cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Farm-to-Consumer Retail Outlet Use Among Participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Alabama

This research aimed to identify perceived barriers and facilitators of farm-to-consumer (FTC) retail outlet (eg, farmers' markets, farm/roadside stands) usage among Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants residing in Birmingham, Alabama. Additionally, associations between barriers and facilitators reported and daily fruit and vegetable (FV 67.0% non-Hispanic black; 45.3% obese) who participate in the Birmingham WIC program were surveyed between October 2014 and January 2015. Fischer's exact test was used to assess associations between barriers (eg, outlet location, price, transportation), facilitators (eg, produce quality, produce variety), and high F&V intake (ie, consuming ≥ 5 servings per day). Approximately 81 (26.1%) participants reported using an FTC outlet to purchase produce in 2014. Lack of awareness (39.3%), outlet location (32.8%), and lack of interest (28.4%) were the barriers most often reported. Produce quality (69.1%), produce variety (49.4%), and price (39.5%) were the facilitators most often reported. Barriers and facilitators mentioned were not associated with high F&V intake. Lack of awareness and lack of interest are key barriers to FTC outlet usage among Birmingham WIC recipients. Interventions aiming to promote use of FTC outlets should consider the perceived barriers and facilitators to usage.
Coherent x-ray imaging of spins on nanoscale (Conference Presentation)

Understanding electronic structure at nanometer resolution is crucial to understanding physics such as phase separation and emergent behavior in correlated electron materials. Nondestructive probes which have the ability to see beyond surfaces on nanometer length and sub-picosecond time scales can greatly enhance our understanding of these systems and will impact development of future technologies, such as magnetic storage. Polarized x-rays are an appealing choice of probe due to their penetrating power, elemental and magnetic specificity, and high spatial resolution. The resolution of traditional x-ray microscopy is limited by the nanometer precision required to fabricate x-ray optics. In this thesis, a novel approach to lensless imaging of an extended magnetic nanostructure is presented. We demonstrate this approach by imaging ferrimagnetic "maze" domains in a Gd/Fe multilayer with perpendicular anisotropy. A series of dichroic coherent diffraction patterns, ptychographically recorded, are numerically inverted using non-convex and non-linear optimization theory, and we follow the magnetic domain configuration evolution through part of its magnetization hysteresis loop by applying an external magnetic field. Unlike holographic methods, it does not require a reference wave or precision optics, and so is a far simpler experiment. In addition, it enables the imaging of samples with arbitrarily large spatial dimensions, at a spatial resolution limited solely by the coherent x-ray flux and wavelength. It can readily be extended to other non-magnetic systems that exhibit circular or linear dichroism. This approach is scalable to imaging with diffraction-limited resolution, a prospect rapidly becoming a reality in view of the new generation of phenomenally brilliant x-ray sources.
New tools to analyze overlapping coding regions.

Background Retroviruses transcribe messenger RNA for the overlapping Gag and Gag-Pol polyproteins, by using a programmed -1 ribosomal frameshift which requires a slippery sequence and an immediate downstream stem-loop secondary structure, together called frameshift stimulating signal (FSS). It follows that the molecular evolution of this genomic region of HIV-1 is highly constrained, since the retroviral genome must contain a slippery sequence (sequence constraint), code appropriate peptides in reading frames 0 and 1 (coding requirements), and form a thermodynamically stable stem-loop secondary structure (structure requirement).
Developmental Variation in Aspartate-Family Amino Acid Biosynthesis by Isolated Chloroplasts

In the last decade, it has become clear that the chloroplast is the main site, if not the sole site, for the biosynthesis of the nutritionally essential aspartate-derived amino acids (Fig. 1) in plant leaves [1,2]. For example, isolated intact chloroplasts carry out the light-driven synthesis of lysine, threonine, and isoleucine from labeled aspartic acid and malic acid [3]. This can be considered a photosynthetic process since ATP and NADPH produced in light are thought to be used directly (Fig. 1) to drive the synthetic reactions [3].
The production and action of a tartrate decomposing enzyme

1. An enzyme extracted from Aspergillus versicolor cultured on grape pomace was able to prevent potassium bitartrate crystals from forming in a pure solution of this salt.2. The enzyme activity var...
Facile Preparation of Cellulose/Polylactide Composite Materials with Tunable Mechanical Properties

A solvent-free route was developed to fabricate 100% biobased, renewable, and degradable polylactide (PLA) composites reinforced with ball-milled celluloses. The results show that the original pulp...
A framework for studying the impact of outdoor atmospherics in retailing

The design of retail stores and shopping environments is critical to attracting customers and maintaining profitability. Over the years, research on retail design and atmospherics has been almost completely focused on store interiors. This research shortfall is unfortunate given the increasing focus of savvy retail managers on brand building and the creation of sustainable competitive advantage through exterior store architecture, outdoor lifestyle centers, and urban shopping districts. In order to stimulate research in this important, yet under-researched topic area, we synthesize literature from a number of domains and provide a conceptual framework that examines the impact of outdoor atmospherics on shoppers’ psychological and behavioral responses. After presentation of this framework, we discuss implications for practice and potential avenues for future research.
Differences in Mental Health Counselors' Diagnoses Based on Client Race: An Investigation of Adjustment, Childhood, and Substance-Related Disorders

