cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of thyroid transcription factor-1 and other markers in sclerosing hemangioma of the lung.

Abstract Context.—Sclerosing hemangioma of the lung is well characterized histologically, but the line of differentiation expressed by the tumor cells has been unclear. Despite the implication by its name of a vascular neoplasm, sclerosing hemangioma is considered by most authorities to be an epithelial tumor, possibly related to the pulmonary epithelium. Objectives.—To determine the line of differentiation of the tumor cells with immunohistochemistry and to review the related literature. Design.—Nine cases of histologically typical pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma were studied with pan-epithelial (epithelial membrane antigen [EMA] and CAM 5.2), endothelial (CD31), neuroendocrine (chromogranin A), and pulmonary epithelial markers (thyroid transcription factor-1 and PE10). Staining intensity was separately evaluated in the pale cells of the solid areas and the cells lining the papillary structures. Results.—Both cell types were positive for thyroid transcription factor-1 and EMA in all cases (100%). Thyroid...
Accelerator Sources of High Energy Cosmic Neutrinos

Abstract This paper reviews some topics of current interest concerning observations of atmospheric neutrinos and searches for high energy neutrinos of extraterrestrial origin.
Evaluation of an epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies to influenza A virus in domestic and wild avian and mammalian species

An epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) was developed for the detection of antibodies to influenza A virus in taxonomically diverse domestic and wild vertebrate species. In contrast to the bELISAs published previously that require reagent production, manipulation by the end-user, or have not been evaluated for use with both mammalian and avian species, this assay is performed using commercially available recombinant nucleoprotein antigen and corresponding nucleoprotein-specific monoclonal antibody and has been shown to work with multiple avian and mammalian species. The efficacy of the bELISA as a serum screening assay was compared to the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) assay using 251 serum samples obtained from experimentally infected mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and raccoons (Procyon lotor). The concordance between the AGID assay and bELISA was 94.1% (95% CI = 89.9, 98.3) for raccoons, and 71.2% (95% CI = 63.5, 78.9) for mallards and 82.8% (95% CI = 78.2, 87.3) overall. The bELISA was more sensitive than the AGID assay as demonstrated by the detection of antibodies to influenza A virus at earlier time points in experimental infection studies and at higher serial dilutions. The efficacy of the bELISA to monitor natural influenza A virus exposure was also compared to the AGID assay using an additional 745 serum samples from six avian species and six mammalian species. This bELISA provides a rapid, reliable, and inexpensive technique for large-scale surveillance of influenza A virus exposure in taxonomically diverse vertebrate species. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Bossnet: an all-optical long haul networking testbed

Bossnet (Boston South Network) is an optical networking testbed developed for the purposes of expanding knowledge about long haul communication using fiber optic transmission technology, and for demonstrating futuristic applications that demand very high bandwidths. Bossnet is the creation of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lincoln Laboratory, and Qwest Communications. The network became active in December of 1999 and is planned to remain operational through December 2003. This paper describes the infrastructure, reviews our initial experiments, and gives an overview of our plans.
Fundamental limits on synchronization of affine clocks in networks

We present some impossibility as well as feasibility results on clock synchronization in wireline or wireless networks. We consider a network of n nodes with affine clocks, where one node is taken as a reference, and each other node's clock is described by a skew (relative speedup with respect to the reference clock), and an offset (say) at time 0 with respect to the reference clock. In order to establish impossibility results, we allow for noiseless communication of messages that may contain any information that the transmitting node knows about current or past packets that the node has sent or received. The synchronization problem consists of estimating all the unknown parameters, skews and offsets of all the clocks, as well as the delays of all the communication links. We show that, in general, estimation of all unknown parameters is impossible. We show that all nodal skews, as well as all round trip delays between every pair of nodes, can be estimated correctly. However, the unknown link delays and clock offsets can only be determined up to an (n - 1)-dimensional subspace. Each degree of freedom in this subspace corresponds exactly to the offset of one of the n-1 clocks with respect to the reference node's clock. On the positive side, we show that every transmitting node can predict precisely the time indicated by the receiver's clock at the instant it receives the packet. If we further invoke causality, i.e., that packets cannot be received before they are transmitted, the uncertainty set above can be reduced to a compact polyhedron in Rn-1, which we describe analytically. We also consider a specific model for delays as the sum of a transmitter-dependent delay, a receiver-dependent delay and a propagation delay where the latter is known. We identify conditions on the transmission and reception delays, for which estimation admits a unique solution.
Impact of search engine ownership on underlying market for goods and services

