cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3065: Targeting androgen receptor and c-FLIP greatly reduces proliferation and invasion in castration resistant prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in males with an estimated 164,690 new cases and 29,430 deaths in the United States in 2018. Androgen receptor (AR) plays a vital role in the growth and function of normal prostate, however it is also a principal driver of prostate cancer (PCa). Androgen deprivation therapy, or blockage of androgen at the level of AR, remains the treatment options for this disease. Nevertheless, emergence of androgen resistance limits their therapeutic usefulness, and most patients with PCa progress from androgen-dependent status to invasive castration-resistant PCa (CRPCa). CRPCa continues to express AR and depends on functional AR signaling for growth. Studies have shown that c-FLIP, an anti-apoptotic protein, reduces the efficacy of AR-targeted therapy. In addition, the expression of c-FLIP correlates with progression to CRPCa. Currently, the management of CRPCa poses a great challenge, and there is no beneficial therapeutic treatment. Therefore, finding natural agents that can disrupt AR function, especially in conjunction with other small molecules that target c-FLIP, could dramatically improve the benefits of therapeutic intervention for CRPCa. We found that fisetin, a flavonoid, interacts with the ligand binding domain of the AR, and vorinostat, a HDAC inhibitor, increases the acetylation of Ku70 by disrupting the interaction of endogenous c-FLIP and Ku70 resulting in degradation of c-FLIP. We next determined whether fisetin in combination with vorinostat could offer therapeutic advantage against CRPCa. Treatment of CRPCa cells with fisetin and vorinostat in combination more effectively reduced cell growth and colony formation than individual agents. Combination treatment also resulted in increased apoptosis as revealed by cleaved PARP and modulation in Bcl2 family proteins. Furthermore, combination treatment more effectively reduced the protein expression of HDAC6, c-FLIP, and procaspase 8 than individual agents. Elevation of AR/AR signaling and induction of HDAC6 expression play an important role in cell migration and invasion by inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We found that combination treatment more effectively reduced the invasion of CRPCa cells and inhibited EMT as revealed by decreased expression of mesenchymal marker proteins (N-cadherin, vimentin and fibronectin), and increased expression of E-cadherin, an epithelial marker protein. In summary, our findings demonstrate that combination treatment (fisetin plus vorinostat) exhibits more potent anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-invasive effects in CRPCa. Citation Format: Akanksha Udhav Salunkhe, Harish C. Pal, Farrukh Afaq. Targeting androgen receptor and c-FLIP greatly reduces proliferation and invasion in castration resistant prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3065.
Biomaterial approaches for cardiovascular tissue engineering

Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death. As a possible remedy, the field of cardiac tissue engineering has emerged as a regenerative medicine approach to develop bioartificial tissue constructs that can be implanted in order to provide support to the damaged heart tissue and restore function. Currently, there is a dire clinical need for suitable biomaterials that allow for cardiac graft integration, remodeling, and endogenous tissue regeneration. A range of biomaterial strategies can be used to address this need, by incorporating natural or synthetic materials to create tissue mimics such as vascular grafts, heart valves, and cardiac patches. Cardiovascular tissue engineering mainly relies on developing biodegradable polymeric scaffolds, often supplemented with biomolecules or natural proteins, to imitate the extracellular matrix architecture and biochemical composition of native tissues, while promoting tissue integration and regeneration. Considering the highly complex architecture of targeted cardiovascular tissues, there is a need for high-precision manufacturing techniques to generate cardiac grafts in a reproducible fashion. While methods such as 3D casting, electrospinning, and self-assembly have been traditionally used in the field, several new entrants, such as additive manufacturing (3D bioprinting) techniques, have shown great promise. This review is aimed at assessing the current state of the art of biomaterials and manufacturing techniques used in cardiovascular tissue engineering.
The Prescription Approach to Decentralized Stochastic Control with Word-of-Mouth Communication.

In this paper we analyze a network of agents that communicates through word of mouth. In a word-of-mouth communication system, every agent communicates with its neighbors with delays in communication. This is a non-classical information structure where the topological and temporal restrictions in communication mean that information propagates slowly through the network. We present the prescription approach to derive structural results for such problems. The structural results lead to optimal control strategies with time invariant domain-sizes. We show that these domains are smaller in size than the control strategies derived using the common information approach.
Multiproxy sedimentary organic matter analysis of the upper Wolfcamp Formation in the Collier-1201 well, southeastern Delaware Basin, Texas

AbstractHorizontal drilling and multistage fracturing designs have recently made the Wolfcamp shale horizons a highly sought-after and low-cost oil opportunity at a time of market volatility. One c...
Spatial targeting of floodplain restoration to equitably mitigate flood risk

