cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Healthy lifestyle discussions between healthcare providers and older cancer survivors: Data from 12 cancer centers in the Southeastern United States.

Background Little is known about the prevalence of healthy lifestyle (HLS) discussions between providers and older cancer survivors. Methods We utilized cross-sectional data from older cancer survivors (≥65 years) seen at 12 southeastern cancer centers during 2013-2015. Data on demographics, time since diagnosis, weight, height, and healthy behaviors were collected. Respondents were asked if providers (oncologists, other physicians, and/or nurses) discussed exercise, healthy diet, weight management, and/or smoking cessation during clinical encounters. Descriptive statistics and bivariate associations between HLS topics and survivor characteristics were calculated. Results Among 1460 cancer survivors, mean age was 74 years (SD 6), most were white (81%), and >1 year postdiagnosis (84%). The majority (71%) reported discussing at least one of three HLS topics (exercise 49%, healthy diet 53%, vegetable consumption 28%); 17% received counseling on all three. Weight loss was recommended to 33% of overweight/obese survivors and smoking cessation to 85% of current smokers. Oncologists and nurses discussed HLS less frequently compared to other physicians. Younger survivors (65-74 years) received recommendations for exercise, weight loss, and tobacco cessation more often than older survivors (≥75 years). Compared to white respondents, minorities reported discussions on all topics more often except for tobacco cessation. Excluding tobacco cessation, survivors with recent cancer diagnoses ( 1 year postdiagnosis. Conclusion Despite the American Cancer Society's recommendations, older survivors reported a low prevalence of HLS discussions with their providers, with some variation by demographic groups. Strategies are needed to promote these important discussions in this population.
Combined use of design of experiments and metabolic engineering for optimization of nogalamycin production

ABSTRACT Nogalamycin is an anthracycline antibiotic produced from Streptomyces nogalater that exerts its mechanism of action via inhibition of topoisomerase I. Nogalamycin has a unique tetracyclic structure composed of a 7-O-glycosidically linked L-nogalose sugar and a C2-C5”-linked L-nogalamine residue that forms an epoxyoxacin ring. Nogalamycin was originally developed as an anticancer agent in the 1970s, however, it exhibited dose-limiting cardiotoxicity. Shortly after the discovery of nogalamycin, the semi-synthetic analogue 7-O-methylnogarol, or menogaril, was synthesized and exhibited a mild improvement in cardiotoxicity and anticancer efficacy. Menogaril lacks the 7-O-L-nogalose moiety and functions as a topoisomerase II inhibitor, like most anthracyclines, however this agent still proved too toxic for clinical use. Our laboratory is developing a production platform for microbial synthesis of novel nogalamycin analogs useful for treatment of human cancers or as antibiotics. Our initial hypothesis is that overexpression of structural genes responsible for synthesis of TDP-deoxysugar and polyketide precursor substrates, respectively, will increase carbon flux towards nogalamycin production. In this study, we have employed metabolic engineering to enhance nogalamycin production in Streptomyces nogalater. In this work, we used an optimized soytone glucose production medium to produce nogalamycin. We also overexpressed copies of structural biosynthetic genes to bolster substrate precursor building blocks for nogalamycin production. First, overexpression of the TDP-glucose synthase and TDP-D-glucose-4,6-dehydratase enzymes (mtmDE) resulted in a 50% increase in nogalamycin production (160 mg/L) as compared to wildtype S. nogalater (100 mg/L). Secondly, overexpression of the minimal polyketide synthase genes (snoa123) resulted in a fourfold production increase in nogalamycin (400 mg/L). This production platform will serve as the fundament for production of nogalamycin analogues for future drug development efforts.
Mathematical modeling and simulation of water-alternating-gas (WAG) process by incorporating capillary pressure and hysteresis effects

Abstract Mathematical modeling and simulation of three-phase flow in porous media involves complexities related to the three-phase relative permeability, capillary pressure, and hysteresis effects that are cycle-dependent. Extensive theoretical studies are available in the literature, simulating immiscible and miscible water-alternating-gas (WAG) processes; however, the simulation of recovery behaviors and mechanisms of near-miscible WAG is overlooked. Also, a majority of WAG simulation studies lack the cycle-dependent three-phase hysteresis that appears in the relative permeability and capillary pressure models. In this paper, we study a three-phase flow modeling of near-miscible WAG process for EOR implication, using implicit pressure explicit saturation (IMPES) method. The mathematical model simulates a WAG case study in a strongly water-wet Berea sandstone core, using synthetic oil and brine at 38 °C and 12.7 MPa. Three cycles of water flooding (WF) and gas injection (GI) are used in the WAG operation. The recovery data from our mathematical model is in excellent agreement with the corresponding experimental data. The absolute relative error is less than 1.7%, while estimating the ultimate oil recovery factor in the WF and GI stages of all three cycles. We also study the effects of influential variables such as injection rate, WAG ratio, slug size, crude oil viscosity, and core absolute permeability on the WAG performance. The WAG ratio of 1 is found to be better than 0.5 and 2 cases. Although the absolute permeability changes the breakthrough recovery performance of the individual stages, it does not significantly affect the ultimate recovery of near-miscible WAG. Increasing the injection rate decreases the recovery factor. This effect is more pronounced in the GI cycles. Also, the ultimate recovery factor is reduced by 20% upon an increase in the viscosity of the in-situ oil. The findings of this research work can help to better understand the near-miscible WAG injection at various scenarios/conditions in terms of operational conditions and rock and fluid characteristics for the purposes of WAG design, operation, and optimization.
Combinatorial study of MZO emitters for CdTe-based solar cells

