cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development and evaluation of a dual-head PET system for high-throughput small-animal imaging

We investigate the development of high-throughput small-animal PET systems that are suitable for use in screening applications. To the best of our knowledge, imaging throughput has never been explicitly considered as a target performance parameter in PET design. Therefore, it remains unclear how to achieve the desired system performance characteristics and what design issues need to be addressed. This paper presents the first of a series of study that we will conduct to systematically examine and understand the complicated tradeoffs among various design parameters that are involved, in order to produce design guidelines for realizing the proposed high-throughput small-animal PET systems. In particular, we will consider a compact, stationary system that employ two parallel large-area planar detectors with a small spacing between them. We will present considerations that favor this scanner configuration and conduct computer simulations to evaluate its detection performance. The results of our studies indicate that the proposed system configuration is rather favorable.
8-Amino-Adenosine Activates p53-Independent Cell Death of Metastatic Breast Cancers

8-Amino-adenosine (8-NH(2)-Ado) is a ribose sugar nucleoside analogue that reduces cellular ATP levels and inhibits mRNA synthesis. Estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) metastatic breast cancers often contain mutant p53; therefore, we asked if 8-NH(2)-Ado could kill breast cancer cells without activating the p53-pathway. Regardless of the breast cancer subtype tested or the p53 status of the cells, 8-NH(2)-Ado was more cytotoxic than either gemcitabine or etoposide. 8-NH(2)-Ado treatment inhibited cell proliferation, activated cell death, and did not activate transcription of the p53 target gene p21 or increase protein levels of either p53 or p21. This occurred in the estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) MCF-7 cells that express wild-type p53, the ER+ T47-D cells that express mutant p53, and the ER- MDA-MB-468 cells or MDA-MB-231 cells that both express mutant p53. 8-NH(2)-Ado induced apoptotic death of MCF-7 cells and apoptosis was not inhibited by knockdown of functional p53. Moreover, the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD blocked the 8-NH(2)-Ado-induced MCF-7 cell death. Interestingly, 8-NH(2)-Ado caused the MDA-MB-231 cells to detach from the plate with only limited evidence of apoptotic cell death markers and the cell death was not inhibited by Z-VAD. Inhibition of MDA-MB-231 cell autophagy, by reduction of ATG7 or 3-methyladenine treatment, did not block this 8-NH(2)-Ado-mediated cytotoxicity. Importantly 8-NH(2)-Ado was highly cytotoxic to triple-negative breast cancer cells and worked through a pathway that did not require wild-type p53 for cytoxicity. Therefore, 8-NH(2)-Ado should be considered for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancers that are chemotherapy resistant.
Aspergillus infection in lung transplant recipients with cystic fibrosis: risk factors and outcomes comparison to other types of transplant recipients.

Study objectives To characterize Aspergillus infections in lung transplant recipients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Design A retrospective analysis of 32 consecutive lung transplant recipients with CF who underwent bilateral lung transplant at the University of Wisconsin from 1994 to 2000 to determine the incidence, risk factors, and consequences of Aspergillus infection. The findings were compared to 101 non-CF recipients of lung transplants (93) and heart-lung transplants (8) for other transplant indications. Setting A university hospital. Patients or participants Lung transplant recipients with CF or other indications for transplantation. Interventions None. Measurements and results Seventeen of 32 CF recipients (53%) had Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from their respiratory secretions prior to undergoing transplantation. Ten of these 17 (59%) recipients had A fumigatus persistently found in their respiratory secretions posttransplant vs 6 of 15 CF patients (40%) who had not been colonized pretransplant and 28 of 101 of the non-CF recipients (28%). Four of the preoperatively colonized CF recipients developed tracheobronchial aspergillosis (TBA) just distal to the bronchial anastomoses, and one recipient had dehiscence of the involved anastomosis. None of the CF recipients developed disseminated aspergillosis or pneumonia. Prophylactic antifungal therapy did not prevent TBA, and IV amphotericin B therapy was required to clear the infection in all four patients, with endobronchial debridement of necrotic tissue required in two of them. In contrast, 10 of the non-CF (10%) recipients developed Aspergillus infections posttransplant (TBA, 4 recipients; pneumonitis, 6 recipients), and only 3 patients had successful treatment and long-term survival (TBA, 2 patients; pneumonia, 1 patient). Donor lung ischemia time, cytomegalovirus infection or pneumonia, or pretransplant mechanical ventilation did not increase the risk of developing TBA in CF recipients. Conclusions The risk of TBA for patients receiving lung transplants for CF warrants early surveillance bronchoscopy to detect TBA, particularly in recipients with pretransplant colonization.
The effect of surfactants on drop deformation and on the rheology of dilute emulsions in Stokes flow

