cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spine stereotactic body radiation therapy plans: Achieving dose coverage, conformity, and dose falloff

We report our experience of establishing planning objectives to achieve dose coverage, conformity, and dose falloff for spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) plans. Patients with spine lesions were treated using SBRT in our institution since September 2009. Since September 2011, we established the following planning objectives for our SBRT spine plans in addition to the cord dose constraints: (1) dose coverage—prescription dose (PD) to cover at least 95% planning target volume (PTV) and 90% PD to cover at least 99% PTV; (2) conformity index (CI)—ratio of prescription isodose volume (PIV) to the PTV 1.2 vs none in group 2 (p = 0.04). For D(2cm), 48.3% plans yielded a minor violation of the objectives and 16.1% a major violation for group 1, whereas 17.1% exhibited a minor violation and 2.9% a major violation for group 2 (p < 0.01). Spine SBRT plans can be improved on dose coverage, conformity, and dose falloff employing a combination of RTOG spine and lung SBRT protocol planning objectives.
Therapeutic vaccination against relevant high virulence clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The purpose of this study was to attempt to develop therapeutic or post-exposure vaccines that could slow progressive disease in guinea pigs infected by low dose aerosol with very high virulence Beijing isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, currently classified as Category C biodefense pathogens by the NIH and CDC. After screening several candidates we focused on the use of three candidates; these were a pool of bacterial iron acquisition proteins, a pool of antigens recognized by T cells from chronically infected mice thought to represent proteins made by the bacillus in response to decreases in local oxygen tension, and a bacterial lipoprotein that is a potent TLR2 agonist. When delivered in a potent GLA-based adjuvant [targeting TLR4 and TLR9], in most cases we were unable to reduce the bacterial load in the lungs. However, the pathologic appearance of lungs from these animals showed that, while primary lesions were most unaffected and had become necrotic, the development of large, lung consolidating secondary lesions seemed to have been mostly prevented. In animals given both a priming vaccination and a boost the effects were prominent, and almost certainly contributed to significantly prolonged survival in these animals. In a biodefense situation, this prolonged survival would be potentially long enough to allow for the organism to be identified and a drug susceptibility profile determined.
Innate Immune Pathway Links Obesity to Insulin Resistance

See related article, pages 1589–1596 The prevalence of obesity, especially among adolescents, has increased considerably over the past 20 years because of increased caloric intake and reduced physical activity. It has been estimated that 20% of the world’s population is overweight and nearly 300 million are obese (BMI >30 kg/m2).1,2 Excess body weight and obesity are associated with the development of metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes, both of which are associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of cardiovascular complications.1,2 Atherothrombotic vascular disease, resulting from a complex interplay between dyslipidemia and vascular immunoinflammatory processes, is responsible for a majority of the excess morbidity and mortality that characterizes metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes.1,2 Several studies have shown that obesity is associated with activation of inflammatory pathways and that inflammatory responses are associated with impaired insulin signaling and insulin resistance.3–8 Considerable progress has been made in the last 2 decades in our understanding of molecular events that link obesity to inflammation, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, and enhanced vascular disease. Obesity-mediated skeletal muscle insulin resistance has been linked to defects in cellular signaling events triggered by insulin.3–8 In obesity, the skeletal muscle levels of several kinases such as protein kinase C isoforms (PKC), I Kappa B Kinase-β …
Estimation by the nearest neighbor rule under arbitrary sampling

We introduce a new estimation problem in which the samples can be chosen arbitrarily. We show that for every sequence of samples the asymptotic time-average of nearest neighbor risks equals twice the time-average of the conditional Bayes risks of the sequence. Rates of convergence for nearest neighbor estimation are established in terms of metric covering numbers of the underlying space. In particular, for compact subsets of R/sup r/ the convergence rate of the time-averaged risk is O(1/n/sup 2/r/). >
Surgical Intervention in Terminal Illness--Doing Everything: A Teachable Moment.

