cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexuality and Cancer: Conversation Comfort Zone

The Oncologist 2000;5:336-344 www.TheOncologist.com Correspondence: Richard T. Penson, M.D., Instructor in Medicine, Hematology-Oncology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cox 809, 100 Blossom Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2617, USA. Telephone: 617-726-5876; Fax: 617-7266974; e-mail: rpenson@partners.org Received June 30, 2000; accepted for publication June 30, 2000. ©AlphaMed Press 1083-7159/2000/$5.00/0 The Oncologist Schwartz Center Rounds
The Ceratopogonidae (Diptera) Described by Santos Abreu from the Canary Islands

Reexamination of the Ceratopogonidae described by Santos Abreu (1918) from the Canary Islands indicates that a number of his names are synonymous with each other, with other species named from the Canary Islands or with species described from elsewhere. Lectotypes are designated for all those species or varieties which were yet represented in the Santos Abreu collection. Numerous nomenclatorial changes are included in a table (including new synonyms). A number of the Santos Abreu names are considered nomina dubia and these are listed as well. Dasyhelea canariensis (Santos Abreu) is a senior homonym of D. canariensis Stora (1936) which is renamed Dasyhelea storai. Dasyhelea luteoscutellata (Santos Abreu) is a senior homonym of Dasyhelea luteoscutellata Carter, Ingram & Macfie (1921) which is renamed Dasyhelea galbiscutellata. Limited analysis indicates that Canary Island Ceratopogonidae have zoogeographic affinities with both the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Regions.
Preventable Drug-Related Hospital Admissions

OBJECTIVE:To estimate the prevalence of preventable drug-related hospital admissions (PDRAs) and to explore if selected study characteristics affect prevalence estimates.METHODS:Keyword search of MEDLINE (1966–December 1999), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970–December 1999), and hand search. Two reviewers independently selected studies published in peer-reviewed journals and extracted crude prevalence estimates and study characteristics. Trials had to specifically address consequences of drug therapy requiring hospital admission and include a quantitative preventability assessment. Stratified analysis and meta-regression were used to explore the association between study characteristics and prevalence estimates.DATA SYNTHESIS:Fifteen studies reported a median PDRA prevalence of 4.3% (interquartile range [IQR] 3.1–9.5%). The median preventability rate of drug-related admissions was 59% (IQR 50–73%). No evidence of publication bias related to study size could be determined. Because the individual...
RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE VIRKLER FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH DATA

A two-state stochastic model for fatigue crack growth problems is presented and solutions are given which will, for the first time, directly provide the distribution of the random time to reach a critical crack size. An extensive fatigue crack growth data set, known as the Virkler data, is employed to verify the model. Equations in terms of the variance and skewness of the random time to reach a critical crack size are formed directly. A detailed description of the procedure used for parameter estimation is also provided.
Serotonin 2a receptor T102C polymorphism and impaired impulse control

Patients homozygous for the C allele of the T102C serotonin (5-HT) 2a receptor polymorphism have shown increased suicidal ideation or behavior in some reports, but not in others. We conducted a pilot investigation to determine whether this polymorphism might relate more specifically to a dimension of impaired impulse control, which may underlie only a portion of suicides. Rates of commission (impulsive) errors in a variant of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) were compared across the genotypes of the T102C polymorphism in adults recruited from the community. The 102C/102C genotype was jointly associated with a greater incidence of past mood disorder or substance-use disorder, as well as significantly more commission errors compared to the 102T/102C and 102C/102C genotypes. These preliminary data suggest that the T102C 5-HT2a receptor polymorphism may be a marker for impaired behavior control-perhaps in the context of psychiatric disorder history.
Feedback cancellation for hearing aids fitted to open ear canals

Fitting hearing aids to open ear canals, in spite of its many benefits and increased popularity, is particularly prone to feedback problems. The present study examined the system responses of the feedback path and how effective the feedback signals can be cancelled under the open-canal condition. Compared to a traditional fitting method with earmolds, the open-canal fitting has a smaller amount of usable gain due to a minimal sound attenuation (27 dB) in the open canal. Furthermore, the open-canal fitting appears to have no advantage over the traditional method in the amount of extra usable gain (15 dB) that the current feedback-cancellation system provides. Significant improvement to the feedback-cancellation system, either from increased signal-processing power or from the improvement in design based on the knowledge of the open-canal characteristics, will be needed to extend the benefits of the open-canal fitting method to patients with more than a moderate hearing loss.
Auditory spectral integration in the perception of static vowels

Purpose To evaluate potential contributions of broadband spectral integration in the perception of static vowels. Specifically, can the auditory system infer formant frequency information from chan...
Black Transnationalism: 20th‐Century South African and African American Literatures

This review article considers recent criticism on transnational literary and cultural relationships between black South Africans and African Americans across the 20th century. Using Black Atlantic and comparative models as the basis for discussion, this essay maps past patterns, current trends, and new directions in this particular strand of black transnational studies, while providing some commentary on certain developments in the field.
AVIAN DIVERSITY IN EL SALVADOR