The effect of an insoluble surfactant on the transient deformation and asymptotic shape of a spherical drop that is subjected to a linear shear or extensional flow at vanishing Reynolds number is studied using a numerical method. The viscosity of the drop is equal to that of the ambient fluid, and the interfacial tension is assumed to depend linearly on the local surfactant concentration. The drop deformation is affected by non-uniformities in the surface tension due to the surfactant molecules convection–diffusion. The numerical procedure combines the boundary-integral method for solving the equations of Stokes flow, and a finite-difference method for solving the unsteady convection–diffusion equation for the surfactant concentration over the evolving interface. The parametric investigations address the effect of the ratio of the vorticity to the rate of strain of the incident flow, the Peclet number expressing the ability of the surfactant to diffuse, the elasticity number expressing the sensitivity of the surface tension to variations in surfactant concentration, and the capillary number expressing the strength of the incident flow. At small and moderate capillary numbers, the effect of a surfactant in a non-axisymmetric flow is found to be similar to that in axisymmetric straining flow studied by previous authors. The accumulation of surfactant molecules at the tips of an elongated drop decreases the surface tension locally and promotes the deformation, whereas the dilution of the surfactant over the main body of the drop increases the surface tension and restrains the deformation. At large capillary numbers, the dilution of the surfactant and the rotational motion associated with the vorticity of the incident flow work synergistically to increase the critical capillary number beyond which the drop exhibits continuous elongation. The numerical results establish the regions of validity of the small-deformation theory developed by previous authors, and illustrate the influence of the surfactant on the flow kinematics and on the rheological properties of a dilute suspension. Surfactants have a stronger effect on the rheology of a suspension than on the deformation of the individual drops.
Rethinking the imbrication of orality and literacy: Historical discourse in early modern Makassar

In the sixteenth century, Makassarese in the South Sulawesi courts of Gowa and Talloq began to write.1 What they chose to write were historical texts that chronicled their origins and preserved the words of their ancestors. Scholars once knew how to make sense of such an event: it could not be but a watershed, a fundamental change or turning point of the first magnitude. Such is the nature of what we liked to call the "transition from orality to literacy," yet more careful examinations have suggested that this confidence in the very idea of a shift from orality to literacy was misplaced. Literacy and orality are not states of being that are simply manifested in places like Makassar. This article extends the efforts of scholars to grapple with the considerable overlap, symbiosis, and exchange that seem to characterize a boundary once believed to demarcate firmly orality and literacy. Considerable work has gone into documenting the inadequacy of trying to delineate what formal characteristics mark oral and literate productions. For example, Wendy Doniger notes that it is only when we distinguish among texts that were composed orally, preserved orally, or performed orally "that we begin to glimpse the complexity of the problem" (1991, 31). Similarly, what should we do about traditions such as Javanese wayang in which oral performances are based on stories in texts, even though few puppeteers own, consult, or have even seen the written texts (Sears 1996)? The possible permutations in how oral and literate traditions interplay are many, and dissatisfaction with the very notion of a boundary between orality and literacy widespread (see Flueckiger and Sears 1991). My goals in this article are threefold: first, to review briefly the ongoing reassessment of the relationships between literacy and orality; second, to bolster the growing scholarly consensus that to speak of a "shift" from orality to literacy is at
Effects of Special Education Labels on Peers' and Adults' Evaluations of a Handicapped Youth Choir

In this study, 119 sixth- and seuenthrgrade peer subjects and 90 adult subjects evaluated I an 8.5-minute performance by a youth choir made up of children with a variety of mental and physical disa...
Glucose hydrogenation in a membrane trickle‐bed reactor

The concept of membrane distributed feed to a packed-bed reactor is applied to multiphase catalytic reaction systems. The expected benefits of this approach include enhanced reactant conversion. The concept may be applied to a wide variety of reactions conducted over trickle-beds and is supported experimentally for the reaction of glucose hydrogenation to sorbitol.
Multiple equilibria in radiative-convective atmospheres

A one-dimensional, radiative-convective model is used to study the equilibria conditions of moist atmospheres. We show that when the hydrologic cycle is included in the model a subcritical bifurcation occurs, leading to 2 linearly stable solutions to the radiative-convective equilibria. In this case, when the net forcing is larger than a critical value, two equilibria are possible. Furthermore, a finite amplitude instability can lead to a runaway greenhouse regime when the solar forcing is larger than a second critical value. In general, previous climate studies with radiative-convective models did not include a hydrologic cycle. Instead, the atmosphere's water vapor mixing ratio was diagnosed based on the climatological profile of relative humidity. We show that fixing the water vapor relative humidity profile at the climatological value (in the computation of the radiation fluxes only) leads to a unique stable solution to the radiative-convective equilibria. Thus, the crucial part of the hydrologic cycle which allows multiple solutions is the relaxation of the assumption of a climatological relative humidity profile. Our results do not apply directly to any real planet because of large uncertainties in our calculation due to the absence of clouds and the use of a one-dimensional model. The 1st equilibrium corresponds to an optically thin atmosphere. In this regime, the system is nearly linear and is in a state of small dissipation. The 2nd equilibrium corresponds to an optically thick atmosphere. In this 2nd regime, the system is highly nonlinear and is in a state of large dissipation. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1997.t01-3-00002.x
Luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone.