Story From the Front Lines Aman inhis late70swithdementia, orientedbutunable tomakecomplexmedicaldecisions,presentedwithconfusion,focalright-sidedweakness,andhypoxemia.Hewas taking lifelong anticoagulation medication for recurrent deepvenousthrombosisbutwasreceivingsubtherapeutic doses on presentation. A stroke alert was called, and imaging revealed a discrete mass measuring 3.4 × 5.1 × 6.0 cm in the left parietal lobe and another measuring 1.7 × 1.7 × 2.1cminthesuperiorcerebellum,concerningfor brain metastases. Computed tomographic angiography of the chest revealed a subsegmental pulmonary embolism, andaheparindripwas started. Subsequent evaluation revealedwidelymetastatic lung cancer. Biopsy confirmedadenocarcinomawith amolecular genetic profile notfavorabletochemotherapy.Radiationoncologistsrecommended against radiation therapy because the brain masseswere too large.Neurosurgeonsofferedpalliative resection of the brainmasses. Patientconfusionandfocal right-sidedweakness improvedwith intravenouscorticosteroids initiated for cerebral edema. The patient had no living will or advance directive. He asked the primary team to “do everything.” Theprimary team’s discussionwith thepatient’s wife emphasizedhigh surgical riskdue to recentpulmonary embolism and poor functional status and a low probability of palliative surgery resulting inmeaningful cognitive recoverydue tounderlyingdementia. Thepatient’swifebelievedthatherhusbandwouldwanttopursue aggressive treatment and consented to surgical intervention despite personal reservations. Thepatientunderwentsurgical resectionofthebrain masses.Postoperativecognitionwasunchanged.Onpostoperativeday3,thepatientexperiencedintracranialhemorrhageafter restartinganticoagulationtherapyforanew pulmonaryembolism.Evacuationofthehemorrhagewas successful, though the patient remained minimally responsive. After several days without improvement, his wife transitioned him to comfort care. He was discharged to inpatient hospicewhere hedied 11 days later.
Diverse Roles of Lysin-Motif (LysM) Proteins in Mediating Plant-Microbe Interactions

Lysin-motif (LysM) is a protein domain initially identified in a phage protein responsible for binding peptidoglycan, an important component of bacterial cell walls. LysM-containing proteins are distributed in diverse organisms, ranging from microbes to plants and animals (including human beings). Recent studies demonstrated that this group of proteins plays different roles in mediating plant-microbe interactions, leading to defense, symbiosis, or suppression of host defense. These roles are probably related to their potential ability to recognize and bind a specific signal molecule, such as chitooligosaccharides, peptidoglycan, nodulation factors (NFs), and mycorrhization factors (MFs). doi: 10.14456/WJST.2015.65
Sudden Vacuum Loss in Long Liquid Helium Cooled Tubes

Sudden vacuum loss in straight long tubes cooled by liquid helium is investigated. The scenario resembles an accident in a superconducting particle accelerator when the beam-cavity suddenly loses its vacuum to atmosphere. Following this accident, air will propagate down the vacuum channel and freeze on the cold walls. To warrant against catastrophes of this accident, it is vital to know the propagation speed of air in the vacuum space and the heat load on the helium bath. An experimental setup has been developed to determine these parameters. Experiments are conducted wherein a large nitrogen gas tank is rapidly vented to a high vacuum tube (~10 -4 Pa) immersed in liquid helium at 4.2 K. The measurements comprise of the tube pressure to determine the propagation speed, the tank pressure to determine the gas mass flow rate into the tube, and the tube temperature to estimate the heat load. Flash solidification of the gas on the cold tube, which is apparent in the measurements, limits the propagation speed to the order of 10 m/s. Based on the mass flow measurement a heat deposition rate of 60 kW/m 2 on the vacuum tube is estimated, while the heat transfer rate to the helium bath is predicted to exceed 20 kW/m 2 .
A Faculty Development Course to Enhance Dental Hygiene Distance Education: A Pilot Study

This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a dental hygiene faculty development course to enhance online teaching practices that foster a sense of community and satisfaction. The sampled population was drawn from the forty-seven U.S. dental hygiene programs that the American Dental Hygienists' Association identified as offering bachelor's degree completion or master's degree programs with 76-100 percent of coursework delivered in an online format. This requirement was applied to exclude programs using hybrid instruction (combination of online and face-to-face). Of the thirty-four faculty members who self-identified as meeting the criteria, seven agreed to participate (21 percent response rate); however, only five completed all parts of the study (a final response rate of 15 percent). A Community of Inquiry framework was the basis for the author-designed Distance Education Best Practices Survey used as a pretest and posttest to assess participants' use of and perceived importance of twenty-five best practices before and after taking the online faculty development course. Frequency of use ratings ranged from 4.0 (regularly) to 5.0 (always) on a response scale from 1.0 to 5.0. The results showed significant increases from before to after the course in participants' perceptions of the importance of four practices: activities promoting relevant, lifelong learning (p=0.03); faculty communication fostering a sense of community (p=0.04); encouraging students' self-introduction (p=0.04); and encouraging productive dialogue and respecting diverse opinions (p=0.04). The findings indicate a potential value for a faculty development course designed to enhance online teaching, sense of community, and satisfaction, even for faculty members with high self-ratings regarding best practices.
Riboswitch Conformations Revealed by Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering

Riboswitches are functional RNA molecules that control gene expression through conformational changes in response to small-molecule ligand binding. In addition, riboswitch 3D structure, like that of other RNA molecules, is dependent on cation-RNA interactions as the RNA backbone is highly negatively charged. Here, we show how small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) can be used to probe RNA conformations as a function of ligand and ion concentration. In a recent study of a glycine-binding tandem aptamer from Vibrio cholerae, we have used SAXS data and thermodynamic modeling to investigate how Mg(2+)-dependent folding and glycine binding are energetically coupled. In addition, we have employed ab initio shape reconstruction algorithms to obtain low-resolution models of the riboswitch structure from SAXS data under different solution conditions.
Refining Time-Activity Classification of Human Subjects Using the Global Positioning System.

