cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Burch procedure compared with sling for stress urinary incontinence: a decision analysis.

Abstract Objective: To compare the relative risks and benefits of Burch colposuspension and sling procedure for primary genuine stress urinary incontinence in women. Methods: We developed a decision analytic model to compare Burch procedure and sling for primary surgical treatment of genuine stress incontinence with urethral hypermobility in women. Risks and benefits were estimated from published literature. The main outcome measure was effectiveness of treatment, defined as cure of incontinence after initial and secondary treatments. We considered four outcomes of primary surgical treatment: cure, persistent incontinence (either caused by intrinsic sphincter deficiency without urethral hypermobility or genuine stress incontinence with hypermobility), de novo detrusor instability, and permanent urinary retention. Secondary treatment included repeated surgery for genuine stress incontinence, collagen injection for intrinsic sphincter deficiency, medical treatment for detrusor instability, and urethrolysis for retention. One-way sensitivity analyses were used to estimate the effect of varying each characteristic through its range; all other characteristics were fixed at their baseline values. Results: The overall effectiveness of Burch and sling operations (percentages of women cured after initial and secondary treatments) was similar (94.8% and 95.3%, respectively). In sensitivity analyses, the Burch arm of the model was more effective than sling when the risk of retention after sling was higher than 9.0% or when the risk of de novo detrusor instability after sling was higher than 10.3%. Conversely, when the risk of de novo detrusor instability after Burch was higher than 6.8%, the sling arm of the model was more effective. Conclusion: The Burch and sling procedures are similarly effective for primary surgical treatment of genuine stress incontinence in women. Overall effectiveness is substantially influenced by relative rates of complications.
Watershed merge forest classification for electron microscopy image stack segmentation

Automated electron microscopy (EM) image analysis techniques can be tremendously helpful for connectomics research. In this paper, we extend our previous work [1] and propose a fully automatic method to utilize inter-section information for intra-section neuron segmentation of EM image stacks. A watershed merge forest is built via the watershed transform with each tree representing the region merging hierarchy of one 2D section in the stack. A section classifier is learned to identify the most likely region correspondence between adjacent sections. The inter-section information from such correspondence is incorporated to update the potentials of tree nodes. We resolve the merge forest using these potentials together with consistency constraints to acquire the final segmentation of the whole stack. We demonstrate that our method leads to notable segmentation accuracy improvement by experimenting with two types of EM image data sets.
216 EMBRYONIC AND INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS ANALOGOUS TO INNER CELL MASS-DERIVED LIF-DEPENDENT MOUSE EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS ESTABLISHED FROM THE DOMESTIC PIG, SUS SCROFA

Authentic embryonic stem cells (ESC) may never have been successfully derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) of pig and other ungulates, despite over 25 years of effort. Recently, porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSC) were generated by reprogramming somatic cells with a combination of four factors OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC (OSKM) delivered by lentiviral transduction. The established piPSC are analogous to FGF2-dependent human (h) ESC and murine “epiblast stem cells,” and are likely to advance swine as a model in biomedical research. Here, we report for the first time, the establishment of LIF-dependent, so called naive type pluripotent stem cells (1) from the inner cell mass (ICM) of porcine blastocysts by up-regulating the expression of KLF4 and POU5F1; and (2) from umbilical cord mesenchyme (Wharton's jelly) by transduction with OSKM factors and subsequent culture in the presence of LIF-based medium with inhibitors that substitute for low endogenous expression of c-MYC and KLF4 and promote pluripotency. The 2 compounds that have been used in this study are, CHIR99021 (CH), which substitutes c-MYC by inhibiting GSK3B and activating WNT signalling and Kenpaullone (KP), which inhibits both GSK3B and CDK1 and supplants KLF4 function. The lentiviral vectors employed for introducing the re-programming genes were modified for doxycycline-mediated induction of expression (tet-on) and are ‘floxed’ for Cre-mediated recombination and removal of transgenes following complete reprogramming. Two LIF-dependent cell lines have been derived from the ICM cells of late d 5.5 in vitro produced blastocysts and four from umbilical cord mesenchyme recovered from fetuses at d 35 of pregnancy. The derived stem cell lines are alkaline phosphatase-positive, resemble mouse embryonic stem cells in colony morphology, cell cycle interval, transcriptome profile and expression of pluripotent markers, such as POU5F1, SOX2 and surface marker SSEA1. They are dependent on LIF signalling for maintenance of pluripotency, can be cultured over extended passage (>50) with no senescence. Of importance, the ICM-derived lines have been successful in their ability to form teratomas. The cells could be cultured in feeder free conditions on a synthetic matrix in the presence of chemically defined medium and can be coaxed to differentiate under xeno-free conditions. Currently, the piPSC lines are being investigated for their ability to give rise to teratomas and to produce a live offspring by nuclear transfer. Supported by Addgene Innovation Award, MO Life Sciences Board Grant 00022147 and NIH grant HD21896.
Optical mapping of the functional reentrant circuit of ventricular tachycardia in acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives We used optical mapping to characterize the reentrant circuit of ventricular tachycardia (VT) during acute myocardial infarction (MI) in isolated canine left ventricular preparations. Background The nature of the reentrant circuit that underlies VT during acute MI is not well understood. Methods Using optical mapping in isolated canine left ventricular preparations, we characterized the reentrant circuit of monomorphic VT (mean cycle length 245.3 ± 15.6 ms, n=7) induced by programmed stimulation during acute MI. Results Optical mapping during VT revealed a functional reentrant circuit consisting of four components: (1) a protected isthmus located between the infarction area and the functional line of block; (2) an entrance site located at one end of the isthmus; (3) an exit site located at the other end of the isthmus; and (4) an outer loop consisting of nonischemic normal tissue, connecting the exit and entrance sites. Rate-dependent slow conduction within the border zone was associated with significant changes (n = 6) in action potential amplitude (99.1 ± 0.4 vs 71.4 ± 0.6 mV, P P 90 ; 188.4 ± 1.0 vs 164.3 ± 3.1 ms, P P Conclusions The reentrant circuit of monomorphic VT in the setting of acute MI involved both the infarction border zone and nonischemic normal tissue. The underlying mechanism is related to the presence of rate-dependent slow conduction and the development of a functional line of block in the border zone.
MOMENTUM EQUATION FOR DENDRITIC SOLIDIFICATION

