cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retention management decisions: A review of current evidence and emerging trends

Retention protocols remain controversial despite the fact that long-term stability is rarely observed in orthodontics. In this review article, we examine current evidence and discuss emerging trends to managing retention which may ultimately improve patient care. Our goal is to provide information that may help overcome the gap between scientific evidence and clinical practice.
A field programmable transistor array featuring single-cycle partial/full dynamic reconfiguration

We introduce a CMOS computational fabric consisting of carefully arranged regular rows and columns of transistors which can be individually configured and appropriately interconnected in order to implement a target digital circuit. Termed Field Programmable Transistor Array (FPTA), this novel reconfigurable architecture enables several highly-desirable features including (i) simultaneous storage of three configurations along with the ability to dynamically switch between them in a fraction of a single cycle, while retaining the fabric's computational state, (ii) rapid or full modification of a stored configuration in a time proportional to the number of modified configuration bits through the use of hierarchically arranged, high throughput, asynchronously pipelined memory buffers, and (iii) support for libraries containing cells of the same height and variable width, just as in a typical standard cell circuit, thereby simplifying transition from a prototype to a custom IC design. Besides presenting the design details of this fabric in a 130nm technology and demonstrating the aforementioned capabilities, we also briefly discuss the development of a complete CAD flow for programing this fabric and we use numerous benchmark circuits to contrast its area efficiency against a typical FPGA implemented in the same technology node.
Inhibiting heat shock protein 90 and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway impairs metabolic homeostasis and leads to cell death in human pancreatic cancer cells.

BACKGROUND Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway play crucial roles in the homeostasis of pancreatic cancer cells. This study combined for the first time the HSP90 inhibitor ganetespib (Gan) and the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib (Carf) to target key mechanisms of homeostasis in pancreatic cancer. It was hypothesized that Gan plus Carf would elicit potent antitumor activity by modulating complementary homeostatic processes. METHODS In vitro and in vivo effects of this combination on mechanisms of cell growth and viability were evaluated with human pancreatic cancer cell lines (MIA PaCa-2 and HPAC). RESULTS Combined treatment with Gan and Carf significantly decreased cell viability. The mechanism varied by cell line and involved G2-M cell-cycle arrest accompanied by a consistent reduction in key cell-cycle regulatory proteins and concomitant upregulation of p27. Further studies revealed increased autophagy markers, including the upregulation of autophagy related 7 and light chain 3 cleavage, and evidence of apoptosis (increased Bax expression and processing of caspase 3). Immunoblot analyses confirmed the modulation of other pathways that influence cell viability, including phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt and nuclear factor κB. Finally, the treatment of athymic mice bearing HPAC tumors with Gan and Carf significantly reduced tumor growth in vivo. An immunoblot analysis of freshly isolated tumors from animals at the end of the study confirmed in vivo modulation of key signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS The results reveal Gan plus Carf to be a promising combination with synergistic antiproliferative, apoptotic, and pro-autophagy effects in preclinical studies of pancreatic cancer and will further the exploration of the utility of this treatment combination in clinical trials. Cancer 2017. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Extending Differential Calculus for Noncommuting Variables

Author(s): Schwartz, Charles | Abstract: Recent innovations in the differential calculus for functions of non-commuting variables, begun for a quaternionic variable,are readily extended to the case of a general Clifford algebra and then extended more to the case of a variable that is a general square matrix over the complex numbers. The expansion of F(x+delta) is given to first order in delta for general matrix variables x and delta that do not commute with each other. Further extension leads to the broader study of commutators with functions, [y, f(x)] , expressed in terms of [y, x].
The Role of Immunoglobulin in the Treatment of Immune-Mediated Peripheral Neuropathies.

Immune-mediated neuropathies are a group of peripheral nerve disorders characterized by motor or sensory deficits caused by inflammation leading to demyelination or axonal injury. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been demonstrated to be an effective therapy for the 3 most common immune-mediated neuropathies: Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and multifocal motor neuropathy. This review summarizes current data on the rationale for the use of IVIg in immune-mediated neuropathies, addressing mechanism of action, clinical evidence, and practical considerations for its use.
Annual estimates of the burden of seasonal influenza in the United States: A tool for strengthening influenza surveillance and preparedness

Background Estimates of influenza disease burden are broadly useful for public health, helping national and local authorities monitor epidemiologic trends, plan and allocate resources, and promote influenza vaccination. Historically, estimates of the burden of seasonal influenza in the United States, focused mainly on influenza-related mortality and hospitalization, were generated every few years. Since the 2010-2011 influenza season, annual US influenza burden estimates have been generated and expanded to include estimates of influenza-related outpatient medical visits and symptomatic illness in the community. Methods We used routinely collected surveillance data, outbreak field investigations, and proportions of people seeking health care from survey results to estimate the number of illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths due to influenza during six influenza seasons (2010-2011 through 2015-2016). Results We estimate that the number of influenza-related illnesses that have occurred during influenza season has ranged from 9.2 million to 35.6 million, including 140 000 to 710 000 influenza-related hospitalizations. Discussion These annual efforts have strengthened public health communications products and supported timely assessment of the impact of vaccination through estimates of illness and hospitalizations averted. Additionally, annual estimates of influenza burden have highlighted areas where disease surveillance needs improvement to better support public health decision making for seasonal influenza epidemics as well as future pandemics.
From Family Studies to Molecular Hypothesis in Alzheimer’s Dementia

That dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT) runs in families is clear from modern family studies. With minor differences, explainable by variation in severity of DAT in the probands selected, these studies have discovered the same basic recurrence rates among relatives of affected probands. At equal ages, these rates of DAT recurrence are significantly higher than those of the general population. This data forms one basic set of facts upon which causal hypotheses must depend.
The Second Painlevé Transcendent: A Nonlinear Airy Function

Summary The second Painleve Transcendent, F±(z;a) as determined by the solution of F” – zF ± 2F3 = 0 and F ˜ aAi(z) (z ↑ ∞), is studied. F+ is finite for – ∞ 1. Analytical results are obtained in the form of expansions in powers of a for F± and matched asymptotic expansions for F+ in the limit a ↑ ∞ or for F- in the limit a → 1. The results are relevant to problems in non-linear wave motion.
Certainty Is Primarily Determined by Past Performance During Concept Learning

Prior research has yielded mixed findings on whether learners’ certainty reflects veridical probabilities from observed evidence. We compared predictions from an idealized model of learning to humans’ subjective reports of certainty during a Boolean concept-learning task in order to examine subjective certainty over the course of abstract, logical concept learning. Our analysis evaluated theoretically motivated potential predictors of certainty to determine how well each predicted participants’ subjective reports of certainty. Regression analyses that controlled for individual differences demonstrated that despite learning curves tracking the ideal learning models, reported certainty was best explained by performance rather than measures derived from a learning model. In particular, participants’ confidence was driven primarily by how well they observed themselves doing, not by idealized statistical inferences made from the data they observed.
Biomechanical and histologic assessment of a novel screw retention technology in an ovine lumbar fusion model.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Screw loosening is a prevalent failure mode in orthopedic hardware, particularly in osteoporotic bone or revision procedures where the screw-bone engagement is limited. PURPOSE The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel screw retention technology (SRT) in an ovine lumbar fusion model. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING This was a biomechanical, radiographic, and histologic study utilizing an ovine lumbar spine model. METHODS : In total, 54 (n=54) sheep lumbar spines (L2–L3) underwent posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) via pedicle screw fixation, connecting rod, and bone graft. Following three experimental variants were investigated: positive control (ideal clinical scenario), negative control (simulation of compromised screw holes), and SRT treatments. Biomechanical and histologic analyses of the functional spinal unit (FSU) were determined as a function of healing time (0, 3, and 12 months postoperative). RESULTS Screw pull-out, screw break-out, and FSU stability of the SRT treatments were generally equivalent to the positive control group and considerably better than the negative control group. Histomorphology of the SRT treatment screw region of interest (ROI) observed an increase in bone percentage and decrease in void space during healing, consistent with ingrowth at the implant interface. The PLF ROI observed similar bone percentage throughout healing between the SRT treatment and positive control. Less bone formation was observed for the negative control. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study demonstrate that the SRT improved screw retention and afforded effective FSU stabilization to achieve solid fusion in an otherwise compromised fixation scenario in a large animal model.
Oxygen adsorption on spontaneously reconstructed Au(511)

Abstract The four-fold site on {100} facets, which are potential catalytic sites on high-curvature gold nanoparticles, is difficult to prepare on a gold single crystal due to surface reconstruction. Here, the Au(511) surface with a high density of step edges and a well-maintained {100} local structure was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Annealing at 550 K and 870 K induces reconstruction on the Au(511) surface to a mixture of (311) and (711) micro-terraces. At room temperature and low oxygen coverage, oxygen adsorbs at both three- and four-fold sites on the surface, leading to a well-ordered zig-zag structure. Oxygen atoms cause significant orbital hybridization and a slight displacement of the gold atoms to which they bind. High oxygen coverages induce the formation of clusters, which are not active towards oxidation of isopropanol at room temperature and a pressure of 10−10 mbar. Oxygen adsorption saturates at 1 monolayer (ML), and two separate oxygen recombinative desorption peaks were observed at coverages above 0.11 ML. Our characterization of this surface and the O adsorption structure allows future studies of {100} micro-terraces for oxidation reactions, which contributes to studies on gold-based catalysts with an irregular shape.
Impact of Policy Interventions on Postoperative Opioid Prescribing.