Author(s): Hu, Maogui; Li, Wei; Li, Lianfa; Houston, Douglas; Wu, Jun | Abstract: BackgroundDetailed spatial location information is important in accurately estimating personal exposure to air pollution. Global Position System (GPS) has been widely used in tracking personal paths and activities. Previous researchers have developed time-activity classification models based on GPS data, most of them were developed for specific regions. An adaptive model for time-location classification can be widely applied to air pollution studies that use GPS to track individual level time-activity patterns.MethodsTime-activity data were collected for seven days using GPS loggers and accelerometers from thirteen adult participants from Southern California under free living conditions. We developed an automated model based on random forests to classify major time-activity patterns (i.e. indoor, outdoor-static, outdoor-walking, and in-vehicle travel). Sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine the contribution of the accelerometer data and the supplemental spatial data (i.e. roadway and tax parcel data) to the accuracy of time-activity classification. Our model was evaluated using both leave-one-fold-out and leave-one-subject-out methods.ResultsMaximum speeds in averaging time intervals of 7 and 5 minutes, and distance to primary highways with limited access were found to be the three most important variables in the classification model. Leave-one-fold-out cross-validation showed an overall accuracy of 99.71%. Sensitivities varied from 84.62% (outdoor walking) to 99.90% (indoor). Specificities varied from 96.33% (indoor) to 99.98% (outdoor static). The exclusion of accelerometer and ambient light sensor variables caused a slight loss in sensitivity for outdoor walking, but little loss in overall accuracy. However, leave-one-subject-out cross-validation showed considerable loss in sensitivity for outdoor static and outdoor walking conditions.ConclusionsThe random forests classification model can achieve high accuracy for the four major time-activity categories. The model also performed well with just GPS, road and tax parcel data. However, caution is warranted when generalizing the model developed from a small number of subjects to other populations.
Synthesis of one-dimensional SiC nanostructures from a glassy buckypaper.

A simple and scalable synthetic strategy was developed for the fabrication of one-dimensional SiC nanostructures—nanorods and nanowires. Thin sheets of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were prepared by vacuum filtration and were washed repeatedly with sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) solution. The resulting “glassy buckypaper” was heated at 1300–1500 °C under Ar/H2 to allow a solid state reaction between C and Si precursors to form a variety of SiC nanostructures. The morphology and crystal structures of SiC nanorods and nanowires were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), electron diffraction (ED), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Furthermore, electrical conductance measurements were performed on SiC nanorods, demonstrating their potential applications in high-temperature sensors and control systems.
Finite Element Modeling of a Microdroplet Generator With Integrated Sensing

This paper describes the analysis of a novel microdroplet generator’s integrated sensing capability using finite element simulation. The dominant paradigm for utilizing droplet generation is with either open-loop or externally-sensed closedloop methods, each with significant disadvantages in terms of reliability and large-scale implementation, respectively. This work utilizes a system designed with a compressible gas reservoir adjacent to the incompressible droplet liquid reservoir. The compressible gas pressure changes as liquid droplets are dispensed from the constant volume fluid reservoir. This change was found to be linearly dependent on the size of the droplet that was ejected, validating this gas reservoir pressure as a useful means of indirectly measuring droplet size internally within the system.
Spurious Results from Automated Hematology Cell Counters

Unusual patient samples may produce erroneous results on automated hematology cell counters. This article lists and explains some of the factors that may lead to spurious hematology values. When such samples are encountered, the incorrect parameters must be assayed by alternate methods.
Low-SNR, Speaker-Dependent Speech Enhancement using GMMs and MFCCs.

In this paper, we propose a two-stage speech enhancement technique. In the training stage, a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) of the mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) of a user’s clean speech is computed wherein the component densities of the GMM serve to model the user’s “acoustic classes.” In the enhancement stage, MFCCs from a noisy speech signal are computed and the underlying clean acoustic class is identified via a maximum a posteriori (MAP) decision and a novel mapping matrix. The associated GMM parameters are then used to estimate the MFCCs of the clean speech from the MFCCs of the noisy speech. Finally, the estimated MFCCs are transformed back to a time-domain waveform. Our results show that we can improve PESQ in environments as low as−10 dB SNR.
Parathyroidectomy prior to kidney transplant decreases graft failure.

