cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Informal Action Group: One Way to Collaborate in a University

This is the case history of an informal action group (HATS) that developed in a university-what it is, how it was started, what it has accomplished, in what ways it has been unsuccessful, and the characteristics that have aided its work and growth. The first section provides a brief overview of the group. The second section outlines the specific procedures followed by the group in arranging meetings, setting agenda, and accomplishing constructive work. In the third section the developmental history of the group is described, including: (a) some early innovative projects; (b) similarities between the EMBRYO HATS and what Leeds (1964) has termed "a nonconforming enclave"; (c) problems created by a temporary major expansion of the group; and (d) the problemsolving activities of the HATS as a mature workgroup. In the final section the causes and effects of success and failure experienced by the HATS as an informal action group are analyzed.
Teaching NeuroImages: NMDA encephalomyelitis with MRI abnormalities isolated to ventral spinal cord gray matter

A 17-year-old girl presented with a month of anxiety followed by acute psychosis, catatonia, choreoathetosis, seizures, autonomic instability, lower extremity spasticity, and hyperreflexia. CSF was positive for the NMDA antibody; additional antibodies and infectious etiologies tested negative. MRI brain was normal. MRI spine revealed symmetric T2 hyperintensities in ventral gray matter (figure). EEG showed extreme delta brush. She received the following sequentially: IV gammaglobulin, methylprednisolone, ovarian teratoma resection, and plasmapheresis, only improving after rituximab. At 3 months, repeat MRI spine and motor examination results were normal. NMDA encephalitis with myelopathy is rare1,2; spinal cord gray matter involvement has not been reported previously.
Activation, Differentiation, and Migration of Naive Virus-Specific CD8+ T Cells during Pulmonary Influenza Virus Infection

The low precursor frequency of individual virus-specific CD8(+) T cells in a naive host makes the early events of CD8(+) T cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation in response to viral infection a challenge to identify. We have therefore examined the response of naive CD8(+) T cells to pulmonary influenza virus infection with a murine adoptive transfer model using hemagglutinin-specific TCR transgenic CD8(+) T cells. Initial activation of CD8(+) T cells occurs during the first 3 days postinfection exclusively within the draining lymph nodes. Acquisition of CTL effector functions, including effector cytokine and granule-associated protease expression, occurs in the draining lymph nodes and differentially correlates with cell division. Division of activated CD8(+) T cells within the draining lymph nodes occurs in an asynchronous manner between days 3 and 4 postinfection. Despite the presence of Ag for several days within the draining lymph nodes, dividing T cells do not appear to maintain contact with residual Ag. After multiple cell divisions, CD8(+) T cells exit the draining lymph nodes and migrate to the infected lung. Activated CD8(+) T cells also disseminate throughout lymphoid tissue including the spleen and distal lymph nodes following their emigration from draining lymph nodes. These results demonstrate an important role for draining lymph nodes in orchestrating T cell responses during a local infection of a discrete organ to generate effector CD8(+) T cells capable of responding to infection and seeding peripheral lymphoid tissues.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-5 Inhibits Osteoblast Differentiation and Skeletal Growth by Blocking Insulin-Like Growth Factor Actions

Signaling through the IGF-I receptor by locally synthesized IGF-I or IGF-II is critical for normal skeletal development and for bone remodeling and repair throughout the lifespan. In most tissues, IGF actions are modulated by IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). IGFBP-5 is the most abundant IGFBP in bone, and previous studies have suggested that it may either enhance or inhibit osteoblast differentiation in culture and may facilitate or block bone growth in vivo. To resolve these contradictory observations and discern the mechanisms of action of IGFBP-5 in bone, we studied its effects in differentiating osteoblasts and in primary bone cultures. Purified wild-type (WT) mouse IGFBP-5 or a recombinant adenovirus expressing IGFBP-5WT each prevented osteogenic differentiation induced by the cytokine bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 at its earliest stages without interfering with BMP-mediated signaling, whereas an analog with reduced IGF binding (N domain mutant) was ineffective. When added at later phases of bone cell maturation, IGFBP-5WT but not IGFBP-5N blocked mineralization, prevented longitudinal growth of mouse metatarsal bones in short-term primary culture, and inhibited their endochondral ossification. Because an IGF-I variant (R3IGF-I) with diminished affinity for IGFBPs promoted full osteogenic differentiation in the presence of IGFBP-5WT, our results show that IGFBP-5 interferes with IGF action in osteoblasts and provides a framework for discerning mechanisms of collaboration between signal transduction pathways activated by BMPs and IGFs in bone.
A virtual supply airflow rate meter for rooftop air-conditioning units