Recent field studies have revealed many species of birds new for El Salvador suggesting that the country's few protected areas may be especially important for conserving regional biodiversity. Seventeen percent of the landscape or 359,000 ha is covered with natural forest or scrub habitats, of which 38,000 ha are coastal mangrove forests. An additional 196,000 ha (9% of El Salvador) are coffee plantations, a forest-like habitat used by many birds. Of 508 bird species known to occur in the country, 310 are breeding residents; the others are migratory visitors, transients, or vagrants. Seventeen species occurring in El Salvador are endemic to the highlands of northern Central America and one species is endemic to the Pacific slope lowlands of northern Central America. About 270 species are habitat specialists with highly restricted ranges within El Salvador. In all, 254 species (>50% of the avifauna) are threatened by habitat loss, pollution, hunting, and exploitation for the pet trade. Of these, 117 are in danger of extinction at the national level and three are believed already extirpated. Much additional field work is needed to understand the status and abundance of El Salvador's birds. This report includes a complete list of reported species with classification of residency status, threatened status, and distribution. This list can serve as a resource for interpreting field observations produced by environmental impact studies or conservation projects in El Salvador. A second list includes 73 species that probably occur in El Salvador but have not been reported.
The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) Measurement System: properties, applications, and interpretation

The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) Measurement System is a collection of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires targeted to the management of chronic illness. The measurement system, under development since 1987, began with the creation of a generic CORE questionnaire called the F unctional A ssessment of C ancer T herapy-G eneral (FACT-G). The FACT-G (now in Version 4) is a 27-item compilation of general questions divided into four primary QOL domains: Physical Well-Being, Social/Family Well-Being, Emotional Well-Being, and Functional Well-Being. It is appropriate for use with patients with any form of cancer, and extensions of it have been used and validated in other chronic illness condition (e.g., HIV/AIDS; multiple sclerosis; Parkinson's disease; rheumatoid arthritis), and in the general population. The FACIT Measurement System now includes over 400 questions, some of which have been translated into more than 45 languages. Assessment of any one patient is tailored so that the most-relevant questions are asked and administration time for any one assessment is usually less than 15 minutes. This is accomplished both by the use of specific subscales for relevant domains of HRQOL, or computerized adaptive testing (CAT) of selected symptoms and functional areas. FACIT questionnaires can be administered by self-report (paper or computer) or interview (face-to-face or telephone). Available scoring, normative data and information on meaningful change now allow one to interpret results in the context of a growing literature base.
Foraging behavior and energetics of Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets at interior rivers and weirs

Wading birds may use different foraging methods and prey capture techniques in particular habitats or under specific conditions. We measured foraging behavior and its energetic costs for Great Egrets (Ardea alba) and Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) at two weirs (small overflow dams that raise water levels in a stream or river) and in two naturally flowing rivers in Kansas in May and June 2000 and 2005. We observed 99 randomly selected birds (38 Great Egrets and 61 Snowy Egrets) for 1513 min, and noted strike rate, prey capture rate, capture efficiency, prey size, and social interactions. In addition, 30 of these birds were observed for 504 min to estimate ambulation velocities and foraging energetics. Both species had higher strike rates and prey capture rates in rivers, but caught larger fish at weirs. Capture efficiency was higher for Snowy Egrets at weirs, but did not differ between microhabitats for Great Egrets. Snowy Egrets had higher rates of conspecific aggression at weirs than in rivers, but little aggression was documented for Great Egrets. Established algorithms suggest that, while foraging in rivers, Snowy Egrets had similar costs for changes in velocity. Changes in ambulation velocity for Great Egrets were greater at weirs than rivers. For both species, the percentage of time spent standing was twice as high at weirs as in rivers. Both species also used low-cost foraging strategies at weirs that yielded larger fish, so net energetic gains at weirs were higher than in rivers. Weirs appear to be more important to Snowy Egrets than to Great Egrets. Estimates of energy gains and expenses provide valuable predictive power for understanding egret behavior.
Cytoplasmic calcium gradients and calmodulin in the early development of the fucoid alga Pelvetia compressa

