cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Living With Spina Bifida: A Historical Perspective

On October 11, 1983, “Baby Jane Doe” was born in Port Jefferson, NY, and diagnosed with hydrocephalus and myelomeningocele, the most common and serious form of spina bifida. Doctors advised her parents that she would die without surgery. With surgery, she would live from 2 to 20 years, paralyzed, bedridden, incontinent, and severely “retarded.” Based on this information, the parents declined treatment. Baby Jane survived however, to become a self-fulfilling prophecy; because she was predicted to have brain damage, surgery was withheld, resulting in damaging infections that might have been avoided with early aggressive treatment. Subsequent litigation and media coverage concerning Baby Jane Doe focused on the issue of “quality of life.” (The story of Baby Jane Doe is recounted in many places. See, for example refs 1 and 2.) Before 1960, the survival rate for all forms of spina bifida was 10% to 12%.3 Surgeons typically postponed treatment until age 2, believing that only the strongest would survive that long.4,5 Before the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s, most infants with myelomeningocele succumbed to meningitis. Hydrocephalus also contributed to mortality; the development of shunts in the late 1950s thus revolutionized treatment of myelomeningocele.6 Those who survived meningitis and hydrocephalus faced renal complications. In the 1960s, procedures for urinary diversion were developed to preserve renal function and allow children to gain social continence.7 By the mid-1960s, improvements in treatment produced higher survival rates and lesser degrees of disability. In 1967, W.J.W. Sharrard, Robert Zachary, and John Lorber, pediatric surgeons at Children’s Hospital, Sheffield, UK, reviewed the cases of 526 children born between 1955 and 1962 and treated for myelomeningocele. They concluded that there was “no place for the selection of patients for conservative treatment rather than operative … Address correspondence to Lisa J. Pruitt, PhD, Campus Box 23, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132. E-mail: lisa.pruitt{at}mtsu.edu
Mild polycythemia associated with compulsive disorder in dogs1

Canine compulsive disorder (CD) is a condition in which dogs display repetitive, exaggerated, or sustained behavior out of original context. It is believed to occur in dogs subjected to stressful situations resulting in conflict or frustration (Hewson and Luescher., 1996). Among 63 dogs that were diagnosed with CD, 24% of the CD dogs were observed to have hematocrit values higher than the clinical pathology laboratory's reference range. The average CD dog's hematocrit (51%) was significantly higher than the normal average hematocrit (46%) from the reference range. The facts led us to construct two hypotheses to explain why dogs with CD had relatively high hematocrit values and almost one quarter of the CD dog population in the study had polycythemia. The first hypothesis is the stress hypothesis, which states that stress, conflict, and frustration lead to epinephrine secretion and compulsive behavior, with subsequent splenic contraction resulting in polycythemia. The second is the primary polycythemia hypothesis, which states that polycythemia results from primary pathologic processes such as cardiovascular disease or elevation of erythropoietin resulting from kidney problems, including neoplasia or bone marrow disease. The study found that a large proportion of CD dogs observed had a mild elevation in hematocrit. This finding warrants further investigation to determine if it is a cause or an effect of CD in dogs.
Looking outwards: extending services to departmental labs

Many academic departments have their own computer labs or classrooms to meet their specific needs. The computers in the centrally managed facilities are highly reliable, secure, and standardized. The ones in the individual departments vary widely. As the complexity of maintaining a networked computer facility has increased, the success of such ad hoc management has often fallen short. We completed a thorough analysis of what it takes in terms of software, infrastructure, and support staff time to run a computer lab. Given this analysis we have had the confidence to actively pursue opportunities to work with departments on campus. We can provide a better environment for the users while ultimately saving the departments' resources by leveraging our existing infrastructure, expertise, and buying power. By the Fall 2005, we will be maintaining 17 departmental labs or clusters, and our growth is sustainable. This same model will work well for other schools looking to centralize support of their computer facilities.
Away-from-Home Family Dinner Sources and Associations with Weight Status, Body Composition, and Related Biomarkers of Chronic Disease among Adolescents and Their Parents

Information regarding associations between types of away-from-home family meal sources and obesity and other chronic diseases could help guide dietetics practitioners. The present study describes the purchase frequency of away-from-home food sources for family dinner (fast food, other restaurant purchases, home delivery, and takeout foods) and associations with weight status and percent body fat among adolescents (n=723) and parents (n=723) and related biomarkers of chronic disease among adolescents (n=367). A cross-sectional study design was used with baseline parent surveys and anthropometry/fasting blood samples from two community-based obesity studies (2006-2008) in Minnesota. Logistic regression and general linear modeling assessed associations between frequency of family dinner sources (weekly vs none in past week) and outcomes (parent and adolescent overweight/obesity and percent body fat; adolescent metabolic risk cluster z score, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, fasting glucose, insulin, and systolic blood pressure. Models accounted for clustering and adjusted for study allocation, baseline meal frequency, and demographic characteristics. The odds of overweight/obesity were considerably greater when families reported at least one away-from-home dinner purchase in the past week (odds ratio=1.2 to 2.6). Mean percent body fat, metabolic risk cluster z scores, and insulin levels were significantly greater with weekly purchases of family dinner from fast-food restaurants (P<0.05). Mean percent body fat, metabolic risk cluster z scores, and high-density lipoprotein levels were significantly higher for families who purchased weekly family dinner from takeout sources (P<0.05). Although frequent family dinners may be beneficial for adolescents, the source of dinners is likely as important in maintaining a healthy weight. Interventions should focus on encouragement of healthful family meals.
Who is the advanced practice nurse