For analyzing dendritic solidification, convection in the mushy zone is based on a momentum equation for a porous medium with a spatially varying fraction of liquid. Results are compared with those obtained with a less complete momentum equation. Calculations are done for directional solidification, with isotherms and isoconcentrates that move with a constant velocity. Thermosolutal convection as a function of time is studied by perturbing the solutal field. The total kinetic energy, the nature of the convection cells, and the isoconcentrates are significantly different for the two models. Hence the complete form of the momentum equation should be used
Learning orientation and the hotel expatriate manager experience

Abstract US-based multinational hotel corporations experience a high level of failure among expatriate managers. Research suggests that expatriate success is highly correlated with both technical competence and adaptability. While there are numerous ways to measure an expatriate candidate's technical competence, evaluating a nominee's ability to adapt is more problematic. One indicator of adaptability that can be identified in the expatriate selection process is a candidate's level of learning orientation. Learning orientation can also be developed through a three-stage cross-cultural training program that is explicated in this article.
The Present Role of Actuator Technology in Surgical Robotic Devices

Surgical robots have greatly facilitated numerous challenging medical procedures such as totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting. Despite the initial success of some classical robotic mechanisms (e.g., the da Vinci robot from Intuitive Surgical), limitations in the fundamental hardware impose constraints on the system capabilities and ease of use. While sensing, control, and computation hardware for robotically assisted surgery continue to improve, actuator technology remains relatively unchanged. This paper reviews the state of the art in actuators for surgical robotic devices and therefore elucidates the need for further actuator technology development. A physics-based actuator taxonomy is presented followed by a classification of the prominent research areas in surgical robotics. Using this taxonomic framework, we review the present role of actuator technology in surgical robotic devices.
Geometrically Derived Ray-Theory Results and Direct Verification of the Pekeris Solution for Unbounded Constant-Gradient Media

This paper directly verifies the Pekeris solution to the point-source Helmholtz equation for an unbounded constant-gradient medium using only elementary vector calculus. Self-contained geometrical derivations of ray-theory results for such a medium are presented: (1) ray-path location and travel time as a function of source location, ray start angle, and ray angle; (2) the wavefront equation as a function of source location and travel time; (3) the wavefront location and ray angle along a ray as a function of source location, ray start angle, and travel time; and (4) source angle and receiver angle as a function of source location and receiver location. A short mathematical derivation gives the travel time between two points for a given source location and a given receiver location. In some cases, the form of the results seems to be simpler than that of the equivalent results previously given in the literature.
How to Accelerate Time to Market Acceptance

Ameeta Soni is vice chair of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge, and founder and president of Aanza, Inc., a provider of Web-based Product Lifecycle Automation solutions. You can visit the company's Web site at www.aanza.com. Every company wants to get the "right" products to market and retain loyal customers for a long time. So why is it so difficult for most companies to do so? Perhaps because they fail to take the necessary steps. Launching products that meet customer requirements and that are competi­ tive in the marketplace requires: • A keen understanding of changing needs in the marketplace; • An appreciation of the competition, both for the dollars and for the attention of potential customers; • A balanced allocation of scarce internal resources in order to address the planning, management of strategic partnerships and relationships with suppliers, development and launch of a portfolio of products, and the proper attention to existing cus­ tomers' needs. Yet optimization of such dynamic variables is a difficult task, complicated by the hard reality that most new products are not market successes. Smart companies, however, learn as much as possible from each product development and launch activity, enabling them to eventually build a portfolio of offerings that will contain a few very successful products.
Transformational leadership in the context of organizational change