The predicted existence of cytoplasmic Ca2+ gradients during the photopolarization of the zygotes of the brown algae, Pelvetia and Fucus, has proved to be difficult to establish, and the downstream targets of the putative gradients are not known. We have used quantitative microinjection of the long excitation wavelength Ca2+ indicator, Calcium Crimson, and of antibodies against calmodulin to investigate these matters in the zygotes and early embryos of Pelvetia. We found that there is a window of cytoplasmic Calcium Crimson concentration that gives an adequate signal above autofluorescence yet allows normal development of the zygotes. As Calcium Crimson is not a ratiometric indicator, we injected other zygotes with a Ca2+-insensitive dye, rhodamine B, and imaged the cells at the same time that Calcium Crimson-injected cells were imaged. Ratios were calculated by dividing the averaged pixel values of Calcium Crimson images by the averaged pixel values of corresponding rhodamine B images. By this method, we observed the formation of a cytoplasmic Ca2+ gradient within one hour of the exposure of the cells to unilateral blue light during the photosensitive period. The region of high Ca2+ was localized to and predictive of the site of future rhizoid formation. We validated this somewhat indirect method by applying it to the growing rhizoid, where the existence of a tip-localized Ca2+ gradient is well established. The method clearly revealed the known gradient. The injection of ungerminated zygotes with antibodies made against Dictyostelium calmodulin inhibited germination, and this inhibition was abolished if the calmodulin antibodies were coinjected with an excess of purified maize calmodulin. Likewise, the growth of the rhizoids was inhibited by calmodulin antibody injections. The fungus-derived calmodulin antagonist, ophiobolin A, which has previously been shown to be a potent inhibitor of germination, also inhibited rhizoidal growth. Our results provide evidence that a cytoplasmic Ca2+ gradient is present during photopolarization and that calmodulin acts as a mediator of Ca2+ gradients throughout the early developmental processes of germination and rhizoidal growth in Pelvetia compressa.
Prospects for Prediction Ethics Analysis of Neuroimaging in Alzheimer's Disease

This article focuses on the prospects and ethics of using neuroimaging to predict Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is motivated by consideration of the historical roles of science in medicine and society, and considerations specifically contemporary of capabilities in imaging and aging, and the benefits and hope they bring. A general consensus is that combinations of imaging methods will ultimately be most fruitful in predicting disease. Their roll-out into translational practice will not be free of complexity, however, as culture and values differ in terms of what defines benefit and risk, who will benefit and who is at risk, what methods must be in place to assure the maximum safety, comfort, and protection of subjects and patients, and educational and policy needs. Proactive planning for the ethical and societal implications of predicting diseases of the aging brain is critical and will benefit all stakeholders-researchers, patients and families, health care providers, and policy makers.
Observations on the Neurology of Endemic Cretinism

Several points emerge from a neurological analysis of endemic cretinism: 1) Endemic cretinism presents a coherent clinical picture, though varying in severity and emphasis. 2) The clinical neurological deficits primarily implicate impairment of cerebral cortex, cochlea and basal ganglia. 3) The major motor disorder in neurological cretinism is extrapyramidal rather than pyramidal and is characterized by rigidity, with an added measure of spasticity. It is consistent with a putamino- pallidal lesion, in addition to other elements. 3) The pattern of damage, and other information, indicates that the critical effect on brain occurs during the second trimester of intrauterine life. It seems likely that the irreversible effect on brain results from impairment of neuron production.
Theoretical Studies of Ni3Al and Nial with Impurities

Intermetallic compound has been extensively studied because of their superior properties in strength, low creep rate, and high melting point. But most of the systems have room temperature ductility problems, like Ll/sub 2/ and B2 compounds. Both Ll/sub 2/ Ni/sub 3/Al and B2 NiAl exhibit intergranular fracture mode. Understanding grain boundaries in these materials is of particular importance since intergranular fracture limits the applicability of these otherwise promising material. In an effort trying to understand the fracture mechanism, we have used embedded atom potentials to study the properties of Ni/sub 3/Al and NiAl. We also consider the effect of boron, sulfur, and nickel segregation on the strength of grain boundaries in Ni/sub 3/Al and NiAl. 22 refs., 2 figs.
Coverage of recent criticisms of Milgram’s obedience experiments in introductory social psychology textbooks:

This article has two purposes: (a) to broaden awareness of recent criticisms of Milgram’s obedience experiments by providing a relatively inclusive review of them interlaced within a discussion of ...
A Theory of Drama and Theatre

Ingarden’s literary theory is formulated primarily in his two works, The Literary Work of Art, An Investigation on the Borderlines of Ontology, Logic, and Theory of Literature and The Cognition of the Literary Work of Art. The first work deals with the ontological foundation of the literary work of art, and the second deals with the ways in which response to and “knowledge” of the literary work arise in the mind. Through the investigation of this intentional object (the literary work as an object which is neither real nor ideal) from these two points of view, Ingarden attempts to reconcile the problem interesting him as a philosopher, that is, the problem of idealism and realism. Thus he investigates the literary work of art primarily in order to supply explanatory and exemplary material for his studies dealing with purely intentional objects. But, because the objects of art in general provide him with many of the most important arguments in the controversy between realism and idealism, eventually Ingarden’s philosophical investigation into the nature and mode of being of the objects of knowledge gradually moved him closer and closer not only to the formulation of his empirical literary theory, but also to the attempt to create the foundation of an entire system of philosophy of art.
Educational attainment and the clustering of health-related behavior among U.S. young adults.