Precise band alignment at the front interface of CdTe-based solar cells is necessary to reduce photoexcited charge carrier recombination and to enable higher energy conversion efficiencies. Magnesium zinc oxide is not only transparent but also offers the ability to tune the conduction band offset with CdTe at the front of the device stack. In this work, we describe reactive sputtering of Mg 1-x Zn x O using metal targets and its application in CdTe photovoltaics. Combinatorial libraries of Mg 1-x Zn x O were created to tune the conduction band alignment for the optimal performance of CdTe solar cells. Band gap variation of more than 0.4 eV is achieved across a 3-inch substrate. Kelvin probe measurements demonstrate variance of work function across the substrate. Device performance is optimized at band gaps of 3.5 eV for the CdTe device processing conditions employed in this study.
Winter Cabin Water Tap Monitor and Release System to Reduce Risk of Freezing

Frozen water pipes lead to leaks that result in property damage and repair costs. Frozen water pipes not only occur in northern climates, but also in more moderate climates that have occasional periods of temperatures below the freezing point. Water pipes at high risk for ice formation include ones outside of buildings, in poorly insulated structures or in seasonal buildings that are not heated during the winter months. Methods of protection include heating the building, insulation and heat tape on exposed water pipes, turning off the water supply and draining all pipes of water, or turning on a water valve to allow a continual flow of water through the pipes during the entire period having risk of low temperatures. The flow would hinder ice formation in the pipes. These protective measures have associated costs for equipment, heating fuel, and water loss. If the low temperature drops further or is sustained for longer periods than expected, there would still be a risk of frozen pipes. The purpose of this project was to develop and test a prototype system to monitor temperature, and initiate intermittent bursts of water flow only when temperatures are low enough to have risk of ice formation in the water pipes. The prototype utilized a temperature sensor, Arduino microcontroller, power supply, relay switch, and solenoid valve. The solenoid valve was incorporated into the water facet of a sink. When the sensor detected temperatures below the threshold of 25°C, intermittent bursts of flow were initiated, with 20 seconds of water flow followed by 2 minutes of no flow. Each flow event was recorded in a web service. A HTTP Get request was transmitted to a Google App Script program that stored the date and time in a Google Sheet. The owner or manager could remotely monitor the intermittent flow events.
Degenerative Cervical Spondylosis.

Cervical Spondylosis Degeneration of the elements of the cervical spine, which is almost inevitable with age, results in nerve-root and spinal cord compression and pain. Physical tests and imaging ...
Impact of an RN-led Medicare Annual Wellness Visit on Preventive Services in a Family Medicine Practice:

Objective:To evaluate the impact of a registered nurse (RN)-led Medicare annual wellness visit (AWV) on preventive services in a family medicine clinic.Patients and Methods:A retrospective chart re...
Excellence available everywhere: The virtual pathology grand rounds experience

Introduction/Objective Grand Rounds seminars are a cornerstone of scholarship in allacademic departments They provide education, stimulatediscussion, and build faculty reputation The COVID-19 pandemicled to cancellations in teaching conferences and lost opportunitiesfor all of the above starting in March 2020 The social medialhashtag #VirtualPathGR and @VirtualPathGR Twitter (SanFrancisco, CA) accounts (VPGR) were created to address a need forcontinued engagement in academic pathology, during and afterperiods of physical distancing Methods #VirtualPathGR was first used on March 21, 2020 to assess interestin a VPGR format Six pathologists organized a social-media basedplatform, utilizing video conferencing Zoom (San Jose, CA) was selected because it is free and easy to use A committee developedcriteria for inviting hosts and speakers, developed a logo and template for announcements and promoted VPGR Potentialspeakers were selected initially via self-nomination and subsequently by selections from the VPGR board Free pre-registration was required to minimize risk of disruption bymalicious actors Academic institutions served as “hosts” similarto traditional GR, and the speaker was introduced by one of theVPGR board members Evaluations were sent to participants viathe chat function in Zoom Lectures were recorded and archivedvia YouTube (San Bruno, CA) Results As of May 1, #VirtualPathGR has 2 6 million impressions and theTwitter account has 808 followers From April 2 to May 1, fiveVPGR were held with 1,720 registrations (average 344 per event)and 829 Zoom attendees overall (average 165 per event) 4separate academic host institutions were involved and speakersincluded Assistant to Full Professors Participants from 16different countries attended the live sessions The archived talkshave been viewed 954 times via YouTube VPGR received support from the American Society for Clinical Pathology (Chicago, IL), leading to a partnership to provide CME credit Conclusion VPGR serves as strong proof of concept of the ability and demandfor high quality academic pathology talks to be given remotely VPGR promotes academic engagement and provides career-building opportunities by partnering with host universities Whileremote learning comes with challenges, VPGR shows that thepathology community can harness the power of remotetechnologies to enhance learning across the world, now and in thefuture
It's Not Over ‘Til It's Over: Mandating Federal Pretrial Jurisdiction and Oversight in Mass Torts