Abstract Floodplain restoration offers an opportunity to enhance communities’ resilience to flooding. However, the degree to which these interventions mitigate damages is often unknown, and identifying the best locations for implementation is a challenge. Further, the extent to which the benefits of flood mitigation are equitably distributed within communities is rarely considered in restoration projects. Here, we develop a novel framework to optimize investments in floodplain restoration that maximizes the utility of avoided damages from flood inundation for a range of budgetary constraints. We estimate the expected reduction in flood damages from restoration interventions by integrating a hydraulic flood model and an economic damage cost model. Using equity-weighted utility functions, we explicitly evaluate how the value of reduction in flood damages varies for different property owners. We demonstrate the potential of this approach in the Lewis Creek watershed, located in Vermont, USA. Under all optimal scenarios, the benefits of avoided flood damages over a 100-year time period outweigh the costs of restoration by at least 5-to-1. Floodplain restoration has the potential to reduce the present value of damages by up to $400,000, a 5% decrease from the baseline, at a cost of only $75,000. We also show that the equity-weighted utility of flood mitigation increase when restoration interventions protect the lowest-income property owners, particularly those who live in mobile homes. Together, our results illuminate the importance of evaluating the distribution of benefits and costs associated with alternative restoration strategies, as well as underscore the capacity for floodplain restoration to build resilience to flooding.
PREVALENCE, TRENDS AND OUTCOMES OF SHOCK IN THE CARDIAC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Shock is common in cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients. Studies demonstrate an increase in the incidence of non-cardiogenic and mixed-type shock and worse in-hospital outcomes. We aimed to examine the changing epidemiology and outcomes of shock in CICU patients over a 12-year period. We
Transitional Stress Influences Problem Alcohol Use and Emotion Regulation in Late Adolescence: A Mixed-Methods Study

Rates of alcohol use peak during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, a developmental phase that encompasses heightened stress and emotion regulation demands. This mixed methods stud...
Fatigue and Fracture Properties of Asphalt Mixes Containing Low Content of Crumb-Rubber Modifier

AbstractThe California Department of Transportation has proposed to add a low amount of crumb-rubber modifier into dense-graded asphalt mixes, in addition to current policies of using gap- and open...
Stability Performance Analysis of Various Packaging Materials and Coating Strategies for Chronic Neural Implants under Accelerated, Reactive Aging Tests.

Reliable packaging for implantable neural prosthetic devices in body fluids is a long-standing challenge for devices’ chronic applications. This work studied the stability of Parylene C (PA), SiO2, and Si3N4 packages and coating strategies on tungsten wires using accelerated, reactive aging tests in three solutions: pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), PBS + 30 mM H2O2, and PBS + 150 mM H2O2. Different combinations of coating thicknesses and deposition methods were studied at various testing temperatures. Analysis of the preliminary data shows that the pinholes/defects, cracks, and interface delamination are the main attributes of metal erosion and degradation in reactive aging solutions. Failure at the interface of package and metal is the dominating factor in the wire samples with open tips.
Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Tissue Repair and Regeneration

Iron oxides are naturally occurring compounds, and several methods have been developed for generating iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) with a focus on precisely modulating their size and physicoche...
Photoresponsive miR-34a/Nanoshell Conjugates Enable Light-Triggered Gene Regulation to Impair the Function of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease that requires new interventions. A promising approach to improve patient prognosis is to introduce tumor suppressive miR-34a into TNBC cells. Unfortunately, naked miR-34a is not effective therapeutically because it is degraded by nucleases and cannot passively enter cells. Nanocarriers designed to increase miR-34a stability and cellular entry have lacked specificity and potency. To overcome these limitations, we conjugated miR-34a to photoresponsive gold nanoshells (NS), which can release tethered miR-34a upon excitation with continuous wave (CW) or nanosecond (ns) pulsed near-infrared light to facilitate on-demand gene regulation. We demonstrate that miR-34a/NS can regulate downstream miR-34a targets following irradiation to reduce TNBC cell viability, proliferation, and migration. Further, we show ns pulsed light releases miRNA more effectively than CW light, and that released miR-34a is as potent as transfected miR-34a. These findings signify miR-34a/NS as promising tools for precisely controlled gene regulation of TNBC.
Early Surgical Intervention in Amniotic Band Sequence for Upper Extremity Motor Nerve Palsies: A Case Report:

Urgent surgical intervention for amniotic band sequence (ABS) is currently indicated for concerns of vascular compromise and progressive lymphedema. Peripheral motor nerve palsies are rare, and reports of surgical intervention in these cases describe persistent motor dysfunction. We report band release and ulnar, median, and radial nerve decompression in a 1-week-old with a severe upper extremity constriction band and signs of ulnar nerve motor dysfunction. A literature review on nerve exploration and outcomes of patients with motor nerve palsy from ABS was performed. Early evidence of ulnar motor function was observed at 5.5-month follow-up. Previous reports of nerve decompression for upper extremity constriction bands with motor nerve palsy document poor recovery after interventions beginning at 3 months of age. In this case, band release and nerve decompression were undertaken at 7 days of age, and we observed early motor recovery. This finding suggests that very early surgical intervention in the neonate may facilitate nerve recovery in appropriate candidates.
fv3gfs-wrapper: a Python wrapper of the FV3GFS atmospheric model

Abstract. Simulation software in geophysics is traditionally written in Fortran or C++ due to the stringent performance requirements these codes have to satisfy. As a result, researchers who use high-productivity languages for exploratory work often find these codes hard to understand, hard to modify, and hard to integrate with their analysis tools. fv3gfs-wrapper is an open-source Python-wrapped version of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) FV3GFS (Finite-Volume Cubed-Sphere Global Forecast System) global atmospheric model, which is coded in Fortran. The wrapper provides simple interfaces to progress the Fortran main loop and get or set variables used by the Fortran model. These interfaces enable a wide range of use cases such as modifying the behavior of the model, introducing online analysis code, or saving model variables and reading forcings directly to and from cloud storage. Model performance is identical to the fully compiled Fortran model, unless routines to copy the state in and out of the model are used. This copy overhead is well within an acceptable range of performance and could be avoided with modifications to the Fortran source code. The wrapping approach is outlined and can be applied similarly in other Fortran models to enable more productive scientific workflows.
Discovering Enfield Falls: A community initiated archaeological heritage project in Ithaca, New York

Discovering Enfield Falls differs from many academic-managed heritage programmes that are top-down projects initiated by archaeologists. In it, planning originated with stakeholders determined to c...
The utility of handheld ultrasound as a point-of-care screening tool to assess vocal fold impairment following congenital heart surgery.

Abstract Introduction Vocal fold motion impairment (VFMI) is a known potential complication of congenital heart surgery (CHS). Flexible nasolaryngoscopy (FNL) is the gold standard for evaluation of vocal fold movement but has risks, including epistaxis, desaturation, and changes in heart rate. Laryngeal ultrasound (LUS) has begun to emerge as a diagnostic tool and has been shown to have high accuracy in the evaluation of VFMI. We sought to assess the utility of hand-held LUS as a point-of-care screening tool to assess VFMI in pediatric patients following congenital heart surgery. Methods Using a prospective cohort design, children under 18 years who were undergoing congenital heart surgery at a tertiary care pediatric hospital were enrolled. All patients underwent postoperative LUS and FNL. All studies were reviewed by two otolaryngology reviewers blinded to the clinical diagnosis. Higher quality studies were reviewed by two cardiology reviewers also blinded to the clinical diagnosis. Accuracy and inter-rater reliability were calculated. Results Sixty-two children were screened. Fourteen children with VFMI were identified via FNL. When comparing LUS and FNL, both individual accuracy (90.3% and 75.8%) and interrater agreement (79% overall, 96% for high quality videos) were high for the otolaryngology reviewers. The cardiology reviewers were able to obtain 100% accuracy for high quality videos. Conclusion Handheld LUS has utility as a point-of-care screening tool to assess VFMI. This may have benefit in low-resource settings, for universal screening in cardiac intensive care units, or in settings where otolaryngology consultation may be difficult to obtain.
Training wicked scientists for a world of wicked problems

Humanity faces a number of wicked problems, from global climate change and the coronavirus pandemic to systemic racism and widening economic inequality. Since such complex and dynamic problems are plagued by disagreement among stakeholders over their nature and cause, they are notoriously difficult to solve. This commentary argues that if humanity truly aspires to address the grand challenges of today and tomorrow, then graduate education must be redesigned. It is no longer sufficient to train students only to be experts in their respective fields. They also must hone the interpersonal and professional skills that allow them to collaborate successfully within diverse teams of researchers and other stakeholders. Here the conceptual framework of wicked science is proposed, including what a graduate program in wicked science would achieve and why such training matters both to researchers and the communities where they work. If humanity hopes to effectively tackle the world’s wicked problems, then it is time to train a generation of wicked scientists.
Large-area surface wettability patterning of metal alloys via a maskless laser-assisted functionalization method