Abstract A proper amount of supply airflow is critical in all kinds of air-based HVAC systems to maintain desired control effectiveness, energy efficiency and indoor air quality (IAQ). Although knowledge of supply airflow rate (SCFM) is certainly very important, measuring and monitoring SCFM in rooftop air-conditioning units (RTUs) by using the conventional SCFM metering devices are very costly and more than often problematic. This paper proposes a low-cost but accurate virtual SCFM meter to solve the dilemma for RTUs. The SCFM values are indirectly derived from a first-principle model in combination with accurate measurements of low-cost virtual or virtually calibrated temperature sensors. Modeling, uncertainty analysis and experimental evaluation through a wide range of laboratory testing for both cooling- and heating-based approaches are performed respectively in the development. The study reveals that the heating-based method surpasses the other in terms of its simplicity, accuracy (uncertainty is ±6.9% vs ±13.8%) and reliability and is chosen to be the virtual SCFM meter in RTUs. This cost-effective application is promising with a number of merits, such as easy to implement, economical for use, and generic in RTUs with the same constructed gas furnaces. For applications, it could be applied as a permanently installed monitoring tool to indicate the SCFM and/or to automatically detect and diagnose improper quantity of SCFM for RTUs.
Wernicke-Korsakoff-Syndrome: Under-Recognized and Under-Treated

Background Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is a well described syndrome of neurological and cognitive problems that comprises both Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) and Korsakoff syndrome (KS). WE is an acute neuropsychiatric disorder caused by thiamine deficiency. KS is a chronic consequence of thiamine deficiency with prominent impairment in memory formation. Method The authors review the literature on the pathophysiology, presentation, and treatment of WKS, focusing on the acute identification and treatment of WE. Results Most cases of WE are missed by clinicians, likely because patients do not present with the classic signs associated with the condition. Attaining high serum levels of thiamine during treatment may be important to restore cognitive function as quickly as possible, though the exact dosing and route needed for effective treatment is unknown. Data indicates that the administration of intravenous (IV) thiamine has little risk. Conclusion In order to prevent this potentially devastating disease, physicians should have a high index of suspicion for WKS and dose thiamine accordingly.
Quantitative Proteomics of a Presymptomatic A53T α-Synuclein Drosophila Model of Parkinson Disease

A global isotopic labeling strategy combined with multidimensional liquid chromatographies and tandem mass spectrometry was used for quantitative proteome analysis of a presymptomatic A53T α-synuclein Drosophila model of Parkinson disease (PD). Multiple internal standard proteins at different concentration ratios were spiked into samples from PD-like and control animals to assess quantification accuracy. Two biological replicates isotopically labeled in forward and reverse directions were analyzed. A total of 253 proteins were quantified with a minimum of two identified peptide sequences (for each protein); 180 (∼71%) proteins were detected in both forward and reverse labeling measurements. Twenty-four proteins were differentially expressed in A53T α-synuclein Drosophila; up-regulation of troponin T and down-regulation of fat body protein 1 were confirmed by Western blot analysis. Elevated expressions of heat shock protein 70 cognate 3 and ATP synthase are known to be directly involved in A53T α-synuclein-mediated toxicity and PD; three up-regulated proteins (muscle LIM protein at 60A, manganese-superoxide dismutase, and troponin T) and two down-regulated proteins (chaoptin and retinal degeneration A) have literature-supported associations with cellular malfunctions. That these variations were observed in presymptomatic animals may shed light on the etiology of PD. Protein interaction network analysis indicated that seven proteins belong to a single network, which may provide insight into molecular pathways underlying PD. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that the dysregulated proteins are primarily associated with membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, actin cytoskeleton, mitochondria, and ribosome. These associations support prior findings in studies of the A30P α-synuclein Drosophila model (Xun, Z. Y., Sowell, R. A., Kaufman, T. C., and Clemmer, D. E. (2007) Protein expression in a Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease. J. Proteome Res. 6, 348–357; Xun, Z. Y., Sowell, R. A., Kaufman, T. C., and Clemmer, D. E. (2007) Lifetime proteomic profiling of an A30P α-synuclein Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease. J. Proteome Res. 6, 3729–3738) that defects in cellular components such as actin cytoskeleton and mitochondria may contribute to the development of later symptoms.
Appropriate Goal Level for 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Cystic Fibrosis

Background Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), and guidelines recommend 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels ≥ 30 ng/mL. This threshold was selected because serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) rises in healthy individuals when the 25OHD level falls below 30 ng/mL. PTH levels > 50 pg/mL are associated with an increased risk of bone loss. However, the relationship between 25OHD and PTH has not been studied in CF. We sought to determine the appropriate goal 25OHD level in patients with CF by identifying the level below which the risk of PTH > 50 pg/mL begins to increase. Methods Levels of 25OHD and PTH in 216 individuals with CF were collected prospectively. Individuals with 25OHD Results Mean 25OHD level was 25.7 ± 12.4 ng/mL, and mean PTH level was 46.7 ± 25.9 pg/mL. In 63% of individuals, 25OHD level was 50 pg/mL. This decreased to 14% for 25OHD level ≥ 35 ng/mL. Conclusions Inadequate serum 25OHD levels are common in adults with CF and are associated with elevated PTH levels. Aiming to maintain 25-OHD levels ≥ 35 ng/mL in individuals with CF decreases the risk of having a PTH level associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone loss.
One good hand

