cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring characteristics, predictors, and consequences of fear of cancer recurrence among Asian-American breast cancer survivors.

Author(s): Ashing, Kimlin Tam; Cho, Dalnim; Lai, Lily; Yeung, Sophia; Young, Lucy; Yeon, Christina; Fong, Yuman | Abstract: BackgroundTo address the fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) research gap, we used prospective data to explore FCR predictors and FCR associations with health-related quality of life among Asian-American breast cancer survivors (BCS).MethodsA total of 208 diverse Asian-American BCS completed T1 survey, and 137 completed T2 survey after 1 year.ResultsFear of cancer recurrence scores (range = 0-4) were 2.01 at T1 and 1.99 at T2 reflecting low-to-moderate FCR. Scores of FCR were stable over the 1-year period (t(126) = .144, P = .886). Multiple regression analyses showed that Chinese women reported lower FCR both at T1 (t(193) = -2.92, P = .004) and T2 (t(128) = -2.56, P = .012) compared to other Asian women. Also, more positive health care experience at T1 predicted lower FCR at T2 (β = -.18, P = .041). Controlling for other covariates, greater FCR at T1 predicted poorer outcomes 1 year later including lower physical (β = -.31, P l .001), emotional (β = -.37, P l .001) and functional (β = -.16, P = .044) well-being and health-related quality of life specific to breast cancer at T2 (β = -.31, P l .001).ConclusionsWe found substantial consistencies and some divergences between our findings with Asian-American BCS and the existing literature. This prospective investigation reveals new information suggesting that Asian-American subgroup variation exists and health care system factors may influence FCR. Thus, FCR studies should consider Asian subgroupings, cultural aspects, ie, level of acculturation and health care system factors including provider-patient communication and treatment setting. Future research may benefit from contextualizing FCR within a broader distress framework to advance the science and practice of patient-centered and whole-person care.
IVIG Ameliorates Thrombin Activation of Platelets and Endogenous Thrombin Potential In Pediatric Patients with ITP.

Abstract 3706 Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a common hematological disorder in children that can lead to severe bleeding symptoms. Previous studies in ITP patients have found autoantibodies that bind to glycoprotein (GP) complex GPIIb/IIIa or GPIb/IX (Kiefel V et al. Br J Hematol 1991) and thus can alter platelet function (Olsson A et al. Thromb Res 2002; Nissner H et al. Blood 1986). Although platelet function has been studied in chronic ITP and in pediatric ITP (Panzer S et al. Europ J Haemat 2007; Semple et al. Blood 1996), so far platelet function was not studied in response to IVIg treatment, which leads to an increase of platelet counts and reduced bleeding symptoms. Next to platelet count no other biological markers have been correlated to bleeding symptoms. Therefore we studied the effect of IVIg treatment on platelet function and endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) in children with newly diagnosed primary ITP. Bleeding symptoms were assessed according to a pediatric bleeding score for ITP at the time of diagnosis and venous blood samples were obtained at the time of diagnosis and after IVIg therapy for measurement of platelet count and for flow cytometric analyses of platelets. In citrated platelet-rich plasma platelets were identified as CD42 positive events; CD62p, CD63 and PAC-1 binding were measured as % platelets with bound fluorescence before and after thrombin stimulation. All patients (median age 6.5 yrs, n=18) presented with typical symptoms of acute ITP with bleeding scores of 2 – 3 and had platelet counts 9 /L. (fig. 1). Results from ITP patients were compared to healthy children (median age 6.8 yrs, n = 18) with normal platelet counts and to children with thrombocytopenia as a result of chemotherapy for malignancies (cTP; median age 10.2 yrs, n = 9; platelet counts of 3 – 51×10 9 /L). Results were expressed as the % of platelets expressing the antigen and were analyzed by ANOVA and Wilcoxon test. At initial presentation platelets of ITP patients showed an increased surface expression of CD62p (mean ± SEM: 14.4 ± 3.7 %, n = 17; p = 20 × 10 9 /L (mean 46 × 10 9 /L, range 20 – 123 × 10 9 /L) and amelioration of bleeding symptoms. Concomitantly thrombin-stimulated platelet surface expression of CD62p, CD63 and PAC1 (84.51 ± 5.04%; 85.32 ± 5.79%; 56.8 ± 7.88%; p range 0.3 – 0.6) and ETP (316.6 ± 48.3 nM; p=0.3) improved and were not different from results in healthy children. In summary we demonstrated that platelets of children with primary ITP at baseline show an increased CD62p surface expression while thrombin-stimulated platelet activation of ITP and cTP patients is decreased compared to healthy children. After IVIg thrombin-stimulated platelet activation and ETP is similar to that seen in healthy children, even before normalization of the platelet counts. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
MMP-2 and MMP-14 Silencing Inhibits VEGFR2 Cleavage and Induces the Differentiation of Porcine Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Endothelial Cells