Abstract An innovative laser-assisted functionalization (LAF) method is presented in this work to fabricate a superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic patterned surface on a large-area metal alloy with a high process throughput. The LAF method comprises four steps, including two laser processing steps and two surface chemistry modification steps. Two strategies are demonstrated to fabricate extreme wettability patterns on aluminum alloy without using protective masking. Strategy I fabricates contrasting topography and chemistry where superhydrophobic regions are nanostructured with fluorocarbon chemistry, and superhydrophilic regions contain microchannels with nitrile chemistry. Conversely, strategy II fabricates similar microchannel topography for both wettability regions with contrasting chemistry. Surface topography patterning, from low-roughness, isotropic, random nanostructured texture to highly structured texture, is achieved by adjusting the laser parameters during LAF. LAF constitutes the first known laser-based surface engineering method that decouples extreme wettability from surface topography. In addition, anti-reflection surface property, ranging from moderately reduced reflectivity of about 50% to ultralow reflectivity of less than 10%, is achieved using this process. The processing mechanism, surface chemistry, and surface topography are analyzed to demonstrate the simplicity, robustness, and feasibility of the process.
Academic mothers with disabilities: Navigating academia and parenthood during COVID-19

Academic mothers (including nonbinary, trans, and genderqueer parents) have always faced challenges in their profession due to systemic barriers and a “motherhood tax”;however, COVID‐19 has exacerbated already existing inequalities (Oleschuk, 2020). This study examines how the pandemic has affected academic mothers with mental health and physical disabilities, as these voices often remain hidden and unheard in academia despite increased awareness of their presence (Brown & Leigh, 2018;Kelly & Senior, 2020). Here, we share the voices of 23 participants using a qualitative methodology drawing from social justice and feminist theories to highlight the lived experience of academic mothers with mental and/or physical disabilities and their experiences as a scholar and parent during COVID‐19. Understanding the lived experience of this intersectional population can provide invaluable insights into ableist privilege within higher education, especially in the context of COVID‐19 which has substantially disrupted work and homelife routines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Gender, Work & Organization is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
The Impact of Adaptive Mesh Refinement on a Simulated Z-Pinch Using Flash

Recent computational work on Z-pinches has been made, using the open source adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code FLASH. Here we present two-dimensional simulations of thick liner Z-pinches, where we have utilized user defined boundary conditions with a predefined magnetic drive. AMR may elucidate upon the suite of large-k instabilities' contribution to mix and other potentially deleterious effects in the process of turbulent motion's conversion to heat. Such phenomena include the magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability, and variations axially, if coupled with a hydrodynamic blast wave simulating a form of laser preheat in a magnetic liner inertial fusion (MagLIF)-like scenario. The implementation of AMR may determine to what extent instabilities are mitigated by magnetic fields for all k, and to what extent the coupling of additional fields, such as an axial magnetic field, suppress and eliminate mixing and turbulent motion.
Conspiracy Arguments in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 prominently feature conspiracy arguments—allegations that one’s political opponent is part of a plot to bring about a loathsome result. After contextualizing the debates, the essay examines the major conspiracy arguments, ranging from the charge that Lincoln was plotting to convert both Whig and Democratic parties to abolitionism, to the charge that Douglas was seeking to spread slavery all over the country. The evidence from the debates is drawn upon to consider under what circumstances conspiracy charges become credible and what techniques of argumentation are employed to produce that result.
High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

The direct coupling of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has evolved as a powerful new tool (HPLC/NMR) for the analysis of mixtures. The technique was originally reported in the late 1970s, but was generally limited by NMR detector sensitivity constraints and the availability of routine high magnetic field dispersion instruments (11.8–17.6 T, 500–750 MHz 1H-NMR). During the early 1980s, the HPLC/NMR technique was applied to problems involving the analysis of mixtures that were typically not sample limited, such as petroleum fuels. In the early 1990s, the advent of commercial HPLC/NMR equipment provided the impetus for a worldwide growth spurt of the HPLC/NMR technique. As outlined in this review, the HPLC/NMR technique has evolved as a powerful tool for applications involving polymers, pharmaceuticals, and biological mixtures. An inherent advantage of HPLC/NMR is the ability to monitor the NMR chemical shift dimension. This dimension is particularly relevant for those applications involving structural isomer identification and has distinct advantages in comparison with the more commonly employed HPLC/MS (mass spectrometry) technique. Although sensitivity limitations of NMR as a detector are still a concern, the development of more complex hyphenated combinations (such as HPLC/NMR/MS) will undoubtedly continue, especially in the areas of pharmaceutical and drug development. Other technical and phenomenological considerations of the HPLC/NMR technique are presented in this review. Finally, a number of related variant techniques including capillary electrophoresis nuclear magnetic resonance (CE/NMR), capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), capillary electrochromatography (CEC), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) are also discussed.
Computer Display System Tradeoffs