Challenges and opportunities for Advanced Practice Nurses are explored during the paradigm shift in health care. Role development is presented from a historical perspective, and current role activities are discussed related to accountabilities for care management. Advanced Practice Nurses with practitioner skills of care management coupled with a nursing framework for practice can deliver cost-effective primary care in a variety of settings.
Deep Neural Language Models for Machine Translation

Neural language models (NLMs) have been able to improve machine translation (MT) thanks to their ability to generalize well to long contexts. Despite recent successes of deep neural networks in speech and vision, the general practice in MT is to incorporate NLMs with only one or two hidden layers and there have not been clear results on whether having more layers helps. In this paper, we demonstrate that deep NLMs with three or four layers outperform those with fewer layers in terms of both the perplexity and the translation quality. We combine various techniques to successfully train deep NLMs that jointly condition on both the source and target contexts. When reranking nbest lists of a strong web-forum baseline, our deep models yield an average boost of 0.5 TER / 0.5 BLEU points compared to using a shallow NLM. Additionally, we adapt our models to a new sms-chat domain and obtain a similar gain of 1.0 TER / 0.5 BLEU points. 1
Something and Nothing: On the Psychopolitics of Breasts and Breastlessness

ABSTRACTThis article explores the social pressure to reconstruct the postmastectomy body. Relying on psychoanalytic and social theory, as well as personal experience, I observe that fetishism characterizes the prevailing discourse of breast reconstruction. I consider whether the urge to reconstruct the breast can be traced to a regressive desire to restore the first object. I also propose that breast reconstruction is recruited to resolve the gender anxiety that a postmastectomy woman’s absent breast(s) provoke. Although the recipient of breast augmentation is frequently pathologized, it is the woman who “refuses” reconstructive surgery who is often viewed as abnormal. Following Louise Kaplan’s (2000) definition of fetishistic strategy as the use of a vivid foreground to obscure a threatening background, reconstructed breasts can supply a vivid foreground that serves not only to attenuate the threat to life that cancer poses but also to obscure the challenge to normative gender constructions that visibly ...
Tobacco Mosaic Virus Delivery of Phenanthriplatin for Cancer therapy

Phenanthriplatin, cis-[Pt(NH3)2Cl(phenanthridine)](NO3), is a cationic monofunctional DNA-binding platinum(II) anticancer drug candidate with unusual potency and cellular response profiles. Its in vivo efficacy has not yet been demonstrated, highlighting the need for a delivery system. Here we report tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a delivery system for phenanthriplatin. TMV forms hollow nanotubes with a polyanionic interior surface; capitalizing on this native structure, we developed a one-step phenanthriplatin loading protocol. Phenanthriplatin release from the carrier is induced in acidic environments. This delivery system, designated PhenPt-TMV, exhibits matched efficacy in a cancer cell panel compared to free phenanthriplatin. In vivo tumor delivery and efficacy were confirmed by using a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer. Tumors treated with PhenPt-TMV were 4× smaller than tumors treated with free phenanthriplatin or cisplatin, owing to increased accumulation of phenanthriplatin within the tumor tissue. The biology-derived TMV delivery system may facilitate translation of phenanthriplatin into the clinic.
Studies of Oncogenicity of Adenovirus Type 7 Viruses in Hamsters.

SummaryAll of 3 strains of type 7 ade-novirus isolated in primary human embryonic kidney cell cultures from respiratory secretions of human subjects with acute respiratory illness proved oncogenic for newborn hamsters. The type 7 viruses were isolated and propagated in human embryonic cell cultures and were free of extraneous agents. Detailed information relative to the virology, oncology, pathology and immunology of the type 7 adenovirus-hamster tumor system is presented. The tumors appeared after a long latent period, were highly malignant, were readily transplantable and were free of detectable infectious virus. The cells in most of the tumors were sufficiently differentiated to permit a pathologic diagnosis of malignant lymphoma, or lymphosarcoma when evidence of invasiveness was present. A majority of tumors induced by the virus presented a specific complement-fixing antigen which reacted with sera from hamsters bearing homologous tumor.The authors are indebted to T. Beddow, W. Clark, P. Gosnell, B. ...
Ceremonies of Reconciliation: Paule Marshall's The Chosen Place, The Timeless People