If you had been a few feet away, you would have never guessed she was nearly 50 years old. She looked more like a child, her tiny silhouette hiding beneath the bleached-white hospital sheets. A brightly colored cloth wrapped her hair, further concealing her years. Only temporal wasting and paper-like tightening of the caramel-colored skin over her cheekbones betrayed her age and illness. I met Ms. Lana as I would come to call her, while on-call as a medical student. As a third-year medical student, you are always hoping to get the ‘‘perfect patient’’ . . . the one who gives you a clear, concise history, the one whomakes you look good in front of your team, and the one who does not mind you rudely waking them for morning rounds. At first Ms. Lana seemed anything but the ‘‘perfect patient.’’ When I entered her room for the admission interview, she could not have seemed less interested. She did not open her eyes throughout the encounter; she mumbled faint responses laced with irritation to only a sporadic selection of my questions. Most of what I knew aboutMs. Lana that first day I gleaned from her extensive hospital records. She had been admitted to our health system 12 times over the previous 5 years, the past 10 admissions being for recurrent abdominal pain and nausea secondary to diabetic gastroparesis. She had had 13 abdominal/ pelvic CT scanswith contrast and four ultrasounds of the abdomen. All imaging tests had been negative except imaging years ago that had shown gall stone pancreatitis and cholecystectomy. Multiple X-rays of her abdomen, an upper gastrointestinal series, a small bowel follow-through, an upper endoscopy and a colonoscopy – all had been unrevealing. Two gastric emptying studies showed mild gastroparesis, Ms. Lana had been non-adherent with the promotility agent that had been repeatedly prescribed, and had over the course of several hospitalizations become dependent on oxycodone, whichwould exacerbate hermotility issues. Her illness was further complicated by HIV, hepatitis C, depression, alcohol abuse, and intermittent cocaine use. Our attending had actually taken care of Ms. Lana twice before. Her abdominal pain and nausea would be controlled at each admission, and after discharge she would not take her pro-motility agents or follow through with HIV and substance use care. At first, Patient Education and Counseling 98 (2015) 1164–1166
Species Diversity and Composition in Old Growth and Second Growth Rich Coves of the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Abstract Because of ongoing debate over the long term impacts of logging, we conducted a study to assess if second growth (70 ± 10 years) rich coves differ from old growth rich coves (> 125 years) in species diversity or composition. We sampled twenty-six 0.1 ha plots, representing these two age classes. We distributed the plots amongst three randomly selected mountain ranges in the southern Appalachians of North Carolina, and sampled each mountain range in separate years. We used nested subplots of 0.01 m2, 0.1 m2, 1 m2, 10 m2, 100 m2, and 1000 m2 to establish species-area relationships (SARs) for each age class. We found no significant differences between the SARs for the two age classes, nor did we find significant differences between age classes using the Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, or Sorensen indices of species diversity. However, we found that total cover of all plant species was greater in old growth rich coves, and that 10% of the tested species had lower abundance in second growth. No species were ...
Did irrigation impact 20th century air temperature in the High Plains aquifer region

This study investigates potential impacts of widespread adoption of irrigation on long-term temperatures over the High Plains aquifer (HPA) region of the Great Plains. It is well known that availability of soil moisture can modify near surface energy partitioning (latent vs. sensible) and temperature. This study provides an assessment of the changes in the historical near surface temperature records in the HPA region due to adoption of irrigation. Long-term growing season mean monthly maximum and minimum air temperature data from 24 irrigated and 26 non-irrigated sites were analyzed. These stations are part of the US Historical Climate Network (USHCN). This study reports that growing season mean maximum temperature (GTmax) at irrigated areas is predominantly cooler than non-irrigated areas with up to 1.01 � C cooling at some locations. A geographical variation in magnitude of this cooling is also observed. The majority of irrigated locations report warming in GTmin with up to 1.00 � C increases. The results are
Association of polyandry and sex-ratio drive prevalence in natural populations of Drosophila neotestacea

Selfish genetic elements bias their own transmission to the next generation, even at the expense of the fitness of their carrier. Sex-ratio (SR) meiotic drive occurs when an X-chromosome causes Y-bearing sperm to die during male spermatogenesis, so that it is passed on to all of the male's offspring, which are all daughters. How SR is maintained as a stable polymorphism in the absence of genetic suppressors of drive is unknown. Here, we investigate the potential for the female remating rate to affect SR dynamics in natural populations, using the fly Drosophila neotestacea. In controlled laboratory conditions, females from populations where SR is rare mate more often than females from populations where SR is common. Furthermore, only when males mate multiply does the average fertility of SR males relative to wild-type males decrease to a level that can prevent SR from spreading. Our results suggest that differences in the female mating rate among populations may contribute to SR dynamics in the wild, and thus also affect the outcome of this intragenomic conflict. In line with this, we also present evidence of a localized population crash due to SR that may have resulted from habitat fragmentation along with a reduced mating rate.
Attempted suicide and alcoholism in bipolar disorder: clinical and familial relationships