The importance of leadership to the change management process is underscored by the fact that change, by definition, requires creating a new system and then institutionalizing the new approaches. While change management depends on leadership to be enacted, to date there has been little integration of these two bodies of literature. Thus, the purpose of this article is to draw parallels between the change literature and the leadership literature; specifically, the transformational leadership literature that is primarily concerned with the capabilities required to enact change successfully. This is done by describing areas of convergence between the two literatures that point to the appropriateness of transformational leadership in enacting change. Finally, the papers in the special issue are previewed by identifying their underlying themes.
TV Viewing, Perceived Similarity, Coviewing, and Mental Well-Being Among African American, Latino, and White Children

Research among adults has demonstrated concurrent and prospective negative associations between TV viewing and mental health, yet little research has examined these associations among African American and Latino youth or examined the role of children’s involvement with TV and parental mediation of TV viewing via coviewing. The purpose of the present study is to examine associations between TV viewing, perceived similarity, and coviewing and mental well-being in African American, Latino, and White children. Results from Healthy Passages™, a study of 4,824 African American (30%), Latino (47%), and White (23%) fifth graders, indicated that TV viewing and perceived similarity were negatively associated with mental well-being among most groups of children, and coviewing was positively associated with mental well-being among Latinos. This study extends findings from adult research on media exposure and mental well-being into a diverse sample of fifth graders and illuminates the role of perceived similarity and ...
Plastic ball grid array (PBGA) overview

As integrated circuit functionality and clock speed continue to rise, innovative packaging approaches are in great demand. Recently, the plastic ball grid array (PBGA) technology has been gaining industry-wide interest and commitment as the potentially lowest-cost package for high-I/O devices and even for some lower-pincount applications. Drivers include the density advantages of an area array, quickly achieving six-sigma assembly yields with existing assembly equipment, the potential for excellent electrical and thermal performance, along with the traditional low cost of plastic packages. Because some perceived weaknesses are being eradicated, worldwide evaluation of the PBGA has accelerated. Although various aspects of this technology are discussed frequently, an overall assessment is still under development. In this paper, a systematic and comprehensive evaluation of PBGA technology will be described to identify (1) its technical advantages and limitations, (2) unique application areas where PBGA is the package of choice, and (3) current major hurdles for acceptance of PBGA and possible approaches to overcome these problems. The PBGA will be compared with PQFP, CQFP and CBGA in terms of package characteristics and their impact on system assembly. The characteristics include package attributes (i.e., package size, I/O counts and lead pitch), performance (i.e., electrical, thermal) and reliability (moisture). At the system level, solder joint fatigue, board routing, solder assembly yield, solder reparability and board delay are key metrics. The cost implication of various package families will be discussed. By analogy with SMT, the infrastructure for PBGA will take time to develop. The key elements and the current status of this infrastructure will be discussed.
Constructing next generation academic cloud services

NC State University (NCSU) is embarked on an ambitious vision to change the paradigm for higher education and research by ‘virtualising’ its award-winning Centennial Campus (creating so called vCentennial). Centennial Campus is a small city made up of NCSU research, teaching and outreach facilities, entrepreneurs, academic entities, private firms, and government agencies. NCSU wants the ability to replicate services and functionality of this physical environment and its virtual avatars ‘anywhere, anytime’ in the world using a cloud of clouds computing platform. The initial operating system for this platform is NCSU’s open source Virtual Computing Laboratory (VCL) technology. This paper provides an overview of the vision and discusses several vCentennial pilot projects.
A novel characterization technique for high speed I/O mixed signal circuit components using random jitter injection

Timing problems in high-speed serial communications are mitigated with phase-interpolator (PI) circuitry. Linearity testing of PI has been challenging, even though PI is widely used in modern high speed I/O architectures. Previous research has focused on implementing additional built-in circuits to measure PI linearity. In this paper, we present a cost effective PI linearity measurement technique which requires no significant modification of existing I/O circuits. Our method uses jitter distributions obtained from random jitter injected into the data channel. Two distributions are separately obtained using undersampling and sampling using PI. The proposed algorithm calculates the differential nonlinearity (DNL) from the difference of these distributions. Simulation results show that the average prediction RMS error for the DNL calculation is 0.31 LSB.
Effects of processing techniques on the forensic DNA analysis of human skeletal remains