Background Uncorrected uremic hyperparathyroidism is associated with delayed graft function after kidney transplantation. The current guidelines of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes recommend maintaining parathyroid hormone ≤9x normal in patients pre–kidney transplantation. This study explores the effect of increased levels of serum parathyroid hormone and preoperative parathyroidectomy on outcomes after kidney transplantation. Methods A retrospective review was performed of adult patients who underwent kidney transplantation between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2014, at a single institution. Biochemistries and outcomes were analyzed pre–kidney transplantation and at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year post–kidney transplantation. Results A total of 913 patients underwent kidney transplantation from 2005–2014. Graft survival 1 year post–kidney transplantation was 97.8%. Overall, 462 (50.6%) patients had a pre–kidney transplantation diagnosis of uncorrected uremic hyperparathyroidism, which was associated with complications in the first year post–kidney transplantation (odds ratio 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.87); no statistical association with delayed graft function or graft failure was detected. Pre–kidney transplantation parathyroid hormone ≥6x normal was associated with post–kidney transplantation graft failure ( P Conclusion Pre–kidney transplantation parathyroidectomy decreases post–kidney transplantation graft failure and may benefit patients whose serum parathyroid hormone levels decrease into the target range of current Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes guidelines.
Experimental study of the behavior of nitrobenzene under varied high voltage conditions

The present work continues the investigation of electric field behavior between parallel-plate electrodes immersed in nitrobenzene and strives toward the realization of a Kerr cell which insures uniformity of the inter electrode field under various HV pulse, dc, and ac operating conditions. Our earlier direct voltage studies1,2 are extended to include Kerr effect investigations of field distributions resulting from high pulsed (μs) and 60 Hz alternating voltages. Recently developed methods,3 employing high-speed photography for recording of transient fringe-pattern data, are utilized for visualizing time and space variations in the pulsed and ac fields. Minimization of the effects from the fringing fields at the electrode ends permits both the observation of space-charge behavior under direct and alternating voltages and measurement of the Kerr constant of nitrobenzene. Voltages are measured simultaneously using calibrated (with state-of-the-art accuracy) devices. Brief descriptions of the techniques employed and some typical results are given in the following paragraphs.
Frequency-Channelized Mismatch-Shaped Quadrature Data Converters for Carrier Aggregation in MU-MIMO LTE-A

Emerging wireless standards aggregate information by selecting combinations of contiguous or non-contiguous channels, thereby enabling wider transmission bandwidths, and hence, higher data rates. Frequency-interleaved analog-to-digital conversion (FI-ADC) is an attractive emerging technique for carrier aggregation receivers because it facilitates an efficient way to dynamically vary the receiver bandwidth in order to address the many possible channel combinations. Compared to their time-interleaved counterparts, the specifications of the samplers in the parallel channels in FI-ADCs are significantly relaxed, thereby resulting in lower overall power consumption in the receiver. This work extends the FI-ADC concept to the quadrature frequency-interleaved oversampled data converter (QFI-ADC) to achieve greater aggregate data rates. Previously, digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and other inter-channel mismatches have limited the performance of QFI-ADCs. In this paper, we propose a low-complexity element rotation algorithm (ERA) to mitigate DAC mismatches. The ERA is synthesized from the corresponding mismatch transfer function using a rigorous mathematical procedure which is shown to be applicable generally to low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and quadrature ERAs. Simulations confirm that the resulting low-complexity quadrature ERAs have advantages over previously proposed approaches in both performance and hardware complexity. An additional gain calibration technique alleviates image folding due to gain and timing mismatches between the quadrature DAC elements, which yields higher SNDR.
Pathogenesis of acute kidney injury induced by sepsis

Acute kidney injury(AKI) induced by sepsis is one symptom of sepsis-induced multiple organ dysfunction,which indicates critical illness.The current study have found that many factors involved in AKI,including hemodynamic changes in renal,ischemia-reperfusion injury,direct inflammatory injury,coagulation and endothelial cell dysfunction,apoptosis and so on. Key words: Sepsis; Acute kidney injury; Pathogenesis
A tale of two tools: Reliability and feasibility of social media measurement tools examining e-cigarette twitter mentions