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the clinical and familial relationships between comorbid alcoholism and attempted suicide in affectively ill relatives of probands with bipolar I disorder. METHOD: In 71 families ascertained for a genetic linkage study, 337 subjects with major affective disorder were assessed by using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia—Lifetime Version. RESULTS: Subjects with bipolar disorder and alcoholism had a 38.4% lifetime rate of attempted suicide, whereas those without alcoholism had a 21.7% rate. Attempted suicide among subjects with bipolar disorder and alcoholism clustered in a subset of seven families. Families with alcoholic and suicidal probands had a 40.7% rate of attempted suicide in first-degree relatives with bipolar disorder, whereas other families had a 19.0% rate. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbid alcoholism was associated with a higher rate of attempted suicide among family members with bipolar disorder. Attempted suicide and alcoholism clustered in a subset of f...
Simplified right-left balance for the implanted artificial heart

It has been well established that the net output from the right side of a total artificial heart exceeds that from the left, while in reality the net flow required from the left ventricle must be greater than that from the right to accommodate the bronchial artery shunt. The historical background, physiology, and methods to accommodate this characteristic are reviewed.
Kasky v. Nike: Lurking First Amendment Time Bomb for Marketers?

While attention has focused on the U. S. Supreme Court protecting corporate political speech, the Court has left untouched a California Supreme Court ruling of significance to marketers in their efforts to use advertising and public relations to offset what they view as unfair criticism. The case, Kasky v. Nike, stems from 1995 accusations that athletic footwear and apparel manufacturer Nike exploited and abused employees in Asian sweatshops. Through advertising and public relations efforts, Nike denied the claims. In 1998, Californian Mark Kasky sued, claiming Nike's denials violated laws regarding unfair competition and false advertising and, because the denials were "commercial speech," they were not protected by the First Amendment. California Superior Court dismissed the case and Kasky also lost in the state Court of Appeal, but won at the California Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately declined to hear an appeal from Nike. As a result, companies doing business in California, including online, risk being charged with false advertising when attempting to defend themselves against accusations of unfair, illegal, or unethical corporate practices.
Progressive Left-Sided Facial Swelling and Proptosis

Case Presentation A previously healthy 87-year-old African-American man presented to an urgent care facility with left nasal congestion. He reported a twoweek history of nosebleeds, low-grade fever, night sweats and general malaise. He was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone and prescribed oral levofloxacin for suspected acute bacterial sinusitis. Due to worsening symptoms, left eye swelling and continued bloody nasal discharge, he went to a local emergency department and was admitted to the hospital and treated with intravenous ampicillin plus sulbactam for community-acquired acute bacterial rhinosinusitis; however, despite empirical therapy, his facial swelling progressed to involve the periorbital region. He developed left facial numbness, proptosis and decreased vision in the left eye (Figure 1). On examination, he was afebrile and his heart rate was 82 beats/min, respiratory rate was 23 breaths/min and blood pressure was 130/86 mmHg. The patient was alert and cooperative. He had a small amount of bloody nasal discharge and left-sided facial swelling with tenderness noted in the maxillary area. Additional findings included left eye swelling without erythema that limited eye opening and examination. There was no pharyngeal erythema or oral lesions. He had no cervical adenopathy or organomegaly. There were no cutaneous or musculoskeletal findings. His respiratory, cardiovascular, abdominal and neurological examination were unremarkable. He had a white blood cell count of 170×109/L with 60% neutrophils, 8% bands, 16% monocytes, 14% metamyelocytes and 2% lymphocytes. He was anemic and thrombocytopenic; his hemoglobin level was 74 g/L and platelet count was 13×109/L. His prothrombin time was 17.9 s, partial thromboplastin time 34.5 s and international normalized ratio was 1.44. His plasma chemistry, including liver function tests and blood glucose measurements, were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain with contrast demonstrated the presence of extensive left-sided sinusitis involving the frontal, sphenoid, ethmoid and maxillary sinuses, with intraorbital extension of infection to the left medial superior orbit. As part of management, debridement and left inferior turbinate biopsy was performed by ear, nose and throat surgery. Based on the patient’s history, physical examination and clinical findings, what is the most likely diagnosis?
Discriminative Lexical Semantic Segmentation with Gaps: Running the MWE Gamut