Human remains processed by forensic anthropologists may potentially be used for genetic analysis. Therefore, the condition of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in processed remains may become an issue for future analysis. Processing techniques employed by anthropologists are highly variable and scanning electron microscopy reveals significant alterations to the bone surface depending upon the technique used. Such damage to the bone indicates differences may exist in quality and quantity of DNA extracted. This study assessed how five processing procedures used by major forensic anthropology laboratories around the country affects the amounts of DNA extracted from human rib bones and the subsequent DNA analysis. The DNA was analyzed using the short tandem repeat (STR) locus CSF1PO and amelogenin. The findings indicate processing procedures used by forensic anthropologists do not adversely affect DNA analysis but prolonged exposure to heat during processing may decrease the yield of information from the DNA.
The effects of skewness on optimal production and hedging decisions: An application of the skew-normal distribution

Assume that the spot price has a skew-normal distribution. This study investigates the effect of skewness on optimal production and hedging decisions. It is shown that skewness has no effect on the optimal production level but induces the firm to become more active in futures trading. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 30:278–289, 2010
Variation in modes of chemotherapy administration for breast carcinoma and association with hospitalization for chemotherapy-related toxicity.

BACKGROUND To the authors' knowledge, few studies to date have addressed the patterns of how chemotherapy was administered (administration modes) over time. In the current study, the goal of the authors was to describe how chemotherapy for breast carcinoma was administered and to determine whether chemotherapy administration modes were associated with toxicity in a community-based large cohort. METHODS The authors studied 5256 women who were diagnosed with breast carcinoma at age 65 years or older between 1992–1999 and received chemotherapy. The patients were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)Program–Medicare linked databases. Chemotherapy drugs and modes of administration were determined through procedure codes in Medicare claims. RESULTS Of the 5256 patients who received chemotherapy, 33% received it through an intravenous infusion for less than 1 hour; 39% through an intravenous infusion lasting 1–8 hours; 15% through an intravenous infusion lasting longer than 8 hours and requiring a pump; 12% through an intravenous push technique; and 1% through a subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intralesional injection. These modes varied substantially across the 11 SEER areas. The risks of hospitalization for chemotherapy-related toxicities (neutropenia, fever, thrombocytopenia, and adverse effects of systemic therapy) were not found to be significantly associated with different modes of chemotherapy after adjusting for other factors. Compared with patients receiving 5-flurouracil using an intravenous infusion for longer than 8 hours, the risk of toxicity was determined to be 0.96 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.63–1.47) for patients treated with an intravenous infusion lasting 1–8 hours; 0.94 (95% CI, 0.62–1.41) for patients treated with an intravenous infusion lasting less than 1 hour; and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.38–1.08) for patients treated with subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intralesional injection or an intravenous push technique. CONCLUSIONS There were substantial geographic variations noted in the modes of administering chemotherapy; however, these variations did not appear to be associated with the risk of toxicities (neutropenia, fever, thrombocytopenia, and adverse effects of systemic therapy). Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
The Q System: An Experiment in Software Standardization for Data Acquisition

The LAMPF standard data-acquisition software system Q has been developed by many people so that it currently represents about 10 man-years of effort. The Q system provides the modular software tools a physicist needs to set up a working data-acquisition system. The components of Q are a data-acquisition language, a histogram package, a display package, automatic taping of data, and a standard hardware interface. An overview of the Q system will be given along with a discussion of the basic philosophy of the approach taken in its development. Future developments will also be mentioned.
Ultrastructural analysis of the morphology and function of the spermatheca of the pulmonate snail, Sonorella santaritana.

The ultrastructure of the spermatheca of the reproductive tract in the pulmonate snail, Sonorella santaritana, was investigated. This organ has a debris-filled lumen and an outer wall which can be divided into three distinct layers. The cell layer adjacent to the lumen is comprised of two cell types, tall columnar epithelial cells with microvilli and cells lacking microvilli. The next layer also has two cell types, muscle cells and apparent pigment cells. The most distant layer is an adventitia of large glycogen-containing cells. The lumen of the spermatheca contains a core of partially digested sperm and related materials. The luminal contents and the cellular morphology of this organ suggest that the spermathecal functions are both digestive and absorptive. It is proposed that excess sperm and related materials are transported to the spermatheca, digested, and the usable products are reabsorbed.
Benthic marine pollution around McMurdo Station, Antarctica: A summary of findings