Abstract Objective. We documented health-related behavior clustering among US young adults and assessed the extent to which educational attainment was associated with the identified clusters. Methods. Using data from Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we performed latent class analysis on 8 health-related behaviors (n = 14,338), documenting clustering of behavior separately by gender. Subsequently, we used multinomial logistic regression and estimated associations between educational attainment and the health-related behavior clusters. Results. Twenty-eight percent of young women grouped into the most favorable health behavior cluster, while 22% grouped into a very high-risk cluster. A larger percentage of young men (40%) grouped into the highest risk cluster. Individuals with educational attainment at the college and advanced degree levels exhibited much lower risk of being in the unhealthy behavioral clusters than individuals with lower educational attainment, net of a range of confounders. Conclusion. Substantial fractions of US young adults, particularly those with less than college degrees, exhibit unhealthy behavior profiles. Efforts to improve health among young adults should focus particular attention on the clustering of poor health-related behavior, especially among individuals who have less than a college degree.
Making It Different: Education, Equity, Economy

In this chapter we lay out a new conceptual framework for thinking about school reform that emerges from linking together education, equity and economy We note that while education continues to be championed as the gateway to future success, it has been largely fueled by growing demands from Business that workers be trained by public monies to fit their model of work and production; their success in this venture is reflected by the fact that corporate interests have largely driven wave after wave of education reforms over the last 35 years, albeit with little to show, except a new level of denigration and politicization. Thus, we argue that any change in economic futures, and specifically any change that restores a viable linkage between education and economy, now must also be tied to equity. We note that this rethinking and reconfiguring of the intersection of education, equity and economy has not happened to date. While there is much work in education and equity, and on education and economy, there is far less on economy and equity. Missing is working the three together. In this chapter we argue that to drop one from the equation makes the subsequent analysis less robust and powerful than when all three lenses are brought together into a sharp focus. Our goal is to lay out a framework for this new analysis, and to suggest an agenda for future research.
Isotope tracer studies on the carbon dioxide exchange in pregnant primates.

Abstract The exchange of carbon dioxide between fetal and maternal blood has been investigated by means of radioactive and stable tracers. Pregnant rhesus monkeys were used for this purpose because the fetal blood compartment in this animal is accessible and samples of fetal blood can be obtained without interrupting or terminating the pregnancy. The operative technique is described in detail. Labeled carbon dioxide was injected into maternal or fetal bloodstream, and the change in tracer content studied as a function of time. In two experiments carbon-13 and carbon-14-labeled bicarbonate were injected simultaneously, the former into the mother and the latter into the fetus. The opposing fluxes could thus be studied in the same animal. Qualitative interpretation of the time-activity curves obtained in these experiments indicates that there is an extremely rapid exchange of carbon dioxide across the placenta and an appreciably slower exchange between fetal blood and amniotic fluid. Little or no carbon dioxide is transferred from the maternal organism to the amniotic fluid directly.
Inhibition of pancreatic acinar mitochondrial thiamin pyrophosphate uptake by the cigarette smoke component 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone

Thiamin is essential for normal metabolism in pancreatic acinar cells (PAC) and is obtained from their microenvironment through specific plasma-membrane transporters, converted to thiamin pyrophosp...
The Shear and Elongational Flow of Polymer Melts Containing Anisometric Filler Particles; Part I

Abstract There is a dichotomy in the information on flow of anisometric particles. Most of the fundamental studies only consider dilute suspensions in Newtonian liquids, although some authors venture into a semiconcentrated (two-body collision) region and others into pseudoplastic liquids. These publications provide a solid base for understanding the behavior of the high-concentration systems of industrial importance, but without the desirable quantification. The description of these systems is experimental or, at best, qualitative, via simplified constitutive models. At high concentration of anisometric particles, one must consider: yield stress, plug flow, shear segregation, and a change of relaxation spectrum. There is no simple method to correlate the steady-state and dynamic test data. The magnitude of the stress overshoot in transient tests increases with concentration and deformation rate. While the normal stress increases with concentration, the die swell decreases. The yield stress in elongation ...
Prospective randomized trials in melanoma: defining contemporary surgical roles.

Some of the most important advances in the management of patients with melanoma have taken place in the past 5 years. The completion of well-designed prospective clinical trials is responsible for much of this progress, and the recent initiation of new trials will lead to continued refinements of the standard of care. Critical surgical issues, such as appropriate excision margins for primary melanomas and the respective roles for elective lymph node dissection (ELND) and adjuvant limb perfusion in the management of high-risk stage I and II patients, have now been properly addressed in prospective/ randomized settings.
CHAPTER 32 – Hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor, MET