This chapter discusses the various tradeoffs which can be made in computer-display systems. Included are eight major areas: (1) display-refresh, (2) category section, (3) word formats, (4) I/O channel capacity and configuration, (5) hardware v software, (6) number of displays, (7) display flexibility, and (8) background data. Each of these areas is examined in sufficient detail to indicate the possible alternatives which can be used, the advantages and penalties associated with each alternative, and general guidelines or conclusions where applicable in selecting the optimum approach for a given set of system requirements.
Novel regulation of peripheral gustatory function by the immune system

Soon after adult rats receive unilateral chorda tympani nerve section in combination with dietary sodium restriction, neural taste responses recorded from the intact, contralateral chorda tympani nerve are substantially reduced. We hypothesized that the immune system is compromised in sodium-restricted rats, which leads to functional alterations in the peripheral taste system after neural injury. Here, immune function was stimulated with a systemic injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and neurophysiological responses were recorded from the uncut chorda tympani 4-10 days after nerve section to determine if normal sodium sensitivity was restored. Rats receiving nerve section, dietary sodium restriction, and LPS exhibited normal sodium responses. In intact rats, injection of LPS alone or LPS injection combined with sodium restriction had no effect on taste responses to sodium stimuli. Surprisingly, combining nerve section, LPS injection, and maintenance of rats on a normal diet induced supersensitive responses to sodium. These findings are the first to demonstrate that the immune system can regulate peripheral gustatory function.
Restricted Replication of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus in Human Lymphoblastoid Cells

Replication of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is restricted in one human lymphoblastoid cell line (Raji), but not in another similar cell line (Wil-2), compared with growth in HeLa cells. This restriction is characterized by a low proportion of cells yielding infectious virus and is associated with limited production of 42S virion RNA. Primary transcription of 13S and 26S VSV-specific RNA is not restricted in Raji cells, and the 13S RNA produced contains adenylate-rich sequences. This suggests that the block in Raji cells involves some step required for the replication of virion RNA.
Intraoperative Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation During Thoracolumbar Decompression in a Patient With Metastatic Carcinoma of the Prostate: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Various factors may be responsible for disturbances of coagulation function during the perioperative period. Disseminated intravascular coagulation or coagulopathy (DIC) results from the widespread activation of the clotting cascade on the endothelial surface throughout the microvasculature that results in the formation of thrombin and fibrin. Although an uncommon cause of intraoperative bleeding, previous reports have noted the occurrence of DIC in association with adenocarcinoma of the prostate. We present a 62-year-old man with known metastatic carcinoma of prostate, who presented with rapidly progressing paraplegia and incontinence. During an emergent posterior thoracolumbar decompression and instrumentation, he developed excessive blood loss and DIC. The potential etiologies for intraoperative DIC are reviewed, the diagnosis is discussed, and perioperative management strategies are presented. J Med Cases. 2015;6(9):426-429 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2264w
TheD′ ↔ A′Transition in ClF

The D' (2 (3)P2) left and right arrow A'(2 (3)Pi) transition in ClF is studied in emission, in fluorescence, and through OODR excitation experiments. The emission spectrum is excited in a flowing Tesla discharge of ClF in half an atmosphere of Ar and is photographed at high resolution. The excitation and fluorescence spectra are obtained by pumping through perturbed levels of the B (0(+) 3Pi) valence state. The emission data yield a detailed characterization of v' levels 0 and 1 and v" levels 3-8. The excitation spectra extend the v' range to v' = 16 and put both states on an absolute energy scale. The low-resolution fluorescence spectra span v" = 1-17, the upper limit of which lies within approximately 20 cm-1 of dissociation. Key spectroscopic parameters (cm-1) from the study, valid for 35Cl19F, are: T'e = 55 253, omega'e = 365.22, omegaex'e = 2.005, T"e = 18 257, omega"e = 363.53, omegaex"e = 8.30, B'e = 0.21790, a'e = 0.00175, B"e = 0.33412, a"e = 0.00631, R'e = 2.5069 A, R"e = 2.024 A. A near-dissociation fit of the D' --> A' emission and fluorescence data locates the first dissociation limit at 21 495(5) cm-1, which is lower than the accepted value, but by just one standard error. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
METHODS FOR METHANOLYSIS OF SPHINGOLIPIDS AND DIRECT DETERMINATION OF LONG-CHAIN BASES BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY.