McMurdo Station is the United States Antarctic Research Program's (USARP) centre for scientific and logistical support for most of the continent and is the largest settlement in Antarctica. Over 30 years of human presence with shipping, air-transport, scientific, and municipal activities have resulted in severe but localized nearshore marine benthic pollution. This review will summarize the results of 3 years of research which has documented concentrations of chemical contaminants, changes in community patterns, and the toxicity of sediments to invertebrate species and infaunal communities. The primary contaminants are petroleum hydrocarbons in the sediments of Winter Quarters Bay, the site of shipping activities and a former dumpsite. Total hydrocarbon levels in sediments in Winter Quarters Bay were comparable to the most polluted harbours in temperate latitudes. However, a steep gradient of pollution existed: stations less than 1 km away were nearly pristine. Benthic invertebrate communities changed dramatically along this contamination gradient. The results of both field and laboratory bioassay experiments with contaminated sediments found that biological changes observed in benthic communities around McMurdo Station were most likely caused by hydrocarbons, PCBs, and PCTs. A primary goal of polar pollution research is to determine the response and tolerance of Antarctic biota to physical and chemical anthropogenic disturbance, and the mitigation of negative effects. To this end, future work should include continued monitoring of changes in chemical and community patterns, studies of the physiological responses of Antarctic invertebrates to chemical contamination, and further comparisons of anthropogenic and natural disturbances to benthic communities.
Sixteen-slice computed tomographic angiography is a reliable noninvasive screening test for clinically significant blunt cerebrovascular injuries.

Background:In light of their potential for devastating consequences, a liberalized screening approach for blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) is becoming increasingly accepted. The gold standard for diagnosis of BCVI is arteriography (ART), but noninvasive diagnostic alternatives offer clear advan
A Bayesian Sampling Approach to Regression Model Checking

A necessary step in any regression analysis is checking the fit of the model to the data. Graphical methods are often employed to allow visualization of features that the data should exhibit if the model holds. Judging whether such features are present or absent in any particular diagnostic plot can be problematic. In this article I take a Bayesian approach to aid in this task. The “unusualness” of some data with respect to a model can be assessed using the predictive distribution of the data under the model; an alternative is to use the posterior predictive distribution. Both approaches can be given a sampling interpretation that can then be used to enhance regression diagnostic plots such as marginal model plots.
Carcinoid tumors of the pancreas. Status report based on two cases and review of the world's literature.

Conclusion. The diagnosis of a pancreatic carcinoid should be based on the measurement of serotonin in serum or its demonstration in the tumor and/or by the measurement of its derivative (5-HIAA) in urine. Carcinoid of the pancreas is a rare but definite entity; usually having metastasized by the time of diagnosis. The term “serotonin-producing tumor of the pancreas” has been suggested as an alternative designation for “pancreatic carcinoid.” Background. The literature on carcinoid tumors of the pancreas is confusing because much of it preceded the development of the more specific immunological, chemical and staining techniques currently available. Methods. 43 case reports were collected from the world’s literature, based on a demonstrable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor plus a positive finding of at least one of the following without another dominant hormone being demonstrated: elevation of 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) (serotonin) in the serum or detected in tumor tissue, and/or elevation of 5-Hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) in the urine. In addition to these two hormone-specific assays, information was collected on the silver-staining properties of the tumor; properties which have traditionally been associated with carcinoid tumors. Positive silver staining in tumor cells (argyrophilic and/or argentaffin reaction) is strongly indicative of the carcinoid tumor but the findings are less specific than the hormone assays and immunohistologic stains. Results. In this review of 43 cases, including two current ones, the pancreatic carcinoid tumor has the following important features: Its growth characteristics may be related more to its cell of origin than to its extent of hormone secretion. Not all of the tumors result in recognizable hyperserotoninemia.
Nitrogen and potassium fertilization of potatoes: Evaluating nutrient element interactions in petioles with response surfaces

We studied the effects of fertilizer N and K rates on the nutrient concentrations in petioles of Russet Burbank potato grown on a low-K, low-Cl, highly calcareous Millville silt loam soil. Phosphate and CaSO4 were applied uniformly so that P and S did not limit plant growth. An incomplete factorial experimental design, utilizing 14 combinations of fertilizer N and K, including two forms of K, was used to develop a multi-dimensional regression model. This model was then used to produce response surfaces as an aid to analysis of the results and to illustrate the fertilizer treatment effects and their interactions on petiole chemistries. Nitrogen, K and Cl fertilizers had complex effects on petiole concentrations of NO3-N, SO4-S, Cl, K, Ca and Mg. Nitrate-N and Cl were mutually antagonistic. Soil N had a large positive effect on petiole K and Mg levels and, to a lesser extent, petiole Ca levels. There was competition between K and Mg in petiole concentration. The sum of K, Ca and Mg was essentially constant across fertilizer treatments and sampling times. The sum of NO3-N, SO4-S and Cl was highly variable. The ratio of cations to anions ranged between three and five across fertilizer treatments and sampling times. The data indicate that calibration of the major nutrient element concentrations in potato petioles, as a guide to fertilization, requires knowledge of background soil fertility conditions with respect to N, K, Cl, Ca and Mg, and an understanding of the antagonisms and synergisms among these elements.
MicroRNAs Regulate CYP3A4 Expression via Direct and Indirect Targeting