This chapter focuses on Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and its receptor (MET) system. Interactions between HGF and MET can lead to a variety of responses including mitosis, motility, tubulogenesis, and cytotoxicity, because of a multifunctional docking site that is unique to the carboxy terminus of class IV tyrosine kinase receptors. Specific intra- and extracellular effectors also contribute to biologic outcome. Most HGF–MET interactions occur in paracrine endocrine manner. HGF must be cleaved to induce signaling, and there are multiple known molecules that are capable of performing this function, some of which (u-PA and u-PAR) that may contribute to the cell signaling process via complex formation. By generating mice with “floxed” HGF and/or MET genes, and then breeding them with mice that express the cre recombinase under organ-specific promoters, one can generate adult animals with regional ablation of the genes. There are six proteins that can facilitate the generation of mature HGE. The final area that will surely expand is the understanding of how a single ligand/receptor pair induces such a variety of responses. This last area of research will probably continue to explore signal transducers. However, it is also likely to expand heavily into the area of co-receptors.
The Moral Objection to Modal Realism

If David Lewis’s modal realism (MR) is true, then there are many, many people. According to Mark Heller, this is bad news. He takes MR to imply that “there are at least some cases in which it is permissible to let drowning children drown when it would be easy to save them.” But since he holds the reasonable view that this is never permissible, he thinks that MR is false. Here, I argue that Lewis needn’t be troubled by this objection: it provides no reason to reject MR for those who share Lewis’s moral outlook. Moreover, I argue that disagreement with common sense needn’t be severe if we can show both (a) that there’s a sense in which common sense is correct and (b) we have little reason to care about the sense in which common sense is mistaken.
The Stochastic Parcel Model: A deterministic parameterization of stochastically entraining convection

Author(s): Romps, DM | Abstract: Convective entrainment is a process that is poorly represented in existing convective parameterizations. By many estimates, convective entrainment is the leading source of error in global climate models. As a potential remedy, an Eulerian implementation of the Stochastic Parcel Model (SPM) is presented here as a convective parameterization that treats entrainment in a physically realistic and computationally efficient way. Drawing on evidence that convecting clouds comprise air parcels subject to Poisson-process entrainment events, the SPM calculates the deterministic limit of an infinite number of such parcels. For computational efficiency, the SPM groups parcels at each height by their purity, which is a measure of their total entrainment up to that height. This reduces the calculation of convective fluxes to a sequence of matrix multiplications. The SPM is implemented in a single-column model and compared with a large-eddy simulation of deep convection.
Evaluation of Human Machine Interface (HMI) in Nuclear Power Plants with Fuzzy Logic method

Dealing with issues related to safety of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) is of high importance and priority for assuring nonstop energy production. To enhance safety, modernization and upgrade of the aging installations by incorporating automation processes is unavoidable for many reasons, among them, environmental protection and lifetime extension of currently operating NPP. In that context, Human Machine Interface (HMI) applications are a subject of thorough study. The aim of this work is to develop a mechanism to evaluate the efficiency of HMI in nuclear power plant safety. To that end, HMI applications are addressed as a single joint system and they are not seen separately as a human and machine part. The proposed evaluator was implemented by utilizing Fuzzy Logic and holistic approaches. The implementation and all the experiments were conducted in Matlab by using the fuzzy toolbox.
Blunt cerebrovascular injury in children

Blunt cerebrovascular injury in children is an uncommon occurrence that if missed and left untreated can result in devastating long-term neurologic consequences. Diagnosis can be readily obtained by a computed tomographic angiogram of the head and neck. If confirmed, treatment with antithrombotic therapy dramatically reduces the risk of a cerebrovascular accident. The difficulty lies in determining which child should be screened for such an injury. Several institutions have come up with criteria for screening. In this article, we review the nuances of the cerebrovascular system and its resulting injury. We present recent literature on the subject in an attempt to add clarity to this challenging situation.
SnapNETS: Automatic Segmentation of Network Sequences with Node Labels

Given a sequence of snapshots of flu propagating over a population network, can we find a segmentation when the patterns of the disease spread change, possibly due to interventions? In this paper, we study the problem of segmenting graph sequences with labeled nodes. Memes on the Twitter network, diseases over a contact network, movie-cascades over a social network, etc. are all graph sequences with labeled nodes. Most related work is on plain graphs (and hence ignore the label dynamics) or fix parameters or require much feature engineering. Instead, we propose SnapNETS, to automatically find segmentations of such graph sequences, with different characteristics of nodes of each label in adjacent segments. It satisfies all the desired properties (being parameter-free, comprehensive and scalable) by leveraging a principled, multi-level, flexible framework which maps the problem to a path optimization problem over a weighted DAG. Extensive experiments on several diverse real datasets show that it finds cut points matching ground-truth or meaningful external signals outperforming non-trivial baselines. We also show that SnapNETS scales near-linearly with the size of the input.
A prototype optical-CT system for PRESAGE 3D dosimeter readout