A new, simple procedure is described for the direct gas chromatographic determination of sphingolipid bases as their trimethylsilyl derivatives. This method is used to study the nature of the mixture of bases produced by acidic methanolysis of ceramides, sphingomyelins, free sphingolipid bases, andN-acetyl derivatives of the latter. Cleavage of sphingolipids with anhydrous methanolic hydrogen chloride results in the production of considerable quantities of secondary products from sphingosine, such as theO-methyl ethers, which are not formed during methanolysis of free sphingosine. A modified reagent for methanolysis, containing methanol, water and hydrochloric acid, reduces the yield of these by-products to low levels. Preliminary purification of the sphingolipid bases, before gas chromatography, is achieved by chromatographic procedures. Evidence is presented for the occurrence of C16-sphingosine in sphingomyelin from human blood plasma.
Mentorship for participants in a laparoscopic colectomy course

Background Despite data suggesting improved outcomes with laparoscopic colectomy (LC), less than 10% of colectomies in the Unites States are currently performed laparoscopically. One mechanism for incorporating LC into practice is to attend an LC course (LCC). Postcourse mentorship is recommended by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), in addition to course participation, to encourage adoption of the new techniques. Recommendations also include access to at least 25 colectomies annually. Because the use of LC likely will increase, access to mentorship is an important consideration for LCC participants. This study aimed to evaluate mentorship access and related factors for participants in an ongoing LCC.
Compressing data sets of similar images with autoregressive models

The paper demonstrates the existence of a common autoregressive (CAR) compressing transform for a class of similar images, and examines the model sensitivity with respect to translations and rotations of the similar images.
Comments from a former Journal of Virology editor.

In July, I left the ranks of Journal of Virology editors to move back to the ranks of JVI reviewers. I realized there were two things that I felt strongly about expressing as I marked this change. First, I want to express my gratitude to all of you who have served as reviewers when I approached you with this request for uncompensated work. The JVI editorial board has moved largely to a “contribution-based” system over the last few years now that the number of reviews by each reviewer can be tracked in the database. Active reviewers are easily identified and invited to be part of the editorial board, while inactive or unresponsive reviewers over time are removed. However, there is a subset of editorial board members who make a remarkable contribution to the journal in terms of their willingness to do a large number of reviews. I wish journals would identify their top 10 (or more) reviewers each year, as this is a measure of the value your editor colleagues place on your judgment. For those of you who have received more than your share of requests to review from me, a special thanks. Your intellectual blood runs thick through the veins of the Journal of Virology. The second item that deserves comment is about the change that is under way in scientific publishing. There are two very different competing models. The old model is where the journal's income comes from subscriptions and the journal must have content (its papers) good enough to make you want to subscribe. The new model is open access, where the author pays most of the cost up front and the publisher expects no income based on subscriptions or archived content, with no intrinsic limit on the number of journals or the number of papers. JVI has searched for a middle ground where there is a modest subscription cost, a modest author cost, and relatively rapid open access. While I don't have any special insight into these issues, it is clear that we, as a community, define how we value individual journals in our choice of where we send our own work and in our perception of significance when we review. As the number of online open-access journals grows, we collectively will sort out their value, with the review process playing an expanded role in defining journal quality. Conversely, subscription-based publishers need to be pushed to make content available sooner and more widely as our expectations are influenced by open access. I published my first paper in the Journal of Virology, and I will be happy to publish my last paper there (in the distant future). I believe that as a society-based journal, JVI will continue to be guided by the needs of the community it serves; for that reason, we would be wise to keep it as a valued entity in this rapidly changing world.
Retention Characteristics of SNOS Nonvolatile Devices in a Radiation Environment

A quantitative model is developed that can accurately predict the threshold voltage shift, and hence data loss, in SNOS nonvolatile memory transistors over a wide range of dose rates. The model accounts for both the time dependent and radiation induced mechanisms leading to data loss. Experimental measurements are made to verify the validity and accuracy of the model under a variety of irradiation conditions.
Making Sense of Muscle: The Body Experiences of Collegiate Women Athletes†

Using ethnographic research, this paper explores the experiences of elite women athletes on a Division-I college soccer team. I draw on existing literature in the sociology of sport, sociology of the body, and interactionism to inform my analysis. With this approach, I illustrate the complicated relationship women athletes have with their bodies in relation to physical competition and dominant notions of femininity today. Key reference groups influenced the players’ self-perceptions and encouraged the women to closely monitor their own appearances and actions. While undoubtedly affected by these inter-actions as well as their place in the gender hierarchy, many women athletes subtly resisted notions of idealized bodies and constructed their own meanings about their bodies and experiences. Investigating the day-to-day body awareness and negotiations of women athletes reveals the gendered nuances of sport and the complicated relationship between cultural ideals and female embodiment.
Pharmacotherapy of personality disorders