We present a novel representation, evaluation measure, and supervised models for the task of identifying the multiword expressions (MWEs) in a sentence, resulting in a lexical semantic segmentation . Our approach generalizes a standard chunking representation to encode a subset of projective MWEs containing gaps, thereby enabling efficient sequence tagging algorithms for feature-rich discriminative models. Experiments on a new dataset of English web text offer the first linguistically-driven evaluation of MWE identification with truly heterogeneous expression types. Our statistical sequence model greatly outperforms a lookup-based segmentation procedure, achieving 60% F 1 for MWE identification.
A Coupled Approach for Modeling Damage within a Reduced-OrderModel Framework

Future high-speed flight vehicles will be exposed to extreme environments with aerodynamic heating, static, and dynamic loading. The resulting structural response can exhibit significant nonlinear deformation. As a consequence, detailed simulations of long portions of the vehicle’s trajectory must be performed to account for path-dependent structural response. Recent developments in nonlinear reduced-order models (ROMs) have demonstrated orders-of-magnitude reductions in computation time for acoustic response prediction simulations. These models are relatively insensitive to small imperfections. Conversely, the generalized finite element method (GFEM) provides a framework to model local effects such as stress risers and cracks without geometric dependency on the finite element (FE) mesh. A more general version of the GFEM, with numerically-built enrichment functions provides a multi-scale modeling capability through a simple, direct coupling of global and local FE models. Replacing the component FE model with a ROM will allow for efficient computation of dynamic response while providing the necessary information to drive local, solid analyses which can zoom in on regions containing stress risers, as deemed necessary. This paper describes the coupling of these two approaches (ROM/GFEM).
Air Sparging for Mixing Non-Newtonian Slurries

The mechanics of air sparger systems have been primarily investigated for aqueous-based Newtonian fluids. Tilton et al. (1982) [1] describes the fluid mechanics of air sparging systems in non-Newtonian fluids as having two primary flow regions. A center region surrounding the sparger, referred to as the region of bubbles (ROB), contains upward flow due to the buoyant driving force of the rising bubbles. In an annular region, outside the ROB, referred to as the zone of influence (ZOI), the fluid flow is reversed and is opposed to the direction of bubble rise. Outside the ZOI the fluid is unaffected by the air sparger system. The flow regime in the ROB is often turbulent, and the flow regime in the ZOI is laminar; the flow regime outside the ZOI is quiescent. Tests conducted with shear thinning non-Newtonian fluid in a 34-in. diameter tank showed that the ROB forms an approximately inverted cone that is the envelop of the bubble trajectories. The depth to which the air bubbles reach below the sparger nozzle is a linear function of the air-flow rate. The recirculation time through the ZOI was found to vary proportionally with the inverse square of the sparging air-flow rate. Visual observations of the ROB were made in both water and Carbopol®. The bubbles released from the sparge tube in Carbopol® were larger than those in water.© 2010 ASME
Interactions Among Microorganisms of the Indigenous Intestinal Flora and Their Influence on the Host

The animal host and its intestinal microbial flora function together as a complex ecologic system in which there is a significant impact of the intestinal flora on the host as well as of components of the microbial flora on one another. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria of the intestinal flora influence numerous anatomic, physiologic, and immunologic parameters of the host. Constituents of the indigenous intestinal flora also engage in a multitude of antagonistic and cooperative interactions. The normal bacterial intestinal flora represents an extremely important defense mechanism, which effectively interferes with the establishment of many important enteric pathogens. Mechanisms by which microorganisms suppress the growth of other microorganisms include modification of bile acids, stimulation of peristalsis, induction of immunologic responses, depletion of essential substrates from the environment, competition for attachment sites, creation of restrictive physiologic environments, and elaboration of antibiotic-like substances. Components of the intestinal microbial flora also interact synergistically in the induction of disease or the utilization of substrate.
The Utility of Concept Maps to Facilitate Higher-Level Learning in a Large Classroom Setting

Objective. To describe the utility of concept mapping in a cardiovascular therapeutics course within a large classroom setting. Design. Students enrolled in a cardiovascular care therapeutics course completed concept maps for each major chronic cardiovascular condition. A grading rubric was used to facilitate peer-assessment of the concept map. Assessment. Students were administered a survey at the end of the course assessing their perceptions on the usefulness of the concept maps during the course and also during APPEs to assess utility beyond the course. Question item analyses were conducted on cumulative final examinations comparing student performance on concept-mapped topics compared to nonconcept-mapped topics. Conclusion. Concept maps help to facilitate meaningful learning within the course and the majority of students utilized them beyond the course.
Validation of a Simple Score to Determine Risk of Hospital Mortality After the Norwood Procedure.