Objective To assess postoperative opioid prescribing in response to state and organizational policy changes. Methods We used an observational study design at an academic medical center in the Northeast United States over a time during which there were two important influences: 1) implementation of state rules regarding opioid prescribing and 2) changes in organization policies reflecting evolving standards of care. Results were summarized at the surgical specialty and procedure level and compared between baseline (July-December 2016) and postrule (July-December 2017) periods. Results We analyzed data from 17,937 procedures from July 2016 to December 2017, two-thirds of which were outpatient. Schedule II opioids were prescribed in 61% of cases and no opioids at all in 28%. The median morphine milligram equivalent (MME) prescribed at discharge decreased 40%, from 113 MME in the baseline period to 68 MME in the postrule period. Decreases were seen across all the surgical specialties. Conclusions Postoperative opioid prescribing at the time of hospital discharge decreased between 2016 and 2017 in the setting of targeted and replicable state and health care organizational policies. Policy implications Policies governing the use of opioids are an effective and adoptable approach to reducing opioid prescribing following surgery.
Strap Muscle Type I Thyroplasty After Gore‐Tex Implant Extrusion: Case Report and Literature Review

Summary Objectives To discuss the presentation and management techniques of implant extrusion following type I thyroplasty and to illustrate the potential of strap muscle for augmentation following implant removal. Methods We report a unique case of a patient with late Gore-Tex implant extrusion after type I thyroplasty treated with removal and autologous strap muscle graft for augmentation. Results A 41-year-old female nearly 3.5 years status post Gore-Tex type I thyroplasty for left vocal fold paralysis presented for evaluation of dysphonia. Upon flexible laryngoscopy, erythema, edema, and granulation tissue were identified at the left vocal fold and ventricle. The patient subsequently underwent removal of her implant. Intraoperatively, a free portion of sternothyroid muscle was dissected free and placed into the paraglottic space. One month following surgery, the patient reported an improvement in her Voice Handicap Index (VHI) score from 40 to 0. In addition, no major complications were observed and complete glottic closure was achieved. Nine months postsurgery, she continued to function well with a VHI score of 0. At 50 months postop, the patient still reports a VHI score of 0. Conclusions Implant extrusion is a rare complication of type I thyroplasty usually occurring in the first few months after surgery and more commonly presenting in females. Current management options consist of observation or augmentation with autologous fat or vocal fold injection following implant removal. This is the first report of a successful strap muscle free graft revision thyroplasty following implant extrusion. The patient's excellent long-term outcome highlights the potential of strap muscle augmentation as a feasible management option for implant extrusion.
Interlude: Intercultural Remixes

In “Interlude: Intercultural Remixes,” Wood examines an instance of intercultural music-making recorded during the early seventeenth-century voyage of Martin Pring. A youth in Pring’s company plays a gittern while the Abenaki peoples sing and dance. The musical performances are layered, or palimpsested, over one another and create an entirely different-sounding music that is a product of two cultures, not simply the accompaniment of one culture to another. This brief chapter then considers the role music plays in two film productions—Disney’s Pocahontas (1995) and Terrence Malick’s The New World (2005). It concludes that only one musical piece between these two films echoes the intercultural production of music described in the account of Pring’s journey 400 years earlier.
Risk factors for primary congenital glaucoma in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) is a rare but serious birth defect. Genetic mutations have been implicated in the development of PCG, but little is known about nongenetic risk factors. This study investigates potential risk factors for PCG in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), a large population-based case-control study of major birth defects in the United States. The analysis includes case infants with PCG (N = 107) and control infants without birth defects (N = 10,084) enrolled in NBDPS from birth years 2000-2011. Pregnancy/infant clinical characteristics, demographics, and parental health history were collected through maternal interview. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed to examine associations with all PCG cases and isolated PCG cases without other major malformations. Associations with all the cases included term low birth weight (<2,500 g; aOR = 2.80, CI 1.59-4.94), non-Hispanic black maternal race/ethnicity (aOR = 2.42, CI 1.42-4.13), maternal history of seizure (aOR = 2.73, CI 1.25-5.97), maternal antihypertensive use (aOR = 3.60, CI 1.52-8.53), and maternal sexually transmitted infection (aOR = 2.75, CI 1.17-6.44). These factors were also associated with isolated PCG, as was maternal use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aOR = 2.70, CI 1.15-6.34). This study is among the first to examine a wide array of potential risk factors for PCG in a population-based sample.
Time to disease recurrence in noninfectious uveitis following long-acting injectable fluocinolone acetonide implant

To determine the time to disease recurrence with long-acting injectable fluocinolone acetonide implant (FAi) for noninfectious intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis. This was a retrospective study of patients with at least 12 months of follow-up who had completed a 2-year prospective, investigational new drug study with 0.18-mg FAi. Time to uveitis recurrence or cystoid macular edema (CME) occurrence was recorded. Twelve eyes from 12 participants (mean age 43 years, range 25–64 years) were included. Patients were followed for a mean of 34.2 months (range, 12.0–56.9 months) after completion of the prospective trial. Five eyes (42%) did not have a documented uveitis recurrence or CME occurrence. Five eyes (42%) had a uveitis recurrence with the mean time to recurrence 36.1 months (range, 22.8–61.1 months) after FAi implantation. Two eyes (16%) had CME alone, the mean time to occurrence 36.9 months (range 36.1–42.1 months). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, the estimated probability of remaining recurrence-free 36 months after FAi implantation was 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.34–0.86). Data of study participants after completing a clinical trial suggest that the injectable FAi for noninfectious uveitis can provide control for 3 years on average. These long-term data support the use of FAi to control noninfectious uveitis.
Algebras of Analytic Functions