In 2004, just five years after introducing the drug, Vioxx, pharmaceutical company, Merck, voluntarily withdrew the prescription pain-killer after a clinical study suggested that the drug increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. But in that relatively short time, an estimated 20 million Americans had already taken the drug. By late 2007, Merck announced it would pay $4.85 billion — the largest drug settlement ever — in “global settlements” for Vioxx-related claims. These settlements ultimately included roughly 47,000 individual lawsuits and about 265 potential class actions, but the Vioxx settlements were far from global. In 2012, a purported parallel state court class action proceeded on a collision course with the “global settlements,” threatening their finality. Reacting to that threat, the federal court overseeing the settlements ordered a limited injunction against the state court action. In doing so, the court followed a trend in mass torts in which federal courts have enjoined parallel state actions, despite a prohibition against such injunctions that is nearly as old as this nation’s dual court system. As analyzed in this article, this trend is both predictable and problematic. This article explores developments in mass tort litigation over the past two decades and concludes it is more important than ever to adopt a statutory mechanism that allows for pretrial consolidation of all related inter-state cases to prevent situations like the one in Vioxx from happening. In addition, given the growing reliance on multidistrict consolidation to manage mass tort litigation and the strong likelihood of settlement that results when cases are consolidated, this paper recommends judicial oversight of settlement negotiations and resulting settlements, similar to the judicial oversight required in settlement class actions. These changes would lessen inefficiencies while enhancing predictability and fairness in the kinds of mass tort cases in which treatment as a federal class action is not available.
Matched pair analysis for comparison of survival outcome of alternative regimens to standard three-weekly cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiation of head and neck cancer.

Background To compare head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with three-weekly versus weekly cisplatin-based or other chemotherapy-based concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) and CRT with versus without induction chemotherapy (ICT) to investigate differences in overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Methods HNC patients treated with definitive or adjuvant CRT at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center between 2003 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Propensity score matching was performed to obtain three sets of balanced matched pairs: three-weekly and weekly cisplatin CRT, three weekly and non-cisplatin CRT, CRT with and without ICT. Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate and compare survival outcomes. Results A total of 623 patients received either definitive (81%) or post-operative (19%) RT. Of these, 283 patients concurrently received three-weekly cisplatin (45%); 189 patients (30%) received weekly cisplatin; 151 patients (24%) received non-cisplatin regimen. Median follow-up was 55.4 months (interquartile range, 38.0-88.7). Patients who received CRT alone and those who received ICT and CRT had no difference in 5-year OS (51.5% and 41.0% respectively, P=0.53) and CSS (64.9% and 49.7% respectively, P=0.21). Compared to patients who received three-weekly cisplatin, patients who received weekly cisplatin had no difference in 5-year OS (59.3% vs. 54.1%, P=0.35) and CSS (70.3% vs. 62.4%, P=0.09); patients who received non-cisplatin CRT also had no difference in 5-year OS (54.5% vs. 58.3%, P=0.51) and CSS (67.5% vs. 64.7%, P=0.45). Conclusions No significant difference in OS and CSS was observed in any of the three pairs of CRT regimens. ICT prior to CRT did not improve survival of CRT alone. Non-cisplatin and weekly cisplatin regimens did not prove to be inferior to the standard three-weekly cisplatin.
Facing mass extinction, it is prudent to decolonise lands & laws: a philosophical essay on respecting jurisdiction

The drivers of mass extinction today are societal processes (including economic and legal systems) inherited from European imperialism and embedded in the international state system. Their path dep...
Natural Language Processing and Sentiment Analysis for Verbal Aggression Detection; A Solution for Cyberbullying during Live Video Gaming

Verbal aggression during online multiplayer games is a common occurrence on video gaming platforms. From casual cursing and negative remarks to more targeted and damaging cyberbullying cases, the gaming industry continues to see an increasing number of players engaging in these exchanges. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in the number of active gamers due to social distancing and stay-at-home orders. As a result, cases of cyberbullying and toxicity have increased by 40% on popular gaming platforms such as Discord [4]. To help resolve this issue, we created an aggression awareness tool called Tempr to discourage verbal aggression in gamers under the age of 18 and reward non-aggressive behavior.
Deformation of Earth Materials: Diffusion and diffusional creep