The ability to quantify patient-specific hospital mortality risk before the Norwood procedure remains elusive. This study aimed to develop an accurate and clinically feasible score to assess the risk of hospital mortality in neonates undergoing the Norwood procedure. All patients (n = 549) in the publically available Pediatric Heart Network Single Ventricle Reconstruction trial database were included in the analysis. Patients were randomly divided into a derivation (75%) and validation (25%) cohort. Preoperative factors found to be associated with mortality upon univariable analysis (P 10). Mortality differed significantly between risk groups in both the derivation (6% vs 22% vs 77%, P < 0.01) and validation (4% vs 30% vs 53%, P < 0.01) cohorts. This mortality score is accurate in determining risk of hospital mortality in neonates undergoing planned Norwood operations. The score has the potential to be used in clinical practice to aid in risk assessment before surgery. Clinical trial registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00115934.
ATPS-20AURORA KINASE B INHIBITOR AT9283 ENHANCED RADIATION THERAPY IN GLIOBLASTOMA

High-grade gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor in adults. Of the three main therapies, surgical resection, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, radiation remains the most important and relatively efficacious therapy for primary brain tumors. However, most patients are refractory to radiation therapy, and this radioresistance ultimately leads to tumor recurrence. Aurora kinase A, B and C, are key regulators of mitosis and are over expressed in many of the human cancers. Given that radiosensitization may be enhanced for cells at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, we attempted to increase radiosensitivity by treating cells with AT9283, a broad spectrum kinase inhibitor that potently inhibits Aurora A, Aurora B, JAK2, JAK3, and c-ABL. In this study, the in vitro therapeutic efficacy of AT9283 alone and in combination with radiation was investigated in a panel of gliomas stem cell (GSC) lines with specific molecular subtypes. Efficacy of AT9283 was analyzed by Cell-Titer Glo 5 days after treatment. Molecular and cellular changes were approached by immunoblotting and flow cytometry. AT9283 inhibited cell viability with an IC50 ranging from 0.078 µM to 3.15 µM, suppressed phosphorylation of histone H3 (Ser10) and phosphorylation of Aurora A/B/C in a dose- and time- dependent manner. AT-9283 is effective in inducing G2/M arrest and polyploidy cell formation, which is a consequence of mitotic defects. Treatment with AT9283 induced prominent cleaved poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), an index of apoptosis. AT9283 suppressed colony formation and this effect was enhanced by combination therapy with radiation. The promising in vitro results of AT9283 in GSCs led to further investigation of drug efficacy in an intracranial xenograft models comparing AT9283 alone, and in combination with radiation. In summary, this study demonstrates that AT9283 is a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of glioblastoma alone and in combination with radiation.
Studies on the adhesion of human blood platelets and bacteria.

1. Platelet counts decreased progressively in heparinized blood which had been stored in the icebox, then rotated in glass tubes. The platelets in similarly treated citrated human blood were stable. 2. Platelets and bacteria did not adhere in rotated heparinized and oxalated plasma from normal persons, or in citrated plasmas containing high concentrations of placenta or artery juice, purified fibrinogen, albumin, or gamma globulin, or in citrated plasmas from cases of subacute bacterial endocarditis. 3. Platelet-bacteria mixtures were found in rotated citrated plasmas containing saline extracts of human heart, heart valve, and vein tissues. 4. The degree of platelet-bacteria adhesion induced by sedimentation of these elements was variable. The degree of platelet-bacteria mixed clumping was enhanced by addition of purified gamma globulin and juices from human placenta, heart, heart valve, and vein, but not in plasma containing artery juice or purified fibrinogen. 5. The data indicated that bacterial agglutinins are not responsible for the adhesion of human platelets to bacteria. 6. The metabolic in vitro products of the alpha, beta, and gamma streptococci did not cause alterations in the morphology or adhesiveness of platelets. 7. Saline extracts of the human placenta, heart, heart valve, vein and artery used in these studies exhibited thromboplastic and prothrombic activity, but no thrombic activity. 8. The nature and relationship of the plasmatic factors responsible for the adhesion of platelets to bacteria, and for the agglutination of platelets, was discussed.
Functional consequences of the right ventricular isolation procedure

The right ventricular free wall was surgically isolated from the remainder of the heart in eight dogs to evaluate the functional consequences of this procedure. Each dog was instrumented with ultrasonic dimension transducers in the right and left ventricular free walls, intracavitary micromanometers, and pulmonary artery flow probes. Volume loading and vena caval occlusions were performed to assess diastolic compliance and systolic function. Right ventricular unstressed myocardial segment length increased from 14.2 ± 0.7 to 15.0 ± 0.8 mm (p
Psychosocial Issues in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Abstract The mental health needs of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are reviewed with particular emphasis on the roles of depression, quality of life, and adherence. We also review the likely precipitating factors and effects of each of these psychological phenomena, including a discussion of some of the health disparities in the psychological presentations of CKD patients. Identification of depression in patients with renal disease is improving, but intervention strategies and research are greatly needed. Biopsychosocial formulation and intervention would provide better overall medical care to patients with CKD.
The Staged Orchiopexy: A Critical Review of the Literature

AbstractDuring the last 20 years reports have appeared describing successful results with a 2-stage orchiopexy for patients noted to have a short testicular artery on first exploration. A critical review of these reports indicates that accurate documentation of the phenomenon of spontaneously increasing spermatic cord length following surgical manipulation does not exist. It is suggested that a scientifically accurate prospective study of the staged orchiopexy is needed.
From Biopsychosocial Model To Patientology