The molecular mechanisms that control the ability of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) to remodel three-dimensional extracellular matrix barriers during differentiation are not clearly understood. Herein, we studied the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) during the differentiation of AMSCs to endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro. MSCs were isolated from porcine abdominal adipose tissue, and characterized by immunopositivity to CD44, CD90, CD105, and immunonegativity to CD14 and CD45. Plasticity of AMSCs was confirmed by multilineage differentiation. The mRNA transcripts for MMPs and Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases (TIMPs), and protein expression of EC markers were analyzed. The enzyme activity and protein expression were analyzed by gelatin zymography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot. The differentiation of AMSCs to ECs was confirmed by mRNA and protein expressions of the endothelial markers. The mRNA transcripts for MMP-2 and MMP-14 were significantly increased during the differentiation of MSCs into ECs. Findings revealed an elevated MMP-14 and MMP-2 expression, and MMP2 enzyme activity. Silencing of MMP-2 and MMP-14 significantly increased the expression of EC markers, formation of capillary tubes, and acetylated-low-density lipoprotein uptake, and decreased the cleavage of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2). Inhibition of VEGFR2 significantly decreased the expression of EC markers. These novel findings demonstrate that the upregulation of MMP2 and MMP14 has an inhibitory effect on the differentiation of AMSCs to ECs, and silencing these MMPs inhibit the cleavage of VEGFR2 and stimulate the differentiation of AMSCs to ECs. These findings provide a potential mechanism for the regulatory role of MMP-2 and MMP-14 in the re-endothelialization of coronary arteries following intervention. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1385-1398.
Anxiety and its correlates among young adults with a history of parental cancer

ABSTRACTPurpose: We assessed whether experiencing parental cancer during childhood was associated with anxiety levels during young adulthood—and whether parental survival status moderated anxiety or related psychosocial outcomes. Methods: Young adults who experienced parental cancer during their childhood (n = 68) and those who did not (n = 298) completed measures of current anxiety and family functioning. The parental cancer group completed measures of social support and life changes during the parental cancer and posttraumatic growth. Results: Young adults who experienced parental cancer endorsed higher state and trait anxiety than matched controls. Higher anxiety correlated with less current family cohesion and lower past social support satisfaction. Parental cancer outcome moderated the relationship between current anxiety and dimensions of posttraumatic growth and predicted the number of cancer-related life changes. Conclusion: Experiencing parental cancer during childhood predicted higher reported a...
Social Creation of Pro-social Preferences for Collective Action

Pro-social preferences are thought to play a significant role in solving society’s collective action problems of providing public goods and reducing public bads. Societies can benefit by deliberately instilling and sustaining such preferences in their members. We construct a theoretical model to examine an intergenerational education process for this. We consider both a one-time action of this kind and a constitution that establishes a steady state, and compare the two.
EMOTIONAL STRESS TESTING AND RELAXATION IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION

There is considerable interest currently in the relationship between emotional stress and coronary heart disease. Since the beginning of recorded medical history clinicians have suspected that stress may be a precipitating factor in the atherosclerotic disease process. Many of these beliefs were based upon anecdotal evidence citing cases of angina pectoris (Lown, 1977) and voodoo death (Engle, 1971) resulting from severe emotional strain. While this evidence was quite enticing it was not sufficient to establish a casual relationship between emotional stress and atherosclerosis.
A New Methodology for Partnering Transportation Projects

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has recently emphasized ‘e-Construction and Partnering’ through its ‘Every Day Counts’ initiative which encompasses the use of state-of-the-art construction technologies in tandem with a management element for project delivery best practice. Traditional Partnering became firmly established in the U.S. in the 1990s when technology was simpler and design-build was just emerging in the transportation sector. With the current state of technology available for project delivery, as well as the diverse functional roles and stakeholders involved in life-cycle planning and implementation of transportation facilities today, there has emerged a need for collaborative teamwork of individuals across organizations involved in the delivery of the project. This paper introduces a substitution to the traditional partnering process based upon a proven technology employed first by M. Scott Peck in the early 1980s. The results of the paper should be of interest to public infrastructure contract stakeholders which desire a less combative and litigious work environment.
Long-Term Outcomes of Anti-VEGF Therapy in Patients With Macular Edema Secondary to Retinal Vein Occlusion

Purpose:To evaluate long-term visual and anatomical outcomes of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in routine clinical practice.Methods:Patients with ME secondary to hemi-RVO (HRVO), central RVO (CRVO), or branch RVO (BRVO) after initiating anti-VEGF therapy were followed for at least 36 months. Main outcomes were change in best visual acuity (BVA) and mean absolute change in central subfield thickness (CST) at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months.Results:Patients with BRVO showed significant increases in BVA that were maintained after 12, 24, 36, and 48 months (+11.03, +12.06, +10.71, and +9.26 letters, respectively; P < .05). CST significantly decreased after 12, 24, 36, and 48 months (−83.51, −67.93, −97.52, −127.85 µm, respectively; P < .05). In patients with CRVO/HRVO, significant improvements in BVA were seen at 12 and 24 months (+9.39 and +8.54 letters, respectively; P = .023). At 36 and 48 months, the visual gain was not sig...
Binary Alloys of Titanium with Chromium, Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, or Nickel

