cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tolfenamic acid-induced alterations in genes and pathways in pancreatic cancer cells

// Umesh T. Sankpal 1 , Steve Goodison 2 , Michelle Jones-Pauley 1 , Myrna Hurtado 3 , Fan Zhang 3 , Riyaz Basha 1, 3 1 Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, TX, USA 2 Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA 3 Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, TX, USA Correspondence to: Riyaz Basha, email: riyaz.basha@unthsc.edu Keywords: tolfenamic acid, pancreatic cancer, Sp1, microarray analysis Received: November 04, 2016 Accepted: January 05, 2017 Published: January 14, 2017 ABSTRACT Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are being tested extensively for their role in the treatment and prevention of several cancers. Typically NSAIDs exhibit anti-tumor activities via modulation of cyclooxygenase (COX)-dependent mechanisms, however, an anti-cancer NSAID tolfenamic acid (TA) is believed to work through COX-independent pathways. Results from our laboratory and others have demonstrated the anti-cancer activity of TA in various cancer models including pancreatic cancer. TA has been shown to modulate certain cellular processes including, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species and signaling. In this study, molecular profiling was performed to precisely understand the mode of action of TA. Three pancreatic cancer cell lines, L3.6pl, MIA PaCa-2, and Panc1 were treated with TA (50 μM for 48 h) and the changes in gene expression was evaluated using the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene ST Array platform. Microarray results were further validated using quantitative PCR for seven genes altered by TA treatment in all three cell lines. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes (2 fold increase or decrease, p < 0.05) using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software, revealed that TA treatment predominantly affected the genes involved in cell cycle, cell growth and proliferation, and cell death and survival. Promoter analysis of the differentially expressed genes revealed that they are enriched for Sp1 binding sites, suggesting that Sp1 could be a major contributor in mediating the effect of TA. The gene expression studies identified new targets involved in TA’s mode of action, while supporting the hypothesis about the association of Sp1 in TA mediated effects in pancreatic cancer.
Structural identification using a nonlinear constraint satisfaction processor with interval arithmetic and contractor programming

Abstract Structural identification through finite element model updating has gained increased importance as an applied experimental technique for performance-based structural assessment and health monitoring. However, practical challenges associated with computability, feasibility, and uniqueness present in the structured nonlinear inverse eigenvalue problem develop as a result of the necessary use of partially described and incompletely measured mode shapes. As an alternative to direct methods and optimization-based approaches, this paper proposes a new paradigm for model updating that is based on formulating the structured inverse eigenvalue problem as a Constraint Satisfaction Problem. Interval arithmetic and contractor programming are introduced as a means for generating feasible solutions to a structured inverse eigenvalue problem within a bounded parameter search space. This framework offers the ability to solve under-determined and non-unique inverse problems as well as accommodate measurement uncertainty through relaxation of constraint equations. These abilities address key challenges in quantifying uncertainty in parameter estimates obtained through structural identification and enable the exploration of alternative solutions to the global minimum that may better reflect the true physical properties of the structure. These capabilities are first demonstrated using synthetic data from a numerical mass-spring model and then extended to experimental data from a laboratory shear building model. Lastly, the methodology is contrasted with probabilistic model updating to highlight the advantages and unique capabilities offered by the methodology in addressing the effects of measurement uncertainty on the parameter estimation.
High throughput generation and characterization of replication-competent clade C transmitter-founder simian human immunodeficiency viruses

Traditional restriction endonuclease-based cloning has been routinely used to generate replication-competent simian-human immunodeficiency viruses (SHIV) and simian tropic HIV (stHIV). This approach requires the existence of suitable restriction sites or the introduction of nucleotide changes to create them. Here, using an In-Fusion cloning technique that involves homologous recombination, we generated SHIVs and stHIVs based on epidemiologically linked clade C transmitted/founder HIV molecular clones from Zambia. Replacing vif from these HIV molecular clones with vif of SIVmac239 resulted in chimeric genomes used to generate infectious stHIV viruses. Likewise, exchanging HIV env genes and introducing N375 mutations to enhance macaque CD4 binding site and cloned into a SHIVAD8-EO backbone. The generated SHIVs and stHIV were infectious in TZMbl and ZB5 cells, as well as macaque PBMCs. Therefore, this method can replace traditional methods and be a valuable tool for the rapid generation and testing of molecular clones of stHIV and SHIV based on primary clinical isolates will be valuable to generate rapid novel challenge viruses for HIV vaccine/cure studies.
Applications of Diffusion Theory

In this chapter we apply some of the diffusion theory considered in the previous chapter to various Markov chain models arising in population genetics in order to arrive at various conclusions of evolutionary interest.
Modelling in Elementary School: Helping Young Students to See the World Mathematically