Paule Marshall's novel, The Chosen Place, The Timeless People (published in 1969 and reprinted in 1984), illustrates for the nineties, as it did for the late sixties, the contemporary results of historical interactions between African, European, and American cultures. Set in the post-colonial period, it foregrounds a clash in cultural values which occurs when an American group arrives on a small Caribbean island to do research for a development project. Armed with all the correct social science theory and the best of liberal intentions, the American team must confront a people seemingly stuck in the past and unconcerned about having botched all previous development schemes. Neither the educated islanders, technology, nor outsiders have been able to overcome the cultural gap that separates the poor people of Bournehills from the modem world. The novel depicts the crippling legacy of economic exploitation and slavery that threatens to defeat everyone involved except Merle, a troubled but very strong island woman who sets off for Africa at the end to reclaim a portion of her past. The themes of Marshall's second novel typify both a late-sixties social consciousness and the writer's personal commitment to making connections with the past and creating a new social order. But beyond the obvious portrayal of imperialism and racism lies a complex treatment of suffering, guilt and personal empowerment that makes this novel interesting, not only because the issues have enduring relevance, but also because of current debates about multicultural curricula, intellectual traditions, and the canon. When Merle leaves Bournehills at the end for a trip to Africa, she might be seen as turning her back finally and completely on Western culture to seek her roots and embrace African values. This is not, however, an English language version of negritude. The myths and rituals that dominate this narrative and ultimately influence her choices have more in common with Western views of individualism and Judeo-Christian notions of guilt and personal responsibility than they do with the African fatalism expressed at the beginning.
Aniline as a Cationic and Aromatic Contaminant in PEMFCs

Aniline as a possible contaminant in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has been studied by several ex-situ techniques. The aniline isotherm for MEA shows more affinity to ion-exchange with the PEM than other monovalent such as sodium and ammonium ions, thus indicating stronger performance loss at the same concentration. The results of cyclic voltammetry (CV) of Pt/C show the loss of electrochemical surface area (ECSA) by with the addition of aniline in the electrolyte. The appearance of unknown peaks in CV may indicate the production of polyaniline (PANI) film which appears to grow with the number of CV tests. These studies indicate that the use of balance of plant components that leach aniline should be avoided since its presence appears to decrease the electrochemical activity of the electrode for the oxygen reduction reaction. Further studies on aniline with in-situ experiment may not be warranted.
LONG-TERM MORTALITY FOLLOWING PERIOPERATIVE MYOCARDIAL INJURY IS INDEPENDENT OF MECHANISM OF TROPONIN ELEVATION

Perioperative myocardial injury detected by cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is associated with increased mortality. The mechanisms underlying perioperative cTnT elevation have however not been well described. Whether long-term mortality differs by mechanism is unknown. All patients who underwent
On challenges to the socialism with Chinese characteristics issued by globalization and the tactics

Globalization,as one kind of world wide association, has been a tendency that no country could decline. It issues severe challenges to developing China in the fields of economy,politics and culture in the course of the socialist construction with Chinese characteristics. China can handle the challenges completely. The Communist Party of China and the whole Chinese led by the Party are the subject condition, reform and opening to the outside world is the mechanical condition,and the market economic system of socialism is the medium condition.On the base of these conditions,improving productivity and advancing productive forces,keeping to and perfecting social democratic system to settle the relation between the human rights and the sovereign rights,and implying talent strategy fully are in turn the tactics to manage the challenges in the fields of economy,politics and culture to the socialism with Chinese characteristics issued by the globalization.
High technology in geriatric care.

The demography of aging and the application or withdrawal of technology in the care of the elderly is discussed. A taxonomy of technology and examples of good and useless technology are given. Finally, technology in care of the terminally ill is discussed.
Human papillomavirus in penile squamous cell lesions : a comparison of an isotopic RNA and two commercial nonisotopic DNA in situ hybridization methods

Sensitive isotopic in situ hybridization analysis of 34 paraffin-embedded penile squamous cell lesions for human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, 18, and 31 revealed similar HPV detection rates, HPV-type specificity, and viral distribution patterns to those described in analogous cervical and vulvar lesions. Human papillomavirus was detected in six of six cases of condylomata acuminata (HPV type 6 [n = 4], HPV type 11 [n = 2]), in six of eight cases of squamous cell carcinoma in situ (HPV type 16 [n = 5], HPV type 31 [n = 1]), and in four of 10 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (all were HPV type 16). Interestingly, all 10 cases of penile verrucous carcinoma analyzed were HPV negative. Reevaluation of the HPV-positive penile lesions with two commercial nonisotopic HPV-typing in situ hybridization kits (Pathogene, Enzo, New York, NY; Viratype, Life Technologies, Gaithersburg, Md), revealed positive results for HPV type 6 and/or type 11 in all six cases of condylomata acuminata studied. However, only the Viratype assay detected HPV genome in the high-grade squamous cell lesions, with a relative sensitivity of 70% compared with that of the isotopic assay.
Predictors of 30-day mortality following hip/pelvis fractures