Let Ω be a domain in C and let 𝔄 0 be an algebra of analytic functions on Ω. Assume that 𝔄 0 separates points on Ω and contains the constants.
Robust and accurate deconvolution of tumor populations uncovers evolutionary mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis.

Motivation Cancer develops and progresses through a clonal evolutionary process. Understanding progression to metastasis is of particular clinical importance, but is not easily analyzed by recent methods because it generally requires studying samples gathered years apart, for which modern single-cell sequencing is rarely an option. Revealing the clonal evolution mechanisms in the metastatic transition thus still depends on unmixing tumor subpopulations from bulk genomic data. Methods We develop a novel toolkit called robust and accurate deconvolution (RAD) to deconvolve biologically meaningful tumor populations from multiple transcriptomic samples spanning the two progression states. RAD uses gene module compression to mitigate considerable noise in RNA, and a hybrid optimizer to achieve a robust and accurate solution. Finally, we apply a phylogenetic algorithm to infer how associated cell populations adapt across the metastatic transition via changes in expression programs and cell-type composition. Results We validated the superior robustness and accuracy of RAD over alternative algorithms on a real dataset, and validated the effectiveness of gene module compression on both simulated and real bulk RNA data. We further applied the methods to a breast cancer metastasis dataset, and discovered common early events that promote tumor progression and migration to different metastatic sites, such as dysregulation of ECM-receptor, focal adhesion and PI3k-Akt pathways. Availability and implementation The source code of the RAD package, models, experiments and technical details such as parameters, is available at https://github.com/CMUSchwartzLab/RAD. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Simulating Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Measurements for Microwave Kinetic Inductance Devices

Microwave Kinetic Inductance Devices (MKIDs) are poised to allow for massively and natively multiplexed photon detectors arrays and are a natural choice for the next-generation CMB Stage 4 experiment which will require $$10^5$$ detectors. In this article, we discuss what noise performance of present generation MKIDs implies for CMB measurements. We consider MKID noise spectra and simulate a telescope scan strategy which projects the detector noise onto the CMB sky. We then analyze the simulated CMB + MKID noise to understand particularly low-frequency noise affects the various features of the CMB, and thusly set up a framework connecting MKID characteristics with scan strategies, to the type of CMB signals we may probe with such detectors.
Binding of noble gas atoms by superhalogens.

Because of their closed shells, noble gas (Ng) atoms (Ng = Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) seldom take part in chemical reactions, yet finding such mechanisms not only is of scientific interest but also has practical significance. Following a recent work by Mayer et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 116, 8167–8172 (2019)] on the room temperature binding of Ar to a superelectrophilic boron site embedded in a negative ion complex, B12(CN)11−, we have systematically studied the effect of cluster size and terminal ligands on the interaction of Ng by focusing on B12X11(Ng) (X = H, CN, and BO) and B12X10(Ng)2 (X = CN and BO) whose stabilities are governed by the Wade–Mingos rule and on C5BX5(Ng) (X = H, F, and CN) and C4B2(CN)4(Ng)2 whose stabilities are governed by the Huckel’s aromaticity rule. Our conclusion, based on density functional theory, is that both the cluster size and the terminal ligands matter—the interaction between the cluster and the Ng atoms becomes stronger with increasing cluster size and the electron affinity of the terminal ligands. Our studies also led to a counter-intuitive finding—removing multiple terminal ligands can enable electrophilic centers to bind multiple Ng atoms simultaneously without compromising their binding strength.
A review: Material and structural properties of UHPC at elevated temperatures or fire conditions

Abstract Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) shows high tensile strength, compressive strength, and durability compared to normal strength concrete (NSC). However, high compactness, low permeability, and absence of capillary pores might reduce the spalling resistance of UHPC under elevated temperatures and fire conditions compared to NSC and high strength concrete (HSC). There are limited studies on the UHPC at elevated temperatures and fire loading in both material and structural applications. Basic understanding stems from the extension of NSC and HSC under elevated temperatures, although some debates still exist among different mechanisms. As UHPC has various constituents and high strengths, the mechanisms for NSC and HSC might not be suitable for understanding the complicated behavior of UHPC at elevated temperatures with spalling behavior. Also, the UHPC fire resistance improvement is needed as more applications use UHPC in new and existing structures. Therefore, this study reviews the recent advancements in the behavior of UHPC under elevated temperatures and provides new emerging insights on the UHPC mechanism of fire performance. Some strategies for enhancing the high-temperature performance of UHPC are suggested based on the existing understandings.
Radiation Therapy for Recurrent Breast Cancer