This study of mental health counselors' diagnoses of African-American and Euro-American clients (N=899) found that African-Americans were diagnosed disproportionately more often with disruptive behavior disorders whereas Euro-Americans were diagnosed more often with less severe adjustment disorders. These findings mirror those of researchers from other mental health professions considering different mental disorders. Implications for mental health counseling practice and future research are discussed, and pathways to account for the phenomenon are proposed.
Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure and in Cancer Patients

Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a common occurrence in cancer patients and is associated with a high mortality rate. The role of NPPV in immunosuppressed, hematological malignancies, and solid tumor is an area that interests researchers and clinicians alike. Several randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews have confirmed the benefits of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Benefits achieved from NPPV in COPD patients are largely due to avoidance of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and its complications including worsening of preexisting infections, morbidity and mortality, ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP), ventilator associated lung injury, increased need for sedation resulting in prolonged ventilation, ventilator dependence, and upper airway complications related to endotracheal tube [1]. The use of NPPV in COPD with hypercapneic ARF is no longer debated and is now considered as first-line intervention before considering endotracheal intubation (ETI) and IMV.
Modified model reference adaptive control: Design, analysis and performance bounds

Boundedness of all closed loop signals and asymptotic convergence of the tracking error to zero or to a residual set are the criteria that have been most commonly used to characterize the performance of model reference adaptive control schemes in the absence of persistently exciting signals. These criteria do not reveal the large transient oscillations often observed in simulations and do not exclude the possibility of bursting at steady state in the presence of small modelling errors. The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of performance by using two additional criteria to assess performance in the ideal and non-ideal situations. They are the mean square tracking error criterion and the L∞ tracking error bound criterion. We use these criteria to examine the performance of a standard model reference adaptive controller and motivate the design of a modified scheme that can have an arbitrarily improved nominal performance in the ideal case and in the presence of bounded input disturbances. It is shown that for these cases the modified scheme can provide an arbitrarily improved zero-state transient performance and an arbitrary reduction in the size of possible bursts that may occur at steady state. As in every robust control design the nominal performance has to be traded off with robust stability and therefore the improvement in performance achieved by the proposed scheme is limited by the size of the unmodelled dynamics, as established in the paper. Another expected limitation to nominal performance is sensor noise which due to space limitation is not examined here.
Statins and Incidence of Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Following Coronary Angiography - Five Year Experience at a Tertiary Care Center.

Abstract Background Role of statins in prevention of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) in patients undergoing coronary angiography remains controversial. We studied the use of statins in decreasing CI-AKI following coronary angiography. Methods We reviewed all patients who underwent coronary angiography with or without PCI and had a follow-up creatinine from January 2012 to December 2016 at a single tertiary care center in the United States. CI-AKI was defined as 0.3 mg/dL absolute rise in creatinine. Patients who were on moderate to high-intensity statins or received moderate to high-intensity statins prior to coronary angiography were included in the statin group. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were calculated using univariate multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Out of 2055 patients (females = 30.7%, mean age 58.0 ± 12.5 years, statin group = 886, non-statin group = 1169), 293 (14.3%) developed CI-AKI. Mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was not significantly different between the statin and the non-statin group (86.5 mL/min/1.73 m 2 vs 87.1 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , p = 0.65). There was no significant difference in the incidence of CI-AKI between statin and non-statin group (14.4% vs 14.1%, p = 0.83). When adjusted for other risk factors, statin use was not significantly associated with decreased risk of CI-AKI (AOR) = 0.8, [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.6–1.1, p = 0.19]. Results remained statistically non-significant on subgroup analysis of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (OR = 0.8, 95% CI = 0.6–1.2, p = 0.27), patients who had percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.6–1.7, p = 0.81) and patients with eGFR 2 (OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.6–1.5, p = 0.9). Conclusion Statin use prior to coronary angiography is not associated with decreased incidence of CI-AKI.
Validation of an automatic algorithm to identify NeuroPace depth leads in CT images

Responsive neurostimulation (RNS) is a novel surgical intervention for treating medically refractory epilepsy. A neurostimulator implanted under the skull monitors brain activity in one or two seizure foci and provides direct electrical stimulation using implanted electrodes to prevent partial onset seizures. Despite significant successes in reducing seizure frequency over time, outcomes are less than optimal in a number of patients. To maximize treatment efficacy, it is critical to identify the factors that contribute to the variance in outcomes, including accurate knowledge of the final electrode location. However, there is as yet no automated algorithm to localize the RNS electrodes in the brain. Currently, physicians manually demarcate the positions of the leads in postoperative images, a method that is affected by rater bias and is impractical for largescale studies. In this paper, we propose an intensity feature based algorithm that can automatically identify the electrode positions in postoperative CT images. We also validate the performance of our algorithm on a multicenter dataset of 13 implanted patients and test how it compares with expert raters.
Community Engagement Professionals at Play: Collaborative Assessment as Culture Change