Abstract Introduction With the cost of healthcare in the United States reaching $2.9 trillion in 2013 and expected to increase with a growing geriatric population, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) began publicly reporting 30-day mortality rates so that hospitals and physicians may begin to confront clinical problems and promote high-quality and patient-centered care. Though the 30-day mortality is considered a highly effective tool in measuring hospital performance, little data actually exists that explores the rate and risk factors for trauma-related hip and pelvis fractures. Therefore, in this study, we sought to explore the risk factors associated with 30-day mortality in trauma-related hip and pelvic fractures. Materials and methods Utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database, 341,062 patients undergoing orthopaedic procedures from 2005 to 2013 were identified through a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code search. A second CPT code search identified 24,805 patients who sustained a hip/pelvis fracture. Patient demographics, preoperative comorbidities, operative characteristics and postoperative complications were collected and compared using Chi-squared test, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Preoperative and postoperative risk factors for 30-day mortality following a hip/pelvis fracture were found: ASA classification, ascites, disseminated cancer, dyspnea, functional status, history of congestive heart failure (CHF), history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a recent blood transfusion, and the postoperative complications: pneumonia, myocardial infarction, stroke, and septic shock. Discussion Several preoperative patient risk factors and postoperative complications greatly increased the odds for patient mortality following 30-days after initial surgery. Orthopaedic surgeons can utilize these predictive risk factors to better improve patient care. Level of evidence Retrospective study. Level IV.
Belief-Based Argumentation in Intelligence Analysis and Decision Making

This paper asserts that a multi-perspective viewpoint must be taken in the design of a computational system support capability for decision-making. We offer views from a Decision-Science slant, a Systemic Architectural view, and the need for technological support to realize improvements in analytical rigor. We have been researching and evolving the design of an analysis tool framework exploiting the hybrid concepts of a Belief-based Argumentation and Story-based subsystem. The notion of rigor, defined as a quality measure on the reasoning/analysis process, is one overarching principle of our approach, driven by the need for the associated analysis/decision-support product quality that complex modern problems demand. Our approach to the design of a mixed-initiative analysis tool is highly multidisciplinary and has taken account of an exhaustive review of the relevant literature along each viewpoint.
Business Civilization in Decline

(1977). Business Civilization in Decline. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 685-687.
Lesion generation through ribs without aberration correction using cavitational therapy

Acoustic aberration from bones can cause significant decrease of peak focal pressure and induce the formation of secondary lobes in the focal profile. Thermal tissue ablation techniques require correction mechanisms when bones such as ribs are present in the acoustic window in order to reduce bone overheating and improve treatment accuracy. In this study we investigated the effects of rib obstruction in pulsed cavitational therapy, or histotripsy. To produce tissue fractionation using histotripsy, the initiation of a cavitation bubble cloud is required, which only occurs when the pressure is above a distinct threshold. We hypothesize that histotripsy can generate precise lesions even under aberration from rib bones, as long as the main beam retains its shape and is above the cavitation cloud initiation threshold while secondary lobes are below the threshold. To test this hypothesis, a 750 kHz, spherically focused transducer was used to generate 87 lesions in tissue-mimicking phantoms with and without rib aberration by a polycarbonate rib phantom and porcine rib sections placed between the transducer and its focus. All lesions were created by the application of 8000 pulses with 13–15 MPa peak rarefactional pressure at a pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz. No aberration correction mechanisms were applied. A high-speed camera was used to observe bubble cloud formation and lesion development in the phantoms. Results showed that well-confined lesions were created in all cases, with comparable main lesion sizes and minimal collateral damage observed in lesions generated through the rib aberrators. These results support our hypothesis, suggesting that histotripsy can generate precise lesions through rib obstruction without requiring aberration correction mechanisms.
The Future of Prebiotic Chemistry.

Two recent papers reporting advances in our understanding of how a protometabolism may have developed in a prebiotic world add new meaning to the theme “First Reactions” and highlight the challenges facing synthetic organic chemists attempting to retrodict the origins of life.
Factors associated with palliative care use in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Abstract Background Peritoneal carcinomatosis represents widespread metastatic disease throughout the abdomen and/or pelvis. Cytoreductive surgery/hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) improves the overall survival compared to standard therapy alone. The role palliative care (PC) plays however, remains poorly studied among these patients. Methods Patients who had previously undergone HIPEC and who underwent an inpatient admission from 7/1/2013 to 6/30/2014 were identified to determine which patients were referred for inpatient or outpatient palliative consultation. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with the use of PC. Results Of the 60 patients analyzed, 23 (38.3%) had a PC consultation with a median time to PC referral of 310 (IQR: 151-484 days). Patients who were prescribed opioids (no PC referral versus PC referral: 46.0% versus 91.3%, P versus 87.0%, P versus 39.1%, P = 0.046), and patients dependent on a gastric tube for nutrition (5.4% versus 43.5%, P P Conclusions Approximately one-third of patients were referred to PC following cytoreductive surgery/hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Palliative care referrals were most commonly used for patients with chronic symptoms, which are difficult to manage, especially toward the end of life.
On the Dirichlet and Regularity Problems for the Bi-Laplacian in Lipschitz Domains