Diffusional creep is an important mechanism of plastic deformation in a polycrystalline material at relatively low stress and small grain size. There is evidence that diffusional creep plays an important role in some regions of Earth. At high temperatures, atoms move from their stable positions with some probability due to thermally activated processes. This is referred to as diffusion. The driving force for diffusion is the gradient in chemical potential including the concentration gradient caused by the contact of materials with different chemical compositions or by the stress gradient at grain boundaries created by the applied stress. Consequently, the rate of deformation due to diffusive mass transport is sensitive to diffusion coefficient as well as grain size: the rate of deformation is faster for a smaller grain size. Similar to other processes, diffusional mass transport involves a number of parallel (independent) and sequential (dependent) processes. As a result, the interplay of various diffusing species can be complicated and this also results in a complicated variation in grain-size sensitivity with grain size. Deformation of a polycrystalline material is associated with grain boundary sliding. Large-strain plastic flow involving grain-boundary sliding is sometimes referred to as superplastic flow. Materials science models of superplastic flow are reviewed and some geological significance is discussed. Finally, transient diffusional creep caused by the stress redistribution and its possible roles in small-strain deformation in Earth are discussed. Key words point defects, diffusion, Fick's law, high-diffusivity path, chemical reaction, Nabarro–Herring creep, Coble creep, pressure-solution creep, grain-boundary sliding, superplasticity.
Chromosome Transfer and Recombinant Formation with Deoxyribonucleic Acid Temperature-Sensitive Strains of Escherichia coli

Abstract Haploid recombinant yield is reduced in matings conducted at 42.5 C between deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) temperature-sensitive [dna−(TS)] recipients unable to synthesize DNA at 42.5 C and any of the three major donor types (Hfr, F+, F′) of Escherichia coli. No such reduction is observed in matings conducted at 42.5 C when the dna−(TS) mutation is in the donor parent. Evidence is presented which indicates that chromosome transfer from donors to recipients unable to replicate DNA at 42.5 C during vegetative growth occurs at normal frequencies when the mating is conducted at 42.5 C. It is concluded that some stage in haploid recombinant formation is adversely affected in dna−(TS) recipients mated at the temperature restrictive for DNA synthesis.
Implementation of a Direct Drive Linear Motor Actuator for Dynamic Control of the Turning Process

Active damping of the turning process using a direct drive linear motor actuator has been investigated. Various necessary and sufficient conditions for stability at all cutting speed are derived, and have been used to study the effect of damping and gear reduction in system stability. The interaction of the cutting process with the tool servo loop is seen to have significant instability consequences in systems with small drive gear reductions. Experimental cutting results are presented for PD and PID regulation. Results show that linear motors can provide sufficient stiffness to stabilize the turning process.
Diel stream geochemistry, Taylor Valley, Antarctica

Unlike temperate and polythermal proglacial streams, the proglacial streams in Taylor Valley (TV), Antarctica, are derived primarily from glacier surface melt with no subglacial or groundwater additions. Solute responses to flow reflect only the interaction of glacial meltwater with the valley floor surrounding the stream channel. We have investigated the major, minor and trace element 24-h variations of two proglacial melt streams, Andersen Creek and Canada Stream, originating from the Canada Glacier in TV, Antarctica. Both streams exhibited diel mid-austral summer diurnal flow variation, with maximum flow being more than 50 times the minimum flow. Dissolved (< 0.4 µm) major, minor and trace solute behaviors through diel periods were strongly controlled by the availability of readily solubilized material on the valley floor and hyporheic-biological exchanges. Anderson Creek had generally greater solute concentrations than Canada Stream because of its greater receipt of eolian sediment. Andersen Creek also acquired greater solute concentrations in the rising limb of the hydrograph than the falling limb because of dissolution of eolian material at the surface of the stream channel coupled with minimal hyporheic-biological exchange. Conversely, Canada Stream had less available eolian sediment, but a greater hyporheic-biological exchange, which preferentially removed trace and major solutes in the rising limb and released them in the falling limb. Given the dynamic nature of discharge, eolian, and hyporheic-biological processes, solute loads in TV streams are difficult to predict. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Population Pharmacokinetic Model of Sublingual Buprenorphine in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Objective Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)—a clinical entity of infants from in utero exposure to psychoactive xenobiotic and buprenorphine—has been successfully used to treat NAS. However, nothing is known about the pharmacokinetics (PK) of buprenorphine in neonates with NAS. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the population pharmacokinetic of sublingual buprenorphine in neonates with NAS. Design A retrospective population PK analysis of: (1) neonates with NAS treated with sublingual buprenorphine in randomized, double blinded clinical study and (2) data from healthy adults from a previously published pharmacokinetic study. Setting Neonatal intensive care unit and general clinical research unit. Patients Twenty-four neonates with NAS and five healthy adults. Interventions All participants received sublingual buprenorphine per study protocol. Measurements and Main Results A total of 303 PK data from 29 neonates and adults were used for model development. A population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted using a first order conditional estimation with interaction in the NONMEM software program. A two-compartment linear PK model with first-order absorption process best described the pharmacokinetics of sublingual buprenorphine in neonates. The apparent clearance (CL) of buprenorphine was linearly related to body weight and matured with increasing age via two distinct saturated pathways. A typical neonate with NAS (body weight, 2.9 kg; postnatal age; 5.4 days) had a CL of 3.5 L/kg/hour and elimination half-life of 11 hours. Phenobarbital did not affect the clearance of buprenorphine compared to neonates of similar age and weight. Conclusions This is the first study to investigate the population PK of sublingual buprenorphine in neonatal NAS. To our knowledge, this is also the first report to describe the age-dependent changes of buprenorphine PK in this patient population. No buprenorphine dose adjustment is needed for neonates with NAS treated with buprenorphine and concurrent phenobarbital.
590 IRON STATUS OF BREASTFED AND FORMULA FED INFANTS AT AGE 6 MONTHS