Background: Personality disordered individuals, especially those with severe cluster B disorders, are prescribed psychotropic medications with greater frequency than almost any other diagnostic group. However, prescribing practices in this population often are based on hunches or anecdotal evidence rather than on rigorous or widely replicated data.Aims: We have attempted to provide a comprehensive review of randomized trials of the pharmacotherapy of personality disorders.Method: Pubmed searches using various combinations of the terms “pharmacotherapy”“psychopharmacology”“medication,”“personality disorder” and “Axis II.”Results: Approximately 40 published randomized trials were found and summarized. The vast majority concern borderline personality disorder (BPD); these studies cover almost every known class of psychotropic medications. Most published BPD studies show efficacy for at least one target symptom, with some studies identifying multiple areas of drug response. Medications seem most useful in tre...
Evolutionary basis of parallelism in North American scincid lizards

SUMMARY This study uses a phylogenetic framework to explore the causes of parallelism in two North American scincid lizard assemblages: the skiltonianus and fasciatus species groups of the genus Plestiodon. Each group consists of several closely related species with conserved neonate morphology; features that distinguish species become accentuated during ontogeny, and these differences often resemble different endpoints along a developmental continuum. This continuum is believed to be an expression of the ancestral ontogeny, and has led to the hypothesis that evolutionary change in development has generated much of the observed morphological diversity. However, progress on understanding these mechanisms is limited by a lack of wellsupported phylogenetic data for the fasciatus group, and for Plestiodon in general. Recent phylogenetic studies on the skiltonianusgroup haverevealed previouslyundetected cases of parallelism, and raise the possibility that similar cases have yet to be discovered in the fasciatus group. Here, I estimate a phylogeny to test the monophyly of the fasciatus group and infer its relationship with other North American Plestiodon using 2537bp from six mtDNA genes. I use the phylogeny to reconstruct the mode (graduated vs. punctuated) and direction of body size evolution, to map the evolution of two predominant color morphs, and to test whether size and color pattern evolve concertedly. The results show that the morphotypes of the traditional fasciatus group constitute good species, but that the species group is rendered paraphyletic by several geographically overlapping species that deviate from the fasciatus-like ontogeny. Body size evolution has occurred gradually and bi-directionally, and shifts to large body size have been consistently associated with the loss of the striped color pattern during ontogeny. I show that parallelism, a lack of rigorous phylogenetic analysis, and a reliance on shared ontogenetic features for predicting phylogenetic relatedness, has misled the traditional systematics of these lizards, but that general ideas concerning the role of development in their morphological evolution remain supported. I close by proposing that the processes influencing repeated phyletic patterns in the skiltonianus and fasciatus groups represent adherence to an ancestral ground state, and discuss the importance of using phylogenies for the initial characterization of evolutionary changes in development.
Cross-network spectrum sensing for mission-critical cognitive radio networks: Collaboration through gateways

In this paper, the cross-network spectrum sensing is considered for future mission-critical wireless networks employing cognitive radio technology. In military operations and disaster relief efforts, multiple cognitive radio networks may be deployed in the same geographical area for different organizations to access the spectrum collaboratively and provide much needed interoperability enabled by a software radio platform. In this context, cross-network collaboration based spectrum sensing in cognitive radio is studied. Because of security requirements among different organizations, different co-existing networks can only communicate through certain gateway nodes. The limited communication capability of gateway nodes incurs significant challenges for the collaboration. We propose to apply the technique of Belief Propagation for the cross-network collaboration with the assumption of Markov random field for the spectrum occupancies. The cross-network information is embedded into the Belief Propagation framework as a priori probabilities. The cross-network messages are also compressed due to the limited communication bandwidth. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by extensive simulations.
An online I/Q equalization technique with recursive adaptation for quadrature wireless receivers

This paper presents an online adaptive technique for rejecting “image” frequency band interference in quadrature wireless receivers, which is caused by Inphase/Quadrature (I/Q) mismatch. Using recursive adaptation, the online adaptive algorithm seeks to restore the circularity property of the baseband signal, in order to achieve I/Q equalization. During the adaptation process, time-varying weight update is automatically generated at each iteration to achieve improved interference suppression performance and convergence behavior. Computer simulations are performed in MATLAB to validate the effectiveness of the proposed technique. The simulation results confirm that, the presented techniques exhibit satisfactory interference suppression performance and superior convergence property.
The effect of ascorbic acid on cutaneous and nasal response to histamine and allergen