CYP3A4 metabolizes many drugs on the market. Although transcriptional regulation of CYP3A4 is known to be tightly controlled by some nuclear receptors (NR) including vitamin D receptor (VDR/NR1I1), posttranscriptional regulation of CYP3A4 remains elusive. In this study, we show that noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) may control posttranscriptional and transcriptional regulation of CYP3A4 by directly targeting the 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) of CYP3A4 and indirectly targeting the 3′UTR of VDR, respectively. Luciferase reporter assays showed that CYP3A4 3′UTR-luciferase activity was significantly decreased in human embryonic kidney 293 cells transfected with plasmid that expressed microRNA-27b (miR-27b) or mouse microRNA-298 (mmu-miR-298), whereas the activity was unchanged in cells transfected with plasmid that expressed microRNA-122a or microRNA-328. Disruption of the corresponding miRNA response element (MRE) within CYP3A4 3′UTR led to a 2- to 3-fold increase in luciferase activity. Immunoblot analyses indicated that CYP3A4 protein was down-regulated over 30% by miR-27b and mmu-miR-298 in LS-180 and PANC1 cells. The decrease in CYP3A4 protein expression was associated with significantly decreased CYP3A4 mRNA levels, as determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analyses. Likewise, interactions of miR-27b or mmu-miR-298 with VDR 3′UTR were supported by luciferase reporter assays. The mmu-miR-298 MRE site is well conserved within the 3′UTR of mouse, rat, and human VDR. Down-regulation of VDR by the two miRNAs was supported by immunoblot and qPCR analyses. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-27b or mmu-miR-298 in PANC1 cells led to a lower sensitivity to cyclophosphamide. Together, these findings suggest that CYP3A4 gene expression may be regulated by miRNAs at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional level.
ARD: an automated replication-deletion method for simulation analysis

ARD is an automated replication-deletion procedure for computing point and confidence interval (CI) estimators for the steady-state mean of a simulation-generated output process. The CI can have user-specified values for its absolute or relative precision and its coverage probability. To compensate for skewness in the truncated sample mean for each replication, the CI incorporates a skewness adjustment. With increasingly stringent precision requirements, ARD's sampling plan increases the run length and number of runs so as to minimize a weighted average of the mean squared errors of the following: (i) the grand mean of the truncated sample means for all runs; and (ii) the conventional replication-deletion estimator of the standard error of (i). We explain the operation of ARD, and we summarize an experimental performance evaluation of ARD. Although ARD's CIs closely conformed to given coverage and precision requirements, ARD generally required a larger computing budget than single-run procedures.
Mitochondrial Sirtuins as Therapeutic Targets for Age-Related Disorders

Sirtuins are a class of histone deacetylases that have a wide range of regulatory roles in the cell. Three sirtuins, SIRT3 to SIRT5, localize to and function within the mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to be the underlying mechanism of several age-related diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, cancer, and neurodegeneration. This review examines current evidence that mitochondrial sirtuins are involved in regulating mitochondrial function and pathogenesis.
A uniplanar compact photonic-bandgap (UC-PBG) structure and its applications for microwave circuit

This paper presents a novel photonic bandgap (PBG) structure for microwave integrated circuits. This new PBG structure is a two-dimensional square lattice with each element consisting of a metal pad and four connecting branches. Experimental results of a microstrip on a substrate with the PEG ground plane displays a broad stopband, as predicted by finite-difference time-domain simulations. Due to the slow-wave effect generated by this unique structure, the period of the PBG lattice is only 0.1/spl lambda//sub 0/ at the cutoff frequency, resulting in the most compact PEG lattice ever achieved. In the passband, the measured slow-wave factor (/spl beta//k/sub 0/) is 1.2-2.4 times higher and insertion loss is at the same level compared to a conventional 50-/spl Omega/ line. This uniplanar compact PBG (UC-PBG) structure can be built using standard planar fabrication techniques without any modification. Several application examples have also been demonstrated, including a nonleaky conductor-backed coplanar waveguide and a compact spurious-free bandpass filter. This UC-PBG structure should find wide applications for high-performance and compact circuit components in microwave and millimeter-wave integrated circuits.
Inhaled hydrogen sulfide improves graft function in an experimental model of lung transplantation.