Search engines are an important part of electronic commerce as they are the most common tools used by buyers and sellers alike. Search engine owners can determine the set of products/firms listed, the order of appearance in the search list and other policies that affect the value of the search engine to the buyers and sellers. Correspondingly, the entity that owns the search engine has special market power that affects the underlying market for goods and services over which the search engine operates. We consider a number of models of the market as a differentiated goods oligopoly in which the search engine is owned by different entities: a monopolist information provider, a producer, a consortium of buyers, and a benign social welfare maximizer. We show that a producer would prefer to have its competitor own the search engine rather than have an information monopolist own the engine. We also show that under some circumstances, a monopolist search engine owner may increase the social welfare.
Magnetic resonance angiography in progressive renal failure: A technology assessment

The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) imaging for renal artery stenosis (RAS) in people with progressive renal failure (PRF). We created a simulation model to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness of MRA screening in PRF compared with the fallback strategy of not screening. Costs, probabilities, and utilities were estimated from the literature and from institutional data. A three-state Markov model was used to simulate the progression from PRF to end-stage renal disease and death. In our baseline analysis, assuming a sensitivity of 0.85 and a specificity of 0.8 of MRA for RAS, we obtained an incremental cost-effectiveness of MRA screening compared with no screening of $2,214 per quality-adjusted life year saved, which is less than many commonly performed procedures. Under our baseline assumptions, if the receiver-operating characteristic curve of MRA for RAS is better than the chance curve, then MRA screening would be cost-effective. The analysis was most sensitive to assumptions about renal function after correction of RAS and prevalence of RAS, although the results show that MRA remains cost-effective for reasonable ranges of these assumptions. The use of MRA in PRF would be a worthwhile investment of resources in comparison with many currently funded procedures. The expense and morbidity associated with end-stage renal disease make any reasonable way of delaying or preventing the disease worth examining in detail.
A brief history of the development of wind-profiling or MST radars

The history of the development of the wind-profiling or MST radar technique is reviewed from its inception in the late 1960s to the present. Extensions of the technique by the development of boundary-layer radars and the radio-acoustic sounding system (RASS) technique to measure temperature are documented. Applications are described briefly, particularly practical applications to weather forecasting, with data from networks of radars, and scientific applications to the study of rapidly varying atmospheric phenomena such as gravity waves and turbulence.
Variability of sector averaged signals for UHF propagation in cities

The theoretical model proposed by D.O. Reudink (1974) for the range dependence of UHF propagation over cities so as to predict the statistical properties of the sector-averaged signal is extended. It is shown that the observed distribution of sector averages can be explained by two features of the urban environment, the first of which is the presence of variations of building height. The second feature consists of differences in building construction and design, and the presence of foliage. These sources of variation are independent and act in cascade, so that the received signal is a product of the corresponding coefficients. The cascading of these two randomly distributed coefficients leads to a distribution of signal levels that is close to log-normal and that has a 5 to 95% variability near to measured values. >
Promoting Breastfeeding Among Obese Women and Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Breastfeeding has many health benefits for women and their babies, but particularly if the woman is obese and/or had a pregnancy affected with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Women who have had GDM are at high risk for developing metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes, and their offspring are at greater risk for these metabolic disorders both in childhood and later in adulthood. There is considerable evidence that breastfeeding may attenuate these risks. The aim of this article is to present the most recent evidence on what is known about how breastfeeding can mitigate the adverse metabolic effects of obesity and GDM on both mother and child, and describe best practices that can support and sustain breastfeeding, particularly in racial/ethnic communities at risk.
Radial variation of compressional and shear velocities in the Earth's lower mantle

Summary. This paper extends an earlier study (Sengupta & Julian) of travel times of P waves of deep-focus earthquakes to include shear waves. Primary advantage of deep-focus earthquakes is the reduction of anomalies caused by complex structures near the source. The standard deviations of travel times and station anomalies of this study are about half as large as those determined from the data of shallow-focus earthquakes (e.g. Herrin et al.; Hales & Roberts). Spherically-symmetric velocity models derived from the travel times by a linearized inverse technique have resolving lengths of about 70 km for standard errors in velocity of about 0.02 km/s. No pronounced reversal of either compressional or shear velocity was required at the base of the mantle to satisfy the data, though a small velocity decrease could not be entirely ruled out. Some anomalous rapid changes in compressional velocity gradient were, however, found centred around the depths of 2400 and 2600 km. The models derived in this study agree most closely with that of Herrin et al. for compressional velocity and the model 1066B of Gilbert & Dziewonski for shear velocity.
Reliability of Nano-Structured Nickel Interconnections Replacing FlipChip Solder Assembly without Underfill