This chapter deals with superconductivity in alloys of Ti with all the other first-long-period (3d) transition elements with the exception of V, which was the subject of the preceding chapter. The solutes are considered in order of increasing group number (with reference to the periodic table) or e/a ratio.
Race war in Arizona: Reflections on the ethnic studies ban and white hegemony

This essay discusses how a racist ideological undercurrent, supported by the Arizona Department of Education, pushed the state to ban ethnic studies. This undercurrent was fed by the desire to redefine racial categories to promote a postracial color-blind dominance. The ethnic studies ban reveals how the blending of racist ideology focused on white supremacy and common sense constructed around individualism maintains white hegemony over people of color. Contrary to popular belief, the ethnic studies ban was not necessarily implemented to prevent the teaching of culturally and historically relevant content but rather to block any discussion or analysis of race and racism in public education, revealing how superiority and inferiority are social constructs.
High Field ESR: Applications to Protein Structure and Dynamics

Electron Spin Resonance at high magnetic fields (HF ESR) is rapidly developing into a powerful biophysical tool which is uniquely positioned to address complex aspects of structure and dynamics of proteins, membranes, and macromolecular assemblies at molecular level. The source of the contemporary resurgence of interest in ESR as a biophysical tool is that there are, broadly speaking, three large groups of problems, which can be approached with ESR methods but cannot easily be studied by traditional structural techniques: (1) structure and dynamics of large molecular weight proteins in solution; (2) membrane and membrane-associated proteins: structure, location with respect to the membrane, side-chain dynamics, and interactions with other membrane components or DNA’s and RNA’s; (3) fast conformational transitions of proteins and RNA’s in solution, protein folding and re-folding. The focus of this review is mainly on HF ESR spin-labeling techniques, primarily via nitroxide spin labels, as this method is the most flexible and is even applicable to proteins which are otherwise ESR-silent. We start with physical aspects of ESR of nitroxide spin labels at high magnetic fields in order to categorize the characteristic information that can be gained from such experiments. Then we describe practical applications of spin-labeling HF ESR to study structure and dynamics of complex biophysical systems. We also discuss several details of the ESR motional theory based on the stochastic Liouville equation (SLE) that are relevant to nitroxide line shape analysis in order to appreciate both the information available from and the limitations of the method. Particular emphasis is given to multifrequency HF ESR methods in studies of spin-labeled membranes and biopolymers. Finally, we review the use of HF ESR in applications to molecular structure including distance measurements, determination of molecular orientations from ESR of ordered samples, and structural studies based on g-factor measurements.
Heart Failure Home Management Challenges and Reasons for Readmission: a Qualitative Study to Understand the Patient's Perspective

Heart failure patients have high 30-day hospital readmission rates. Interventions designed to prevent readmissions have had mixed success. Understanding heart failure home management through the patient’s experience may reframe the readmission “problem” and, ultimately, inform alternative strategies. To understand patient and caregiver challenges to heart failure home management and perceived reasons for readmission. Observational qualitative study. Heart failure patients were recruited from two hospitals and included those who were hospitalized for heart failure at least twice within 30 days and those who had been recently discharged after their first heart failure admission. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews. Conclusions vetted using focus groups. Semi-structured interviews with 31 patients revealed a combination of physical and socio-emotional influences on patients’ home heart failure management. Major themes identified were home management as a struggle between adherence and adaptation, and hospital readmission as a rational choice in response to distressing symptoms. Patients identified uncertainty regarding recommendations, caused by unclear instructions and temporal incongruence between behavior and symptom onset. This uncertainty impaired their competence in making routine management decisions, resulting in a cycle of limit testing and decreasing adherence. Patients reported experiencing hopelessness and frustration in response to perceiving a deteriorating functional status. This led some to a cycle of despair characterized by worsening adherence and negative emotions. As these cycles progressed and distressing symptoms worsened, patients viewed the hospital as the safest place for recovery and not a “negative” outcome. Cycles of limit testing and despair represent important patient-centered struggles in managing heart failure. The resulting distress and fear make readmission a rational choice for patients rather than a negative outcome. Interventions (e.g., palliative care) that focus on methods to address these patient-centered factors should be further studied rather than methods to reduce hospital readmissions.
Electrospun jets launched from polymeric bubbles

In this paper the launching of liquid polymer jets from the apex of gas bubbles on the polyvinylpyrrolidone in ethanol (PVP) solution surface due to an applied electrical potential is investigated....
A performance indicator for ranked set sampling using ranking error probability matrix

Ranked set sampling (RSS) is a sampling procedure that has been shown to provide more efficient procedures than simple random sampling, in particular the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon (MWW) statistic and the empirical distribution function (EDF). We briefly review the work of Bohn (1992) and Stokes and Sager (1988) on the effect of imperfect ranking on the RSS-based MWW test and on the RSS-based EDF, respectively. We propose a model for a ranking error probability matrix which we hope will become a useful tool for evaluating RSS-based statistical procedures
Developing Your Own Golf Stroke