In this chapter, I consider the question “What kind of mathematical experiences at the elementary school level prepare students to engage in mathematical modeling?” Implications from cognitive research suggest that the very activities that facilitate meaningful learning are those that promote a mathematical cast of mind, a scientific spirit, and mathematical competence. Using a few general principles based on current knowledge about the way people learn, teachers can significantly develop their day-to-day questioning techniques so that young students develop mathematical ways of knowing while they are learning essential mathematical content and processes.
Heritability of nested hierarchical structural brain network

When a brain network is constructed by an existing parcellation method, the topological structure of the network changes depending on the scale of the parcellation. To avoid the scale dependency, we propose to construct a nested hierarchical structural brain network by subdividing the existing parcellation hierarchically. The method is applied in diffusion tensor imaging study of 111 twins in characterizing the topology of the brain network. The genetic contribution of the whole brain structural connectivity is determined and shown to be robustly present over different network scales.
Practical implementation of the sine condition test

The effectiveness and predictability of the sine condition test (SCTest) as an alignment technique is explored and demonstrated. This paper shows the experimental results of an alignment of a three-mirror telescope using the SCTest. We discuss the results of this alignment and compare the predicted behavior with the measured behavior. The experimental results match the predictions to within the expected errors in the process. This practical implementation shows that the SCTest is an effective tool for system alignment and that the results can be accurately predicted.
Adiabatic Markov Decision Process : convergence of value iteration algorithm

Markov decision process (MDP) is a well-known framework for devising the optimal decision-making strategies under uncertainty. Typically, the decision maker assumes a stationary environment which is characterized by a time-invariant transition probability matrix. However, in many real-world scenarios, this assumption is not justified, thus the optimal strategy might not provide the expected performance. In this paper, we study the performance of the classic value iteration algorithm for solving an MDP problem under nonstationary environments. Specifically, the nonstationary environment is modeled as a sequence of time-variant transition probability matrices governed by an adiabatic evolution inspired from quantum mechanics. We characterize the performance of the value iteration algorithm subject to the rate of change of the underlying environment. The performance is measured in terms of the convergence rate to the optimal average reward. We show two examples of queuing systems that make use of our analysis framework.
Women’s risk and well-being at the intersection of dowry, patriarchy, and conservation: The gendering of human–wildlife conflict:

Drawing on work in feminist political ecologies and employing a grounded theory approach, this article examines the socio-spatial links between the patriarchal tradition of dowry, tigers, and women...
Unified Communication and Control Framework to Improve Building Response in Earthquakes

In this paper, we focuse on mitigating the damage due to a seismic event in a mid-size building using wireless structure control (WSC). We consider the nature of wireless communication channels and integrates it into a structural control system that minimizes the building response to external excitation - earthquake events. The control and communication constraints in terms of delay and channel reliability are analyzed and incorporated into the regulator model, which incorporates both estimator and feedback command. The short packet formulation provides the ability to link latency and channel reliability, i.e. error rates. This error-delay coupling allows us to analyze the performance of the control system for several scenarios and channel variation models. The simulations show that measurement error harmfully impacts the system performances more than delayed measurements. On the other hand, it is demonstrated that delayed control commands have more impact on the structural response than lost command packets.
Progressive dysphagia in a young woman: An atypical presentation and late diagnosis of epidermolysis bullosa.

Introduction: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare and phenotypically heterogeneous group of inherited connective tissue disorders. The most prominent feature is skin that easily blisters or tears from minor physical stress, though injury may extend to the mucous membranes. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and usually present shortly after birth or in early infancy. Though the majority of diagnoses are made in childhood, EB is an uncommonly encountered disease in the pediatric population as a whole, and even more uncommon in the adult population. Case: A 23-year-old female with …
Fisonomías de lo invisible: Raza y nación en la literatura decimonónica española (1808-1843)

espanolDurante el siglo XIX, la idea de raza fue fundamental en el desarrollo del concepto de nacion. Las afinidades significativas y dependencia que vinculan a ambos terminos han oscilado fundamentalmente en la forma en que estas se expresan, mas siempre manteniendo una naturaleza dual: ambos son factores unificadores y ambos funcionan como principios excluyentes. Desde una perspectiva filologica y en un marco estrictamente peninsular, el presente trabajo intenta arrojar luz sobre la naturaleza y manifestacion del constructo raza entre 1808 y 1843, asi como de los vinculos que guarda con el concepto nacion EnglishDuring the 19th century, the idea of race was key in the development of the concept of nation. The semantic and dependence that bind together both concepts have fluctuated in their form of expression but always maintaining a dual nature: both are unifying factors and both work as a principle of exclusion. From a philological perspective and within a peninsular frame of reference, this paper tries to shed light about the nature and manifestation of the construct of race in the first half of the nineteenth century between 1808 and 1843, as well as the ties that keep with the concept of nation
Surgical resection versus stereotactic body radiation therapy in early stage bronchopulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma

BACKGROUND Surgery is the standard of care for early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is another definitive treatment option for those patients who have not been treated surgically. Comparison of approaches is being explored in NSCLC, but has yet to be compared exclusively in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the lung. We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to conduct such a comparison. METHODS We accessed the NCDB for patients with LCNEC who were recorded as having lung stage T1-2N0M0 treated with lobectomy/pneumonectomy or SBRT. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of SBRT. Multivariable Cox regression was used to identify predictors of survival propensity matching and account for indication bias. RESULTS A total of 3209 patients met the criteria, of which 238 (7%) received SBRT. The median SBRT dose was 50 Gy (48-60) in four fractions (3-5). Predictors of SBRT were age >68, T1 disease, and most recent year of treatment. Predictors of survival were younger age, surgical treatment, female sex, and T1 disease. After propensity matching, median survival was 57 months versus 35 months in favor of surgical resection, P < 0.0001. CONCLUSION Surgical resection in comparison to SBRT has improved survival for patients with early stage LCNEC of the lung. SBRT represents a viable treatment alternative for those patients who do not meet the criteria for surgery.
A spatial kernel approach for topology optimization

Abstract This paper introduces a spatial kernel approach for topology optimization. This kernel influences the material distribution in the final design. The resulting spatial variables not only have physical meaning – such as the mass of the part, a stiffness gradient, or a local strengthening; but the spatial variables can also tailor the structural performances – such as the occupant protection – of the resulting design. This means only a few spatial variables are needed to represent a design otherwise described using millions of topology design variables. This ability to restate the problem in terms of the spatial variables unlocks new design schemes. Here we use a few spatial variables to address (i) constrained topology design optimization, (ii) to compute the derivatives of the constraints using numerical finite differences, and (iii) to build metamodels to the topology design optimization results. A significant benefit is therefore that complex design problems can be considered: the mechanics can include highly nonlinear events, while the use of metamodels allows a diversity of design optimization studies. Examples, including a simplified side impact occupant protection problem, are used to demonstrate.
Event Classification in Distribution Networks Using a Quotient Gradient System

The classification of events or sudden changes in power networks versus normal abrupt changes or switching actions is essential to take appropriate maintenance actions that guarantee the quality of power delivery. This issue has increased in importance and complexity with the proliferation of volatile resources that introduce variability, uncertainty, and intermittency in network behavior, observed as variations in voltage and current phasors. This paper proposes using a quotient gradient system (QGS) to train a two-stage partially recurrent neural network to improve event classification rate in power distribution networks using high-fidelity data from micro-phasor measurement units (µPMUs). QGS is a systematic approach to finding solutions of constraint satisfaction problems. We transform the µPMUs data from the power network into a constraint satisfaction problem and use QGS to train a neural network by solving the resulting optimization problem. Simulation results show that the proposed supervised classification method can reliably distinguish between different events in power distribution networks. Comparison with other neural network classifiers shows that QGS trained networks provide significantly better classification. Sensitivity analysis is performed concerning the number of µPMUs, reporting rates, noise level and early versus late data stream fusion frameworks.
Predicting the thermal conductivity enhancement of nanofluids using computational intelligence

Abstract Nanofluids, composed of nanoparticles in base liquids, have drawn increasing attention in heat transfer applications due to their anomalously increased thermal conductivity. Pertinent parameters, including the base liquid thermal conductivity, particle thermal conductivity, particle size, particle volume fraction, and temperature, have been shown to have significant but complex effects on thermal performance of nanofluids, which is commonly characterized by the thermal conductivity enhancement, E%. In this work, machine learning is used to develop the Gaussian process regression model to find statistical correlations between E% and aforementioned physical parameters among various types of nanofluids. Nearly 300 nanofluid samples, dispersions of metal and ceramic nanoparticles in water, ethylene glycol, and transformer oil, are explored for this purpose. The modeling approach demonstrates a high degree of accuracy and stability, contributing to efficient and low-cost estimations of E%.
Climate Change: Economics

There are two sides to the economics of climate change – the economics of the economic damages, risks, and opportunities associated with the impacts of climate and the economics of the benefits and costs of mitigation. The benefits of mitigation are generally estimated as net damages that can be avoided or delayed by actions designed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases of all kinds. All of these calculations are uncertain given our inability to understand fully the science of, to comprehend fully the links between global change and local impacts, to translate rigorously impacts into economic consequences that account adequately for adaptation, and the necessity to look many decades into the future. This article reports briefly in successive sections on the economic costs associated with climate change and the economic costs of mitigation, and it concludes with some coverage of caveats and open research questions as of the fall of 2013.
Structural Insights on Microwave-Synthesized Antimony-Doped Germanium Nanocrystals