One of the exciting advances in endocrinology has been the discovery of a family of peptidic neurohormones in the hypothalamus that stimulate or inhibit the secretion of adenohypophysial hormones. ...
High resolution upwind‐mixed finite element methods for advection‐diffusion equations with variable time‐stepping

Numerical methods for advection-diffusion equations are discussed based on approximating advection using a high-resolution upwind finite difference method, and incorporating diffusion using a mixed finite element method. In this approach, advection is approximated explicitly and diffusion implicitly. We first describe the basic procedure where each advection time-step is followed by a diffusion step. Because the explicit nature of the advective scheme requires a CFL time-step constraint, the basic procedure may be expensive, especially if the CFL constraint is severe. Two alternative time-stepping approaches are presented for improving computational efficiency while preserving accuracy. In the first approach, several advective time-steps are computed before taking a diffusion step. In the second approach, the advective time-steps are also allowed to vary spatially. Numerical results for these three procedures for a model problem arising in flow through porous media are given. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Two birds, one stone: Imaging gene transfer and enhancing TRAIL-induced antitumor efficacy using oncolytic adenovirus bearing human somatostatin receptor subtype 2 gene

A64 Gene-viral therapy, using replication-selective viruses harboring therapeutic transgene to manage tumors, can overcome the limitations of conventional gene therapy and exploit the virtues of gene therapy and virotherapy. In order to evaluate the gene transfer mediated by E1B55-kDa-deleted oncolytic adenovirus ZD55 non-invasively, we have used this vector to deliver human somatostatin receptor gene subtype 2 (hSSTr2). Our data showed that expression of hSSTr2 gene could be imaged in vitro and in vivo with 99m-Tc-P829. Besides imaging gene transfer, we have used ZD55-hSSTr2 to augment the antitumor activity of ZD55-TRAIL. Our data show that combined treatment with ZD55-hSSTr2 and ZD55-TRAIL killed tumors more effectively than each alone. Five of six mice with combined treatment experienced complete eradication. In contrast, only a partial tumor response was observed in the established tumor treated either by ZD55-hSSTr2 or ZD55-TRAIL alone. The strong antitumor activity by combination is due to dramatic induction of tumor cell apoptosis via upregulation of death receptor 4 (DR4) and downregulation of Bcl-2. In conclusion, our results indicate that ZD55-hSSTr2 might serve two purposes: One is to evaluate gene transfer mediated by ZD55 and the other is to enhance ZD55-TRAIL-induced antitumor efficacy. Thereby we provided not only a more efficient gene-viral therapy strategy, but also a non-invasive method to evaluate it.
Estimation and adaptive observation of environmental plumes

The estimation and forecasting environmental plume movement based on information from mobile sensors recently received renewed attention due to the Gulf coast oil and Icelandic ash problems, and remains of sustained interest today in homeland security settings (plant explosions, dirty bombs, etc.). The present work refines and tests the scientific algorithms at the heart of this problem. In particular, we combine the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF), which provides a computationally feasible low-rank approximation of the uncertainty of the estimate, with our recently developed Dynamic Adaptive Observation (DAO) algorithm for optimizing feasible sensor vehicle trajectories that minimize forecast uncertainty. A numerical experiment is performed which applies this combined EnKF/DAO algorithm to determine waypoints along optimized feasible sensor vehicle trajectories that improve the forecast of an environmental plume represented by a passive scalar convectively driven in a 2D fluid flow.
Bone mineral density and urine calcium excretion among subjects with and without nephrolithiasis.

Bone mineral density and urine calcium excretion among subjects with and without nephrolithiasis. Background Bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced among patients with idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH) and nephrolithiasis. To disentangle effects of diet, stone formation, and physiology upon BMD, we studied vertebral and femoral neck BMD among relatives of hypercalciuric stone formers, and contrasted those with to those without stones. Methods Among 59 subjects from 11 families, vertebral and femoral neck BMD, diet calcium intake, urine excretions of calcium, sodium, ammonium, titratable acid, sulfate, urea nitrogen, and serum levels of calcitriol and markers of bone turnover were studied. Results Stone formers (SF) consumed less calcium than non-stone formers (NSF). Spine and femoral neck BMD z-scores varied inversely with urine calcium loss and urine ammonium excretion among SF but not NSF. No correlations of BMD z-score were found for bone markers, calcitriol, or any of the other measurements. Conclusion SF consumed less calcium, presumably to prevent more stones, and displayed a bone mineral responsiveness to calcium loss and ammonium excretion not present among NSF, who ate more calcium. Lowered calcium consumption in IH, perhaps in response to stone formation, alters bone responses in a direction that can predispose to mineral loss and eventual fracture.
Academic Dishonesty Beyond Cheating and Plagiarism: Students’ Interpersonal Deception in the College Classroom