After a round of golf in my church league, I suggested to my opponent of the day that I would like to coach him for a few minutes behind the clubhouse. He accepted. I showed him what would happen to his nine-iron shots if at the beginning of his downswing he would pull on his left arm with his left shoulder in the direction he wanted the ball to go. He was soon hitting beautiful shots. Some weeks later, having caught up with his foursome on the tee because of a lost-ball delay, I watched him produce a beautiful, yes tremendous, drive, far and in the middle of the fairway. I asked him to supply me with the name of his driving coach. He replied, “I am using the same swing for driving that you showed me to use on my nine-iron shots.” The simple suggestion I gave him developed out of my study of the physics of the golf swing. He had made the significant discovery that if you can swing one club, you can swing them all.
Network Foundation for Command and Control (C2) Systems: Literature Review

We review the command and control (C2) literature to develop a comprehensive understanding of C2 systems and identify network evaluation methods. C2 is the recursive process of sharing the intent of decision-makers across organizations, turning intent into action, monitoring success, and adjusting goals to meet changing needs. Although substantial C2 research exists, the literature remains isolated by application context, and advances are rarely integrated. Our review identifies research in military, emergency response, civilian infrastructure, and management literature that inform the analysis of C2 systems. We organize C2 research with theory from Network Centric Warfare and complex systems to integrate knowledge across broad disciplines and applications. The review organizes studies across four interrelated domains (i.e., physical, information, social, and cognitive), presents system design and evaluation constraints across sub-systems, and offers practical considerations for advancing C2 theory. The review also catalogues network evaluation methods used to study C2 agility, i.e., the ability to successfully effect, cope with, and/or exploit changes in circumstances. Together, this paper supports the organizing, integration, and advancement of knowledge for the influential, yet broad research subject of C2.
Neurotrophins induce fission of mitochondria along embryonic sensory axons

Neurotrophins are growth factors that have a multitude of roles in the nervous system. We report that neurotrophins induce the fission of mitochondria along embryonic chick sensory axons driven by combined PI3K and Mek-Erk signaling. Following an initial burst of fission, a new steady state of neurotrophin-dependent mitochondria length is established. Mek-Erk controls the activity of the fission mediator Drp1 GTPase, while PI3K may contribute to the actin-dependent aspect of fission. Drp1-mediated fission is required for nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced collateral branching in vitro and expression of dominant negative Drp1 impairs the branching of axons in the developing spinal cord in vivo. Fission is also required for NGF-induced mitochondria-dependent intra-axonal translation of the actin regulatory protein cortactin, a previously determined component of NGF-induced branching. Collectively, these observations unveil a novel biological function of neurotrophins; the regulation of mitochondrial fission and steady state mitochondrial length and density in axons.
Synergistic activity of Nanog, Pou5f3, and Sox19b establishes chromatin accessibility and developmental competence in a context-dependent manner

Genome-wide chromatin reprogramming is a fundamental requirement for establishing developmental competence in the newly-formed zygote. In zebrafish, Nanog, Pou5f3 and Sox19b play partially redundant roles in zygotic genome activation, however their interplay in establishing chromatin competency, the context in which they do so and their mechanism of action remain poorly defined. Here, we generated a triple maternal-zygotic nanog-/-;pou5f3-/-;sox19b-/- mutant and assessed the causal relationship between transcription factor (TF) occupancy, chromatin accessibility and genome activation. Analyses of this triple mutant and combinatorial rescues revealed highly synergistic and context-dependent activity of Nanog, Pou5f3, and Sox19b (NPS) in establishing chromatin competency at >50% of active enhancers. Motif analysis revealed a network of TFs that depend on NPS for establishing chromatin accessibility, including the endodermal determinant Eomesa, whose binding we show is regulated by NPS pioneer-like activity. Finally, we demonstrated that NPS play an essential role in establishing H3K27ac and H3K18ac at enhancers and promoters, and that their function in transcriptional activation can be bypassed by targeted recruitment of histone acetyltransferases to individual genes. Altogether, our findings reveal a large network of TFs that function to establish developmental competency, many of which depend on the synergistic and highly context-dependent role of NPS in establishing chromatin accessibility and regulating histone acetylation in order to activate the genome.
Virtual clinical activities: Lessons learned with first semester nursing students

Background and purpose: As COVID 19 impacted schools of nursing, the impact of clinical training was immediate. Students were removed from clinical sites but clinical training was necessary to continue the education of nursing students at all levels. Select virtual clinical experiences were substituted for in person clinical experience to reinforce foundational nursing skills. Results: Implementing virtual clinical activities proved to be a challenge for schools of nursing. Finding, structuring and managing activities that foster key foundational concepts for novice student nurses is imperative. Conclusions: Management of virtual clinical activities, via a SIM Center, is key in providing foundational experiences via simulation for the novice nursing student. Substituting structured virtual clinical days, with expert clinical debriefing, can provide an adequate clinical experience.
A study of the role of calcium and oxidative stress in pathophysiology of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women-a review