Abstract Given 70% of Americans are seeking health information online, social media are becoming main sources of health-related information and discussions. Specifically, compounding rising trends in use of e-cigarettes in the US, there has been a rapid rise in e-cigarette marketing – much of which is happening on social media. Public health professionals seeking to understand consumer knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about e-cigarettes should consider analyzing social media data and to do so, there are numerous free and paid tools available. However, each uses different sources and processes, which makes data validation challenging. This exploratory study sought to understand the reliability and feasibility of two social media data tools analyzing e-cigarette tweets. Twitter mentions were pulled from two different industry standard tools (GNIP and Radian6) and data were evaluated on six measures, e.g. Cost, Feasibility, Ease of Use, Poster Type (individual/organization), Context (tweet content analysis), and Valence (positive/negative). Findings included similarities amongst the data sets in terms of the content themes but differences in cost and ease of use of the tools themselves. These findings align with prior research, notably that e-cigarette marketing tweets are most common and public health-related content is noticeably absent. Findings from this exploratory study can inform future social media studies as well as communication campaigns seeking to address the emerging issue of e-cigarette use.
MAGE-a Mediate Resistance to Chemotherapy in Multiple Myeloma through Regulation of Bcl-2 Proteins

Abstract Type I Melanoma Antigen Genes of the MAGE-A family are commonly expressed in multiple myeloma (MM). Their frequency of expression is higher in patients who have relapsed after chemotherapy compared to newly diagnosed patients, with a significant association with progression of disease. MAGE were also associated with high-risk disease in gene expression profiling studies. They belong to the Cancer-Testis group of oncofetal genes that are normally restricted to germ cells and trophoblastic tissue, and are aberrantly expressed in a broad range of human cancers. Type I MAGE proteins partner with the RING domain protein Kap1 to form ubiquitin ligase complexes, and in laboratory models of solid tumors they ubiquitinylate cancer-associated targets involved in metabolism, autophagy, and metastasis. We demonstrated that expression of MAGE-A genes, especially MAGE-A3, was correlated with progression of disease in MM and that MAGE-A inhibit p53-dependent and independent apoptosis in MM cells. These results lead us to investigate the hypothesis that MAGE-A promote resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in MM cells. We performed gene expression profiling by RNAseq of primary tumor specimens from an open label phase 2 clinical trial of panobinostat, a pan-HDAC inhibitor approved for treatment of relapsed MM, in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (NCT01651039). These GEP data were analyzed for differential expression based on progression free survival (PFS) 90 days (long PFS). MAGE-A1 was the most overexpressed gene in the short PFS group compared to long (p Disclosures Cho: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Agenus, Inc.: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Genentech Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Chari: Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen Inc.: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Array Biopharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding. Jagannath: Celgene: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy.
Decline in the Half-Pounder Life History among Trinity River, California, Steelhead

AbstractSteelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss exhibit substantial life history variation throughout their range, but the “half-pounder” life history is limited to several rivers in northern California and southern Oregon. Half-pounders first return to freshwater as immature fish after spending just 3–5 months at sea and support valuable freshwater fisheries. In the main-stem Klamath and Rogue rivers, historically and at present, half-pounder expression rates were and remain high for fall-run steelhead. We used visual classifications of the half-pounder life history from scales collected from the Trinity River to estimate half-pounder expression rates and investigate the role of size and age prior to ocean entry on the probability that adult steelhead expressed the half-pounder life history. Half-pounder expression rates among both wild and hatchery steelhead in the Trinity River have substantially declined since 1982. Among the most common age-2 wild smolt type, 71% of adults returning in 1982 had previously made...
Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Human Aqueous Humor Using iTRAQ 4plex Labeling

iTRAQ 4plex method enables multiplexing of up to four samples for simultaneous quantitation to improve sensitivity and scope of proteomic analysis. Here, we describe iTRAQ 4plex labeling of human aqueous humor specimens followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and data analysis for peptide identification and quantitation using Proteome Discoverer software. The protocol can be applied for other animals as well; however, pooling of specimens may be required to obtain sufficient amount of protein for labeling.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Pathophysiology and Design of New Treatments

Publisher Summary This chapter presents new therapeutic approaches for the treatment attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) such as monoamine reuptake inhibitors, Dopamine D 4 antagonists, α 2 -Adrenergic agonists, histamine H 3 antagonists, and nicotinic receptor agonists. There is considerable documentation supporting the association between the 7-repeat allele of the dopamine D 4 receptor and the personality trait of novelty seeking and ADHD, especially the inattention subtype. It has been shown that motor hyperactivity in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned juvenile rats can be dose-dependently inhibited by stimulants used to treat ADHD and selective antagonists for the dopamine D 4 but not D2 receptors. The α 2 -adrenergic agonists clonidine and guanfacine have been used in the treatment of ADHD especially where co-morbid tic disorders can be exacerbated by stimulants. The synthesis and release of histamine, H 3 receptors are heteroreceptors that modulate the release of a number of other neurotransmitters that are implicated in the learning and motor disturbances in ADHD; these include DA, NE and acetylcholine. H3 antagonists have been shown to enhance attention and cognition in multiple animal models.
Neighborhood, Socioeconomic, and Racial Influence on Chronic Pain