This article describes the data lab, an assessment method that could, the authors argue, help community engagement professionals (CEPs) align their assessment efforts with commitments and capacities named in the community engagement professionals competency model, contributing to democratic engagement and helping to resist neoliberal pressures in higher education. The data lab method employs a playful approach to making sense of data, utilizing extended and applied metaphors and involving all stakeholders in community-engaged work in collaborative meaning-making. Through the ongoing and iterative practice of data labs, stakeholders are invited to better understand and make changes to their collective work in implementing more democratic practices in the institution.
Disservice to the Public? The Public Service Commission in Early Independent Kenya

ABSTRACTThe need to create an efficient, nonpartisan public service that would reflect the population of African colonies approaching independence rather than the colonial rulers and meet the needs...
20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) primes innate immune responses that limit bacteria and malaria parasite survival in Anopheles gambiae

Abstract Blood-feeding is an integral behavior of mosquitoes to acquire nutritional resources needed for reproduction. This requirement also enables mosquitoes to serve as efficient vectors to acquire and potentially transmit a multitude of mosquito-borne diseases, most notably malaria. Recent studies suggest that mosquito immunity is stimulated following a blood meal, independent of infection status. Since blood-feeding results in the increased production of the hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), we hypothesized that 20E may play an important role in priming the immune response for pathogen challenge. Herein, we examine the immunological effects of priming in Anopheles gambiae with 20E prior to pathogen infection, demonstrating a significant reduction in bacteria and Plasmodium berghei survival in the mosquito host. RNA-seq analysis following 20E treatment identifies several known 20E-regulated genes, as well as several immune genes with previously reported function in anti-pathogen defense. This includes the anti-microbial peptide cecropin 3, which we demonstrate its role as an antagonist of bacteria and Plasmodium in Anopheles gambiae and provide support that these responses are under temporal regulation. Together, these data demonstrate that 20E influences cellular immune function and anti-pathogen immunity following mosquito blood-feeding, arguing the importance of hormones in the regulation of mosquito innate immune function.
Satellite cell-derived extracellular vesicles reverse peroxide-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in myotubes

ABSTRACT Satellite cells (SCs) are muscle-specific stem cells that have a central role in muscle remodeling. Despite their therapeutic potential, SC-based therapies have been met with numerous logistical challenges, limiting their ability to effectively treat systemic muscle diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Delivery of SC-derived extracellular vesicles (SC-EVs) may unlock the potential offered by SCs and overcome their numerous limitations. Purpose The purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which SC-EVs could restore mitochondrial function in cultured myotubes following oxidative injury. Methods SC-EVs were isolated from cultured SCs from C57 mice and quantified using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). C2C12 myotubes were cultured and divided into four treatment groups: untreated control, treated for 24 h with SC-EV, 24 h exposure to 50 μM H2O2 followed by a 24 h recovery period with no treatment, or 24 h exposure to 50 μM H2O2 followed by a 24 h treatment with SC-EV. Inter-group differences in mitochondrial function were assessed via one-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc analysis (p Results Given the seeding density used, we calculated that each SC releases approximately 2.35 × 105 ± 3.10 × 104 EVs per 24 h. Further, using fluorescent microscopy, we verified SC-EVs deliver cargo into myotubes, some of which was localized to the mitochondria. H2O2 exposure resulted in a 42% decline in peak mitochondrial respiration (p=0.0243) as well as a 46% reduction in spare respiratory capacity (p=0.0185) relative to the untreated control group. Subsequent treatment with SC-EVs (3.12×108 SC-EV; 24 h) following H2O2 exposure restored 76% of peak mitochondrial respiration (p=0.0187) and 84% of spare respiratory capacity in the damaged myotubes (p=0.0198). SC-EVs did not affect mitochondrial function in the undamaged myotubes. Conclusion Collectively, these data demonstrate SC-EVs may represent a novel therapeutic approach for treatment of myopathies associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.
Interpreting the Communist Party USA’s Historical Role in the US Trade Unions: Insights from the Early Institutionalist Theory of Industrial Relations

From 1935 to 1945, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) trade unionists were indefatigable and dedicated organizers for the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). The objective of this article is t...
Uncertainty in using dispersion models to estimate methane emissions from manure lagoons in dairies