Recall that a Lipschitz domain is a domain whose boundary is locally given by graphs of Lipschitz functions. The formulation of, respectively, the Dirichlet and regularity problems for the Laplacian in a Lipschitz domain \(\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^n \) is $$ \begin{array}{*{20}c} {(D_\Delta )_p \left\{ {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {\Delta u = 0} & {{\rm in}\,\Omega ,} \\ \end{array}} \\ {\mathcal{N}u \in L^p (\partial \Omega ),} \\ {u|_{\partial \Omega } = f \in L^p (\partial \Omega ),} \\ \end{array}} \right.} & {(R_\Delta )_p \left\{ {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {\Delta u = 0} & {{\rm in}\,\Omega ,} \\ \end{array}} \\ {\mathcal{N}u \in L^p (\partial \Omega ),} \\ {u|_{\partial \Omega } = f \in L_1^p (\partial \Omega ),} \\ \end{array}} \right.} \\ \end{array} $$ (24.1) .
IGF2BP1 overexpression causes fetal-like hemoglobin expression patterns in cultured human adult erythroblasts

Here we investigated in primary human erythroid tissues a downstream element of the heterochronic let-7 miRNA pathway, the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), for its potential to affect the hemoglobin profiles in human erythroblasts. Comparison of adult bone marrow to fetal liver lysates demonstrated developmental silencing in IGF2BP1. Erythroid-specific overexpression of IGF2BP1 caused a nearly complete and pancellular reversal of the adult pattern of hemoglobin expression toward a more fetal-like phenotype. The reprogramming of hemoglobin expression was achieved at the transcriptional level by increased gamma-globin combined with decreased beta-globin transcripts resulting in gamma-globin rising to 90% of total beta-like mRNA. Delta-globin mRNA was reduced to barely detectable levels. Alpha-globin levels were not significantly changed. Fetal hemoglobin achieved levels of 68.6 ± 3.9% in the IGF2BP1 overexpression samples compared with 5.0 ± 1.8% in donor matched transduction controls. In part, these changes were mediated by reduced protein expression of the transcription factor BCL11A. mRNA stability and polysome studies suggest IGF2BP1 mediates posttranscriptional loss of BCL11A. These results suggest a mechanism for chronoregulation of fetal and adult hemoglobin expression in humans.
Abstract 1837: High Ras activity promotes neoplasia in pancreatic ductal cells

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a highly lethal malignancy and is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Next generation sequencing efforts have revealed KRAS mutations occur in over 99% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and are thought to be the initiating mutation for pancreatic cancer. Despite the high prevalence of KRAS mutations in pancreatic cancer patients, murine models expressing endogenous levels of mutant Kras in pancreatic cells do not develop PDAC. A number of publications have revealed that acinar cells are more sensitive to early neoplastic lesion formation in the presence of Kras mutations than ductal cells. In these models, a second genetic hit (loss of tumor suppressor TP53, SMAD4 or CDKN) is required for the development of invasive PDAC, including transforming pancreatic ductal cells. Recent data has revealed a novel role for high levels of Ras activity in acinar cells in the tranformation of this cell type to PDAC (Ji, B., 2009). We hypothesized based on other preliminary data that high levels of Ras activity would transform ductal cells. To test this hypothesis, we studied the role of constitutively active high levels of Kras activity in acinar and ductal cells by expressing an inducible KrasG12V allele in Ptf1a:CreERT2 (acinar cell specific) and Hnf1b:CreERT2 (ductal cell specific) mice. Similar to previously published work, high levels of Ras activity in acinar cells resulted in PDAC and a remarkably low survival time of 10 days after mice were injected with tamoxifen. Mice with elevated Ras activity in ductal cells needed to be euthanized two weeks after tamoxifen injection and manifested a cancer cachexic phenotype. Histological analysis of these mice revealed high grade oncocytic intraductal neoplasia and the phenotype extended throughout the pancreatobiliary ducts. Western blot analysis of human PDAC and Cholangiocarcinoma tissue revealed similar levels of Ras activity to our murine models, confirming human equivalent high Ras expression to both animal models. Oncocytic tumors are characterized by an abundance of mitochondria. Thus, we are currently studying metabolic alterations and mitochondria accumulation in ductal and acinar cells expressing high Ras activity. Our goal is to determine how mitochondrial alterations play a role in progression or inhibition of tumors in ductal vs acinar cells. Citation Format: Kanchan Singh, Melissa A. Pruski, Wasim A. Dar, Kishore Polireddy, John S. Bynon, Mamoun Younes, Anirban Maitra, Craig D. Logsdon, Jennifer M. Bailey. High Ras activity promotes neoplasia in pancreatic ductal cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1837. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1837
Photovoltaic technology for Navy and Marine Corps applications