The effect of ascorbic acid (AA) on the skin wheal and flare response to histamine and allergen and on the nasal response to allergen was evaluated in eight adults with seasonal allergic rhinitis. The above parameters were measured after 3 days of AA administration (2 gm/day) and again after 3 days of a similar-appearing lactose placebo. An additional study was conducted in which six subjects took 0 (placebo), 1, 2, and 4 gm/day of AA to determine the dose-response effect of AA on histamine skin tests. Overall there was no difference in skin or nasal reactivity between AA and placebo regimens. The findings in this study suggest that AA in relatively high doses would have no beneficial effects on symptoms resulting from allergen exposure and that AA in doses of up to 4 gm/day will not suppress the histamine skin response.
Selection Response and Genetics of Parathion Resistance in the Pacific Spider Mite, Tetranychus pacificus

Parathion resistant and parathion susceptible strains of the Pacific spider mite, Tetranychus pacificus McG., were derived from certain field populations and established as laboratory colonies. The two colonies were characterized by dosage-mortality curves for the effect of parathion and also Aramite® (2-( p-tert butylphenoxyl)-1-methylethyl 2-chloroethyl sulfite). One generation selection experiments for parathion resistance and for Aramite resistance were performed on the susceptible colony. The colony responded to both acaricides. The colony responded to selection for parathion resistance by not only an increase in LC-50 but also by producing a population partitioned into susceptible and resistance classes, thus providing evidence for the existence of a major gene for resistance. The latter genetic hypothesis was then tested by performing conventional crosses between the original susceptible and resistant colonies. The results of these crosses produced further strong evidence For a major mendelian dominant with resistance to parathion dominant to susceptibility.
Male–Female Communication in the Crayfish Orconectes rusticus: The Use of Urinary Signals in Reproductive and Non‐Reproductive Pairings

Animals use sensory communication to locate conspecifics, food, shelter, and avoid predators. Using urine visualization techniques as well as Digital Particle Illumination Velocimetry, we examined the role of urinary signals and current generations during social interactions of male and female crayfish. Both reproductive and non-reproductive crayfish were paired to gain a better understanding of how reproductive state influences communication. Analyses of agonistic and mating events were paired in time with recorded urine release and current generation, illustrating a correlation of chemical communication with ritualized social behavior. Four treatment groups were run with specific combinations of different reproductive status: (1) both opponents reproductively active, (2) only the male in reproductive, (3) only the female reproductive, or (4) both opponents non-reproductive. Results showed differences between treatment groups in urine release, current generation, and social behavior. Within reproductive pairings, both the male and female crayfish generated currents and released urine at higher rates than those in other treatment groups. Urine was released most often when opponents were in chelae contact with each other and these releases were often accompanied by anterior current generation. In addition, communication was different in reproductive trials where mating occurred. Overall, the results indicate that the use of hydrodynamic and chemical signals changes as a function of reproductive state and that this change in communication probably indicates readiness to mate.
A kinetic model of single and clustered IP3 receptors in the absence of Ca2+ feedback.

Ca2+ liberation through inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) channels generates complex patterns of spatiotemporal cellular Ca2+ signals owing to the biphasic modulation of channel gating by Ca2+ itself. These processes have been extensively studied in Xenopus oocytes, where imaging studies have revealed local Ca2+ signals (“puffs”) arising from clusters of IP3R, and patch-clamp studies on isolated oocyte nuclei have yielded extensive data on IP3R gating kinetics. To bridge these two levels of experimental data, we developed an IP3R model and applied stochastic simulation and transition matrix theory to predict the behavior of individual and clustered IP3R channels. The channel model consists of four identical, independent subunits, each of which has an IP3-binding site together with one activating and one inactivating Ca2+-binding site. The channel opens when at least three subunits undergo a conformational change to an “active” state after binding IP3 and Ca2+. The model successfully reproduces patch-clamp data; including the dependence of open probability, mean open duration, and mean closed duration on [IP3] and [Ca2+]. Notably, the biexponential distribution of open-time duration and the dependence of mean open time on [Ca2+] are explained by populations of openings involving either three or four active subunits. As a first step toward applying the single IP3R model to describe cellular responses, we then simulated measurements of puff latency after step increases of [IP3]. Assuming that stochastic opening of a single IP3R at basal cytosolic [Ca2+] and any given [IP3] has a high probability of rapidly triggering neighboring channels by calcium-induced calcium release to evoke a puff, optimal correspondence with experimental data of puff latencies after photorelease of IP3 was obtained when the cluster contained a total of 40–70 IP3Rs.