Abstract Manure lagoons in dairies make significant contributions to emissions of methane, a major greenhouse gas; however, there is a high level of uncertainty in these emissions. In this paper, we apply dispersion models in combination with a unique sampling strategy, which involves stationary measurements at multiple points around the lagoons to estimate methane emissions from manure lagoons located in two dairies, one in Southern California and the other in Central California. We then estimate the uncertainty associated with the results from this approach by interpreting our measurements with two dispersion models, a numerical Eulerian model (EN) and a backward Lagrangian stochastic (bLS) model. The range of emissions inferred from these two models is a measure of uncertainty related to differences in the formulation of these models. We also estimate 95% confidence intervals for the emission estimates from each of the models by bootstrapping the residuals between model estimates and measurements. Both models explain more than 85% of the variance of the methane concentrations measured at the two dairies. For the Southern California dairy (1066 milking cows), the 95% confidence interval of the emission rate inferred by the EN model is 282 kg/d to 482 kg/d. The corresponding interval for the bLS model is 174 kg/d to 246 kg/d. The best fit value from the EN model is about 1.9 times that from the bLS model. For the Central California dairy (3200 milking cows), the best emission rates from the two models differ by about 10%. The emission rate inferred by the EN model ranges from 3198 kg/d to 5312 kg/d, and that from the bLS ranges from 2943 kg/d to 4977 kg/d. Our results are consistent with methane emissions derived from information on dairy cow population and manure management practices at these two dairies. These results suggest this measurement technique is easily deployed and effective at quantifying uncertainties associated with methane emissions from manure lagoons.
Gait analysis and visualization in a fall risk assessment system

Falls are a major health concern among elderly populations. There is a critical need to develop automated systems for assessing a patient's fall risk although the methodologies for determining this risk vary in efficacy, accessibility, and comfort. With advancements in smart home technology, aging in place and accurate fall risk assessment are no longer mutually exclusive. This paper presents a user friendly fall risk assessment system designed for care providers to non-invasively but continuously monitor their patient's risk of falling. The proposed system employs a pressure sensor-embedded floor - a SmartFloor - installed in the patient's home to monitor trends in gait parameters like gait speed, stride length, and step width. The system allows care providers to visualize dangerous changes to their patient's gait 24/7 and without disturbing the patient. To facilitate diagnoses and fall risk assessment, the system also reconstructs a skeletal visualization of each recorded walking segment. This is done using a motion similarity algorithm and a database of SmartFloor and Microsoft Kinect data. We tested the accuracy of several variations of the motion similarity algorithm using a small pool of seven participants and the results are presented in this paper.
Quantifying treatment selection bias effect on survival in comparative effectiveness research: findings from low-risk prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND Comparative effectiveness research (CER) using national registries influences cancer clinical trial design, treatment guidelines, and patient management. However, the extent to which treatment selection bias (TSB) affects overall survival (OS) in cancer CER remains poorly defined. We sought to quantify the TSB effect on OS in the setting of low-risk prostate cancer, where 10-year prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS) approaches 100% regardless of treatment modality. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was queried for patients with low-risk prostate cancer (cT1-T2a, PSA < 10, and Gleason 6) who received radical prostatectomy (RP), brachytherapy (BT), or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) from 2005 to 2015. The TSB effect was defined as the unadjusted 10-year OS difference between modalities that was not due to differences in PCSS. Propensity score matching was used to estimate the TSB effect on OS due to measured confounders (variables present in the database and associated with OS) and unmeasured confounders. RESULTS A total of 50,804 patients were included (8845 RP; 18,252 BT; 23,707 EBRT) with a median follow-up of 7.4 years. The 10-year PCSS for the entire cohort was 99%. The 10-year OS was 92.9% for RP, 83.6% for BT, and 76.9% for EBRT (p < 0.001). OS differences persisted after propensity score matching of RP vs. EBRT (7.4%), RP vs. BT (4.6%), and BT vs. EBRT (3.7%) (all p < 0.001). The TSB effect on 10-year OS was estimated to be 15.0% for RP vs. EBRT (8.6% measured, 6.4% unmeasured), 8.5% for RP vs. BT (4.8% measured, 3.7% unmeasured), and 6.5% for BT vs. EBRT (3.1% measured, 3.4% unmeasured). CONCLUSIONS Patients with low-risk prostate cancer selected for RP exhibited large OS differences despite similar PCSS compared to radiotherapy, suggesting OS differences are almost entirely driven by TSB. The quantities of these effects are important to consider when interpreting prostate cancer CER using national registries.
History of Video Game Distribution

Video games were originally distributed through fixed-function appliances or gaming consoles. As technology improved, various forms of physical media were used to distribute games, such as cartridges and discs. While this provided versatility, it also carried physical design considerations and complexities surrounding backward-compatibility. Today, digital distribution is growing rapidly and beginning to overtake physical media. Cloud gaming is disrupting distribution even further by eliminating local storage, compute, and rendering and shifting all of those tasks to cloud compute resources.
Glycosyltransferase ST6Gal-I promotes the epithelial to mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer cells