Doped and alloyed germanium nanocrystals (Ge NCs) are potential candidates for a variety of applications such as photovoltaics and near IR detectors. Recently, bismuth (Bi) as an n-type group 15 element was shown to be successfully and kinetically doped into Ge NCs through a microwave-assisted solution-based synthesis, although Bi is thermodynamically insoluble in bulk crystalline Ge. To expand the composition manipulation of Ge NCs, another more common n-type group 15 element for semiconductors, antimony (Sb), is investigated. Oleylamine (OAm)- and OAm/trioctylphosphine (TOP)-capped Sb-doped Ge NCs have been synthesized by the microwave-assisted solution reaction of GeI2 with SbI3. Passivating the Ge surface with a binary ligand system of OAm/TOP results in formation of consistently larger NCs compared to OAm alone. The TOP coordination on the Ge surface is confirmed by 31P NMR and SEM-EDS. The lattice parameter of Ge NCs increases with increasing Sb concentration (0.00-2.0 mol %), consistent with incorporation of Sb. An increase in the NC diameter with higher content of SbI3 in the reaction is shown by TEM. XPS and EDS confirm the presence of Sb before and after removal of surface ligands with hydrazine and recapping the Ge NC surface with dodecanethiol (DDT). EXAFS analysis suggests that Sb resides within the NCs on highly distorted sites next to a Ge vacancy as well as on the crystallite surface. High Urbach energies obtained from photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) of the films prepared from pristine Ge NC and Sb-doped Ge NCs indicate high levels of disorder, in agreement with EXAFS data. Electrical measurements on TiO2-NC electron- and hole-only devices show an increase in hole conduction, suggesting that the Sb-vacancy defects are behaving as a p-type dopant in the Ge NCs, consistent with the vacancy model derived from the EXAFS results.
Leveraging the alignment between machine learning and intersectionality: Using word embeddings to measure intersectional experiences of the nineteenth century U.S. South

Abstract Machine learning is a rapidly growing research paradigm. Despite its foundationally inductive mathematical assumptions, machine learning is currently developing alongside traditionally deductive inferential statistics but largely orthogonally to inductive, qualitative, cultural, and intersectional research—to its detriment. I argue that we can better realize the full potential of machine learning by leveraging the epistemological alignment between machine learning and inductive research. I empirically demonstrate this alignment through a word embedding model of first-person narratives of the nineteenth-century U.S. South. Situating social categories in relation to social institutions via an inductive computational analysis, I find that the cultural and economic spheres discursively distinguished by race in these narratives, the domestic sphere distinguished by gender, and Black men were afforded more discursive authority compared to white women. Even in a corpus over-representing abolitionist sentiment, I find white identities were afforded a status via culture not allowed Black identities.
Observed Mitigation of Local Amorphization in Boron-Rich Boron Carbide

Boron carbide is extremely hard but has been shown to undergo stress-induced amorphization when subjected to large nonhydrostatic stresses. This localized amorphization has been associated with the sudden loss of shear strength and poor ballistic performance. Recent quantum mechanics predictions suggest that boron-enrichment may be used to mitigate amorphization in boron carbide. As a means to test this hypothesis, stoichiometric boron carbide (nominally B4C) and a novel composition of B-rich boron carbide (nominally B6.3C) were investigated. Nanoindentation followed by Raman spectroscopy revealed an obvious reduction in the Raman peaks associated with amorphization in the B-rich material. Transmission electron microscopy observations of the region below the nanoindents facilitated direct observation of amorphization, confirmed the Raman result that amorphization is reduced in the B-rich specimens, and provided additional insight into deformation mechanisms. It is concluded that boron-rich alloys offer one path to mitigating local amorphization in boron carbide.
Walking while Parasitized: Effects of a Naturally-Occurring Nematode on Locomotor Activity of Horned Passalus Beetles

Internal parasites typically are associated with a range of negative effects on their hosts, including reduced energy, which can manifest in behavioral alterations. With this in mind, we examined effects of a naturally-occurring nematode parasite, Chondronema passali, on locomotor activity level in horned passalus beetles, Odontotaenius disjunctus from Georgia, USA. This parasite is not well-studied but can number in the thousands in severely parasitized hosts. Prior study in our lab revealed that parasitized beetles actually consume more wood than unparasitized ones do, leading us to ask here, if parasitized beetles are also more physically active. Beetles were collected from nearby forests and housed individually in our lab. We created a simple tabletop arena to observe beetle locomotor activity, which was gridded and included small stones and paper objects. We allowed individual beetles to traverse the arena for 5 min and recorded the number of grid squares crossed. Then, beetles were dissected to determine parasite presence and level of infection (on a categorical scale). A total of 140 beetles were examined across three collections. Statistical analyses of locomotor activity revealed parasite severity predicted locomotor activity, but paradoxically, lightly-infected beetles were twice as active as those without this nematode. Activity diminished with increasing worm burdens thereafter, but even the group with the most severe burdens did not move less than those with no worms. From these results we conclude that this parasite does not result in overall reduction in activity, but rather it appears to come with heightened locomotion. Alternatively, this result could stem from the fact that more active beetles are simply more likely to contract the parasite.
Multi-Sensor Eye-Tracking Systems and Tools for Capturing Student Attention and Understanding Engagement in Learning: A Review