In the management of breast cancer one of the common problems encountered is local or regional recurrence after initial primary treatment. Recurrent lesions require prompt attention and care because these lesions, if untreated, will grow, ulcerate, spread and produce symptoms. Radiation therapy is a very effective means of controlling this troublesome problem.
Scalable image transmission over differentially space-time coded OFDM systems

This paper combines joint source-channel coding, differential space-time coding and OFDM for scalable image transmission over differentially space-time coded OFDM (DSTC-OFDM) systems. The SNR versus BER performance of these systems are measured by simulation. We consider transmitting embedded source bitstreams over such systems using product channel codes that are designed to combat both bit errors and fading. For a given average SNR (hence BER), a fast joint source-channel coding algorithm is used to optimize the product code rates. Experiments show that the diversity gain in our DSTC-OFDM system can be translated into quality gains (in PSNR) in transmitted images.
Short-duration exercise and confinement alters bone mineral content and shape in weanling horses

The hypothesis that short-duration ex- ercise may ameliorate the decrease in bone mass ob- served with confinement was investigated with 18 quar- ter horses (nine colts and nine fillies) weaned at 4 mo of age and placed into box stalls. After a 5-wk adjustment period, individuals were grouped by age and weight, and then divided randomly into three treatment groups: 1) group housed; 2) confined with no exercise; and 3) confined with exercise. The confined and exercised groups were housed in 3.7 m × 3.7 m box stalls for the 56-d duration of the trial. The exercised group was sprinted 82 m/d, 5 d/wk, in a fenced grass alleyway. The weanlings were led down an alleyway, turned loose in a small pen, and then released and allowed to run back down the alley. The group horses were housed together in a 992-m 2 drylot with free access to exercise. On d 0, 28, and 56, dorsopalmar and lateromedial radio- graphs of the left third metacarpal bone were taken to estimate changes in bone mineral content and cortical widths. Mean values of medial, lateral, and total radio-
An anion binding site that regulates the glutamate transporter of synaptic vesicles.

Glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter of the mammalian central nervous system, is stored in synaptic vesicles and released by exocytosis upon depolarization of the presynaptic nerve terminal. Synaptic vesicles possess an active glutamate-specific transporter that is driven by an electrochemical proton gradient across the vesicle membrane and requires chloride for maximal activity. In this study, we have characterized the role of chloride in vesicular glutamate transport using 4,4‘-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2‘-disulfonic acid (DIDS), a potent inhibitor of anion translocators. DIDS inhibited glutamate uptake with an IC50 of 0.7 microM or less. In contrast, all energy gradient parameters (membrane potential, pH gradient, and ATPase activity) required at least 5-fold higher concentration of DIDS for inhibition. Furthermore, high concentrations of chloride but not of glutamate or other anions prevented DIDS inhibition of glutamate uptake. In contrast to uptake, glutamate efflux from glutamate-loaded vesicles was independent of chloride over a wide concentration range. However, efflux was still susceptible to DIDS inhibition. DIDS inhibition was prevented by excess chloride. We conclude that the vesicular glutamate transporter possesses a DIDS-sensitive chloride binding site on the cytoplasmic side, distinct from the substrate binding site, which regulates transport activity.
Two space scattering and propagative systems

On considere des equations aux derivees partielles de la forme E(x)∂u/∂t=Σ j=1 n A j ∂u/∂x j ≡-iAu, E(x) et A j sont des matrices m×m. On donne des conditions suffisantes sur la matrice E(x) pour que l'operateur E −1 A ait une extension auto-adjointe H sur #7B-H 1 . On etudie le spectre de H et on developpe une theorie de la diffusion. On donne des conditions suffisantes pour l'existence des operateurs d'onde et leurs completude
Abstract P6-05-03: CD4 Th1 cytokines and HER-2/HER-3 blockade induces tumor senescence in breast cancer