The purpose of this study was to examine student deception in the college classroom. Participants were 256 undergraduate students who responded to an open-ended questionnaire to determine (a) the ways students deceive their instructors, (b) their motives for deception, (c) their methods used to accomplish deception, and (d) their rate of success in obtaining their desired goals. Results revealed that most students (a) deceived their instructors by engaging in academic misconduct and lying or making up excuses for late work and attendance issues, (b) were motivated to deceive because of grade issues, and to a lesser extent, impression management issues, (c) preferred using falsification and concealment as their methods of deception, and (d) perceived that they were successful through their deceptive acts.
An Empirical Investigation of Combining Filter-Based Feature Subset Selection and Data Sampling for Software Defect Prediction

The main goal of software quality engineering is to produce a high-quality software product through the use of various techniques and processes. Classification models are effective tools for software quality prediction, helping practitioners to detect potentially problematic modules and eventually improve software product. However, two potential problems, high dimensionality and class imbalance, may affect the classifiers performance. In this study, we propose a data pre-processing approach, in which feature selection is combined with data sampling, to overcome these problems. We investigate two filter-based feature subsets selection techniques, i.e., correlation-based and consistency-based subset evaluation methods, and three data sampling methods, i.e., random undersampling, random oversampling, and synthetic minority oversampling. We are interested in exploring the effect of the various feature selection techniques, sampling methods, and their interactions on the performance of classification models. The empirical studies were carried out on 13 datasets from two real-world software systems. The results demonstrate that the correlation-based subset evaluation technique outperformed the consistency-based method when they were used along with a random sampling method and when the training data had a high degree of class imbalance; however, when synthetic minority oversampling was employed or when the training dataset was less imbalanced, the consistency-based technique had better performance than the correlation-based approach.
Impact Analysis in E-Business: A Case of Adoption Research

This year, 2013, is the 20 th anniversary of e-business. In the past 20 years, e-business has played an increasingly important role in both academic and professional communities. Additionally, thousands of e-business articles have been published each year since the turn of the century. We have a sufficient period and sample size to conduct impact analysis in e-business research. However, very few studies have conducted such an analysis. Examining patterns of research impact in a field is important for assessing the state of that field – its emphases, contributions, and opportunities for further development. This study takes e-business adoption research as an example, uses citation data, and conducts impact analysis to serve four goals: identify influential e-business adoption research, describe patterns of impact, explore potential factors in citation change, and compare accumulated citations and citation change. Overall, this study deals with both e-business and impact analysis, and therefore contributes to both areas.
Discussion: Trade Policies and U.S. Agriculture

It is simply not enough to argue that since we are restricting the amount of land devoted to certain crops, and to all crops in the aggregate, we are reducing agricultural output. We have too many programs for inducing farmers to produce more to make our position a convincing one. If we feel that we must take steps to transfer income to agriculture, we should do so in a way that interferes as little as possible with efficient
Securing a Reliable Electricity Grid: A New Era in Transmission Siting Regulation?

A capacious and reliable electric transmission grid is vital to public health and safety, the economy, and national security. The recent shift from local generation and use of electric power to regional and national markets in electric production requires substantially augmented transmission facilities. However, new transmission capacity often has been blocked by local favoritism, not-in-my-backyard concerns, and legislative and judicial doctrines mandating that benefits that would inure to other markets or states be disregarded in the approval process. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 contains siting provisions that offer some promise of relief. This article analyzes present conditions and the extent to which the new Act is apt to be efficacious.
Simultaneous MV-kV imaging for intrafractional motion management during volumetric-modulated arc therapy delivery*