We compared Fe status of 23 breastfed & 23 formula fed infants whose mothers were enrolled in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy in a study determining effects of maternal nutritional and environmental factors on the infants' growth & development. Full term infants, receiving no supplementary Fe, fed either breast milk or commercial Fe fortified formula were matched for race, sex, and social class. Results indicate breastfed infants exhibit higher Hct and Hmg values, lower EP and lower EP:Hmg ratios (N.S.) %Sat levels in both groups meet acceptable standards at age 6 mos. Our data suggest that Fe from breast milk is absorbed as well as Fe from formula and that breastfed infants are not generally Fe deficient by 4 months. In addition, infants fed breast milk alone had a significantly lower TIBC and a higher %Sat than infants given solids in addition to breast milk. The controversy regarding the need for prophylactic administration of Fe to all breastfed infants by age 4 months and possibly the need for supplementary Fe for infants on Fe fortified formula, alone, may be resolved by the continued dietary and biochemical observation of Fe status in these same infants through their first year of life.
The Role of Identity Salience and Commitment in the Stress Process.

The relationship between identity and stress has been the focus of numerous studies. An assumption of much of this research is that the impact of stress on psychological distress is exacerbated when it threatens identities that are important to an individual's self-definition. In this study we investigate the moderating effect of identity in the stress process. Specifically, we examine whether identity salience and commitment influence the relationship between role-strain and depression, as well as between strain and self-evaluation (i.e., self-esteem and mastery). Using longitudinal data, we find some support that commitment moderates the relationship between strain in the student identity and both mastery and depression. Our findings indicate that the extent to which identity meaning exacerbates the effect of strain on self-evaluation and well-being depends on the type of strain, the particular identity characteristic, and the outcome variable examined.
Structure and Substrate Recruitment of the Human Spindle Checkpoint Kinase Bub1

In mitosis, the spindle checkpoint detects a single unattached kinetochore, inhibits the anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C), and prevents premature sister chromatid separation. The checkpoint kinase Bub1 contributes to checkpoint sensitivity through phosphorylating the APC/C activator, Cdc20, and inhibiting APC/C catalytically. We report here the crystal structure of the kinase domain of Bub1, revealing the requirement of an N-terminal extension for its kinase activity. Though the activation segment of Bub1 is ordered and has structural features indicative of active kinases, the C-terminal portion of this segment sterically restricts substrate access to the active site. Bub1 uses docking motifs, so-called KEN boxes, outside its kinase domain to recruit Cdc20, one of two known KEN box receptors. The KEN boxes of Bub1 are required for the spindle checkpoint in human cells. Therefore, its unusual active-site conformation and mode of substrate recruitment suggest that Bub1 has an exquisitely tuned specificity for Cdc20.
The environmental cost of protein food choices.

Objective: To investigate the resource efficiency and environmental impacts of producing one kilogram of edible protein from two plant- and three animalprotein sources. Design: Primary source data were collected and applied to commodity production statistics to calculate the indices required to compare the environmental impact of producing 1 kg of edible protein from kidney beans, almonds, eggs, chicken and beef. Inputs included land and water for raising animals and growing animal feed, total fuel, and total fertilizer and pesticide for growing the plant commodities and animal feed. Animal waste generated was computed for the animal commodities. Setting: Desk-based study at the Department of Nutrition and Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Loma Linda University. Subjects: None. Results: To produce 1 kg of protein from kidney beans required approximately eighteen times less land, ten times less water, nine times less fuel, twelve times less fertilizer and ten times less pesticide in comparison to producing 1 kg of protein from beef. Compared with producing 1 kg of protein from chicken and eggs, beef generated five to six times more waste (manure) to produce 1 kg of protein. Conclusions: The substitution of beef with beans in meal patterns will significantly reduce the environmental footprint worldwide and should also be encouraged to reduce the prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases. Societies must work together to change the perception that red meat (e.g. beef) is the mainstay of an affluent and healthy diet.
Monitoring large-aperture spherical integrating sources with a portable radiometer during satellite instrument calibration