Background: HER-2 a molecular oncodriver in breast tumorigenesis is over expressed in 25% of human breast cancers, and its expression correlates with enhanced tumor aggressiveness. While targeted therapies have improved outcomes many patients become resistant or recur. We have recently established a progressive loss in anti-HER-2 CD4 Th1 responses during disease progression and is associated with outcomes. The pleiotropic Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α have diverse effects on tumor epithelial cells. In this study we sought to determine whether these Th1 cytokines induce senescence of HER-2 expressing breast cancer cells and assess the impact of IFN-γ and TNF-α with simultaneous HER-2 and HER-3 blockade. Results: All breast cancer cell lines tested express IFN-γ and TNF-α receptors measured by western blot analysis. The high and intermediate HER-2 expressing cells are sensitive to tumor senescence induction when treated with combinations of IFN-γ and TNF-α in a dose dependent manner. Low HER-2 expressing cells were less sensitive to senescence induction as measured by positive β-galactosidase activity and the expression of p15INK4b and p16INK4a by western blot. Addition of IFN-γ and TNF-α treatment to HER-2-depleted cells by RNAi resulted in an increase senescent phenotype and was increased further when the cells were double HER-2- and HER-3-depleted. To determine whether CD4 Th1 mediated effects on high HER-2 human breast cancer cell lines, we co-cultured increasing number of HER-2 antigen-primed CD4+ T cells with high HER-2 human breast cancer cells in a transwell cell culture system. This resulted in a dose-dependent senescence of breast cancer cells compared with CD4+ T cells primed either with immature dendritic cells (DC) or mature DC plus irrelevant (Class II BRAF) peptide. In addition, SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells incubated with the supernatant of the CD4+ T cells-immature DC or mature DC co-culture demonstrated similar results. CD4+ Th1-elaborated cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α in the supernatants were confirmed using ELISA. Blocking antibodies against IFN-γ and TNF-α demonstrated reduced senescence induction. Conclusions: Our results establish a role for IFN-γ and TNF-α in inducing tumor senescence in breast cancer. An effective CD4 Th1 responses combined with HER-2 and HER-3 blockade can significantly drive tumor senescence in breast cancer that can be explored as treatment to effectively eliminate residual breast cancer cells and prevent recurrence. Citation Format: Cinthia Rosemblit, Brian J Czerniecki. CD4 Th1 cytokines and HER-2/HER-3 blockade induces tumor senescence in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-05-03.
Microstrip antenna array with beamforming network for WLAN applications

A beamforming network with a multi-narrow-beam antenna array for WLAN applications is presented. The antenna array has four inputs and is excited by the Butler matrix feeding network to steer the beams electronically in the desired directions. The architecture of the Butler matrix beamforming network is analyzed with consideration of the coupling effects between fundamental elements of the network and the antenna array. The prototype is fabricated on a Rogers RT/duroid 5880 substrate with a relative permittivity of 2.2. Details of the simulated and measured results are investigated and analyzed.
Low-cost robotics for space exploration: a probabilistic trade space for biomorphic exploration devices

Numerous in-situ sampling missions are planned to a variety of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Among the variety of new technologies needed for such exploration are small, highly mobile, autonomous and relatively inexpensive platforms known as biomorphic explorers. These miniaturized robotic devices will be particularly valuable for study and exploration of the surfaces of planets, moons, and small bodies. Large numbers of small, dexterous explorers could seek out and deploy sensors in places not accessible by larger rover vehicles or landers. The low cost of such microdevices would also enable the exploration of heretofore high-risk and dangerous landing sites excluded by large, more expensive systems. This paper addresses the problem of determining the tradeoff space between the likelihood of each device achieving its stated science goal and the number of units needed to obtain the minimum required mission probability of success. Probabilistically, to a first order, the paper addresses the question, "if the probability of a single unit achieving its goal is x%, what is the required number of units to achieve 95% probability of mission success?" The impacts of cost are discussed using a linear fixed and variable cost model to derive the optimum number of units for deployment. The issues relevant to the analysis and deployment of multiple, low cost, microelectronic and electromechanical devices (MEMs) biomorphic explorers and the corresponding risks are also presented. A simple decision tree is presented with a parametric cost model to illustrate the potential to address risk and cost trade-offs. Three-dimensional visualizations of the probabilistic trade space are presented to illustrate these issues.
Preparation and ionic conductivity of OH−-free sodium fluoride crystals doped with calcium☆☆☆

Abstract : A series of OH(-)-free NaF single crystals has been prepared and the influence of substitutional calcium ions on the ionic conductivity has been studied. The activation energy for migration of a cation vacancy in NaF:Ca is 1.36 plus or minus 0.1 eV. An isothermal plot of ionic conductivity vs. divalent impurity concentration has been used to analyze several nominally pure NaF samples for divalent impurity levels. (Author)
Lifelong Surgical Education: Adapt, Change, or Wither

M r Chairman, members, and guests, thank you for the privilege of presenting the 22nd Samuel Jason Mixter Lecture. I first attended the New England Surgical Society in 1974 as a resident at the Brigham, so I was here before the Mixter Lecture by 10 years! Samuel Jason Mixter was president of this organization in 1917, followed by his presidency of the American Surgical Association in 1918. He was the Chief of Surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital within the Harvard Medical School, having been educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. Previous Mixter lecturers are indeed a distinguished group beginning with Lord Rodney Smith in 1985 and covering many of the leaders of American surgery. It is, therefore, a distinct privilege to be invited to give this lecture.
Chemical composition and 234Th (IV) binding of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by the marine diatom Amphora sp.