The aim of this review was to identify the role of calcium and oxidative stress as factors associated with osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. There are many diseases related to post-menstruation in women, the most important of which is osteoporosis. Calcium levels remains stable until menopause, when the bone resorption rate increases in association with the decrease in ovarian estrogen production that effect the intestinal calcium absorption. On the other hand, studies support that oxidative stress is directly involved in the genesis and development of osteoporosis. However, Oxidative stress blocks the activation of osteoblasts and activates the differentiation of osteoclasts which led to increased resorption rate without adequate and proper bone formation. In conclusion, Physiological changes in postmenopausal women lead to fluctuations in calcium metabolism and oxidative stress, which may lead to the occurrence or development of osteoporosis.
Preventability of Voluntarily Reported or Trigger Tool-Identified Medication Errors in a Pediatric Institution by Information Technology: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Information technology (IT) has the potential to prevent medication errors. While many studies have analyzed specific IT technologies and preventable adverse drug events, no studies have identified risk factors for errors still occurring that are not preventable by IT. The objective of this study was to categorize reported or trigger tool-identified errors and adverse events (AEs) at a pediatric tertiary care institution. Also, we sought to identify medication errors preventable by IT, determine why IT-preventable errors occurred, and to identify risk factors for errors that were not preventable by IT. This was a retrospective analysis of voluntarily reported or trigger tool-identified errors and AEs occurring from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012. Medication errors reaching the patients were categorized based on the origin, severity, and location of the error, the month in which they occurred, and the age of the patient involved. Error characteristics were included in a multivariable logistic regression model to determine independent risk factors for errors occurring that were not preventable by IT. A medication error was defined as a medication-related failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim. An IT-preventable error was defined as having an IT system in place to aid in prevention of the error at the phase and location of its origin. There were 936 medication errors (identified by voluntarily reporting or a trigger tool system) included and analyzed. Drug administration errors were identified most frequently (53.4% ), but prescribing errors most frequently caused harm (47.2 % of harmful errors). There were 470 (50.2 %) errors that were IT preventable at their origin, including 155 due to IT system bypasses, 103 due to insensitivity of IT alerting systems, and 47 with IT alert overrides. Dispensing, administration, and documentation errors had higher odds than prescribing errors for being not preventable by IT [odds ratio (OR) 8.0, 95 % CI 4.4–14.6; OR 2.4, 95 % CI 1.7–3.7; and OR 6.7, 95 % CI 3.3–14.5, respectively; all p < 0.001). Errors occurring in the operating room and in the outpatient setting had higher odds than intensive care units for being not preventable by IT (OR 10.4, 95 % CI 4.0–27.2, and OR 2.6, 95 % CI 1.3–5.0, respectively; all p ≤ 0.004). Despite extensive IT implementation at the studied institution, approximately one-half of the medication errors identified by voluntarily reporting or a trigger tool system were not preventable by the utilized IT systems. Inappropriate use of IT systems was a common cause of errors. The identified risk factors represent areas where IT safety features were lacking.
Thoughts on Legal Writing from the Greatest of Them All: Stephen King

This article explores what lawyers can learn from Stephen King and his "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft."
Determination of Papillomatous Digital Dermatitis (PDD) Prevalence in the U.S. Feedlot Industry through Practitioner Survey

Papillomatous digital dermatitis has been recognized and studied within the dairy industry for nearly 30 years. Published literature describing the incidence, risk factors, treatment and probable etiology within dairies is readily available. Far less information is available concerning papillomatous digital dermatitis and its effects on the US feedlot industry. Although papillomatous digital dermatitis is rarely reported in feedlot cattle, there have been at least three confirmed cases in feedlots in Kansas and Iowa.
Miniature microbial fuel cells integrated with triggered power management systems to power wastewater sensors in an uninterrupted mode

Abstract Uninterrupted energy harvest is critical for self-sustained wastewater monitoring in order to achieve efficient and resilient operation of decentralized onsite wastewater treatment facilities. To address this long-standing challenge, an integrated power entity consisting of a miniature microbial fuel cell (volume: 1.5 mL) and a triggered power management system was developed in this study to power the potentiometric millimeter-sized solid-state water sensors for real-time in situ monitoring and uninterrupted transmission of sensor readings (indicating ammonium concentration) under both ammonium shock and toxic shock in wastewater. Specifically, a data trigger including two capacitors, an operation amplifier and a low-power comparator is equipped in the power management system as a switch for turning on power discharge for data transmission once the ammonium shock is captured by the potentiometric sensors, enabling a sufficient recharge duration to store the power needed for high frequency data transmission (16.23 times/min) required under shocks. Furthermore, this power-sensor entity possesses a unique dual-screening capability of capturing the ammonium and toxic shocks, providing an early warning for swift decision making, reducing ~17% of ammonium discharge and saving ~42% of energy consumption in decentralized onsite wastewater treatment facilities.
Rabbit esophageal cells possess an Na+,H+ antiport