George Engel coined the term, “biopsychosocial model” (1977), as an alternative to the prevailing disease model that he called the “biomedical model”. While recognizing the contributions that the biomedical model made to the development of modern medicine, Engel objected to the “dogma” of biomedical model on the grounds that it is reductionistic, mechanistic, and dualistic. In its stead, Engel proposed the biopsychosocial model that takes into account the psychological and social variables as well as the biological in the experience of the patient of the disease, the illness. In addition, he also proposed that conditions of life constitute significant variables in influencing a disease process.
Meat intake and risk of diverticulitis among men

Objective Diverticulitis is a common disease with a substantial clinical and economic burden. Besides dietary fibre, the role of other foods in the prevention of diverticulitis is underexplored. Design We prospectively examined the association between consumption of meat (total red meat, red unprocessed meat, red processed meat, poultry and fish) with risk of incident diverticulitis among 46 461 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (1986–2012). Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs. Results During 651 970 person-years of follow-up, we documented 764 cases of incident diverticulitis. Compared with men in the lowest quintile (Q1) of total red meat consumption, men in the highest quintile (Q5) had a multivariable RR of 1.58 (95% CI 1.19 to 2.11; p for trend=0.01). The increase in risk was non-linear, plateauing after six servings per week (p for non-linearity=0.002). The association was stronger for unprocessed red meat (RR for Q5 vs Q1: 1.51; 95% CI 1.12 to 2.03; p for trend=0.03) than for processed red meat (RR for Q5 vs Q1: 1.03; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.35; p for trend=0.26). Higher consumption of poultry or fish was not associated with risk of diverticulitis. However, the substitution of poultry or fish for one serving of unprocessed red meat per day was associated with a decrease in risk of diverticulitis (multivariable RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.63 to 0.99). Conclusions Red meat intake, particularly unprocessed red meat, was associated with an increased risk of diverticulitis. The findings provide practical dietary guidance for patients at risk of diverticulitis.
Mechanism of Electromigration Failure in Al Thin Film Interconnects Containing Sc

In order to understand the role of Sc on electromigration (EM) failure, Al interconnects with 0.1 and 0.3 wt.% Sc sere tested as a function of post-pattern annealing time. In response to the evolution of the line structure, the statistics of lifetime evolved. While the addition of Sc greatly reduces the rate of evolution of the failure statistics because the grain growth rate decreases, the MTF variation was found to be very similar to that of pure Al. These observations seem to show that Sc has little influence on the kinetics of Al EM; however, it has some influence on the EM resistance of the line since it is an efficient grain refiner. Unlike Cu in Al, Sc does not seem to migrate, which may explain its lack of influence on the kinetics of Al EM.
Reducing the Stigma of Mental Illness: Current Approaches and Future Directions

The stigma of mental illness hinders treatment use and may exacerbate the already sizable social and psychological burden imposed by mental illness symptoms. Despite continuous efforts to reduce mental illness stigma, negative attitudes have persisted or worsened in the last few decades. Past reviews have already evaluated the many methodological limitations that may be dampening progress in this area. In this work, additional issues related to costly stigma-reduction approaches, heterogeneous constructs, and overly narrow research questions are discussed. Specific recommendations are then provided for refocusing this area of work by expanding research questions, establishing clearer constructs, and including some neglected but crucial study populations. Addressing the conceptual challenges in mental illness stigma research can help to improve interventions and better serve persons suffering from psychological distress.
Biological undulation inspired swimming robot

Aquatic animal movement results from a complex balance between muscular actuation, swimmer's inertia, damping, and stiffness; as well as, the effects from the fluid environment. Most aquatic animals utilize undulatory propulsion methods during swimming. Propulsion mode transition involves a variation of these parameters, and to better investigate the variation of these parameters during propulsion mode switching, and provide guidance for swimming robot design, we studied propulsion mechanism of undulation locomotion by combining biological investigation, mathematical simulation and experimental validation. A modular robot platform, with assembling function, was built based on the obtained biological features to realize the corresponding propulsion methods. Then a modular dynamic modeling method was proposed to simulate robot locomotion using a CPG based algorithm and a PD control method, further revealing the underlying mechanism for undulatory locomotion. Finally, experiments were conducted using the robotic platform to validate the found conclusions as well as enhance the propulsion mechanism of undulatory motion, providing a generic guidance for swimming robot design.
A simulation-based assessment system for computer assisted surgical trainer

An assessment system is presented to provide objective assessment results for laparoscopic surgery skills training. Six innovative evaluation metrics are introduced in the design of the proposed system. Like a video game, the system suggests achievable goals that are used to define evaluation metrics for a trainee who is performing a particular training task. To implement the proposed system, a design method of the hierarchical fuzzy system is used. The simulation results and the prototype illustrate the feasibility of the proposed evaluation approach.
The Evolved β-Galactosidase System of Escherichia coli