ST6Gal-I, an enzyme upregulated in numerous malignancies, adds α2-6-linked sialic acids to select membrane receptors, thereby modulating receptor signaling and cell phenotype. In this study, we investigated ST6Gal-I's role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) using the Suit2 pancreatic cancer cell line, which has low endogenous ST6Gal-I and limited metastatic potential, along with two metastatic Suit2-derived subclones, S2-013 and S2-LM7AA, which have upregulated ST6Gal-I. RNA-Seq results suggested that the metastatic subclones had greater activation of EMT-related gene networks than parental Suit2 cells, and forced overexpression of ST6Gal-I in the Suit2 line was sufficient to activate EMT pathways. Accordingly, we evaluated expression of EMT markers and cell invasiveness (a key phenotypic feature of EMT) in Suit2 cells with or without ST6Gal-I overexpression, as well as S2-013 and S2-LM7AA cells with or without ST6Gal-I knockdown. Cells with high ST6Gal-I expression displayed enrichment in mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, slug, snail, fibronectin) and cell invasiveness, relative to ST6Gal-I-low cells. Contrarily, epithelial markers (E-cadherin, occludin) were suppressed in ST6Gal-I-high cells. To gain mechanistic insight into ST6Gal-I's role in EMT, we examined the activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a known EMT driver. ST6Gal-I-high cells had greater α2-6 sialylation and activation of EGFR than ST6Gal-I-low cells. The EGFR inhibitor, erlotinib, neutralized ST6Gal-I-dependent differences in EGFR activation, mesenchymal marker expression, and invasiveness in Suit2 and S2-LM7AA, but not S2-013, lines. Collectively, these results advance our understanding of ST6Gal-I's tumor-promoting function by highlighting a role for ST6Gal-I in EMT, which may be mediated, at least in part, by α2-6-sialylated EGFR.
Intubating the Neurologically Injured Patient

Ensuring optimal intubation conditions for the neurocritically injured patient requires a knowledge of cerebral physiology, hemodynamics along with basic anatomy. The unique challenge of airway management in a patient with neurologic injuries is the premise that “time is brain.” Any degree of hypoxia can cause secondary injury to a damaged brain or spine. The degree of cerebral and spinal autoregulation and collateral circulation determines the reserve a patient has to withstand hypoxia (Cole et al. Neurosurgery 61:369–377, 2007; Grathwohl et al. Anesthesiology 109:44–53, 2008; Engelhard et al. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 45:9971–9976, 2001). Preventing hypoxemia and hypotension in this patient population is of the utmost importance.
Can remdesivir and its parent nucleoside GS-441524 be potential oral drugs? An in vitro and in vivo DMPK assessment

Abstract Remdesivir (RDV) is the only US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for treating COVID-19. However, RDV can only be given by intravenous route, and there is a pressing medical need for oral antivirals. Significant evidence suggests that the role of the parent nucleoside GS-441524 in the clinical outcomes of RDV could be largely underestimated. We performed an in vitro and in vivo drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) assessment to examine the potential of RDV, and particularly GS-441524, as oral drugs. In our in vitro assessments, RDV exhibited prohibitively low stability in human liver microsomes (HLMs, t1/2 = ∼1 min), with the primary CYP-mediated metabolism being the mono-oxidation likely on the phosphoramidate moiety. This observation is poorly aligned with any potential oral use of RDV, though in the presence of cobicistat, the microsomal stability was drastically boosted to the level observed without enzyme cofactor NADPH. Conversely, GS-441524 showed excellent metabolic stability in human plasma and HLMs. In further in vivo studies in CD-1 mice, GS-441524 displayed a favorable oral bioavailability of 57%. Importantly, GS-441524 produced adequate drug exposure in the mice plasma and lung, and was effectively converted to the active triphosphate, suggesting that it could be a promising oral antiviral drug for treating COVID-19.
College Comes to High School: Participation and Performance in Tennessee’s Innovative Wave of Dual-Credit Courses:

We analyze the rollout of a Statewide Dual-Credit (SDC) program intended to expand access to college-level courses during high school. We find that SDC increased early postsecondary course-taking a...
Enhanced cAMP accumulation after termination of cholinergic action in the heart.

Cholinergic agents decrease myocardial contractility in part by inhibiting adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) activity. We have found that after a prolonged preincubation period (greater than 6 h), was...
Preoperative carboplatin and paclitaxel-based chemoradiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma: results of a modified CROSS regimen utilizing radiation doses greater than 41.4 Gy

Trimodality therapy for resectable esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancers utilizing preoperative radiotherapy with concurrent carboplatin and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy is being increasingly utilized secondary to the results of the phase III CROSS trial. However, there is a paucity of reports of this regimen as a component of chemoradiotherapy in North America. We aim to report on our clinical experience using a modified CROSS regimen with higher radiotherapy doses. Patients with advanced (cT2-cT4 or node positive) esophageal or gastroesophageal junction carcinoma who received preoperative carboplatin/paclitaxel-based chemoradiotherapy with radiation doses of greater than 41.4 Gray (Gy) followed by esophagectomy were identified from an institutional database. Patient, imaging, treatment, and tumor response characteristics were analyzed. Twenty-four patients were analyzed. All but one tumor had adenocarcinoma histology. The median radiation dose was 50.4 Gy. Pathologic complete response was achieved in 29% of patients, with all receiving 50.4 Gy. Three early postoperative deaths were seen, due in part to acute respiratory distress syndrome and all three patients received 50-50.4 Gy. With a median follow-up of 9.4 months (23 days-2 years), median survival was 24 months. Trimodality therapy utilizing concurrent carboplatin/paclitaxel with North American radiotherapy doses appeared to have similar pathologic complete response rates compared with the CROSS trial, but may be associated with higher toxicity. Although the sample size is small and further follow-up is necessary, radiation doses greater than 41.4 Gy may not be warranted secondary to a potentially increased risk of severe radiation-induced acute lung injury.
Photocatalytic degradation of NOx by concrete pavement containing TiO2