Abstract The development of esophagitis is the result of hydrogen ion diffusion into the mucosa leading to cellular acidification and necrosis. In these studies, whether esophageal cells possess transport system(s) that can respond to cytoplasmic acidification was assessed; specifically, whether esophageal cells possess an Na + ,H + antiport was determined. Nucleated esophageal cells were isolated from rabbit esophagi using a trypsin-digestion technique that yielded 5–8 × 10 6 cells per esophagus, of which 74% ± 3% were basal and 26% ±8% were squamous. Trypan blue was excluded by 95% ± 2% of the cells. Cytoplasmic pH (pH i ) was measured using the pH-sensitive fluorescence dye 2′,7′-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5 (and -6) carboxyfluorescein acetoxymethyl ester. Cells were acidified to the desired pH i by suspension in solutions with varying external pH (pH o ) in the presence of nigericin. When cells acidified to pH i 6.3 were suspended in a choline chloride solution (pH o 7.4), cytoplasmic pH i did not increase. In contrast, Na o + caused a concentration-dependent increase in the rate of cytoplasmic alkalinization with saturation occurring above 50 mmol/L Na o + . The transporter behaved according to first-order Michaelis-Menten type kinetics with respect to external Na + and had an apparent K m for Na o + of 38.4 mmol/L. In contrast, the transporter behaved with greater than first-order kinetics with respect to cytoplasmic hydrogen ion concentration. Amiloride (10 −4 mol/L) caused a reversible inhibition of Na + -dependent alkalinization. Amiloride-sensitive cytoplasmic alkalinization was not observed when either choline o or K o + was substituted for Na o + , while Li o + resulted in alkalinization that was 60% ± 8% of that seen with equimolar concentrations of Na o + . The basal pH i of cells suspended in a bicarbonate-free 130 mmol/L NaCl solution (pH o 7.4) averaged 7.42 ± 0.03 (n = 10); amiloride (10 −4 mmol/L caused the basal pH i to decrease to 7.26 ± 0.05 (n = 10; P o 7.4) solution, pH i averaged 7.29 ± 0.06 (n = 10) ( P o + ). These studies indicate that nucleated esophageal cells obtained from rabbits possess an amiloride-sensitive Na + ,H + antiport that functions to regulate basal pH i and responds to intracellular acidification.
Caries is Associated with Asthma and Epilepsy.

Objectives: There is evidence of association between systemic diseases and oral conditions, although it is not clear if these are direct or mediated by underlying factors such as health behaviors. The aim of this work was to evaluate whether self-reported systemic diseases were associated with caries experience. Methods: Medical history data and caries experience (DMFT and DMFS; Decayed, Missing due to caries, Filled Teeth/Surface) were obtained from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Dental Registry and DNA Repository. Information on 318 subjects (175 females and 143 males) was evaluated. Regression analysis was used to test for association between caries experience and disease status. Results: The stronger associations were found between caries experience and asthma and epilepsy. With respect to asthma, DMFT above 15 (R 2 = 0.04) and DMFS above 50 (R 2 = 0.02) were associated. After controlling for gender differences in asthma, the associations remained strong (R 2 = 0.05 for both DMFT and DMFS). For epilepsy, DMFT above 15 (R 2 = 0.18) and DMFS above 50 (R 2 = 0.14) were associated. Conclusions: Asthma and epilepsy are associated with higher caries experience. (Eur J Dent 2009;3:297-303)
Influencing Public Policy: An Analysis of Published Op-Eds by Academics

Academics who seek to influence public policy often overlook one of the most valuable tools of influence: op-ed essays in important daily newspapers. Op-eds enable academics to bring their perspective and expertise beyond the usual reach of academic circles and into the public sphere. Through an analysis of 366 articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Star-Ledger of Newark in 2006, this article examines how academics can more successfully enter the op-ed pages. We analyze 15 characteristics of a successful op-ed, providing background information on the people and institutions most often published and ten recommendations to guide academics toward a better position from which to influence policy debates. We argue that timeliness, agreement with the editorial page, readability, and an understanding of the target newspaper are essential to op-ed publication and an expansion of academics’ influence over public policy.
Lohman Receives 2013 Geodesy Section Award: Citation

Rowena received her Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology under the direction of Mark Simons, one of the pioneers in the relatively new field of satellite deformation imaging. In her own work, she has broken new ground by exploring the boundaries between geodesy and seismology. She has shown how the apparent disagreement between these two data types can provide novel insight into subsurface processes. For example, a discrepancy in seismic moment may indicate aseismic slip. Discrepancies in event locations can ferret out seismic mislocation biases with resulting improvement in global velocity models.
Characteristics of Microbial Diphosphopyridine Nucleotidases Containing Exceptionally Large Amounts of Polysaccharides