A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-designed radiometer is being used to monitor the spherical integrating sources (SISs) used to radiometrically calibrate the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), an Earth-imaging sensor on the Landsat-7 satellite. This six-channel Landsat Transfer Radiometer (LXR) uses witness filter samples from the first four bands of the ETM+ along with two 10 nm bandpass filters centred at 441 nm and 662 nm. The ETM+ band 1 is 450 nm to 515 nm; band 2 is 525 nm to 600 nm; band 3 is 630 nm to 690 nm and band 4 is 775 nm to 900 nm. This monitor aids in characterizing the ETM+ stability with time and also provides an alternate radiometric scale for calibration. LXR measurements, which are taken off-axis while the ETM+ views the SIS on-axis, have documented changes as large as 7% in the SIS outputs in some of the ETM+ bandpasses. The ETM+ responses to the SIS have changed comparably, demonstrating ETM+ stability to within about 1%. LXR measurements have also shown that the linearity of the ETM+ response to radiance is about an order of magnitude better than that possible without the simultaneous measurements.
Fuzzy sets modeling and optimization for disaster control systems planning

Abstract Various forms of disasters, natural and man-made, abound. Although, to some extent, some of these have been exacerbated by modern civilization, various technologies have been invoked to control or mitigate their adverse effects. Modeling- and optimization-based techniques have also been employed. We outline some efforts based on fuzzy sets theory which are utilized in conjunction with classical methods to enhance the reliability and utility of these efforts. In particular, disasters caused by floods and storm water pollution are used as vehicles for the exemplification of our models.
A comparison of alternative continuous display techniques with heterogeneous multi-zone disks

A number of recent technological trends have made data intensive applications such as continuous media (audio and video) servers a reality. These servers are expected to play an important role in applications such as video-on-demand, digital library, news-on-demand, distance learning, etc. Continuous media applications are data intensive and might require storage subsystems that consist of hundreds of (multi-zone) disk drives. With the current technological trends, a homogeneous disk subsystem might evolve to consist of a heterogeneous collection of disk drives. Given such a storage subsystem, the system must continue to support a hiccup-free display of audio and video clips. This study describes extensions of four continuous display techniques for multi-zone disk drives to a heterogeneous platform. These techniques include IBM's Logical Track [21], HP's Track Pairing [4], and USC's FIXB [9] and deadline driven techniques [10]. We quantify the performance tradeoff associated with these techniques using analytical models and simulation studies. The obtained results demonstrate tradeoffs between the cost per simultaneous stream supported by a technique, the wasted disk space, and the incurred startup latency.
Locking-free numerical methods for nearly incompressible elasticity and incompressible flow on moving domains

Abstract Considerable effort is invested in the development of meshless methods under the claim that such methods have superior performance as compared to standard finite elements. This claim is often justified by poor performance of finite elements in situations where the mesh undergoes large distortion, and by a better ability of meshless methods to deal with the incompressibility constraint. In this paper these claims are investigated on a series of problems in incompressible elasticity and incompressible fluid flow. A standard displacement formulation and a mixed formulation with stabilization to circumvent the LBB-condition are used. The equations are integrated using stabilized nodal integration as well as Gauss quadrature. In the displacement formulation nodal integration effectively removes locking, while in the mixed formulation no stabilization is required. Nodal integration on median-dual cells is preferred over Voronoi cells due to computational efficiency. On very irregular nodal sets finite element and Sibson shape functions perform equally well, both when using Gauss quadrature as well as nodal integration.
Attitudes, Trends, and Standard of Practice for the Sonogra her

Diagnostic medical sonographers have been important members of the health care team for more than 25 years. This longevity notwithstanding, their current role in clinical care remains unclear. The purpose of the following study was to investigate the attitudes and opinions of sonographers in the United States. A random, prospective, cross-sectional study of 200 sonographers who were members of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine was conducted in both 1991 and 1996. This survey was used to evaluate demographics, education, nature of clinical practice, and attitudes regarding sonographic education, standards, practices, regulation, and professional relationships. Sonographers' responses were summarized and analyzed. Approximately 57% and 59% of sonographers surveyed responded to the survey in 1991 and 1996, respectively. Except for respondent age and experience, the demographic information did not change significantly when the two survey periods were compared. Respondents were observed to suppo...
Pharmacological control of platelet function.

Advancement in the understanding of the mechanisms of platelet activation, as well as the development of new techniques for studying platelet function, have led to the availability of new classes of platelet inhibiting drugs. Initially, characterization of arachidonic acid metabolism in platelets furthered an understanding of the utility of cyclooxygenase inhibitors, most notably aspirin. The discovery and characterization of platelet receptors such as the adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa has been associated with the development of novel classes of anti-platelet drug, such as thienopyridine derivatives and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists, respectively. Future development in receptor pathway inhibitors also includes glycoprotein Ib/IX as well as the potential use of platelet signaling pathway inhibitors.
Intercultural Competency: A Transformative Learning Process:

Intercultural competency is an adaptive capacity based on an inclusive and integrative world view which allows participants to effectively accommodate the demands of living in a host culture. Resea...
Academic Achievement Motivation as a Function of Classroom Responsiveness