This work introduces the Duke Integrated-lens Optical Scanner (DIOS), a prototype optical-CT system designed for convenient and low-cost readout of PRESAGE 3D dosimeters. A key novelty of the DIOS is the incorporation of a multi-purpose light-collimating tank (the LC-tank). The LC-tank collimates light from a point source, maintains parallel ray geometry through a dosimeter mounted inside the tank, and refocuses emergent light onto a CCD detector. A second purpose is to dramatically reduce the amount of refractive matched fluid required in prior optical-CT scanners. This is achieved by substituting large quantities of refractive-matched fluid with solid RI-matched polyurethane. The advantages of DIOS include eliminating the need for expensive telecentric lenses, and eliminating the impracticality of large volumes of RI matched fluid. The DIOS is potentially more susceptible to stray-light artifacts. Preliminary phantom testing shows promising agreement between PRESAGE/DIOS readout and prior commissioned optical-CT scanners, as well as with Eclipse dose calculations.
Green Bacteria: Insights into Green Bacterial Evolution through Genomic Analyses

Abstract Green bacteria are physiologically and metabolically heterogeneous assemblage of organisms that belong to three phyla of the Domain Bacteria: Chlorobi, Chloroflex, and Acidobacteria. Green bacteria are defined by their ability to synthesize one of three bacteriochlorophylls (BChls) c, d, or e and to assemble these BChls into large antenna structures known as chlorosomes. Over the past decade, the genome sequences of many green bacteria have been completed and analysed. This chapter mainly focuses on key aspects of the chlorophotoautotrophic physiology of members of the phylum Chlorobi. Until recently, this phylum was generally considered to be synonymous with the green sulfur bacteria (Order Chlorobiales). However, genome and metagenome sequencing has shown that the members of this phylum are more diverse than previously imagined. Surprisingly, early-diverging members of this phylum are aerobic chemoorganoheterotrophs and aerobic anoxygenic photoheterotrophs. The evolution of members of the phylum Chlorobi is discussed. Pathways for the synthesis of (bacterio)chlorophylls ((B) Chls) are described and discussed in the context of the Granick hypothesis, which states that biosynthetic pathways recapitulate their evolution. Finally, based upon information obtained from genome sequences and the discovery of the first phototrophic member of the phylum Acidobacteria, “Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum” (“Ca. Cab. thermophilum”), some thoughts on the evolution of photosynthesis are discussed.
Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Phospholipids and Fatty Acids in Giardia lamblia

In addition to plasma membrane, Giardia lamblia contains numerous membrane-enveloped, primitive organelles, which house a variety of metabolic processes. It has been proposed earlier that this intestinal pathogen lacks the ability to synthesize the majority of its own lipids de novo and depends on supplies from outside sources. Therefore, the questions as to how this ancient eukaryote utilizes exogenous lipids and synthesizes membranes and organelles are extremely important. Does this parasite depend predominantly on remodeling pathways, in which exogenous phospholipids undergo fatty acid and headgroup replacement reactions to generate new phospholipids? To answer this, and to better understand the overall pathway, we carried out a complete lipidomic analysis using electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF-MS). The results suggest that Giardia has the ability to generate new phospholipids de novo, most likely via the remodeling pathways. Among the newly synthesized lipids, phosphatidylglycerol (PG) is the major phospholipid followed by phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) ana lyses indicated that Giardia also has the ability to remodel fatty acids by chain elongation and desaturation reactions. Thus, mass spectrometric analyses provided valuable information about lipid biosynthesis by Giardia and opened the possibility of investigating in greater detail the uptake and utilization of exogenous lipids for the synthesis of membranes and organelles.
CRT-100.91 Assessment of the Clinical Determinants of Radial Artery Diameter Using Routine Prospective Forearm Angiography in Transradial Coronary Angiography

Transradial coronary angiography (TRA) is associated with improved bleeding, vascular complication and mortality in acute coronary syndromes as compared to the transfemoral approach, but radial artery diameter (RAD) has not yet been systematically studied in a U.S. urban population using routine
Affordable Course Materials: Electronic Textbooks and Open Educational Resources. (2017): Chris Diaz, ed. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. Xll, 144pp., $65.00, ISBN: 978-0-8389-1580-6.

Open educational resources (OERs) and electronic resources are becoming commonplace alternatives and replacements for traditional print textbooks, more so given the research that indicates that stu...
Frontline Science: Pathological conditioning of human neutrophils recruited to the airway milieu in cystic fibrosis.