Photovoltaic (PV) technology development is dominated by the largest application, utility-scale energy generation. Although military PV applications share some of the same attributes as those for utility-scale PV, the Navy PV technology development is focused on filling the gaps between what exists for utility energy generation and specific military applications. In this paper, we discuss the unique aspects of military PV requirements that lead to development of new PV technology for the Navy and Marine Corps.
Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

Radiation therapy as a viable and major treatment option for liver metastases is a relatively recent development in clinical oncology. The limited role of radiation has largely been due to the availability of surgery and percutaneous thermal ablation therapies, as well as the relative radiosensitivity of the liver. Technological advances in treatment planning and radiation delivery have enabled the safe and effective application of hypofractionated radiation treatments to liver tumors, including patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases. In this chapter, I discuss current clinical practice regarding the management of colorectal cancer liver metastases as well as practical details of treatment planning.
Groups of finite rank

We use the following notation and terminology. All groups are written additively. A group is said to be periodic if all its elements are of finite order. As usual, Z stands for the additive group of the integers. The kernel (image) of a homomorphism f is denoted by Ker f (Im f). If H is a normal subgroup of G we write H ⊲ G.
Developmental precise excision of Oxytricha trifallax telomere-bearing elements and formation of circles closed by a copy of the flanking target duplication.

Abstract The 4.1 kbp TBE1 elements of Oxytricha fallax and Oxytricha trifallax are deduced to transpose into a centrisymmetric target, CAnTG, and to duplicate the central AnT. Despite conserved C(A4C4)2 telomeric repeats at their tips, free TBE1s found during macronuclear development are not linear but 4.1 kbp circles closed on one copy of the AnT target duplication. The macronucleus-destined flanks are rejoined to regenerate the target, effecting efficient and precise somatic reversion of the germline transpositional mutation. A model is presented in which transposase catalyzes concerted precise rejoining of the flanks and cyclization of the excised element.
Masculinity molecule, debunked

Rebecca Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis style their new book, Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography, as a daring push from outside the world of testosterone science, challenging long-held assumptions about the hormone. At the heart of the book is a hope of replacing readers9 beliefs that testosterone is merely biological with a nuanced understanding of how both social interactions and internal physiology affect levels of testosterone and its effects.
A pan-cancer study of class-3 semaphorins as therapeutic targets in cancer

Initially characterized as axon guidance factors, semaphorins also have been implicated to have critical roles in multiple physiological and developmental functions, including the regulation of immune responses, angiogenesis, organ formation, and the etiology of multiple forms of cancer. Moreover, their contribution in immunity and the regulation of tumour microenvironment is becoming increasingly recognized. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of class-3 semaphorins, the only secreted family of genes among veterbrate semaphorins, in terms of their expression profiles and their association with patient survival. We also relate their role with immune subtypes, tumour microenvironment, and drug sensitivity using a pan-cancer study. Expression profiles of class-3 semaphorins (SEMA3s) and their association with patient survival and tumour microenvironment were studied in 31 cancer types using the TCGA pan-cancer data. The expression of SEMA3 family varies in different cancer types with striking inter- and intra- cancer heterogeneity. In general, our results show that SEMA3A, SEMA3C, and SEMA3F are primarily upregulated in cancer cells, while the rest of SEMA3s are mainly down-regulated in the tested tumours. The expression of SEMA3 family members was frequently associated with patient overall survival. However, the direction of the association varied with regards to the particular SEMA3 isoform queried and the specific cancer type tested. More specifically, SEMA3A and SEMA3E primarily associate with a poor prognosis of survival, while SEMA3G typically associates with survival advantage. The rest of SEMA3s show either survival advantage or disadvantage dependent on cancer type. In addition, all SEMA3 genes show significant association with immune infiltrate subtypes, and they also correlate with level of stromal cell infiltration and tumour cell stemness with various degrees. Finally, our study revealed that SEMA3 genes, especially SEMA3C and SEMA3F may contribute to drug induced cancer cell resistance. Our systematic analysis of class-3 semaphorin gene expression and their association with immune infiltrates, tumour microenvironment and cancer patient outcomes highlights the need to study each SEMA3 member as a separate entity within each specific cancer type. Also our study validated the identification of class-3 semaphorin signals as promising therapeutic targets in cancer although further laboratory validation still needed.
The Impact of Medical Scribes on Relative Value Units in a Pediatric Primary Care Practice.