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and clinical feasibility of a motion monitoring method employing simultaneously acquired MV and kV images during volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Short-arc digital tomosynthesis (SA-DTS) is used to improve the quality of the MV images that are then combined with orthogonally acquired kV images to assess 3D motion. An anthropomorphic phantom with implanted gold seeds was used to assess accuracy of the method under static, typical prostatic, and respiratory motion scenarios. Automatic registra-tion of kV images and single MV frames or MV SA-DTS reconstructed with arc lengths from 2° to 7° with the appropriate reference fiducial template images was performed using special purpose-built software. Clinical feasibility was evaluated by retrospectively analyzing images acquired over four or five sessions for each of three patients undergoing hypofractionated prostate radiotherapy. The standard deviation of the registration error in phantom using MV SA-DTS was similar to single MV images for the static and prostate motion scenarios (σ = 0.25 mm). Under respiratory motion conditions, the standard deviation of the registration error increased to 0.7mm and 1.7 mm for single MV and MV SA-DTS, respectively. Registration failures were observed with the respiratory scenario only and were due to motion-induced fiducial blurring. For the three patients studied, the mean and standard deviation of the difference between automatic registration using 4° MV SA-DTS and manual registration using single MV images results was 0.07±0.52mm. The MV SA-DTS results in patients were, on average, superior to single-frame MV by nearly 1 mm - significantly more than what was observed in phantom. The best MV SA-DTS results were observed with arc lengths of 3° to 4°. Registration failures in patients using MV SA-DTS were primarily due to blockage of the gold seeds by the MLC. The failure rate varied from 2% to 16%. Combined MV SA-DTS and kV imaging is feasible for intratreatment motion monitoring during VMAT of anatomic sites where limited motion is expected, and improves registration accuracy compared to single MV/kV frames. To create a clinically robust technique, further improvements to ensure visualization of fiducials at the desired control points without degradation of the treatment plan are needed.
Abstract 3379: Iron-deficient anemia promotes breast cancer growth and lung metastasis

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Young breast cancer patients <45 years old are at a higher risk of dying from the disease than older patients. Specific risk factors contributing to this high mortality rate have not been identified. Iron deficient anemia (IDA) is a common ailment in young pre-menopausal women both in developed and developing countries. In the present study, we hypothesize that IDA promotes breast cancer growth and metastasis. To test this hypothesis, Balb/c mice were fed three levels of iron diets, 3.5 ppm Fe as iron deficient, 35 ppm as normal low, and 350 ppm as normal high for 12 wks. Consistent with previous literature reports, iron levels in diets ranging from 35 to 350 ppm, which were considered normal, did not lead to significant differences in serum iron and transferrin saturation rates. However, an iron level at 3.5 ppm in the diet caused an IDA in mice. After subcutaneously inoculating 4T1 mammary cancer cells into the flanks of mice fed different iron diets, mice with IDA condition have significant higher tumor volumes as compared to those with normal iron status (2922 + 161 mm3 in 3.5 ppm Fe group vs 1636 + 86 mm3 in 35 ppm Fe group and 1453 + 90 mm3 in 350 ppm Fe group). Lung metastasis was also higher in IDA mice with 22.8 + 0.9 nodules per lung lobule in 3.5 ppm vs 13.8 + 0.8 in 35 ppm and 13.6 + 0.9 in 350 ppm Fe. To elucidate molecular mechanisms of IDA in tumor growth and metastasis, levels of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, such as snail, slug and zeb1, were found to be significantly higher in tumor tissues isolated from IDA mice. When investigating signal pathways regulating EMT, it was found that Notch pathway, including Notch 2, 3, 4, and Notch ligands such as Jagged1, 2, were all induced by IDA. In contrast to Notch, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and wingless-int (WNT) signal pathways, known to stimulate EMT, were not affected, suggesting that IDA-induced EMT is Notch pathway-specific. Since anemia causes hypoxia, the expression of HIF-1α, a key transcription factor controlling hypoxic responses, was also induced by IDA. Similarly, Notch signal pathway and EMT markers were higher after transfecting HIF-1α cDNA into 4T1 cells. These data show that IDA-mediated breast cancer growth and lung metastasis is through HIF-1α accumulation and activation of Notch and EMT. Our study suggests that identification of IDA as a poor prognostic factor and its clinical improvement as a potential cancer therapy could be significant to the high mortality rate of young breast cancer patients. This work is supported by R21 CA132684. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3379. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3379
Hospital Use by Persons With HIV in the 21st Century: A 5-State Study.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to determine whether reductions in hospital utilization observed immediately after the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (between 1995 and 2000) have persisted into the 21st century. DATA SOURCES Data on all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related hospital admissions in 5 states (California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and South Carolina) in 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2013 were obtained from the State Inpatient Database, which is administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In addition, data on the number of persons living with HIV were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the California Department of Public Health. STUDY DESIGN This study compares the average number of hospitalizations per person living with HIV in each of the 5 states as well as the average cost for hospital care per person with HIV in 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2013. RESULTS The total number of hospitalizations by persons with HIV in the 5 study states fell by one third between 2000 and 2013 even though the number of persons living with HIV increased by >50%. CONCLUSIONS Persons with HIV disease were 64% less likely to be hospitalized in 2013 than they were in 2000. In addition, the probability of a person with HIV being hospitalized fell 44% between 2000 and 2010 and 29% between 2010 and 2013.
The utility of indocyanine green near infrared fluorescent imaging in the identification of parathyroid glands during surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism.