This paper reports the reliability of fine pitch interconnections using nano-structured nickel as the primary interconnection material. Assembly was accomplished with different bonding methods to provide organic compatible low-temperature fabrication. Au-Sn and Sn-Cu were used for solder-based assembly of nanonickel interconnections. Low modulus conductive adhesives impart lower stresses in the interconnections and enhance reliability though they add electrical parasitics. These were used as an alternate bonding route and compared to solders. Test vehicles were fabricated at 200 micron pitch to evaluate the reliability with different bonding routes. Different CTE substrates - FR4 with 18 ppm/C, advanced organic boards with 10 ppm/C, novel low CTE (3 ppm/C) substrates based on carbon-silicon carbide (C-SiC) were evaluated. No underfilling was used in all the test vehicles evaluated in this study. High frequency electrical characterization was performed to compare the electrical parasitics from different bonding routes. Nanometal bumps bonded with conductive adhesives showed the highest reliability withstanding 1500 cycles. This technology can be easily downscaled to submicron and nanoscale unlike the current solder technologies leading to true nanointerconnections.
Expertise-Based Intuition and Decision Making in Organizations:

There has been a growing popular fascination with how experts make rapid and effective decisions. This interest has been paralleled in various scientific research communities. Across these disciplinary boundaries, researchers have found that intuition plays a critical role in expert decision making. Therefore, an understanding of how experts develop and use intuition effectively within organizations has the potential to greatly influence organizational practices and effectiveness. The purpose of this review is to integrate the extant literature related to expertise-based intuition—intuition rooted in extensive experience within a specific domain—in decision making. To that end, this review addresses four specific goals. First, the authors review the scientific literature on expertise and intuition to define expertise-based intuition, the type of intuition of most value to organizations. Second, the authors propose a set of descriptive developmental and performance mechanisms of expertise-based intuition i...
Road trajectory mining and autonomous steering control for vision-based unmanned vehicles

Autonomous steering control is the principal task in the development of an intelligent transportation system. This research paper proposes a novel approach for vision based intelligent control of unmanned vehicles. The paper addresses the problems of accurate and efficient intelligent vehicle control by incorporating a well known evolutionary algorithm cAnt-Miner. The uniqueness of the proposed algorithm lies in its ability to accurately steer the vehicle on structured and unstructured roads in real-time, without requiring meticulous calculation. The algorithm first uses the road edges to evaluate the direction of the path through classification via cAnt-Miner. Subsequently, it steers the vehicle according to the particular direction using fuzzy logic controller. The synergy of the evolutionary algorithm, cAnt-Miner, for trajectory mining with fuzzy logic control enables autonomous steering with high efficacy. Experiments were carried out on our university's Intelligent DRIving System (IDRIS). Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can steer the car automatically in real-time.
Load Transfer Characteristics of Precast Portland Cement Concrete Panels for Airfield Pavement Repairs

Portland cement concrete pavement repair technologies using precast portland cement concrete panels have been investigated for decades and recently have gained acceptance and increased use in the United States for highway pavements but have had only limited use for airfields. The recent field testing of a new airfield precast panel repair system indicated that precast panels were suitable for expedient airfield pavement repairs; the panels could withstand between 5,000 and 10,000 passes of C-17 aircraft traffic. Failure of the panels was due to spalling of the transverse doweled joints. The purpose of this study was to determine the load transfer effectiveness, or load transfer efficiencies (LTEs), of the panel repairs. A heavy weight deflectometer was used to collect deflection data before, during, and after trafficking to calculate precast panel LTE on the basis of deflections (LTEδ) or transferred stresses (LT). The LTE values were then evaluated to determine whether current measures of effectiveness w...
Combined hip arthroscopy and limited open osteochondroplasty for anterior femoroacetabular impingement.