Abstract The diphosphopyridine nucleosidases (DPNases) of Bacillus subtilis and Neurospora crassa and the specific DPNase inhibitor from Bacillus subtilis have been purified and obtained in a homogeneous form. The sedimentation coefficients and the molecular weights of these compounds were determined. All three proteins were found to contain unusually large amounts of polysaccharide, approaching as high as 80% for the Neurospora enzyme. The polypeptide chains have been separated from the polysaccharide moieties and their molecular weights were determined. Analysis of the carbohydrate moieties showed galactose and mannose to be present in all three compounds. Glucose was found only in the Neurospora DPNase. Amino sugars were identified in both enzymes, but were absent in the inhibitor. The biological significance of the carbohydrate moiety in the purified compounds is as yet not clear.
On Probabilistic Search Decisions under Searcher Motion Constraints

This article presents a sequential decision-theoretic formulation for conducting probabilistic search for a stationary target in a search region. A general recursion expression describing the evolution of the search decision (i.e., presence or absence of the target) is derived, which relates the temporal sequence of imperfect detections, both false positives and false negatives, to the spatial search conducted by a search agent. This relationship enables quantification of the decision performance – time till decision – for a given search strategy. Also, the role of searcher motion constraints, represented by a search graph, on the time till decision is characterized by the second smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian of this graph. Numerical studies demonstrate this relationship.
Self-Organized Criticality Applied to Natural Hazards

The concept of self-organizedcriticality evolved from studies of three simplecellular-automata models: the sand-pile, slider-block,and forest-fire models. In each case, there is asteady “input” and the “loss” is associated with afractal (power-law) distribution of “avalanches.” Each of the three models can be associated with animportant natural hazard: the sand-pile model withlandslides, the slider-block model with earthquakes,and the forest-fire model with forest fires. We showthat each of the three natural hazards havefrequency-size statistics that are well approximatedby power-law distributions. The model behaviorsuggests that the recurrence interval for a severeevent can be estimated by extrapolating the observedfrequency-size distribution of small and mediumevents. For example, the recurrence interval for amagnitude seven earthquake can be obtained directlyfrom the observed frequency of occurrence of magnitudefour earthquakes. This concept leads to thedefinition of a seismic intensity factor. Both globaland regional maps of this seismic intensity factor aregiven. In addition, the behavior of the modelssuggests that the risk of occurrence of large eventscan be substantially reduced if small events areencouraged. For example, if small forest fires areallowed to burn, the risk of a large forest fire issubstantially reduced.
Visible-light photoconductivity of Zn 1-x Co x O and its dependence on Co 2+ concentration

Many metal oxides investigated for solar photocatalysis or photoelectrochemistry have band gaps that are too wide to absorb a sufficient portion of the solar spectrum. Doping with impurity ions has been extensively explored as a strategy to sensitize such oxides to visible light, but the electronic structures of the resulting materials are frequently complex and poorly understood. Here, we report a detailed photoconductivity investigation of the wide-gap II-VI semiconductor ZnO doped with Co2+ (Zn1-xCoxO), which responds to visible light in photoelectrochemical and photoconductivity experiments and thus represents a well-defined model system for understanding dopant-sensitized oxides. Variable-temperature scanning photoconductivity measurements have been performed on high-structural-quality Zn1-xCoxO epitaxial films to examine the relationship between dopant concentration (x) and visible-light photoconductivity, with particular focus on mid-gap d-d photoactivity. Excitation into the intense 4T1(P) d-d band at ~2.0 eV (620 nm) leads to Co2+/3+ ionization with a quantum efficiency that increases with decreasing cobalt concentration and increasing sample temperature. Both spontaneous and thermally assisted ionization from the Co2+ d-d excited state are found to become less effective as x is increased, attributed to an increasing conduction-band-edge potential. These trends counter the increasing light absorption with increasing x, explaining the experimental maximum in external photon-to-currentmore » conversion efficiencies at values well below the solid solubility of Co2+ in ZnO.« less
Symptom severity of bipolar disorder during the menopausal transition

Little is known about the mood symptom experience of women with bipolar disorder during the menopausal transition (MT). Yet times of rapid hormonal decline, such as the postpartum, are associated with increased risk of severe mood episodes in bipolar disorder, and the MT is a time of increased risk for unipolar depression in women with or without a history of depression. Enrollment included 56 women 40–60 years old diagnosed in the bipolar spectrum who were experiencing menopausal symptoms or were up to 5 years since their final menstrual period. Menopausal stages included early menopause, late menopause, or early postmenopause based on standardized criteria. Observational, prospective standardized mood symptom and reproductive hormone assessments were completed periodically. Concurrent menopausal symptoms as well as history of mood exacerbation during past reproductive events were assessed. Forty-four women were included in the main analysis. The average Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score was 4.43 points higher in the late transition/early postmenopausal stage women (n = 29) compared to the early menopausal stage women (n = 15) (±SE 2.14; p = 0.039), corresponding to a roughly 10 % higher score (range 0–40) in the late/post stage across all study visits. Results were similar for the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), where the average score was 2.54 points higher in the late/early postmenopausal stage women compared to the early menopausal stage women (±SE 1.15; p = 0.027), also roughly 10 % higher (range 0–26). Estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) absolute levels as well as between-visit change in levels were not notably associated with YMRS or MADRS during study observation. Total Greene Climacteric Symptom (menopausal symptom) score was significantly associated with MADRS but not YMRS. History of mood exacerbation premenstrually and/or postpartum was not significantly associated with YMRS or MADRS severity during the MT. These results support the theory that times of increased reproductive hormonal changes, such as the late MT and early postmenopause, here compared to early MT, are associated with greater mood symptom severity in bipolar spectrum women. Nonetheless, absolute or change in FSH and estradiol levels were not significantly associated with depression or mood elevation severity.
The Interplay of Information Diagnosticity and Need for Cognitive Closure in Determining Choice Confidence