Dramatic advances in the design and deployment of sensors, edge communication and computing in recent years have enabled a significant shift and evolution in education. Pervasive learning in various learning environments, including face-to-face classrooms, online learning, virtual learning, and hybrid learning, is becoming our dominant learning paradigm for students who expect highly flexible and efficient options for studying at their own time, place, and pace. Especially, in our post-pandemic present, online learning will continue to gain in importance as a significant available and required learning component. This article provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art systems and studies for assisting student learning and attempting to capture student attention and engagement in many different ways. It focuses on sensors and hardware, ranging from commercial multi-sensor eye-tracking devices to open-source, low-cost systems. We also explore and present system infrastructure, data features, data processing techniques, tools and software, and key technologies that are useful for enhancing many student learning environments. Additionally, the advantages, use cases, features, and limitations of different systems and techniques are explored and contrasted, where the results of our comparative analysis are summarized in tables for readers. This review article could assist both teachers and researchers to have a better understanding of current sensors, multi-sensor systems, and related technologies for capturing student attention and understanding their performance. It can also be applied to providing practical information for novel system design, promoting ongoing research studies, and fostering sensing and technology innovations for smart education.
Smooth versus Textured Implant Breast Reconstruction: Patient-Reported Outcomes and Complications.

Background The association between textured surface breast implants and breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma has led to an increase in surgical procedures to exchange textured devices to smooth surface implants. Because patient satisfaction is an integral part of breast reconstruction, the purpose of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes between smooth and textured implant recipients. Methods Patients aged 18 years or older who underwent implant-based postmastectomy breast reconstruction with either smooth or textured devices from 2009 to 2017 and completed the BREAST-Q patient-reported outcome measure following reconstruction were included in this analysis. The primary outcomes of interest were mean and median BREAST-Q scores and postoperative complications. Results Overall, 1077 patients were included-785 who underwent breast reconstruction with smooth implants and 292 who underwent breast reconstruction with textured implants. No statistical differences were observed between the textured and smooth implant groups for any of the BREAST-Q domain scores at any of the early (3-month) to late (2-year) postoperative time points. Smooth implant recipients reported significantly more rippling (p = 0.003) than textured implant recipients. In contrast, textured implant recipients had a higher rate of cellulitis than smooth implant recipients (p = 0.016). Conclusions These data suggest that postoperative satisfaction with breasts or health-related quality of life following immediate postmastectomy implant-based breast reconstruction is likely independent of implant surface type. However, smooth breast implants may result in more rippling. The authors' findings represent an important aid in counseling patients who have questions about the risks and benefits of replacing their textured implants with smooth surface devices. Clinical question/level of evidence Therapeutic, III.
Quantification of gold nanoparticle photon radiosensitization from direct and indirect effects using a complete human genome single cell model based on Geant4

PURPOSE To investigate the radiosensitization properties of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and better understand the intricate deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage induction mechanisms involved in GNP-aided radiotherapy, a single cell model with complete human genome based on the Geant4 Monte Carlo toolkit was applied. MATERIALS AND METHODS A Geant4-DNA model was implemented to simulate direct and indirect DNA damage generated in the physical and chemical stages. In the physical stage, a mixed-physics approach was taken by using Geant4-DNA in water and Livermore in gold. Water radiolysis was created posteriorly in the physicochemical and chemical stages to simulate indirect damage from reactions between DNA molecules and OH• radicals. A mono-energetic photon beam (100 keV) and two clinical photon sources (250-kVp, 6-MV flattening-filter free) were simulated for modeling the irradiation of a single cell with or without GNPs. In order to study the effects of GNP size on radiosensitization, 15, 30, and 100 nm GNPs were simulated. The effects of intracellular distribution were simulated using 90-nm GNPs with different characteristics of distribution within the cell. The time dependence of DNA damage enhancement was also studied with chemistry stage simulation end-time no larger than 10 ns. RESULTS Double strand break (DSB) enhancement due to direct and indirect action was quantified under different scenarios. Under realistic cellular uptake condition, the 100-nm GNPs had the most significant increase in DSBs: 40.9% and 28.5% for 100 keV and 250-kVp photon irradiation, respectively. The intracellular localization showed differing levels of radiosensitization with a maximum of 64%, 27%, and 6% DSB enhancements for 100 keV, 250-kVp, and 6-MV respectively, when 90-nm GNPs congregate around the nucleus. CONCLUSION The results indicate that photon energy, GNP size, and intracellular distribution play an important role in the enhancement of DSB from direct and indirect damage under scenarios close to cell experiments. The radiosensitization effects due to indirect damage are significant and should be considered carefully.
Mental Health Needs for Students Enrolled in Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs

As students with intellectual disabilities (SWID) are increasingly attending inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs, their specific needs and barriers to success must be assessed and addressed. Additionally, mental health (MH) conditions are common in college age students, this remains true for SWID enrolled in IPSE programs. This study surveyed 33 IPSE program directors nationwide regarding the MH needs of SWID enrolled in their programs. Survey results concluded that the majority of IPSE program directors reported having experienced students having MH concerns while enrolled in an IPSE program. The most frequently observed MH concerns were noted to be anxiety and depression. Barriers to MH services for SWID in IPSE programs included lack of competent MH professionals on campus, long wait times, and IPSE students not being eligible for campus-based MH services.
Collecting duct carcinoma: A single-institution retrospective study.

Abstract Purpose Collecting duct carcinoma is a rare pathologic entity with a paucity of clinical data in the literature. We aim to evaluate our institutional experience with the management of this disease. Materials and methods All renal tumors in the Mayo Clinic Nephrectomy Registry were re-reviewed retrospectively by an expert urologic pathologist. Cases of collecting duct carcinoma were identified. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize these cases. Overall survival and metastases-free survival were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methodology. Results Between 1970 and 2018, a total of 21 cases were identified with an incidence of 0.2%. Cases were seen predominantly in men (N = 17, 81%) with a median age at diagnosis of 57 years old. At the time of nephrectomy, high grade disease (grade 3 or 4) was noted in the majority of patients (90%). The median times to local recurrence and distant metastases were 5.6 and 5.1 months, respectively. Median overall survival occurred at 1.5 years. Median distant metastases-free survival among M0 patients occurred at 0.5 years. Four patients with localized disease and small tumor size who underwent nephrectomy lived longer than 10 years. No systemic therapies achieved a durable response in the metastatic setting. Conclusion The Mayo Clinic nephrectomy registry contains 21 patients with collecting duct carcinoma over nearly 50 years. Early local recurrence and distant metastases were seen after nephrectomy. However, M0 patients with a small tumor may have long-term benefits from nephrectomy. Neither chemotherapy nor targeted therapy resulted in a durable response in the metastatic setting.
Analysis of Nununiform Columns and Beams by a Simple D.C. Network Analyzer

The analysis of beams, columns, and beam-columns whose flexural rigidities and/or lateral loadings are arbitrary functions of position can be solved with the aid of a simple electrical network analyzer. In the case of the column, the lowest critical load can be determined with considerable accuracy. The electrical network is of ladder configuration, with displacement represented by node-pair voltages and moments by currents. The column problem requires the use of a number of "negative resistors," which are simulated by subnetworks of positive resistors and adjustable voltage sources. Problems are discussed which illustrate the application of the analyzer. In the case of a column with a single abrupt transition in rigidity, the value of the critical load is determined to within 0.5 per cent of the analytically calculated value.
Postulating Compartmental Models Using a Flexible Approach

Abstract In this work an optimization framework is presented to support the model builder in postulating compartmental models that plausibly describe data that is obtained during experimentation. In the proposed approach, one specifies a priori the maximum number of compartments and the type of flows (e.g., zero order, first order, second order rate flows) to contemplate. With this input, the mathematical model follows a “flexible” approach, which inherently considers all feasible flows between any pair of compartments. The model activates those flows/compartments that provide the optimal fit for a given set of experimental data. A regularized log-likelihood function is formulated as performance metric in order to handle parameter over-fitting. To deal with the resulting set of differential equations orthogonal collocation on finite elements is employed. A case study related to the pharmacokinetics of an oncological agent is reported to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of the proposed approach. Numerical results show that the proposed approach can provide 33 % smaller mean prediction errors in comparison with a compartmental model previously suggested in the literature that employs a larger number of parameters.
The Battle of Manila

THE ICEMAN BROUGHT ME to that day, woke me, I mean. He usu ally brought me two, but this day he didn't bring me nothing, just woke me where I sat on the porch having my dream when he knocked on the rail and said, "Afternoon, Mrs. Dance, I come to collect." I lifted one eye at him, hardly able to see him at all in the glare of his white uniform and the sunlight shuddering in and out of the foxtails in the yard and the heat baking down in waves underneath the tin roof. I asked him what I owed. "Two dollars thirty-five, same as ever, Mrs. Dance." "You're robbing me same as ever," I say, but I got up and went in the house, that dog sniffing at my heels and got my coin purse off the piano where I always keep it between all the pictures and took it back out. "The ice melts too fast in this heat," I say. "Maybe you better bring me an extra cake. I need some for the icebox and some to cool off."
Simplified Method for Testing Mutagens in Saccharomyces