Abstract In order to chemically characterize strongly Th (IV)-binding exopolymeric substances (EPS) from a single organism, “particulate” (i.e., p, attached, or capsular) and “dissolved” (i.e., d, non-attached) EPS from a lab culture of the marine diatom Amphora sp. were isolated by centrifugation, followed by alcohol precipitation or ultrafiltration. Both dissoved EPS and particulate EPS were mainly composed of carbohydrates, with only a small fraction of proteins. Individual fractions that were further separated by anion exchange (AEC) contained EPS with significantly different compositional characteristics and molecular weights. The particulate fraction was composed of two different glucans, p1 and p2, but with the same molecular weight of 25 kDa, while more than 90% of the dissolved fraction was composed of two different acidic polysaccharides, f1 and f2, with a similar molecular weight of 1000 kDa While both f1 and f2 fractions contained the neutral monosaccharides fucose and galactose, as well as glucuronic acid, they were in a different mole ratio: f1 in a ratio of 1:1.1:1.6, and f2 as 1:0.8:2.8. In addition to glucuronic acid, both f1 and f2 fractions contained relatively high concentrations of sulfated polysaccharides, with a sulfate content of 9.7% in f1, and 18.2% in f2. The difference between total acid polysaccharide concentrations, as determined by the Alcian blue method, and the actual concentrations of EPS can be explained by the relative amounts of sulfate and glucuronic acid. Dissolved EPS, and fractions f1 and f2 that were labeled with 234 Th (IV), all showed peaks at isoelectric points (pH IEP ) of about pH 3 during isoelectric focusing, indicating that Th (IV) binding by EPS was dominated by the acidic polysaccharides in f1 and f2. The strong binding of 234 Th (IV) to these acidic polysaccharide-rich EPS compounds enables us to locate and closely look at the agents who are responsible for binding of 234 Th (IV), which is relevant for a better understanding of the oceanographic applications of POC/ 234 Th ratios to particle and organic carbon dynamics in marine systems.
Role of membrane transport in interorgan amino acid flow between muscle and small intestine

In the fasting state, amino acids are released from the periphery to be used in splanchnic tissues. To understand the mechanism of such interorgan substrate exchange at the tissue level, we have determined the relationships between inward and outward amino acid transport and intracellular amino acid kinetics in the small intestine and skeletal muscle of postabsorptive anesthetized dogs. In the gut, amino acids appearing intracellularly (from inward transport, protein degradation, and absorption from the lumen) were used for protein synthesis more efficiently (P < .05) than in muscle (phenylalanine, 55% +/- 5% v 13% +/- 3%; lysine, 70% +/- 7% v 28% +/- 3%). In contrast, in muscle, amino acids appearing intracellularly (from inward transport and protein degradation) were preferentially (P < .05) released into the bloodstream, as opposed to being incorporated into protein (phenylalanine, 87% +/- 4%; lysine, 72% +/- 3%). Inward transport accounted for a greater (P < .05) proportion of total intracellular amino acid appearance in the gut than in muscle (leucine, 63% +/- 3% v 37 +/- 3%; valine, 75% +/- 5% v 53% +/- 3%; phenylalanine, 66% +/- 1% v 50% +/- 4%; lysine, 52% +/- 2% v 31% +/- 2%). We conclude that differences in transmembrane amino acid transport kinetics in both the inward and outward directions contribute to the net flow of amino acids from the muscle to the gut in the fasting state.
Benign soft-tissue tumors in a large referral population: distribution of specific diagnoses by age, sex, and location.

The purpose of this study was to determine the specific diagnoses, relative prevalence, and the age, sex, and skeletal distribution of benign soft-tissue tumors and to ascertain the relative frequency of these tumors in specific anatomic locations and age groups among a population of patients in a large pathologic consultation service.The computer diagnoses of 39,179 lesions occurring in 38,484 patients seen by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology soft-tissue pathologists during the 10-year period starting January 1, 1980, and ending December 31, 1989, were retrospectively reviewed. All lesions were placed in one of 121 major categories in accordance with the classification system used by the World Health Organization and coded to one of 32 anatomic locations such as hand, wrist, and forearm. Age and sex of the patients were also recorded. For purposes of analysis, all lesions were placed in one of 10 categories: hand and wrist, upper extremity, proximal limb girdle (axilla and shoulder), foot and ankl...
Evaluation of Acute Kidney Injury in the Hospital Setting

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is becoming more prevalent in the hospital setting and is associated with the worst prognostic outcomes, including increased mortality. Many different factors contribute to the development of AKI in hospitalized patients, including medications, older age, sepsis, and comorbid conditions. Correct evaluation and management of AKI requires investigation and understanding of important causative factors for each of the 3 pathophysiologic categories of renal failure. Preventative efforts rely on prompt recognition of AKI while avoiding iatrogenic insults in the hospital setting.
Hope for a Broken Heart

Heated debate has surrounded the issue of whether adult stem cells can differentiate into cardiac myocytes and contribute to the function of the heart. In this issue of Cell, demonstrate stem cells in the adult rat heart that differentiate into cardiac myocytes in vitro and, when injected into the adult rat heart, can reconstitute the injured myocardium and improve function. These findings should weigh heavily in future debates about the existence of stem cells in the adult heart and their capacity for functional repair after injury.
Acute effects of the work environment on pulmonary functions of swine confinement workers

