schizophrenia. Persons preferring the behavioral therapy orientation were expected to give behavioral treatment rationales higher credibility ratings, and subjects preferring the psychoanalytic approach were expected to give psychoanalytic treatment rationales higher credibility ratings. Based upon prev
The routine use of diagnostic laparoscopy in the intensive care unit

Background: Delay in the diagnosis of intraabdominal pathology is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Laparoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool that can be used safely and efficiently in the evaluation of intraabdominal processes that may be difficult to diagnose with conventional methods. Our goal was to show that laparoscopy performed at the bedside in the ICU could be used as a routine diagnostic tool in the evaluation of critically ill patients, just as computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography (US), and radiography are. Methods: We present 11 patients who underwent 12 bedside examinations in the ICU of a community teaching hospital. Several different surgeons with varying degrees of laparoscopic experience performed these procedures over a 1-year period. Results: Four patients had previously undergone recent abdominal operations. Nontherapeutic laparotomy was avoided in six patients because of diagnostic laparoscopy. One patient also underwent a therapeutic maneuver at the time of diagnostic laparoscopy. None of the patients required general anesthesia, although local anesthetics and sedation with midazolam or propofol were used. One patient underwent the procedure without endotracheal intubation. There were no complications or mortalities directly related to the procedure. Conclusion: We conclude that bedside laparoscopy in the ICU under local anesthesia is a diagnostic and potentially therapeutic tool that can be used safely in the work-up of potential abdominal pathology in critically ill patients.
Effects of Nonaqueous Electrolytes on the Performance of Lithium/Air Batteries

The effects of various properties of nonaqueous electrolytes on the performance of lithium/air batteries are investigated. The performance of a lithium/air battery is determined by the number of triphase regions formed by oxygen, electrolyte, and active carbons (with catalyst). The oxygen diffusion rate through the open channels (strongly related to the polarity of the electrolyte) is several orders of magnitude larger than that through the liquid electrolyte; therefore, the electrolyte polarity is the most important factor on the performance of lithium/air batteries compared with other properties of the electrolyte, such as oxygen solubility, viscosity, and ionic conductivity. The quantity of the electrolyte added to a cell also significantly affects the discharge performance of the lithium/air battery, and a clear maximum in capacity is observed as a function of the electrolyte amount. The addition of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane as a functional additive and cosolvent in electrolytes can help dissolve partial Li 2 O and Li 2 O 2 formed during the battery discharge process, which is beneficial to increasing the discharge capacity. However, this addition also largely reduces the contact angle and increases the electrolyte viscosity, thus decreasing the discharge capacity of the lithium/air battery.
Inhibition of uricase by substituted pyrimidines.

Abstract Twenty-eight substituted pyrimidine derivatives were tested for their ability in inhibit uricase at pH 8.5. Half of the compounds competitively inhibited the enzyme with Ki values which ranged from 4.4 × 10−4 to 4.2 × 10−6 M . Qualitatively, there is a relationship between the degree of electron withdrawing ability of substitutents at C-5 of the pyrimidine ring system and the magnitude of inhibitor interaction with the enzyme, a result which is interpreted as being due to the binding of pyrimidine anions rather than the binding of the protonated species.
CYTOCHEMICAL OBSERVATIONS OF RIBONUCLEIC ACID IN THE NUCLEOLUS AND CYTOPLASM OF CULTURED CELLS INFECTED WITH CANINE HEPATITIS VIRUS.

SummaryThe quantity of RNA remained about the same or slightly increased in the nucleoli and cytoplasm of DK cells during infection with DNA-containing canine hepatitis virus.
A Signal Detection Theory Analysis of Gap Detection in the Rat

An innocuous sensory event (a prestimulus) briefly preceding a startle-eliciting stimulus (SES) reduces the amplitude of the elicited reflex. This study used signal detection theory (SDT) techniques to quantify the effects of gaps (pauses in otherwise continuous noise) on the rat’s acoustic startle reflex. Sixteen rats were given four identical test sessions consisting of the randomized presentation of 150 trials of the SES alone and 150 trials of a gap-and-SES combination. Gap duration (1, 2, 4, and 8 msec) varied between sessions. Data analyses based on amplitude, difference scores, percentage scores, and SDT techniques identified similar patterns. The three longest gaps, but not the shortest, were reliably detected, and differences among these three were identified with percentage and SDT analyses. Analyses of amplitude changes over test sessions yielded different patterns for each measure. The results demonstrate that an SDT analysis is a sensitive index of prestimulus effects.
Behavior of Circular Reinforced Concrete Columns Under Fire Conditions

A numerical model was developed for tracing the behavior of circular reinforced concrete (RC) columns over the entire range of loading from pre-fire conditions to collapse under fire. The macroscopic finite element based model utilizes time dependant moment-curvature relations of various column segments and the analysis is carried out in three stages; namely, establishing fire temperatures, calculating the heat transfer through the structure, and then carrying out strength analysis. The model, which accounts for high temperature nonlinear material properties, is capable of predicting the fire resistance of circular RC columns under realistic fire scenarios, loading conditions, and failure criteria. The validity of the model is established by comparing predictions from the computer program with results from full-scale fire resistance tests. The validated model is applied to undertake a set of parametric studies to quantify the effect of column size, load level, load eccentricity, and concrete strength on t...