Emissions from motor vehicles cause the concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOX) in the immediate vicinity of highways to be 30-100% higher than background concentrations. Photocatalytic pavements have been proposed to address this localized pollution problem. Bench-scale evaluation of environmental variables confirmed that nitric oxide (NO) oxidation rate positively correlated with influent NO concentration and irradiance and negatively correlated with relative humidity. However, comparison of the slope of these correlations found significant differences between this study and other published work. Slab water loss, a variable not investigated in prior work, positively correlated with NO oxidation rate at water losses of 0-2% of saturated mass, but negatively correlated at losses greater than 2%. A positive correlation was documented for slab temperature; this finding contrasts previous assertions which considered this variable insignificant. Overall, oxidation rates ranged from 6.2-57 nmole∙m-2∙s-1. This sensitivity demonstrates that selecting a field location requires exceptionally careful review of environmental conditions. Comparison of photocatalytic slabs of pervious concrete and mortar manufactured with the same photocatalytic cement and water-tocement ratio found no evidence of a difference in NO oxidation rate at a confidence level greater than 90%. This finding contrasts previous speculation, which asserted superior pervious concrete performance due to increased specific surface area. In a second contrast to previous work, no evidence of a correlation was found between NO oxidation rate and photocatalytic layer depth in two-lift pervious slabs. Although pervious slabs were not superior to mortar slabs, they are another material that could address NOX pollution. Lab investigation of blinding by prevailing roadway pollutants did not find evidence of a substantial decrease in performance at normally observed field loadings. Reaction products did cause blinding; however, the performance decrease was asymptotic and a complete loss of activity was not observed. In disagreement with previous reports, preliminary results did not observe easy photoactivity regeneration. The first phase of an ongoing field study did not find evidence that NO concentration in a photocatalytic section was lower than NO concentration in a control section. The most probable explanations for this observation are excess vibration, which caused mixture segmentation, and insufficient NO oxidation rate.
Ersatz des perioperativen Blutverlusts bei Karzinompatienten

Der Bedarf an Fremdblutkonserven fur onkologische Operationen steigt trotz der Moglichkeit der immunologisch unbedenklicheren autologen Bluttransfusion. Alternativ steht die Transfusion von Eigenblut oder der Einsatz maschineller Autotransfusionsgerate (MAT) zur Verfugung. Ziel der Umfrage war es, einen Uberblick uber das Transfusionsverhalten im Rahmen von Tumoroperationen zu erhalten. Die Umfrage erfolgte uber die Versendung eines Fragebogens an 90 chirurgische Kliniken. Der Fragebogen setzte sich aus Fragen zur Klinik, zum Operationsspektrum, zum Transfusionssetting, zur Fremdbluttransfusion, zur praoperativen Eigenblutspende, zum Einsatz der maschinellen Autotransfusion und zur Bestrahlung von intraoperativ mittels MAT gewonnener Konserven zusammen. Insgesamt 60 Kliniken beantworteten den Fragebogen. Bei 95% der Kliniken fliesen in die Entscheidung zur Bluttransfusion die Vorerkrankungen (88%), ein Grenz-Hb-Wert (55%) sowie der Blutverlust (28%) mit ein. Der am haufigsten durchgefuhrte Ersatz des perioperativen Blutverlusts bei Karzinompatienten erfolgt durch Fremdblut. In 85% der Kliniken besteht die Moglichkeit einer praoperativen Eigenblutspende. Diese wird in 3% auch Karzinompatienten angeboten. Die MAT konnen 93% der Kliniken einsetzen. 10% der Kliniken verwenden die MAT auch im Rahmen von Karzinomoperationen ohne weitere Aufbereitung. 31% der Kliniken konnen intraoperativ gewonnenes Wundblut zur autologen Retransfusion bestrahlen. 10 Kliniken setzt die Bestrahlung der mittels MAT gewonnen Konserven ein. 5% der Kliniken fuhren eine Bestrahlung der intraoperativ gewonnenen autologen Konserven ofter als 15-mal pro Jahr durch. Der Ersatz des perioperativen Blutverlusts bei Karzinomoperationen wird in Deutschland weitestgehend uber Fremdbluttransfusionen durchgefuhrt. Die immunologisch weniger belastenden Optionen wie die Eigenblutspende oder die Verwendung der MAT werden kaum verwendet. Als Grund hierfur wird vor allem der Mehraufwand bzw. die onkologisch bedenkliche Retransfusion von Tumorzellen angefuhrt.
The impact of secondary user mobility and primary user activity on spectrum sensing in cognitive vehicular networks