Background and Objectives Intraoperative adjuncts for the localization of parathyroid glands in parathyroid surgery are limited. The aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of indocyanine green (ICG) near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent imaging in patients undergoing surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Methods ICG imaging was performed in 33 patients undergoing parathyroidectomy (PTX). Thyroid and parathyroid ICG uptake were assessed and independently verified on a grading scale. Clinical variables were recorded and analyzed for factors associated with ICG uptake. Results Of 112 glands identified by naked eye, 104 (92.9%) demonstrated ICG uptake. Concomitant ICG fluorescence was identified in the thyroid in all patients. There was a trend toward increased ICG fluorescence in patients 11 mg/dl (P = 0.04) and in those parathyroids larger than 10 mm (P < 0.01). All patients had biochemically proven cure. No patients who underwent subtotal PTX (n = 6) developed postoperative hypoparathyroidism. Conclusion ICG can reliably localize parathyroid glands during PTX and additionally allow for assessment of parathyroid perfusion in patients undergoing subtotal resection. Concomitant fluorescence of the thyroid gland limits ICG's usefulness in directing the course of PTX. J. Surg. Oncol. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Settings

The term coverage does not capture the range of responsibilities one accepts while on call for inpatient psychiatry nor the complexity of clinical issues one may confront when the patient is geriatric. Patients are often admitted with behaviors which disrupt their milieu or treatment or for actions which are potentially dangerous to self and/or others. They cannot be easily treated at home, in nursing homes, or in inpatient medical units. Although these problems happen in other settings, they are more common in inpatient psychiatry. In the geriatric patient, symptoms and behavioral expressions of psychotic, manic, depressive, anxiety, and neurocognitive disorders are often complicated by systemic medical comorbidities. The challenge is to treat the psychiatric symptomatology which initiated the admission while identifying and ameliorating the effect of drug-drug interactions, comorbid systemic medical conditions, disruption to sleep, chronic pain, and medication adverse effects. This chapter offers an overview of common situations encountered with geriatric patients in the psychiatric inpatient unit, along with recommendations which emphasize collaboration with the inpatient staff.
A Scapholunate Ligament–Sparing Technique Utilizing the Medial Femoral Condyle Corticocancellous Free Flap to Reconstruct Scaphoid Nonunions With Proximal Pole Avascular Necrosis

This article demonstrates a technique for the treatment of scaphoid fracture waist and proximal pole nonunions with avascular necrosis using a free vascularized medial femoral condyle flap. We present our surgical technique and representative case examples in which the scapholunate ligament, a key structure required to preserve carpal kinematics, is spared.
Tales, Magic, and Fairy Tales

This book focuses on the narrative aspects of magic in magic tales from ancient Egypt to the Renaissance and the early modern period in Europe. In these tales magic often operates from a parallel world and affirms existing earthly and supernatural hierarchies. In the process, both magic and supernatural beings frequently pose dangers to ordinary mortals in the tales. An important component of this study is its interest in what characters in magic tales perceive to be magic and what they accept as normal manifestations, even when they appear uncanny to modern eyes. The variations in magic tale characters’ perception and experience of magic suggests a new and different prehistory for fairy tales.
Establishing Sociological Imagination before Blame in Historical Events

ABSTRACTAlthough finding fault with someone or something is part of human nature, blame is merely a perception. Before assigning blame in the causation of historical events, students should be given the opportunity to look past textbook generalizations and establish sociological imagination, or the ability to recognize history's connection to society and its people. By instituting sociological imagination, societal and cultural factors could be emphasized, various perspectives could be examined, and empathy could be evoked from the voices of people who lived during, or participated in, these historical happenings.
Digital Humanities and Italian Studies: Intersections and Oppositions

This article examines the relationship between two fields of study, Italian Studies and Digital Humanities (DH), by documenting projects that employ digital or computational methods in the study of...
Radioactive Labeling of DNA and RNA Probes

End-labeling is most commonly utilized for synthetic oligodeoxyribo-nucleotides, although double-stranded DNA may also be labeled (particularly if protruding 5′ ends are present). End-labeled oligonucleotides are used for hybridization probes, primer extension analysis, or DNA sequencing using the Maxam-Gilbert chemical cleavage method. End-labeled double- stranded DNA is used in nuclease protection assays and other applications requiring probes of defined length.
Conceptual Design of E-Voting System for Academic Institution

Voting or casting of lots has become the main method of selecting individuals for a vacant position. There have been several methods of voting practiced over the years, ranging from raising of hand, using ballot papers, and even using pebbles as in the typical case of the Republic of Gambia. It is on this premise that this study was embarked upon to design and implement an effective Online Voting System for Academic Institutions. The concept has been implemented for the Regent University College of Science and Technology in Ghana. The results showed that the online system was outstanding with real-time results of the voting process and easy administrative management. The users of the system which involved students as well as some electoral supervisors realized the online voting system was a better, effective and more efficient way of voting in the school as compared to the paper balloting method of voting. The concept could be extended to all Institutions or organizationâ€™s election once the electorates can be identified with unique Identification Numbers. It is recommended that further research and implementation should be conducted to include functionalities or features to enable the visually impaired individuals vote.
Behavioral and Physiological Consequences of Adult Brain 5-HT Depletion in Mice.