Objectives Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common complication of lung transplantation (LTx). Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a novel agent previously shown to slow metabolism and scavenge reactive oxygen species, potentially mitigating IRI. We hypothesized that pretreatment with inhaled H2S would improve graft function in an ex vivo model of LTx. Methods Rabbits (n = 10) were ventilated for 2 h prior to heart-lung bloc procurement. The treatment group (n = 5) inhaled room air (21% O2) supplemented with 150 ppm H2S while the control group (n = 5) inhaled room air alone. Both groups were gradually cooled to 34°C. All heart-lung blocs were then recovered and cold-stored in low-potassium dextran solution for 18 h. Following storage, the blocs were reperfused with donor rabbit blood in an ex vivo apparatus. Serial clinical parameters were assessed and serial tissue biochemistry was examined. Results Prior to heart-lung bloc procurement, rabbits pretreated with H2S exhibited similar oxygenation (P = 0.1), ventilation (P = 0.7), and heart rate (P = 0.5); however, treated rabbits exhibited consistently higher mean arterial blood pressures (P = 0.01). During reperfusion, lungs pretreated with H2S had better oxygenation (P < 0.01) and ventilation (P = 0.02), as well as lower pulmonary artery pressures (P < 0.01). Reactive oxygen species levels were lower in treated lungs during reperfusion (P = 0.01). Additionally, prior to reperfusion, treated lungs demonstrated more preserved mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity (P = 0.01). Conclusions To our knowledge, this study represents the first reported therapeutic use of inhaled H2S in an experimental model of LTx. After prolonged ischemia, lungs pretreated with inhaled H2S exhibited improved graft function during reperfusion. Donor pretreatment with inhaled H2S represents a potentially novel adjunct to conventional preservation techniques and merits further exploration.
Virtual water transfers unlikely to redress inequality in global water use

The distribution of renewable freshwater resources between countries is highly unequal and 80% of humanity lives in regions where water security is threatened. The transfer of agricultural and industrial products to areas where water is limited through global trade may have potential for redressing water imbalances. These transfers represent ‘virtual water’ used in commodity production. We evaluated the current water-use inequality between countries and the potential of virtual water transfers to equalize water use among nations using multiple statistical measures of inequality. Overall, the actual use of renewable water resources is relatively equal even though the physical distribution of renewable water resources is highly unequal. Most inequality (76%) in water use is due to agricultural production and can be attributed to climate and arable land availability, not social development status. Virtual water use is highly unequal and is almost completely explained by social development status. Virtual water transfer is unlikely to increase water-use equality primarily because agricultural water use dominates national water needs and cannot be completely compensated by virtual water transfers.
A Unifying Information-Theoretic Framework for ICA

This chapter shows that different theories recently proposed for ICA lead to the same iterative learning algorithm for blind separation of mixed independent sources. Those theories are reviewed and it is suggested that information theory can be used to unify several lines of research.
Myelination of the corpus callosum in the cat: Time course, topography, and functional implications

The parameters of myelin development were ascertained in two specific regions of the corpus callosum in a series of cats aged 12 postnatal days through adult. The posteriormost portion of the splenium and the anterior-most portion of the genu were examined in cross section by using the electron microscope. Measurements were made to determine the age at which myelin first appeared, the number and distribution of myelinated fibers, the number and distribution of myelin lamellae, and cross-sectional area of ensheathed axons during development. The results indicate that myelination begins and ends earlier in the anterior region of the callosum. Measurements of myelin lamellae indicate similarities between anterior and posterior regions of the callosum, although development occurs earlier in the genu than in the splenium. No evidence was found for a sequence in the size of axons acquiring myelin sheaths, except that extremely small fibers are the last to begin myelinating. Myelination of the splenium of the corpus callosum begins at the very end of the behavioral and physiological critical period for the corpus callosum's role in visual functional development (Elberger: Behav. Brain Res. 11:223-231, '84; Elberger and Smith: Exp. Brain Res. 57:213-223, '85). Since myelination of a pathway is used as an index of functional reliability, this indicates that the basis for the callosal role in developing visual functions is probably not based on its physiological input to visual cortex.
Specialty Schools as a Tool for Sorting and Segregating Students: An Alternative System that Embraces Broad Diversity

This paper identifies the disconnect between primary and secondary specialized curriculum schools and the states compelling interest in diversity in education. It examines the segregating result of these schools and the harmful effect it has on students and the community as a whole. It then analyzes diversity and establishes a broader definition that more accurately represents the Courts stated interest and allows for the true benefits of diversity to be realized. The paper goes on to show that these curriculum specific schools are in direct conflict with this interest and are depriving students and society of the benefits of diversity by not exposing children to diverse peers and curriculum at an early age. Finally this paper provides a solution that allows students to receive specialized curriculum while actually increasing the level of diversity to which they are exposed.
Behavior analysis and behavioral ecology: A synergistic coupling