A sample population of owner/operators of swine confinement production facilities (21 subjects in 21 different facilities) were tested by spirometry immediately before and after a 4-hr work period. These confinement workers had statistically significant decrements in flow rates ranging from 3.3% (mean FVC) to 11.9% (mean FEF25-75). The air within the work environment was sampled for particulates and gases during the exposure period. There was suggestive evidence for a dose-response association between environmental exposures to carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). There was also some evidence for an additive relationship between smoking and work environment exposure on decline in lung function. The results of this study indicate that those working in swine confinement buildings experience irritation to the respiratory tract which is manifest by decreased flow rates. These findings suggest this exposure represents an emerging occupational health hazard. Further studies are warranted to assess the potential for chronic or irreversible damage to the respiratory tract.
Radiology Cost and Outcomes Studies: Standard Practice and Emerging Methods

This is the 22nd and final article in the series designed by the American College of Radiology (ACR), the Canadian Association of Radiologists, and the American Journal of Roentgenology. The series has been designed to progressively educate radiologists in the methodologies of rigorous clinical research, from the most basic principles to a level of considerable sophistication. The articles are intended to complement interactive software that permits the user to work with what he or she has learned, which is available on the ACR Web site (www.acr.org).
Do Popular Collegiate Textbooks in Interpersonal Communication Reflect a Common Theory Base? A Telling Content Analysis

A content analysis of five popular lower-division textbooks in interpersonal communication revealed 37 common theoretical ideas that were discussed in at least three of the five textbooks. The common theories can be easily divided into four broad conceptual categories: (a) issues surrounding symbolic self; (b) issues of perception; (c) verbal skills, behaviors, and competencies; and (d) relational perspectives that view the interacting dyad as the relevant unit of analysis. The coders observed that the textbook authors tended to simplify and under reference theoretical material. A more detailed discussion of theory in subsequent editions of lower-division interpersonal communication textbooks is recommended.
Heat flux capabilities of first-wall tube arrays for an experimental fusion reactor

Abstract A preliminary design study has been made of some of the thermomechanical problems of water and helium cooling for the first wall of a near-term experimental fusion reactor. The first wall is envisioned as an array of 316 stainless steel tubes between the plasma and the blanket modules to intercept a heat flux from the plasma estimated to be between 0.25 and 1.0 MW/m 2 . Evaluations have been made of the maximum allowable heat fluxes for constraints imposed on the tube wall temperature, the cyclic stresses, the quasi-steady stresses and energy recovery from the coolant. For tubes with 2 meter long heated sections, 10 mm inside diameter and 1 mm wall thickness, water cooling was found to be more than adequate for plasma heat fluxes over 1 MW/m 2 with a fatigue life of 10 6 cycles; for a 2 mm wall thickness, at least 0.7 MW/m 2 can be handled for the same fatigue life. Helium-cooled tubes can also handle heat fluxes up to about 1 MW/m 2 with a 1 mm tube wall thickness and over 0.5 MW/m 2 with a 2 mm tube wall thickness, but the required pumping powers tend to be high. The problems of plasma disruptions and erosion by energetic plasma ions are also discussed briefly.
BMI as a modifying factor in the relations between age at menarche, menstrual cycle characteristics, and risk of preeclampsia.

To examine the relations between age at menarche and menstrual cycle characteristics and preeclampsia risk, we analyzed data from a case-control study conducted from 1998 to 2002. Usual menstrual cycle characteristics among 286 preeclampsia cases and 471 normotensive controls were assessed using a structured interview during postpartum hospitalization. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for confounders. We also examined the influence of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) on selected hypothesized relations. Among lean women (pre-pregnancy BMI or = 36 days in length (adjusted OR 0.78, CI 0.35-1.83) and menarche at > or = 14 years (adjusted OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.28-0.82). In contrast, among overweight or obese women, preeclampsia risk was higher in those with long cycles (OR 3.11, 95% CI 0.62-1.56, p(interaction) = 0.16) and late menarche (OR 1.53, 95% CI 0.59-3.97, p(interaction) = 0.03). These data suggest that adiposity influences the relations between usual menstrual cycle length, age at menarche, and preeclampsia. Overweight women with long cycles are at particularly high preeclampsia risk.
A collocation-type method for radiative transfer problems in a slab medium

A numerical method for solving the radiative transfer equation in a slab medium with isotropic scattering is presented. The method is based upon constructing the mth-degree interpolation polynomial to approximate the required solution using Legendre–Gauss–Lobatto collocation points. The differential and integral expressions which arise in the radiative transfer equation are converted into a system of linear algebraic equations which can be solved for the unknown coefficients. Numerical examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the method, and a comparison is made with existing results. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 28: 307–311, 2001.