Serotonergic neurons from the dorsal raphe innervate the amygdala, the mPFC, and the hippocampus, suggesting they have a substantial role in the modulation of emotional states ([Lowry et al., 2005][1]). Consistent with this hypothesis, serotonin (5-HT) dysfunction is a key feature of several
Improving de novo metatranscriptome assembly via machine learning algorithms

In this paper, we present DNPipe, a Pipeline that processes and filters the transcript contigs reported by existing De Novo metatranscriptome assembly algorithms, aiming to improve the quality of de novo assembly of metatranscriptomic sequences. DNPipe consists of expectation-maximisation (EM) and sampling approaches that utilise abundance information of transcript contigs. We tested DNPipe on six metatranscriptomic datasets acquired from a mock microbial community dominated by three (among more than 15) known bacterial genomes. Results show that DNPipe can substantially improve the quality of metatranscriptome assembly, producing longer and more accurate transcripts. The N50 of the contigs increases by 19% (from around 1880 bps to 2250 bps), and the precision of the assembly improves by up to 8.7%, achieving about 81%. DNPipe assemblies are of higher quality than those assembled by Trinity as well. The DNPipe tool can be downloaded as open source software at https://sourceforge.net/projects/dnpipe/files/.
Ion distribution and selectivity of ionic liquids in microporous electrodes

The energy density of an electric double layer capacitor, also known as supercapacitor, depends on ion distributions in the micropores of its electrodes. Herein we study ion selectivity and partitioning of symmetric, asymmetric, and mixed ionic liquids among different pores using the classical density functional theory. We find that a charged micropore in contact with mixed ions of the same valence is always selective to the smaller ions, and the ion selectivity, which is strongest when the pore size is comparable to the ion diameters, drastically falls as the pore size increases. The partitioning behavior in ionic liquids is fundamentally different from those corresponding to ion distributions in aqueous systems whereby the ion selectivity is dominated by the surface energy and entropic effects insensitive to the degree of confinement.
Defective calcineurin/NFAT signaling in myeloid cells and susceptibility to aspergillosis in post-transplant patients.

Solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantations are life-saving therapeutic interventions considered for an increasing variety of severe and irreversible end-stage diseases. Immunosuppress...
The size and shape of the foramen magnum in man.

Background: The foramen magnum (FM) has garnered broad interest across the disciplines of anthropology, comparative anatomy, evolutionary biology, and clinical sciences. Most studies regarding the structure of the FM in humans have been intrapopulation morphometric studies rather than interpopulation morphologic studies. The few studies assessing the morphology of the foramen have utilized ambiguous and subjective descriptors to describe foraminal shape and are, consequently, difficult to reproduce. Therefore, detailed study of FM shape among craniofacially and geographically diverse populations through reproducible methods is warranted. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess intersex and interpopulation differences in FM size and shape among diverse populations. Materials and Methods: The study analyzed 152 FMs of varied sex and race via traditional and geometric morphometric methods. Results and Conclusions: The study demonstrates that, within each distinct population, the size of the FM is significantly larger in males than in females; however, there are no significant differences in the shapes of the foramina between sexes. However, when comparing different populations to one another, there are significant differences with regard to both the size and shape of the FM. This study also presents a new model of FM ontogeny. Specifically, the growth occurring between the anterior and posterior foraminal boundaries before 5 years of age predicts the ultimate shape of the adult FM.
Demonstrating Technologies for Hyperspectral Infrared Remote Sensing from Space on a CubeSat (Conference Presentation)

CubeSats offer a low cost platform for remote sensing and in-situ measurements in space. Not only is the cost of the spacecraft low, but also the cost of the launch since typically CubeSats are secondary payloads to the primary satellite being launched. Despite the low available volume, mass and power and a typically less than ideal orbit, the platform can be ideal for demonstrating technology and even achieving certain science quality measurements. In this talk we discuss the CubeSat Infrared Atmospheric Sounder (CIRAS) a new project at NASA JPL designed to demonstrate key technologies for hyperspectral infrared measurements of atmospheric temperature and water vapor from space.
Realizing E-Prescribing’s Potential to Reduce Outpatient Psychiatric Medication Errors

Preliminary evidence from observational and cohort studies suggests that replacement of paper- and phone-based medication prescriptions with electronic prescribing systems in ambulatory settings is associated with decreased medication errors. However, problems from traditional prescribing also occur with e-prescribing (such as incorrect medication dose and instructions or wrong patient), as do some new problems (a confusing user interface leading to prescribing the wrong medication). The authors present four steps for reducing medication errors in outpatient psychiatric settings: continuing to implement e-prescribing, streamlining user interfaces, improving interoperability among various e-prescribing and retail pharmacy systems, and using education and advocacy to achieve these goals.
Revisiting "Most People Are Happy"-And Discovering When They Are Not.