Recruitment of neutrophils to the airways, and their pathological conditioning therein, drive tissue damage and coincide with the loss of lung function in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). So far, these key processes have not been adequately recapitulated in models, hampering drug development. Here, we hypothesized that the migration of naive blood neutrophils into CF airway fluid in vitro would induce similar functional adaptation to that observed in vivo, and provide a model to identify new therapies. We used multiple platforms (flow cytometry, bacteria-killing, and metabolic assays) to characterize functional properties of blood neutrophils recruited in a transepithelial migration model using airway milieu from CF subjects as an apical chemoattractant. Similarly to neutrophils recruited to CF airways in vivo, neutrophils migrated into CF airway milieu in vitro display depressed phagocytic receptor expression and bacterial killing, but enhanced granule release, immunoregulatory function (arginase-1 activation), and metabolic activities, including high Glut1 expression, glycolysis, and oxidant production. We also identify enhanced pinocytic activity as a novel feature of these cells. In vitro treatment with the leukotriene pathway inhibitor acebilustat reduces the number of transmigrating neutrophils, while the metabolic modulator metformin decreases metabolism and oxidant production, but fails to restore bacterial killing. Interestingly, we describe similar pathological conditioning of neutrophils in other inflammatory airway diseases. We successfully tested the hypothesis that recruitment of neutrophils into airway milieu from patients with CF in vitro induces similar pathological conditioning to that observed in vivo, opening new avenues for targeted therapeutic intervention.
Plain talk about neurodevelopmental epistemology

This paper is based on a theory being developed in collaboration with Seymour Papert [Note 1] in which we view the mind as an organized society of intercommunicating "agents". Each such agent is, by itself, very simple. The subject of this paper is how that simplicity affects communication between different parts of a single mind and, indirectly, how it may affect interpersonal communications.
Human Uterine Epithelial Cells: Influence of culture conditions and stromal cells on epithelial cell transepithelial cell resistance

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of extracellular matrices, media formulations, menstrual cycle and menopausal status, and culture with stromal cells on the growth and transepithelial resistance of human uterine epithelial cells in cell chambers. Human uterine epithelial cells were obtained following hysterectomies from pre- and post-menopausal women, and were cultured in the apical chamber of extracellular-matrix coated cell chambers. Matrigel, Reduced Growth Factor-Matrigel, and Human Extracellular Matrix were sufficient to support cell growth to confluence, tight junction formation and high values of transepithelial resistance. DMEM-F12 complete medium was superior to Leibowitz complete medium for obtaining reproducible cell growth. Uterine epithelial cells from women in the secretory and proliferative stages of the menstrual cycle and in post-menopause grew equally well. Growing epithelial sheets in the apical chamber above stromal cells in the basolateral chamber inhibited cell growth and the development of transepithelial resistance. Similarly, placing confluent epithelial cells over stromal cells from the same patient resulted in a decrease in transepithelial resistance. Conversely, epithelial cells initially cultured with stromal cells in the basolateral compartment developed high transepithelial resistance when stromal cells were removed. These results identify the optimal conditions for human uterine epithelial cell growth to confluence and polarization. Further, these findings demonstrate that epitheliahstromal interactions influence epithelial cell integrity as measured by transepithelial resistance.p
Computational Approaches to Studying Molecular Phylogenetics

Molecular phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary history among organisms. After selecting sequences and obtaining an optimal alignment for patterns of divergence, the next step is to build a graphical representation called a phylogenetic tree with each sequence as a branch of it. A tree represents a prediction of evolutionary relationships among organisms. In addition to uncovering evolutionary relationships, phylogenetic analysis finds applications in numerous ways such as guiding mutagenesis in laboratory, peptide design, and quantification of gene variants. This chapter focuses on the methodology of building a phylogenetic tree, which requires a careful selection of parameters as well as statistical analyses of the predictions for accuracy and robustness. We also discuss a number of tools which are based on algorithms with different underlying assumptions. These tools are available to perform different steps of any phylogenetic analysis including inference of phylogenetic trees and their visualization, estimating divergence times, mining online databases, estimating rates of molecular evolution, inferring ancestral sequences, and testing evolutionary hypotheses.
Small Mammals of the Mayo River Basin in Northern Peru, with the Description of a New Species of Sturnira (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)

We present the results of an inventory of small mammals in the Mayo River basin, one of the least-studied regions of the Central Andes in Peru. We conducted inventories at three locations in May 2007. We collected 47 species of small mammals in the study area: five marsupials, 31 bats, and 11 rodents. A new species of Sturnira was encountered and is described. The new species, which was previously confused with S. lilium, occurs east of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, the Guianas, and Brazil, with an isolated record on the western slope of the Andes in Peru. Additionally, we report the presence of Anoura geoffroyi in Peru, Carollia sp. sensu Solari and Baker (2006) south of the Maranon River, and extend the elevational range of Neacomys spinosus and Oligoryzomys destructor. Our results highlight the need to conduct additional inventories to increase our understanding of the biodiversity of this rich and increasingly impacted region.
The role of an anti-diabetic drug metformin in the treatment of endocrine tumors