A government-funded educational program, the Responsive Environment Model, developed by Far West Laboratory, has several components believed to enhance motivational development. As a means of evaluating the degree to which a given classroom has implemented the techniques and procedures of the model, Far West developed the Responsive Classroom Observation Schedule. This instrument was used in five first grade classes implementing the program to determine the most responsive classroom and the least responsive classroom. The instrument, titled “Animal Crackers: A Test of Motivation to Achieve,” was individually administered to the 52 children in the two classes. Variables known to influence the measure of achievement motivation were found to be constant between the two groups. Results indicate that the children in the responsive classroom were more highly motivated than the children in the nonresponsive classroom t(50) = 3.39, p <.01.
Influences of soil volume and an elevated CO2 level on growth and CO2 exchange for the Crassulacean acid metabolism plant Opuntia ficus-indica

Effects of the current (38 Pa) and an elevated (74 Pa) CO2 partial pressure on root and shoot areas, biomass accumulation and daily net CO2 exchange were determined for Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller, a highly productive Crassulacean acid metabolism species cultivated worldwide. Plants were grown in environmentally controlled rooms for 18 weeks in pots of three soil volumes (2 600, 6 500 and 26 000 cm3), the smallest of which was intended to restrict root growth. For plants in the medium-sized soil volume, basal cladodes tended to be thicker and areas of main and lateral roots tended to be greater as the CO2 level was doubled. Daughter cladodes tended to be initiated sooner at the current compared with the elevated CO2 level but total areas were similar by 10 weeks. At 10 weeks, daily net CO2 uptake for the three soil volumes averaged 24% higher for plants growing under elevated compared with current CO2 levels, but at 18 weeks only 3% enhancement in uptake occurred. Dry weight gain was enhanced 24% by elevated CO2 during the first 10 weeks but only 8% over 18 weeks. Increasing the soil volume 10-fold led to a greater stimulation of daily net CO2 uptake and biomass production than did doubling the CO2 level. At 18 weeks, root biomass doubled and shoot biomass nearly doubled as the soil volume was increased 10-fold; the effects of soil volume tended to be greater for elevated CO2. The amount of cladode nitrogen per unit dry weight decreased as the CO2 level was raised and increased as soil volume increased, the latter suggesting that the effects of soil volume could be due to nitrogen limitations.
Endogenous opioid peptides: comparative evaluation of their receptor affinities in the mouse brain.

Abstract The affinities of certain endogenous opioid peptides and related sequences for μ, δ and k opiate receptors have been determined in membrane preparations from mouse brain. It was found that the K I s for the δ receptor changed very little when the sequence of the enkephalins was enlarged; on the contrary, the μ and especially the k activity were highly dependent not only on the specificity of the sequence but also on the length of the peptide. Most of the peptides have similar affinities for more than one receptor type. The enkephalins are the most selective for the δ receptor. β-Endorphin, BAM-12P, BAM-22P, peptide E and dynorphin A display the best potency at the μ site. Dynorphin A (1–8), dynorphin A and dynorphin B are the most selective for the k site.
Use of second generation antipsychotics for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder

Many of the second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) have been studied as adjunctive agents in the management of treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Two have also been examined for use as monotherapy for depression. Currently, aripiprazole, olanzapine (in combination with fluoxetine), and quetiapine XR are approved by the FDA for use as adjunctive agents in the treatment of major depressive disorder, and no SGAs are FDA-approved as monotherapy for the disorder. This article reviews the available evidence regarding the use of SGAs in patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder and the subsequent role for these agents based on this evidence. There is evidence that aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, and risperidone can be effective in improving depressive symptoms when added to antidepressant therapy, but the benefits have to be weighed against their risk of producing serious adverse effects.
The influence of corner stress singularities on the vibration characteristics of rhombic plates with combinations of simply supported and free edges

Abstract This paper offers accurate flexural vibration solutions for rhombic plates with simply supported and free edge conditions. A cornerstone here is that the analysis explicitly considers the bending stress singularities that occur in the two opposite, hinged – hinged and/or hinged – free corners having obtuse angles of the rhombic plates. These singularities become significant to the vibration solution as the rhombic plate becomes highly skewed (i.e. the obtuse angles increase). The classical Ritz method is employed with the assumed normal displacement field constructed from a hybrid set of (1) admissible and mathematically complete algebraic polynomials, and (2) comparison functions (termed here as “ corner functions ”) which account for the bending stress singularities at the obtuse hinged–hinged and/or hinged–free corners. It is shown that the corner functions accelerate the convergence of solutions, and that these functions are required if accurate solutions are to be obtained for highly skewed plates. Accurate nondimensional frequencies and normalized contours of the vibratory transverse displacement are presented for rhombic plates having a large enough skew angle of 75° (i.e. obtuse angles of 165°), so that the influence of the stress singularities is large. Frequencies and mode shapes of isosceles triangular, hinged–free plates are also available from the data presented.
Bladder autoaugmentation using various biodegradable scaffolds seeded with autologous smooth muscle cells in a rabbit model