In our 1996 article, “Most People are Happy,” we presented evidence showing that the majority of humans are above neutral in happiness. The article was popular perhaps for several reasons. First, w...
Proteolytic Activation of Paramyxoviruses and Pneumoviruses

Viruses in the families Paramyxoviridae and Pneumoviridae infect multiple animal species, and infection can result in varying disease severity. Membrane fusion is an obligate early step during infection and is driven primarily by viral fusion (F) proteins present on the viral envelope. F-mediated membrane fusion begins with insertion of a hydrophobic fusion peptide into the cell membrane and, through a series of conformational changes, culminates in the merger of both the viral and cellular membranes. Proteolytic processing N-terminal to the fusion peptide enables insertion into the cellular membrane, making this cleavage event an essential step in F-promoted membrane fusion. While all F proteins are cleaved by host proteases, the protease utilized and location of F cleavage vary widely among paramyxo- and pneumoviruses. With some paramyxoviruses, proteolytic activation of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoprotein has also been observed involving removal of a C-terminal extension from a precursor that blocks the attachment function of this protein. The availability of protein structures and extensive studies on the spatial and temporal processing details have illuminated many important aspects of proteolytic activation of these proteins. However, why such disparate proteolytic cleavage pathways evolved and to what extent they affect pathogenesis are less well understood.
Elevated protein concentrations in newborn blood and the risks of autism spectrum disorder, and of social impairment, at age 10 years among infants born before the 28th week of gestation.

Among the 1 of 10 children who are born preterm annually in the United States, 6% are born before the third trimester. Among children who survive birth before the 28th week of gestation, the risks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and non-autistic social impairment are severalfold higher than in the general population. We examined the relationship between top quartile inflammation-related protein concentrations among children born extremely preterm and ASD or, separately, a high score on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS total score ≥65) among those who did not meet ASD criteria, using information only from the subset of children whose DAS-II verbal or non-verbal IQ was ≥70, who were assessed for ASD, and who had proteins measured in blood collected on ≥2 days (N = 763). ASD (N = 36) assessed at age 10 years is associated with recurrent top quartile concentrations of inflammation-related proteins during the first post-natal month (e.g., SAA odds ratio (OR); 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5; 1.2–5.3) and IL-6 (OR; 95% CI: 2.6; 1.03–6.4)). Top quartile concentrations of neurotrophic proteins appear to moderate the increased risk of ASD associated with repeated top quartile concentrations of inflammation-related proteins. High (top quartile) concentrations of SAA are associated with elevated risk of ASD (2.8; 1.2–6.7) when Ang-1 concentrations are below the top quartile, but not when Ang-1 concentrations are high (1.3; 0.3–5.8). Similarly, high concentrations of TNF-α are associated with heightened risk of SRS-defined social impairment (N = 130) (2.0; 1.1–3.8) when ANG-1 concentrations are not high, but not when ANG-1 concentrations are elevated (0.5; 0.1–4.2).
Studies on the Regulation, Function and Properties of Juvenile Hormone Esterases of Trichoplusia Ni

The demonstration of juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) activity in insect hemolymph during the early 1970’s stimulated interest in degradation as a potentially important level of regulation of JH titers. Early studies laid the foundation for the initial model of JHE (Gilbert et al. 1980). The functions, properties and mechanisms of regulation of JHE postulated by that model prompted subsequent research on these topics. Unresolved aspects included: experimental demonstration that JHE is necessary for metamorphosis; whether JHE activity is due to a single protein; the degree of ‘specificity’ of JHE; whether endogenous JH or neurohormonal factors regulate JHE; the biochemical properties of JHE, etc. These questions have been recently addressed, primarily with lepidopteran systems, and in particular with Trichoplusia ni. In the present review, our recently published work on this model system will be examined, as well as research currently being conducted in our laboratory.
Learning by Doing and Dichotomous Development

In this chapter we simulate growth in space with human capital formed through “Learning by Doing” rather than formal study. That is, human capital will be a product of experience. How are we to measure “experience” for these purposes? In this chapter we follow Rosen and Lucas in identifying experience with cumulative labor time in doing the work of production. This approach is especially natural in applications to the economics of less developed countries, where we may interpret work in the modem sector as novel and learning-intensive, and work in the traditional sector or in subsistence production as non-learning-intensive. Moreover, where the modem sector is growing by absorbing labor from the traditional sector, as in newly industrializing countries, even old machinery may be “capable of changing the environment in which production takes place” (Arrow) and stimulating learning on the part of new migrants from the traditional sector.