Pretreatment of yeast auxotrophs with mutagen on complete medium stimulates the reversion frequency.
Distressed Financial Institutions in Thailand: Structural Weaknesses, Support Operations and Economic Consequences

The Thai financial system faced a crisis in 1983. Weak managerial practices and an inadequate legal and regulatory framework were associated with a gradual deterioration in many financial institutions` balance sheets; these weaknesses were brought to the fore by a sharp economic downturn in the first half of the 1980s. The Thai authorities took a number of measures to maintain stability in the financial system and to restructure insolvent financial institutions, including a substantial strengthening in the legal and regulatory framework. The crisis has impacted on the government budget deficit and caused shifts in the demand for financial aggregates and the supply of reserve money.
Revisiting the September asthma epidemic

Background: September asthma epidemic has been well documented. Whether a similar pattern of asthma exacerbation is observed in children returning to school from winter and spring break is unknown. Objective: To assess whether the September asthma epidemic occurs in Olmsted County, Minnesota and determine whether similar asthma epidemics occur after winter and spring break. Methods: The study included all asthmatic children ages 5-18 who had received medical care at our institution as of March 12, 2008 (n=3092). Asthma status was defined by physician diagnosis in the medical records. We compared the frequency of all asthma-related hospitalizations, ED visits, outpatient visits, and corticosteroid therapies for acute asthma symptoms between August and September of 2008 and 2009. Similarly we compared the frequency of all asthma-related visits or treatments between during and after spring break and between during and after winter break. Results: The frequency of asthma-related visits and treatments in September of 2008 and 2009 was 2.1% per person-month, which was significantly greater than that in August of 2008 and 2009 (1.1% per person-month) (p=0.003). Similarly, the frequency of asthma-related visits and therapies during the period after spring break of 2008 and 2009 (1.89% per person-month) tended to be greater than that during spring break (0.75% per person-month) (p = 0.063). There was no difference in asthma-related visits or therapies during and after winter break (p=0.59). Conclusions: The September asthma epidemic does occur in our study setting, but this may not be a September-specific concern. Clinicians should consider a step-up therapy and reinforce medication compliance for asthma exacerbation-prone children returning to school.
Perchloroethylene-induced nephrotoxicity in dry-cleaning workers: is there a role for free radicals?

A recent study demonstrates that dry-cleaners chronic- significant increase in a number of parameters (urinary ally exposed to perchloroethylene (PCE) show clear excretion of proteins, laminin fragments, glycosaminoevidence for renal damage [1]. PCE is a synthetic glycan, and tubular epithelial brush-border antigen) halogenated hydrocarbon. It is used extensively for indicative of PCE-induced early renal damage. The dry cleaning fabrics and for metal-degreasing opera- authors concluded that long-term monitoring is tions. PCE enters the environment when it is released required in PCE-exposed individuals for the possible to the air during handling or into the surface water development of chronic renal disease. during waste disposal. PCE has been found in at least half of the waste sites identified as hazardous by the US Environmental Protection Agency [2]. It is estim- Animal studies ated that more than 650 000 US workers may be exposed to PCE. A number of human and animal Rats exposed to 470 p.p.m. for 150 days showed studies suggest that PCE might induce a variety of increase in kidney weight and evidence for tubular cell toxic biological eVects. To prevent the toxic eVects of injury in the form of cell swelling and shedding [6 ]. PCE on workers, the US Occupational Safety and The tubular cell shedding in this animal model may be Health Administration has set limit on the amount of the severe form of what Mutti et al. [1] reported in exposure, which is 100 p.p.m. for an 8-h workday over human, i.e., ‘shedding of tubular epithelial membrane a 40-h workweek [2]. This article will review some of components’. Hayes et al. [7] examined the toxicity of the studies pertaining to the toxic eVects of PCE on PCE in the rats by administering it in their drinking the kidney and examine the evidence for a role for free water. PCE-contamination of the surface water occurs radicals in the pathogenesis of such injury. and contaminated drinking water can be a source for PCE exposure. Rats exposed to 400 and 1400 mg PCE per kg, but not 14 mg per kg, showed evidence for
Gene conversion, linkage, and the evolution of repeated genes dispersed among multiple chromosomes.