In cognitive vehicular networks, unlicensed secondary users heavily depend on spectrum sensing to find unused spectrum bands for communications. The performance study of existing spectrum sensing algorithms often overlooks the impact of secondary user mobility.Many of them assume secondary users stationary or with low mobility. In this paper, we investigate the joint impact of secondary user mobility and primary user activity on spectrum sensing for highly dynamic cognitive vehicular networks. We assume that each vehicle is equipped with a cognitive radio for spectrum sensing. The main contribution of this work is to investigate mathematical models for missdetection probability and expected overlapping time duration for spectrum sensing. The proposed method incorporates velocity of secondary user, activity of primary user, initial distance between primary and secondary users and their transmission ranges. In ordered to corroborate the analysis, numerical results obtained from simulations are presented. It is noted that the speed of the vehicular secondary user and the activity of primary user have significant impact on miss-detection probability, but not on false alarm probability. Furthermore, transmission range, velocity and initial separation distance have huge impact on expected overlapping time duration.
Barriers to Workplace Stress Interventions in Employee Assistance Practice: EAP Perspectives

Occupational health literature links stressful working conditions with cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, injuries, and psychological distress. We conducted individual interviews with employee assistance professionals (EAPs) to understand opportunities and barriers for EAPs to address job stress through organization level interventions. EAPs described their primary role as assisting individual employees versus designing company wide interventions. The most salient barriers to organization level interventions cited were lack of access to company management and (for contracted EAPs) perceptions of contract vulnerability. Education about workplace stress interventions may be most effectively directed at EAPs who are already integrated with company level work groups.
Phase integration for two dimensional radar image formation

Radar imaging is traditionally performed by wideband radar systems to achieve high range resolution of objects. Unfortunately due to cost, frequency allocation, or physical limitations, most radars are unable to operate over a broad range of frequencies. We propose a methodology to achieve high range resolution by phase integration in the frequency domain of a narrowband radar signal. This process compares with the radio camera interferometry approach in that it uses a phased array to achieve spatial resolution and a ground penetration image formation process that spatially samples a region in two dimensions. Our approach unifies the previous approaches, and integrate return signals in the frequency domain which simplifies the registration of the return signal. We begin by describing the basic methodology of collecting data with a two dimensional antenna array using a narrowband linear FM signal. We then describe how each phase bin is converted to the frequency domain and integrated in time. Next, we discuss the Fourier transform followed by the pulse decompression process. Finally we discuss the sampling approach for the two dimensional synthetic aperture and show simulated results.
The contraction of stunned myocardium: isovolumetric bulging and wasted ejection shortening in dog heart.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the contraction of myocardium stunned by repetitive brief coronary occlusions by examining the response to alterations in loading and inotropy of systolic contraction on isovolumetric and ejection phase shortening. Methods: Fourteen open chest anaesthetised dogs were used for the studies. After destruction of the sinus node, the heart was atrially paced and atrial extrasystoles were introduced followed by a short (400 ms) or long (700 ms) postextrasystole. The left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for 5 min and reperfused for 10 min a total of eight times to produce stunned myocardium, followed by a final 60 min of reflow. Regional function was assessed with segment length sonomicrometers. Results: With successive periods of occlusion there was an increase in the end diastolic segment length and a progressive decrease in total percent systolic shortening (baseline 22.3%, 1st reflow 14.5%, 8th reflow 7.9%) with some recovery after 60 min of reflow (12.0%). This was predominantly due to the development of bulging during isovolumetric systole (4.5%, -4.9%, and -8.3%, respectively) which diminished during 60 min recovery to -3.1%. Ejection shortening was relatively constant (17.8%, 19.4%, 16.3%, and 15.1%, respectively). Postextrasystolic potentiation resulted in an increase in total percent systolic shortening, but not to the baseline value, as slight isovolumetric bulging persisted. Similar changes were seen with the short and long postextrasystoles although the latter had a greater increase in ejection shortening. Conclusions: The decrease in function after repetitive occlusion and reflow is predominantly due to bulging during isovolumetric systole which persists after postextrasystolic potentiation in our model of stunned myocardium.
Some intercountry and intergroup differences in histological types of cancer.

RACIAL AND geographic differences in cancer incidence are generally described and studied in terms of particular sites. Actually, the separation of cancers on the basis of site of presentation represents only the first step of efforts to identify the different epidemiologies for all the different kinds of cancers that occur in man. At each ‘site’ cancers arise from many cell types and eaeh type will have been transformed by its own particular set of carcinogenic stimuli. Moreover a given set of cells, such as the gastric epithelium, may respond in different ways to different carcinogenic situations, so that different varieties of cancer arising from the same kind of normal cells may also have different epidemiologies. At present, however, little consideration is given to histology in cancer classification even though most cancers have been diagnosed by microscopy. Cancers of only three sites are divided routinely by histology in most systematic presentations of cancer incidence and mortality data and for each site only the one type assigned its own major rubric in the 7th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases is usually identified. Melanomas are separated from other skin cancers, Hodgkin’s disease from other lymphomas and myelomas from other cancers of bone marrow. Apart from these exceptions, the available histological data still are sparse and scattered. SOURCE OF DATA
Diverse food items are similarly categorized by 8- to 13-year-old children.