Abstract Objective Our study assessed the impact of adding medical scribes to an academic pediatric primary practice by measuring the relationship between work relative value units (wRVUs) and use of the medical scribe. Methods This is a retrospective comparative study on the effect of medical scribes on average wRVUs per patient encounter. wRVUs were abstracted from procedure codes in the billing system. Results Six clinicians performed 2277 patient visits included in the study over 2 different time periods during 2017 and 2018. The first period was without the use of medical scribes and the second period included scribes. Average clinician wRVU production per visit increased by 7.68% (P Conclusions This study shows that scribes contribute to improving the wRVU per visit in a primary pediatric practice. This finding is consistent with other research showing that scribes help increase volume and improve wRVUs for specialists who perform complex procedures.
Investigation of oxygen diffusion and corrosion potential in steel-reinforced concrete through a cellular automaton framework

Abstract The main objective of this study is to develop a reliable model that links the corrosion process to the availability of oxygen in the cathodic region. This is proven to be the governing factor in the second stage of corrosion, i.e., corrosion propagation, in steel-reinforced concrete. This model is solved using a cellular automaton framework validated with the experimental and field data. A simulation-based probabilistic approach is then employed to investigate the uncertainties present in various oxygen diffusion parameters, polarization variables, and structural details, especially to predict the crack width, as a threshold for both durability and serviceability assessment purposes.
Single Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Global Markers of Transcriptional Diversity Across Different Forms of Cellular Senescence

Cellular Senescence is a state of irreversible cell cycle arrest, and the accumulation of senescent cells contributes to age- related organismal decline. The detrimental effects of cellular senescence are due to the senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP), an array of signaling molecules and growth factors secreted by senescent cells that contribute to the sterile inflammation associated with aging tissues. Recent studies, both in vivo and in vitro, have highlighted the heterogeneous nature of the senescence phenotype. In particular, single cell transcriptomics has revealed that Oncogene Induced Senescence (OIS) is characterized by the presence of subpopulations of cells expressing different SASP profiles. We have generated a comprehensive dataset via single-cell transcriptional profiling of genetically homogenous clonal cell lines from different forms of senescence, including OIS, Replicative Senescence (RS), and DNA Damage Induced Senescence (DDIS). We identified subpopulations of cells that are common to all three major forms of senescence and show that the expression profiles of these subpopulations are driven by markers formerly identified in individual forms of senescence. These common signatures are characterized by chromatin modifiers, inflammation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and Ribosomal protein expression. The expression patterns of these subpopulations recapitulate primary and secondary senescence, a phenomenon where a preexisting (primary) senescent cell induces senescence in a neighboring (secondary) cell through cell-to-cell contact. Since it is still unclear what type of senescence occurs in-vivo with age, it is important to know that the formation of primary and secondary populations is common to multiple types of senescence since this mechanism could help explain how senescent cells accumulate in aged organisms. Finally, we show that these subpopulations show differential susceptibility to the senolytic agent Navitoclax, suggesting that senolytic agents targeting the apoptotic pathways may be clearing only a subset of senescent cells based on their inflammatory profiles in-vivo.
Effect of Cooling Rate on the Phase Formation of AlCoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloy

High-entropy alloys have received significant attention because of remarkable structural properties exhibited by certain alloy compositions. However, these properties are strongly correlated to the crystallographic phase transformations that are endured during the synthesis of these alloys. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we examine how the cooling rates exerted on the alloy melt during synthesis impact the crystallization (and glass formation) of equiatomic AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy. An increased cooling rate contributes to severe undercooling of the alloy, reducing the crystallization temperatures and promotes phase transformations. We predict a critical cooling rate of 2.5 × 1010 K/s beyond which the alloy tends to solidify into an amorphous phase. Our results reveal that higher cooling rates exert severe lattice distortion and significantly enhance the structural properties due to increase in dislocation density and deformation by twinning.
Reciprocity in the Expression of Emotional Support among Later-Life Couples Coping with Stroke

One of the consequences of increased life expectancy is the growing likelihood that older adults will experience chronic illnesses or disabling conditions that can dramatically impact the quality of their own and their family members’ lives. Most older adults in the United States have at least one chronic health condition, and many have multiple chronic conditions (American Association of Retired Persons [AARP] & Administration on Aging [AoA], 1993). Nearly 30% of adults over the age of 65 and almost 60% of those over the age of 85 are limited in their activities of daily living due to health problems (AARP & AoA, 1993). In this chapter we focus on older adults who have experienced a recent stroke, particularly on how they and their caregiving spouses cope with its emotional aftermath.
The SsrA-SmpB system for protein tagging, directed degradation and ribosome rescue.