The purpose of this review is to highlight the neighborhood, socioeconomic, and racial influences on chronic pain. Negative influences on the experience of chronic pain are explored and defined as any adverse stressor common in low socioeconomic, urban neighborhoods that potentially contributes to health disparity in African Americans experiencing chronic pain. The multifactorial influences on chronic pain disparity in African Americans are explored and expounded upon in this review of existing evidence. Databases used for the search included CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycArticles. The experience of chronic pain is multifaceted, existing with multiple comorbidities and lasting consequences. To improve the burden of chronic pain requires a multifactorial assessment that considers neighborhood risk factors, emphasis on environmental stressors, limitations to support networks, barriers to physical activity, and access to primary care providers with whom communication is open and without bias. A comprehensive assessment of barriers will aid in the development of interventions that reach beyond the physical factors of chronic pain, also considering the psychosocial barriers to improving the burden of chronic pain in African Americans living in impoverished urban neighborhoods.
A comparative study of the spectroscopic properties of Mn4+ in the garnet Y2Mg3Ge3O12 and the commercial Mg28Ge7.55O32F15.04 phosphor

Abstract The spectroscopic properties of Mn4+ (3 d3) ions in the garnet Y2Mg3Ge3O12 and in the commercial Mg28Ge7.55O32F15.04 (MFG) phosphors are compared. We find that despite the differences in host crystal composition and crystal structures, the 4A2g→ 4T1g and 2Eg→4A2g optical transitions of the Mn4+ ion occur at similar energies. We provide some insights into the nature of chemical bonding that is responsible for the observed similarity in the spectroscopic data. Additionally, discussion is given to the site preference of the Mn4+ ion in the MFG host crystal.
Role of Synemin in Astrocytoma Cell Migration

Synemin is an intermediate filament (IF) protein with the unique property to incorporate into IF networks while also binding to actin-associated proteins such as α-actinin, vinculin, zyxin, and α-dystrobrevin. Interestingly, synemin is present in astrocytomas of all grades but not in normal, mature astrocytes. Synemin contribution to the malignant behavior of astrocytoma cells was explored through RNAi experiments that established that synemin is a positive regulator of astrocytoma cell motility. In support of this role is the abundance of synemin in cytoplasmic domains important for motility, such as leading edges and lamellipodias. Synemin down-regulation also disrupted actin organization and increased the proportion of unpolymerized actin. In addition, antagonizing synemin decreased the proportion of α-actinin associated with actin filaments, providing evidence that synemin interaction with α-actinin may influence actin dynamics upon which motility ultimately depends. In addition to synemin, astrocytoma cells express two other IF proteins, vimentin and nestin. These latter two proteins contribute to the motility of carcinoma and/or fibroblastic cells, raising the possibility that they function similarly in astrocytoma cells. However, in contrast to synemin, vimentin and nestin are not present in the leading edge of astrocytoma cells, suggesting that they influence motility through mechanism(s) distinct from that of synemin. Thus, antagonizing synemin function appears to diminish the motility of astrocytoma cells and future studies will determine whether antagonizing synemin can be accomplished with small molecules such as those being developed to target other IF proteins.
Charge Trapping in Al 2 O 3 / $\beta$ -Ga 2 O 3 -Based MOS Capacitors

Trapping characteristics of MOS structures with $\beta $ -Ga2O3 substrates and Al2O3 gate dielectrics are evaluated via constant-voltage stress and X-ray irradiation. Traps that affect bias-induced charging are located primarily in the Al2O3 dielectric layer, and are distributed broadly in time and/or energy. Stress-induced flatband voltage shifts are reduced by N2 annealing. Trap-assisted tunneling is shown to be responsible for the observed gate leakage. Hole trapping in the Al2O3 dielectric layer dominates device radiation response. The relatively modest radiation-induced charge trapping observed in these devices is promising for the potential future use of Al2O3/ $\beta $ -Ga2O3 devices in a space environment.
The undescended testis. Theory and management.

SUMMARY Surgical techniques and research efforts to define the pathophysiology of cryptorchid testes have progressed rapidly in recent decades. Medical and surgical treatment modalities have focused on the young patient with an undescended testis. The potential adult complications of cryptorchidism, infertility, and malignancy should not be forgotten or dismissed.
Flood Inundation and Crop Damage Mapping: A Method for Modeling the Impact on Rural Income and Migration in Humid Deltas

The humid tropics are generally resource-rich lands. They possess adequate water supply, naturally fertile soils, and a favorable terrain. The morphology of these areas ranges from flat lowland delta to river valleys associated with gently rolling uplands. Most of the major deltas in the world (e.g., Ganges, Mississippi, Niger, Okavango, and Mekong deltas) host large population centers, megacities, complex irrigation systems, and a water-sensitive ecosystem because of their easy access to abundant fresh water and fertile soils. Humid deltas of developing nations support extensive agricultural production. Flooding (extreme and normal) is recurrent in these humid deltas. Floods promote as well as hamper agricultural productivity (depending on the magnitude and spatial extent). Therefore, the socioeconomic fabric of the rural areas of humid deltas in developing nations is intricately related to recurrent flooding, agricultural productivity, and crop loss patterns.
Advanced Inboard Shielding Design for Tokamak Fusion Reactors