Incidence of endocrine cancers is rising every year. Over the last decade, evidence has accumulated that demonstrates the anti-cancer effects of an anti-diabetic drug, metformin, in endocrine malignancies. We performed a literature review utilizing the PubMed, Medline and clinicaltrials.gov databases using the keyword 'metformin' plus the following terms: 'thyroid cancer', 'thyroid nodules', 'parathyroid', 'hyperparathyroidism', 'adrenal adenoma', 'Cushing syndrome', 'hyperaldosteronism', 'adrenocortical cancer', 'neuroendocrine tumor (NET)', 'pancreatic NET (pNET)', 'carcinoid', 'pituitary adenoma', 'pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (PitNET)', 'prolactinoma', 'pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma'. We found 37 studies describing the preclinical and clinical role of metformin in endocrine tumors. The available epidemiological data show an association between exposure of metformin and lower incidence of thyroid cancer and pNETs in diabetic patients. Metformin treatment has been associated with better response to cancer therapy in thyroid cancer and pNETs. Preclinical evidence suggests that the primary direct mechanisms of metformin action include inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation via inhibition of both mitochondrial complex I and mitochondrial glycerophosphate dehydrogenase, leading to metabolic stress. Decreased ATP production leads to an activation of a cellular energy sensor, AMPK, and subsequent downregulation of mTOR signaling pathway, which is associated with decreased cellular proliferation. We also describe several AMPK-independent mechanisms of metformin action, as well as the indirect mechanisms targeting insulin resistance. Overall, repositioning of metformin has emerged as a promising strategy for adjuvant therapy of endocrine tumors. The mechanisms of synergy between metformin and other anti-cancer agents need to be elucidated further to guide well-designed prospective trials on combination therapies in endocrine malignancies.
Disseminated cysticercosis and Kaposi sarcoma in a child with HIV/AIDS: A case report

Clinical manifestations of extraneural infection with the pork tapeworm Taenia solium typically affect the muscles, eyes, alimentary canal, and/or subcutaneous tissues. Children living with HIV are at increased risk for more widespread and severe manifestations of food-borne opportunistic infections, including T. solium, due to fluctuating levels of immunosuppression. We present a case of disseminated T. solium in a HIV-positive child with Kaposi sarcoma living in Tanzania with cysticercosis presenting as widespread subcutaneous nodules. A 4-year-old HIV-positive boy in Southern Tanzania presented for evaluation of > 30 violaceous skin lesions, few subcutaneous nodules, and a circumferential violaceous penile lesion which rapidly grew after initiation of ART. The patient was clinically diagnosed with Kaposi sarcoma and started on chemotherapy with bleomycin, vincristine, and doxorubicin. He completed 10 cycles of chemotherapy, with full resolution of the violaceous skin and penile lesions but persistence of his subcutaneous nodules, thus paclitaxel was added. After 12 additional cycles of paclitaxel, his subcutaneous nodules enlarged, and biopsy of a scapular subcutaneous nodule was performed. Histopathology revealed a cystic structure with a central larval scolex and serrated spiral canal consistent with T. solium, which confirmed a diagnosis of disseminated cysticercosis. He completed a 10-day course of praziquantel and albendazole with resolution of the subcutaneous nodules. Disseminated cysticercosis is an unusual opportunistic infection which can present as subcutaneous nodules without other typical cysticercosis symptoms. Immunosuppression – from HIV and/or chemotherapy – may unmask cysticercosis in children in endemic regions and result in more severe manifestations of this disease. Cysticercosis should remain on a clinician’s differential for subcutaneous nodules, especially in children living with HIV. Cysticercosis can mimic Kaposi sarcoma, and histopathology is essential to accurately diagnose and manage patients with concerning skin lesions.
专家专题报告4:2型糖尿病的新生物学进展

2型糖尿病患者胰岛素和胰升糖素在进食后的分泌曲线异常,ADOPT研究显示随着糖尿病病程进展,单药治疗失效率增加,β细胞逐渐衰竭,β细胞数量进行性下降.2型糖尿病患者,进餐时胰岛素分泌受损的状况得到部分逆转.Foxo缺失小鼠的β细胞会如何演化?世系追踪方法显示,糖尿病源自β细胞去分化而不是丢失.分化的β细胞的分子标识丢失,表达内分泌细胞标识嗜铬粒蛋白α(Chr A),但不表达Sox9,并重新激活Neurogenin3的表达,Neurog3的重新激活与Hdac1、L-myc的表达以及MafA、PDX-1的丢失相关联。
Inhibiting actin polymerization does not prevent the fast block to polyspermy in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis

Abstract Fertilization of an egg by more than one sperm presents one of the earliest and most prevalent obstacles to successful reproduction. As such, eggs employ multiple mechanisms to prevent sperm entry into the nascent zygote. The fast block to polyspermy is a depolarization of the egg membrane initiated by sperm entry and is employed by diverse external fertilizers including frogs and sea urchins. For some external fertilizers, sperm entry is associated with actin polymerization during the initiation of the fast block. We therefore sought to determine whether the fast block to polyspermy in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, requires actin polymerization. Although actin polymerization is required for sperm entry into eggs from diverse external fertilizers, including sea urchins and zebrafish, here we demonstrate that actin polymerization is not required for the fast block to polyspermy in X. laevis.