This research augments efforts to produce a richer understanding of the drivers of choice confidence. It investigates the interplay of a contextual factor that is readily influenced by marketing channel members (i.e., information diagnosticity) and an individual difference variable that alters the nature and extent of information processing (i.e., Need for Cognitive Closure; NFCC). Findings from two experimental studies demonstrate a positive influence of NFCC on choice confidence when information diagnosticity is low, but not when it is high. Furthermore, at high levels of NFCC, the influence of information diagnosticity is fully attenuated such that people with high NFCC derive equivalent choice confidence from information that is high or low in diagnosticity. The NFCC effect appears to operate by undermining the influence of information diagnosticity on perceptions of information adequacy and performance expectations. This research holds implications for marketing communications strategy, targeted marketing practices, and public policy.
Inventory Models with Shelf-Age and Delay-Dependent Inventory Costs

In this paper, we show how any model with a general shelf-age-dependent holding cost and delay-dependent backlogging cost structure may be transformed into an equivalent model in which all expected inventory costs are level dependent. We develop our equivalency results, first, for periodic review models with full backlogging of stockouts. These equivalency results permit us to characterize the optimal procurement strategy in various settings and to adopt known algorithms to compute such strategies. For models in which all or part of stockouts are lost, we show that the addition of any shelf-age and delay-dependent cost structure does not complicate the structure of the model beyond what is required under the simplest, i.e., linear, holding and backlogging costs. We proceed to show that our results carry over to continuous review models, with demands generated by compound renewal processes; the continuous review models with shelf-age and delay-dependent carrying and backlogging costs are shown to be equiva...
Aerosol interleukin-2 induces natural killer cell proliferation in the lung and combination therapy improves the survival of mice with osteosarcoma lung metastasis.

Background We have previously shown that aerosol interleukin-2 (IL-2) increased the number of intravenously injected human natural killer (NK) cells in the lungs. In this study we investigated whether this increase was secondary to NK cell proliferation and determined the site of the proliferation. Materials and Methods Nude mice with osteosarcoma lung metastases were injected with NK cells and treated with aerosol IL-2 or aerosol PBS. BrdU was injected prior to euthanasia to identify proliferating NK cells. The percentage of proliferating NK cells in the lung, bone marrow, spleen, and liver was determined using flow cytometry. Survival studies for mice with osteosarcoma lung metastasis treated with aerosol PBS, aerosol IL-2 alone, aerosol PBS plus NK cells, and aerosol IL-2 plus NK cells were also performed. Results Treatment with aerosol IL-2 induced the proliferation of injected NK cells in the lung. Aerosol IL-2 did not increase the proliferation of NK cells in the spleen and liver. Treatment with aerosol IL-2 and aerosol IL-2 plus NK cells increased the overall survival of mice with osteosarcoma lung metastasis. Conclusion Aerosol IL-2 increases lung NK cell numbers by stimulating local NK cell proliferation. Aerosol IL-2's effect on NK cell proliferation is organ specific, which makes it ideal for the specific targeting of lung metastasis. Aerosol IL-2 plus NK cell therapy induced metastatic regression and increased overall survival demonstrating the potential of this therapeutic approach for patients with osteosarcoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014; 61:1362–1368. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Procollagen I Synthesis in Human Skin Fibroblasts: Effect of Culture Conditions on Biosynthesis

Human skin fibroblast culture promises to be a useful system for the study of abnormalities in collagen biosynthesis in connective tissue disorders. The effect of culture conditions on procollagen I biosynthesis has been determined. Optimal conditions for collagen biosynthesis were: 10% dialyzed heat-inactivated fetal calf serum, 0.15mm ascorbate, and 0.078mm β -aminopropionitrile. Newly synthesized procollagen I accumulated in the medium at a linear rate for 18hr. Preincubation of cells in labelling media for 4hr before adding radioactive proline enhanced synthesis. Collagenase digestion was used to study overall collagen biosynthesis. 94% of all collagen synthesized was found in the medium, and 6% in the cell pellet. Under optimal conditions, collagen comprised 24% of all protein in the medium, and 14% of protein produced by the whole culture.