The recent physics and technology advances in the field of high power density compact tokamak reactors have established the need for advanced inboard shielding design. This work presents the design of an optimal inboard shield and assesses the limits on the radiation effects in the magnets of a high wall loading (10 MW/m/sup 2/) tokamak design. A new material, boron hydride, was identified as a potential shielding material and more optimum combinations of TiH/sub 2/, B/sub 4/C, and W were identified as well.
Reflections on the ideological meanings of western science from Boyle and Newton to the postmodernists

Les consequences de l'erreur de Latour (B.) sur Boyle (R.) et Hobbes (T.) sont detaillees, en montrant une interpretation differente des implications historiques et ideologiques de Boyle et du newtonianisme qui marquent le debut du modernisme
Streaming graph analysis: new models, new architectures

Applications in computer network security, social media analysis, health care, and other areas rely on analyzing a changing environment. The data is rich in relationships and lends itself to graph analysis. Traditional static graph analysis cannot keep pace with network security applications analyzing nearly one million events per second. Streaming frameworks like STINGER support ingesting up three million of edge changes per second but there are few streaming analysis kernels that keep up with these rates. We present a new computational model along with promising novel architectures to tackle massive data rates.
Connecting in the land of dementia: creative activities to explore together

The purpose of Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together is to provide caregivers with a comprehensive resource guide of activities to engage in with a family memb...
Concept for an electrostatic focusing device for continuous ambient pressure aerosol concentration

Abstract. We present a concept for enhancing the concentration of charged submicron aerosol particles in a continuous-flow stream using in situ electrostatic focusing. It is proposed that electrostatic focusing can enable the continuous, isothermal concentration of aerosol particles at ambient pressure, without altering their chemical composition. We model this approach theoretically and demonstrate proof of concept via laboratory measurements using a prototype. The prototype design consists of a nozzle-probe flow system analogous to a virtual impactor. The device was tested in the laboratory using submicron, monodisperse stearic acid particles. Particles were charged using a unipolar charger then concentrated using a cylindrical electrostatic immersion lens to direct the charged submicron particles into the sample probe. Under applied lens voltages ranging from 0 V to 30 kV, aerosol concentration increased up to 15 %. Observed particle enrichment varied as a function of voltage and particle diameter. These results suggest that an imposed electric field can be used to increase aerosol concentration in a continuous flow. This approach shows promise in increasing the effective enriched size range of virtual impactors or other continuous-flow methods of collection.
Education Privatization in the United States: Increasing Saturation and Segregation.

This article outlines different forms of education privatization operating globally, examines their prevalence within the United States, and analyzes whether student marginalization and segregation occurs at the local level. We analyze six U.S. districts with higher saturation levels of charter schools, the most predominant type of privatization (Camden, NJ, Washington DC, Flint, MI, Detroit, MI, Natomas, CA, and Oakland, CA). We find education privatization increasing in the US, but unevenly dispersed, with charter schools concentrated primarily in urban areas serving students of color. Furthermore, segregation in education remains a major issue for all types of schools, with students of color in urban contexts often attending intensely segregated schools (over 90% students of color). Instead of mitigating the segregation problem, student selection by charter school appears to exacerbate it, specifically for special education students.
Tapped-Inductor Buck DC-DC Converter with Complex Load

This paper provides small-signal analysis of a pulse-width modulated (PWM) tapped-inductor buck dc-dc converter with complex load running in continuous conduction mode (CCM). Circuit averaging technique is used to obtain its small-signal model. The obtained model is then used to obtain duty cycle-to-output voltage and input-to-output voltage transfer functions. The equations representing the exact effect of the complex load these transfer functions have been derived. The obtained theoretical results are validated through circuit simulations.
Increased Glutaminolysis Marks Active Scarring in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Progression.