Bacteria contain a remarkable RNA molecule — known alternatively as SsrA RNA, tmRNA, or 10Sa RNA — that acts both as a tRNA and as an mRNA to direct the modification of proteins whose biosynthesis has stalled or has been interrupted. These incomplete proteins are marked for degradation by cotranslational addition of peptide tags to their C-termini in a reaction that is mediated by ribosome-bound SsrA RNA and an associated protein factor, SmpB. This system plays a key role in intracellular protein quality control and also provides a mechanism to clear jammed or obstructed ribosomes. Here the structural, functional and phylogenetic properties of this unique RNA and its associated factors are reviewed, and the intracellular proteases that act to degrade the proteins tagged by this system are also discussed.
The Multicore Revolution

Computer architecture is undergoing, if not another revolution, then a vigorous shaking-up. The major chip manufacturers have, for the time being, simply given up trying to make processors run faster. Instead, they have recently started shipping ”multicore” architectures, in which multiple processors (cores) communicate directly through shared hardware caches, providing increased concurrency instead of increased clock speed. As a result, system designers and software engineers can no longer rely on increasing clock speed to hide software bloat. Instead, they must somehow learn to make effective use of increasing parallelism. This adaptation will not be easy. Conventional synchronization techniques based on locks and conditions are unlikely to be effective in such a demanding environment. Coarse-grained locks, which protect relatively large amounts of data, do not scale, and fine-grained locks introduce substantial software engineering problems. Transactional memory is a computational model in which threads synchronize by optimistic, lock-free transactions. This synchronization model promises to alleviate many (perhaps not all) of the problems associated with locking, and there is a growing community of researchers working on both software and hardware support for this approach. This paper surveys the area, with a focus on open research problems.
Bubblegum Girls Need Not Apply: Deviant Women the Punk Scene

Certain images surface when considering the history of the punk movement in the United States and England: The Ramones, Dead Kennedy’s, Sid Vicious and with him, the Sex Pistols. Punk is a subculture that prides itself on freedom of expression, and culminates in various art forms including music and fashion. Despite the movements’ unwritten policy of openness, women within the punk movement have experienced a complex record of rejection and abuse within the scene. Women who felt they did not have a place within society during their place and time looked to the punk scene for solace. In many cases, they were treated as deviants, and experienced disrespect or violence against them. This paper explores how a variety of female punk acts were seen as deviant, and how their philosophies and actions helped reshape the subculture itself. They themselves forged a place in history as some of the most influential leaders in punk, or within any subculture. This paper also interrogates the medias’ reaction to women in punk, and commercial efforts to commodify the attitudes and do-it-yourself nature of the punk scene. Author’s Note Anna Batt currently studies at Rutgers University, where she is pursuing a major in Journalism and Media Studies, with minors in Women and Gender Studies and Digital Communication, Information and Media. She is an Editorial Intern at the College Music Journal in New York, where she researches new music, writes album reviews and proves live concert coverage for the Journals’ website. In the summer, she will intern at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Social Work. In her spare time, she loves listening to live music in basements of New Brunswick, reading comic books, watching television and trying to be funny on Twitter.
Altered vascular norepinephrine responses in portal hypertensive intestine: role of PKA and guanylate cyclase

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether selective blockade of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)- or guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP)-mediated events modulated norepinephrine responses in intestinal microvessels of normal and portal hypertensive rats. Vascular norepinephrine responses were evaluated before and after inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase [protein kinase A(PKA)] with Rp-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphothioate (Rp-cAMPS) or guanylate cyclase with LY-83583. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: those with portal hypertension by portal vein stenosis and normal controls. The small intestine was prepared for microcirculatory studies. Arteriolar diameter and erythrocyte velocity were monitored, and microvascular flow was calculated from velocity and diameter data. The preparation was challenged with incremental concentrations of norepinephrine before and after addition of Rp-cAMPS (50 microM) or LY-83583 (30 microM). Arteriolar diameter and blood flow were significantly elevated in portal hypertensive rats; norepinephrine responses were significantly depressed. LY-83583 did not alter arteriolar diameter, blood flow, or norepinephrine responsiveness in normal or portal hypertensive rats. Rp-cAMPS did not affect arteriolar diameter, blood flow, or norepinephrine responsiveness in normal rats. However, in portal hypertensive rats, Rp-cAMPS reduced blood flow by approximately 20% (P < 0.05) and completely restored vascular norepinephrine responses to normal. The results indicate that cAMP- but not cGMP-dependent events are primarily responsible for the loss of microvascular norepinephrine responsiveness in portal hypertensive intestine.
Overcoming Alterations in Body Image Imposed by the Left Ventricular Assist Device: A Case Report

Little is known about clothing issues among patients with implantable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). This article describes the experience of a woman who had challenges in adapting to an altered body image imposed by the external components of the LVAD system. The woman discusses her problems about clothes that fit her personal style and shares her strategies and recommendations in overcoming the problem. Her description of how she approached and resolved the problem is situated within the Apparel Body Construct Model. In this context, appropriate selection of apparrel is crucial not only to preserving the integrity and function of the LVAD system but also to the recipient's satisfaction with her body image. The information presented is a catalyst for knowledge development and heightening health care providers' awareness of patients' perception of body image, which is vital to adapting to an LVAD as a component of the recipient's body and life.