Abstract Background/Purpose The prolapsed mucosa after bladder autoaugmentation usually collapses, and the volume increment is limited. This study is aimed at evaluating the efficacy of autoaugmentation assisted with 2 different scaffolds, polyglycolic acid (PGA) mesh and small intestinal submucosa (SIS), seeded with autologous bladder smooth muscle cells in a rabbit model. Methods One month after an initial 70% partial cystectomy, various autoaugmentation surgeries were performed. These procedures included traditional autoaugmentation (n = 6) and traditional autoaugmentation covered with PGA or SIS without cell seeding (N) (PGA-N, n=6; SIS-N, n=6) or covered with scaffolds seeded with autologous bladder smooth muscle cells (C) (PGA-C, n=6; SIS-C, n=6). All were followed up by bladder volume measurement and retrieved on 1, 2, 3, and 6 months. Statistical analysis was by analysis of variance. Results A normal urothelial layer was maintained in all groups. Only PGA-C group showed a significant bladder capacity increment as compared with the other groups in all time-points ( P = .001, .000, .000, and .001 at first, second, third, and sixth months, respectively). The PGA-C group showed grossly normal bladder wall with scattered smooth muscle bundles. The other groups had marked graft shrinkage with only unorganized muscle fibers. Conclusion Cell-seeded PGA polymer facilitates smooth muscle regeneration, offers sufficient bladder wall backup, and achieves satisfactory volume increment after the autoaugmentation with time. The collagen matrix, although seeded with cells, did not offer adequate mechanical support after the surgery.
19-Residue Peptide from C-Terminal Tail of DHPR β1A Subunit Potentiates Voltage-Dependent Calcium Release in Adult Skeletal Muscle Fibers

The skeletal muscle isoforms of the membrane-spanning α1s subunit and the cytoplasmic β1a subunit are essential during EC coupling. Recent evidence suggests that the activating effect of the full-length β1a subunit on isolated ryanodine receptor (RyR1) Ca2+ channels in lipid bilayer can be reproduced by a peptide (β1a 490-524) corresponding to the 35-residue C-terminal tail of the β1a subunit and also confirmed a high-affinity interaction between the C-terminal tail of the β1a and RyR1. We now tested the hypothesis that a 19 amino acid residue peptide (β1a 490-508) may be sufficient to reproduce activating effects already observed for β1a 490-524 as well as that of the full-length peptide. The hypothesis is based on existing results using overlapping peptides tested on isolated RyR1 in phospholipid bilayer (1). Here we examined the effects of β1a 490-508 on Ca2+ release during whole cell voltage-clamp depolarization of adult mouse FDB muscle fibers. 25 nM or 100 nM of β1a 490-508 peptide in a patch pipette caused a 25% increment in the SR Ca2+ release flux in single voltage clamped muscle fibers but with no significant shift in the voltage dependence of the maximum peak Ca2+ release flux. Considerably less activating effect was observed using 400 nM peptide. A scrambled form of the 19-residue peptide (100nM) was used as a negative control for the wild-type peptide and produced a negligible effect on the peak amplitude of Ca2+ release flux. Taken together, we have shown that the β1a 490-508 peptide contains molecular components sufficient to modulate EC coupling between DHPR and RyR1 in adult functioning muscle fibers. Supported by R01-AR055099 and T32-AR007592.1. Rebbeck, R.T. et. al. March (2011) Biophysical Society Abstract 3195-Pos/B300.
Supramolecular Coordination Chemistry in Aqueous Solution: Lanthanide Ion-Induced Triple Helix Formation

The self-assembly of dinuclear triple helical lanthanide ion complexes (helicates), in aqueous solution, is investigated utilizing laser-induced, lanthanide luminescence spectroscopy. A series of dinuclear lanthanide(III) helicates (Ln(III)) based on 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid, dpa) coordinating units was synthesized by linking two dpa moieties using the organic diamines (1R,2R)-diaminocyclohexane (chxn-R,R) and 4,4‘-diaminodiphenylmethane (dpm). Luminescence excitation spectroscopy of the Eu3+ 7F0 → 5D0 transition shows the apparent cooperative formation of neutral triple helical complexes in aqueous solution, with a [Eu2L3] stoichiometry. Eu3+ excitation peak wavelengths and excited-state lifetimes correspond to those of the [Eu(dpa)3]3- model complex. CD studies of the Nd(III) helicate Nd2(dpa-chxn-R,R)3 reveal optical activity of the f−f transitions, indicating that the chiral linking group induces a stable chirality at the metal ion center. Molecular mechanics calculations using ...
Multiple sclerosis: a unique immunopathological syndrome of the central nervous system

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common, disabling neurological syndrome of young adults. The etiology is idiopathic, yet most authorities agree that the immune system is crucial in the pathogenesis of the recurrent and chronic injury to the central nervous system (CNS). Nearly identical histopathological findings occur in MS and related clinical syndromes, designated as “demyelinating diseases.” Clinical presentation differentiates MS from the monophasic syndromes (optic neuritis, acute transverse myelitis, and Marburg disease) and the less-common relapsing syndromes (Devic’s disease, Balo’s concentric sclerosis). A chronic progressive variant of MS is also well recognized.