Background & Aims Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) occurs in the context of aberrant metabolism. Glutaminolysis is required for metabolic reprograming of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and liver fibrogenesis in mice. However, it is unclear how changes in HSC glutamine metabolism contribute to net changes in hepatic glutaminolytic activity during fibrosis progression, or whether this could be used to track fibrogenic activity in NASH. We postulated that increased HSC glutaminolysis marks active scarring in NASH. Methods Glutaminolysis was assessed in mouse NASH fibrosis models and in NASH patients. Serum and liver levels of glutamine and glutamate and hepatic expression of glutamine transporter/metabolic enzymes were correlated with each other and with fibrosis severity. Glutaminolysis was disrupted in HSCs to examine if this directly influenced fibrogenesis. 18F-fluoroglutamine positron emission tomography was used to determine how liver glutamine assimilation tracked with hepatic fibrogenic activity in situ. Results The serum glutamate/glutamine ratio increased and correlated with its hepatic ratio, myofibroblast content, and fibrosis severity. Healthy livers almost exclusively expressed liver-type glutaminase (Gls2); Gls2 protein localized in zone 1 hepatocytes, whereas glutamine synthase was restricted to zone 3 hepatocytes. In fibrotic livers, Gls2 levels reduced and glutamine synthase zonality was lost, but both Slc1a5 (glutamine transporter) and kidney-type Gls1 were up-regulated; Gls1 protein was restricted to stromal cells and accumulated in fibrotic septa. Hepatocytes did not compensate for decreased Gls2 by inducing Gls1. Limiting glutamine or directly inhibiting GLS1 inhibited growth and fibrogenic activity in cultured human HSCs. Compared with healthy livers, fibrotic livers were 18F-fluoroglutamine-avid by positron emission tomography, suggesting that glutamine-addicted myofibroblasts drive increased hepatic utilization of glutamine as fibrosis progresses. Conclusions Glutaminolysis is a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target during NASH fibrosis progression.
Medieval Ethics and Markets

The medieval Scholastics’ concern for distributive and commutative justice made the “just price” concept important. Although Church and civil authorities reserved the right to regulate prices, the price level determined by the interplay of demand and supply was often considered a “just price.” Authorities took a dim view of attempts to gain price-setting power through market manipulation, and they tried to ensure that the poor could afford their daily bread. Authorities also scrutinized market behavior with regard to fraud.
EFFECT OF LONGER-TERM ADMINISTRATION OF EVOLOCUMAB IN PATIENTS WITH ANGIOGRAPHIC CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: RESULTS OF THE GLAGOV OPEN LABELLED EXTENSION STUDY

The GLAGOV study demonstrated that addition of evolocumab to existing optimal statin therapy produced intensive lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to very low levels and regression of coronary atherosclerosis compared with continuing statin monotherapy. This open label extension
CT and MR features of autoimmune pancreatitis

Patients with autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) often present with vague abdominal pain, jaundice, or weight loss. Differentiating AIP from pancreatic cancer is important to avoid unnecessary surgery or invasive intervention. When CT or MR reveals characteristic imaging findings of AIP, it is not difficult to make a correct diagnosis. However, differentiating AIP from pancreatic carcinoma on CT or MR can be very difficult at times. AIP is one of the most common benign conditions for which pancreatic resection is performed for suspected pancreatic carcinoma (5, 29). Combinations of ancillary findings may lead to correct diagnosis; therefore, it is important to be familiar with the various imaging findings of AIP.
Biomarker-driven management strategies for peripheral T cell lymphoma

Peripheral T cell lymphomas are heterogeneous diseases which remain treatment challenges. Recent advances in molecular and genomic profiling have provided unprecedented insight into disease pathogenesis driven by distinct cells of origins and molecular pathways. The discovery and clinical application of molecular biomarkers in PTCL subtypes has the potential to transform personalized care for patients with PTCL in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Targeting CD30+ PTCL with the antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin in the relapsed setting and in combination with chemotherapy in the frontline setting has improved patient survivals. Epigenetic modifying agents, including HDAC inhibitors and hypomethylating agents, have demonstrated broad clinical efficacy and durability and are in clinical development for combination strategies for both relapsed and frontline settings. Wide-ranging novel agents targeting critical intracellular pathways and tumor microenvironment are in active exploration to define clinical activities. This review summarizes PTCL-specific biomarkers which are increasingly incorporated in clinical practice to guide precision diagnosis and personalized treatment.
View source: making secure communication tools more USABLE

Can developers make communication software more usable for at-risk users they are never likely to meet?
Animal Models of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a major cause of vision impairment worldwide. It is characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell degeneration that can be attenuated by adequate reduction of intraocular pressure. Animal models of glaucoma have contributed significantly to our understanding of the pathogenesis of glaucoma and the development of treatments for the disease. The most commonly used experimental models are derived from rodents, which have important advantages over larger animal models, and several new rodent models have been developed and characterized in recent years. Here, we review the most important mouse and rat models of glaucoma, highlight recent progress in the development of new glaucoma models, and explore the strengths and weaknesses of these models for studying human disease.
“A Catharsis for Anxieties”: Insights from Goffman on the Politics of Humour

Sociologist Erving Goffman’s work has increasingly made an impact in International Relations. This paper consults Erving Goffman’s work and scholarly sensibility for insights into humour. Sociologi...