The evolution of the probabilities of genetic identity within and between the loci of a multigene family dispersed among multiple chromosomes is investigated. Unbiased gene conversion, equal crossing over, random genetic drift, and mutation to new alleles are incorporated. Generations are discrete and nonoverlapping; the diploid, monoecious population mates at random. The linkage map is arbitrary, but the same for every chromosome; the dependence of the probabilities of identity on the location on each chromosome is formulated exactly. The greatest of the rates of gene conversion, random drift, and mutation is epsilon much less than 1. Under the assumption of loose linkage (i.e., all the crossover rates greatly exceed epsilon, though they may still be much less than 1/2), explicit approximations are obtained for the equilibrium values of the probabilities of identity and of the linkage of disequilibria. The probabilities of identity are of order one [i.e., O(1)] and do not depend on location; the linkage disequilibria are of O(epsilon) and, within each chromosome, depend on location through the crossover rates. It is demonstrated also that the ultimate rate and pattern of convergence to equilibrium are close to that of a much simpler, location-independent model. If intrachromosomal conversion is absent, the above results hold even without the assumption of loose linkage. In all cases, the relative errors are of O(epsilon). Even if the conversion rate between genes on nonhomologous chromosomes is considerably less than between genes on the same chromosome or homologous chromosomes, the probabilities of identity between the former genes are still almost as high as those between the latter, and the rate of convergence is still not much less than with equal conversion rates. If the crossover rates are much less than 1/2, then most of the linkage disequilibrium is due to intrachromosomal conversion. If linkage is loose, the reduction of the linkage disequilibria to O(epsilon) requires only O(-ln epsilon) generations.
Microwave-Detected Photoconductivity-Transient Spectroscopy For Non-Destructive Evaluation Of Gaas Wafers

A coincident CW microwave beam and pulsed optical beam have been used to observe recom-bination and trapping mechanisms in semiconductor wafers. A GaAs laser (904nm), AlGaAs laser (850nm) and xenon flash lamp (spectral peak at 550nm) have been used to generate mobile carriers throughout GaAs wafers by excitation from impurity levels, to generate electron-hole pairs within a micron of the surface by band-to-band generation and to generate electron-hole pairs within one-tenth micron of the surface respectively. By observing the peak amplitude of the photoresponse and the transient decay, information about deep levels in semi-insulating (S.I.) GaAs wafers and doped channel layers (as well as surface recombination levels) can be obtained. Results are presented on undoped liquid encapsulated Czochralski (LEC) wafers, with and without implanted channels from many vendors. Less extensive comparisons with chromium-doped LEC wafers with epitaxially-grown channels, chromium-doped LEC wafers and undoped horizontal gradient freeze (HGF) S.I. wafers are presented, along with initial wafer mapping and variable temperature results on S.I. wafers with GaAs laser excitation.
Influence of self-titration on the relationship between ethanol dose and chronic tissue toxicities: Theoretical considerations

Abstract Ethanol “titration” is offered as a possible explanation for the poor correlation of typical quantity-frequency measures of alcohol consumption with the extent of neuropsychological and other performance deficits in detoxified alcoholics. This view asserts that there are large variations in the susceptibility of individuals to alcohol toxicities and that individual alcoholics may regulate their ethanol consumption in accordance with their individual susceptibility, such that usual doses and their effects fall within personally acceptable limits. Thus, the dose chosen for chronic administration is determined, in part, by the biological impact of the ethanol ingested during drinking episodes. Owing to individual differences in susceptibilities to toxic effects, this titration behavior may result in a situation in which two- or even threefold differences in alcohol intake are associated with the same levels of toxicity or performance deficits in a group of alcoholics. Under these conditions, a graded dose-response relationship cannot be expected.
Brazil, ethanol and the process of system change

Description et analyse des evenements, des motivations et des forces qui ont conduit a l'introduction de l'ethanol au Bresil. Experience du Bresil dans la resolution des problemes technologiques, institutionnels et economiques de l'introduction de l'ethanol comme carburant de remplacement
New uses of the laser in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery.

Lasers have been accepted in general thoracic surgery as resectional tools which allow precise hemostasis and maximal salvage of normal lung tissue. Used endoscopically, with or without associated photodynamic therapy, we have provided acceptable palliation in some patients with obstructing tumors of the tracheobronchial tree and esophagus. Cardiovascular uses of the laser have been under extensive investigation at our medical center for many years. We have demonstrated that laser-assisted anastomosis of small vessels is possible, that early tensile strength and patency are excellent, but that long-term aneurysm formation is excessive. In addition, CO2 laser injury of the arterial intima leads to a marked increase in atheromata formation in animal models of atherosclerosis; this may be eliminated with the excimer laser. We have begun using the excimer laser to open obstructed peripheral and coronary arteries. New technology is emerging which allows dual fiber catheters which allow identification of tissue in an artery,ie calcium, atheromata, clot, media, etc. and instantaneous computer sensing/integration which initiates “fire” or “no fire” signals in the enclosed laser system, thus decreasing the chance of vessel perforation. These technologies, in association with balloon angioplasty, intravascular stents, and atherectomy devices are offering exciting alternate therapy for patients with obstructing atherosclerosis.