Recent trends in behavioral ecology and behavior analysis suggest that the two disciplines complement one another, underscoring the desirability of an integrated approach to behavior. Three examples from the foraging literature illustrate the potential value of an interdisciplinary approach. For example, a model of natural selection for foraging efficiency—optimal foraging theory—makes several predictions consistent with an hypothesis of a more proximate phenomenon, the reduction in delay to primary reinforcement. Not only are the ecological and behavior analytic approaches to behavior complementary, but each may provide insights into the operation of controlling variables in situations usually thought of as being the other’s domain.
Nonstructural Protein NP1 of Human Bocavirus 1 Plays a Critical Role in the Expression of Viral Capsid Proteins

UNLABELLED A novel chimeric parvoviral vector, rAAV2/HBoV1, in which the recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (rAAV2) genome is pseudopackaged by the human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) capsid, has been shown to be highly efficient in gene delivery to human airway epithelia (Z. Yan et al., Mol Ther 21:2181-2194, 2013,http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/mt.2013.92). In this vector production system, we used an HBoV1 packaging plasmid, pHBoV1NSCap, that harbors HBoV1 nonstructural protein (NS) and capsid protein (Cap) genes. In order to simplify this packaging plasmid, we investigated the involvement of the HBoV1 NS proteins in capsid protein expression. We found that NP1, a small NS protein encoded by the middle open reading frame, is required for the expression of the viral capsid proteins (VP1, VP2, and VP3). We also found that the other NS proteins (NS1, NS2, NS3, and NS4) are not required for the expression of VP proteins. We performed systematic analyses of the HBoV1 mRNAs transcribed from the pHBoV1NSCap packaging plasmid and its derivatives in HEK 293 cells. Mechanistically, we found that NP1 is required for both the splicing and the read-through of the proximal polyadenylation site of the HBoV1 precursor mRNA, essential functions for the maturation of capsid protein-encoding mRNA. Thus, our study provides a unique example of how a small viral nonstructural protein facilitates the multifaceted regulation of capsid gene expression. IMPORTANCE A novel chimeric parvoviral vector, rAAV2/HBoV1, expressing a full-length cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, is capable of correcting CFTR-dependent chloride transport in cystic fibrosis human airway epithelium. Previously, an HBoV1 nonstructural and capsid protein-expressing plasmid, pHBoV1NSCap, was used to package the rAAV2/HBoV1 vector, but yields remained low. In this study, we demonstrated that the nonstructural protein NP1 is required for the expression of capsid proteins. However, we found that the other four nonstructural proteins (NS1 to -4) are not required for expression of capsid proteins. By mutating theciselements that function as internal polyadenylation signals in the capsid protein-expressing mRNA, we constructed a simple HBoV1 capsid protein-expressing gene that expresses capsid proteins as efficiently as pHBoV1NSCap does, and at similar ratios, but independently of NP1. Our study provides a foundation to develop a better packaging system for rAAV2/HBoV1 vector production.
Understanding Wind Turbine Interactions Using Spatiotemporal Pattern Network

This paper presents a data-driven modeling framework to understand spatiotemporal interactions among wind turbines in a large scale wind energy farm. A recently developed probabilistic graphical modeling scheme, namely the spatiotemporal pattern network (STPN) is used to capture individual turbine characteristics as well as pair-wise causal dependencies. The causal dependency is quantified by a mutual information based metric and it has been shown that it efficiently and correctly captures both temporal and spatial characteristics of wind turbines. The causal interaction models are also used for predicting wind power production by one wind turbine using observations from another turbine. The proposed tools are validated using the Western Wind Integration data set from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).Copyright © 2015 by ASME
EFFICACY PROFILE OF IVABRADINE IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE PLUS ANGINA PECTORIS

Objectives: In the Systolic Heart Failure Treatment with the If Inhibitor Ivabradine Trial (SHIFT), slowing of the heart rate with ivabradine reduced cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalizations among patients with systolic chronic heart failure (CHF). Subsequently, in the Study Assessing the Morbidity-Mortality Benefits of the If Inhibitor Ivabradine in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease (SIGNIFY) slowing of the heart rate in patients without CHF provided no benefit for cardiovascular death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (primary composite end point), with secondary analyses suggesting possible harm in the angina subgroup. Therefore, we examined the impact of ivabradine in the patients with CHF plus angina in SHIFT. Methods: SHIFT enrolled adults with stable, symptomatic CHF, a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and a sinus rhythm with a resting heart rate ≥70 bpm. Outcomes were the SHIFT and SIGNIFY primary composite end points and their components. Results: Of 6,505 patients in SHIFT, 2,220 (34%) reported angina at randomization. Ivabradine numerically, but not significantly, reduced the SIGNIFY primary composite end point by 8, 11 and 11% in the SHIFT angina subgroup, nonangina subgroup and overall population, respectively. Ivabradine also reduced the SHIFT primary composite end point in all 3 subgroups. Conclusions: In SHIFT, ivabradine showed consistent reduction of cardiovascular outcomes in patients with CHF; similar results were seen in the subgroup of SHIFT patients with angina.