Abstract Objective Assess how 8- to 13-year-old children categorized and labeled food items for possible use as part of a food search strategy in a computerized 24-hour dietary recall. Design A set of 62 cards with pictures and names of food items from 18 professionally defined food groups was sorted by each child into piles of similar food items. Setting Participants attended the Children's Nutrition Research Center in the summer 2006. Participants 148 8- to 13-year-old children (132 English speaking, 16 primarily Spanish speaking). Main Outcome Measures Sorting of food items into common groupings and their names. Analyses Robinson matrices for identification of clusters of food items. Results Children created on average 11.1 (± 4.4) piles with 5.4 (± 4.9) cards per pile. Robinson matrix clusters captured 92.4% of the variance in the sorting of food cards. No substantial differences in Robinson clustering were detected across subcategories for each of the demographic characteristics. The label names provided by the children were most frequently categorized as “Taxonomic-Professional” (42.5%), such as meat, fruit, and drinks; or “Script” (26.4%), such as breakfast food, desserts, and snacks. Conclusion and Implications Children categorized food items into similar clusters but used diverse names to label them. These categories may be used to facilitate food search for researchers in a computerized 24-hour dietary recall for children in this age group.
Chemical exposures and central nervous system cancers: a case-control study among workers at two nuclear facilities

In a nested case-control study of workers employed between 1943 and 1977 at two nuclear facilities, we evaluated the possible association of primary CNS cancers with occupational exposure to chemicals. Seventy-two white male and 17 white female workers who, according to the information on death certificates, died of primary CNS cancers were identified as cases. For each case, four controls were matched on race, sex, facility at which initially employed (cohort), year of birth, and year of hire. Each job title/department combination was subjectively evaluated for potential exposure to each of 26 chemicals or chemical groups. Statistically significant associations were not found between CNS cancer deaths and any of the 26 chemicals. An increased risk of CNS cancer occurrence was observed among subjects employed for more than 20 yr (OR = 7.0, 95% CI = 1.2,41.1, cases = 9).
Integrated water management and environmental justice – public acceptability and fairness in adopting water innovations

Innovations to manage freshwater resources and avert shortages – including conservation through use of reclaimed wastewater, desalination, and demand-side management measures such as increasing block rate structures offer practical, effective remedies for meeting future water demands. We examine the challenges confronting adoption of these innovations that revolve around perceptions of fairness and public acceptability. A major obstacle to these approaches9 adoption is environmental justice – that the risk and burden of resource solutions, as well as their benefits – should be borne equitably, despite differences of income or race. We first consider how debates regarding water supply are often disputes over different notions of environmental justice. We then examine general equity debates over adopting various innovations in one US state at the nexus of water demand and supply innovation: California. We contend that fairly adopting these innovations requires embracing open, inclusive, and transparent decision-making processes in which no important constituency is excluded from decisions, and in which different notions of environmental justice are embraced.
cDNA Cloning of MCT2, a Second Monocarboxylate Transporter Expressed in Different Cells than MCT1

Low stringency screening of a cDNA library from hamster liver yielded a cDNA encoding MCT2, a monocarboxylate transporter that is 60% identical to hamster MCT1, the first monocarboxylate transporter to be isolated. The functional properties of the two MCTs were compared by expression in Sf9 insect cells using recombinant baculovirus vectors. Like MCT1, MCT2 transported pyruvate and lactate. The two transporters were sensitive to inhibition by phloretin and by α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate. MCT1, but not MCT2, was sensitive to organomercurial thiol reagents such as p-chloromercuribenzoic acid. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence studies revealed a strikingly different tissue distribution of the two MCTs. MCT1 was present in erythrocytes and on the basolateral surfaces of intestinal epithelial cells. MCT2 was not detectable in these tissues, but it was abundant on the surface of hepatocytes. In the stomach, MCT1 was present on the basolateral surfaces of epithelial cells; in contrast, MCT2 was expressed on parietal cells of the oxyntic gland. In the kidney, MCT1 was present on the basolateral surfaces of epithelial cells in proximal tubules, whereas MCT2 was restricted to the collecting ducts. MCT1 was expressed on sperm heads in the testis and proximal epididymis. In the distal epididymis, it disappeared from sperm and appeared on the microvillar surface of the lining epithelium. In contrast, MCT2 was present on sperm tails throughout the epididymis and not on the epithelium. Both transporters were expressed in mitochondria-rich (oxidative) skeletal muscle fibers and cardiac myocytes. These findings suggest that MCT1 and MCT2 are adapted to play different roles in monocarboxylate transport in different cells of the body.