The overall objective of research in experimental evolution is to understand the variety of ways by which organisms can evolve new physiological functions. How does an organism that is already well adapted to its environment evolve a new function to cope with an altered environment? The synthetic theory of evolution does not really address the problem of the evolution of novel functions, nor does population genetics deal with the appearance of new functions.
State of the Art in Pediatric Lung Transplantation

Pediatric lung transplantation is a highly specialized therapy for end-stage pulmonary disease in children, and is performed in only a handful of transplant centers around the world. Advancement in the field has been made on many fronts in recent years, including in public policy and organ allocation strategies, donor selection and management, emerging technologies for donor lung rehabilitation and bridge-to-transplant support of listed candidates, and ongoing refinement of surgical techniques. Despite this progress, children continue to suffer discrepant waitlist mortality and longer waiting times than their adult counterparts, and face special challenges of donor availability and size matching. Here, we assess the current state of the art in pediatric lung transplantation, reviewing progress made to date and further opportunities to improve care for this unique group of patients.
EFFECT OF ETHANOL ON FOLATE DEFICIENCY IN RATS

Folate deficiency anemia is common in alcoholics. Whether it results from poor intestinal absorption and/or from direct interference with folate metabolism is unknown. Twelve male Sprague-Dawley rats were pair-fed a folate deficient diet; 6 rats received 7 g ethanol/kg day by intubation and from a 5% ethanol drinking fluid while the 6 control rats received an isocaloric amount of sucrose in their drinking water; the experimental period was 114 days. The urinary excretions of formiminoglutamic acid (FIGLU) and aminoimidazo-lecarboxamide (AIC) were measured to assess the extent of the folate deficiency. Treated rats gained less weight and their lower leucocyte count and enlarged liver were also characteristic of folate deficiency. Although FIGLU and AIC excretion increased in both groups, FIGLU excretion was substantially less in the treated rats. Comparative studies of FIGLU excretion after i.g. and i.p. histidine indicate that ethanol impairs intestinal absorption of histidine and may also either have a sparing action on folate utilization or interfere with FIGLU formation from histidine.
Food deterioration, preservation, and contamination

Since prehistorical times, humans have sought to keep excess food obtained in times of plenty for use during periods when obtaining food was difficult. However, because of its chemical composition, food is subject to various deteriorative processes. Thus, of necessity, man learned early to preserve food, i.e., treat it so as to prevent or retard its natural deterioration. During the past few hundred years, the development of increasingly effective preservation methods, coupled with the advent of efficient means of transportation, has permitted the growth of towns and cities. The food supply for today’s towns and cities is no longer dependent on production from the immediate surrounding area but rather is drawn from all regions of a country, and to some extent even from foreign countries. Without effective food preservation methods and adequate transportation modern urban life would be impossible.
Role of the heart in blood pressure lowering during chronic baroreflex activation: insight from an in silico analysis.

Both experimental and clinical studies have shown that the presence of renal nerves is not an obligate requirement for sustained reductions in blood pressure during chronic electrical stimulation o...
Quantitative Radiomics: Impact of Pulse Sequence Parameter Selection on MRI-Based Textural Features of the Brain.

Objectives. Radiomic features extracted from diverse MRI modalities have been investigated regarding their predictive and/or prognostic value in a variety of cancers. With the aid of a 3D realistic digital MRI phantom of the brain, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of pulse sequence parameter selection on MRI-based textural parameters of the brain. Methods. MR images of the employed digital phantom were realized with SimuBloch, a simulation package made for fast generation of image sequences based on the Bloch equations. Pulse sequences being investigated consisted of spin echo (SE), gradient echo (GRE), spoiled gradient echo (SP-GRE), inversion recovery spin echo (IR-SE), and inversion recovery gradient echo (IR-GRE). Twenty-nine radiomic textural features related, respectively, to gray-level intensity histograms (GLIH), cooccurrence matrices (GLCOM), zone size matrices (GLZSM), and neighborhood difference matrices (GLNDM) were evaluated for the obtained MR realizations, and differences were identified. Results. It was found that radiomic features vary considerably among images generated by the five different T1-weighted pulse sequences, and the deviations from those measured on the T1 map vary among features, from a few percent to over 100%. Radiomic features extracted from T1-weighted spin-echo images with TR varying from 360 ms to 620 ms and TE = 3.4 ms showed coefficients of variation (CV) up to 45%, while up to 70%, for T2-weighted spin-echo images with TE varying over the range 60–120 ms and TR = 6400 ms. Conclusion. Variability of radiologic textural appearance on MR realizations with respect to the choice of pulse sequence and imaging parameters is feature-dependent and can be substantial. It calls for caution in employing MRI-derived radiomic features especially when pooling imaging data from multiple institutions with intention of correlating with clinical endpoints.