Background: A variety of surgical techniques have been introduced for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement, but clinical outcome studies of less-invasive treatment with a minimum duration of follow-up of two years are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early clinical and radiographic outcomes of combined hip arthroscopy and limited open osteochondroplasty of the femoral head-neck junction for the treatment of cam femoroacetabular impingement. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of our first thirty-five patients (thirty-five hips) in whom cam femoroacetabular impingement had been treated with combined hip arthroscopy and limited open osteochondroplasty. Thirtyfive patients (twenty-eight men and seven women) with an average age of thirty-four years and a minimum duration of
Control of Melanoblast Differentiation in Amphibia by α‐Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone, a Serum Melanization Factor, and a Melanization Inhibiting Factor

A ventrally localized melanization inhibiting factor (MIF) has been suggested to play an important role in the establishment of the dorsal-ventral pigment pattern in Xenopus laevis [Fukuzawa and Ide:Dev. Biol., 129:25-36, 1988]. To examine the possibility that melanoblast expression might be controlled by local putative MIF and melanogenic factors, the effects of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), a serum melanization factor (SMF) from X. laevis or Rana pipiens, and MIF on the "outgrowth" and "melanization" of Xenopus neural crest cells were studied. Outgrowth represents the number of neural crest cells emigrating from cultured neural tubes, and melanization concerns the percentage of differentiated melanophores among the emigrated cells. MSH or SMF stimulate both outgrowth and melanization. The melanogenic effect of Xenopus serum in this system is more than twice that of Rana serum. The actions of MSH and Xenopus serum on melanization seem to be different: 1) Stronger melanization is induced by Xenopus serum than by MSH, and the onset of melanization occurs earlier with Xenopus serum; 2) MSH stimulates melanization only in the presence of added tyrosine; and 3) MSH causes young melanophores to assume a prominent state of melanophore dispersion during culture, while Xenopus serum (10%) had only a slight dispersing effect and not until day 3. A fraction of Xenopus serum presumably containing molecules of a smaller molecular weight (MW less than 30 kDa) than that of a pigment promoting factor reported in calf serum [Jerdan et al.: J. Cell Biol., 100:1493-1498, 1985] produces the same remarkable melanogenic effects as does intact serum. While this fraction stimulates outgrowth, another fraction presumably containing larger molecules (MW greater than 100 kDa) does not. MIF contained in Xenopus ventral skin conditioned medium (VCM) inhibits both outgrowth and melanization dose dependently. When VCM is used in combination with MSH, the stimulating effects of MSH on both outgrowth and melanization are completely inhibited. In contrast, the stimulatory effects of Xenopus serum are not completely inhibited when combined with VCM, although melanization is reduced to approximately 40% that of controls. MIF activity was also found to be present in ventral, but not in dorsal, skin conditioned media of R. pipiens when tested in the Xenopus neural crest system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A low-complexity multi-target tracking algorithm in urban environments using sparse modeling

We propose a novel sparsity-based algorithm for multiple-target tracking in a time-varying multipath environment. We develop a sparse measurement model for the received signal, by considering a finite dimensional representation of the time-varying system function which characterizes the transmission channel. The measurement model allows us to exploit the joint delay-Doppler diversity offered by the environment. We reformulate the problem of multiple-target tracking as a block support recovery problem and we derive an upper bound on the overall error probability of wrongly identifying the support of the sparse signal. Using this bound, we prove that spread-spectrum waveforms are ideal candidates for signaling. We also prove that under spread-spectrum signaling, the dictionary of the sparse measurement model exhibits a special structure. We exploit this structure to develop a computationally inexpensive support recovery algorithm by projecting the received signal on to the row space of the dictionary. Numerical simulations show that tracking using proposed algorithm for support recovery performs better when compared to tracking using other sparse reconstruction algorithms and tracking using a particle filter. The proposed algorithm takes significantly less time when compared to the time taken by other methods.
Increasing IC Manufacturing Productivity Using A DVI-based Performance Support System

This article describes how ithe Fab 9 DVI@' (Digital Video Interactive) Development Team designed, developed, and implemented Intel's first in-house :application of the DVI technology as a performance support aind information delivery system. After defining interactive multimedia, the article presents a brief overview of the DVI technology, followed by a description of the core personnel involved in the project. Presented next are the purpose and objectives of the pilot application, and the results of a study we conducted indicating that we increased manufacturing productivity. A detailed description follows of the application content, as well as the critical planning and pre-production activities we implemented. Finally, the article discusses user interface design considerations; and recommends specific and critical areas for the future alpplication and study of DVI-based performance support systems and simulators within the integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing industry. The Appendix lists the hardware and software used to develop the application.
Lysis of staphylococcal mastitis pathogens by bacteriophage phi11 endolysin

The Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage phi11 endolysin has two peptidoglycan hydrolase domains (endopeptidase and amidase) and an SH3b cell wall-binding domain. In turbidity reduction assays, the purified protein can lyse untreated staphylococcal mastitis pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (Staphylococcus chronogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus hyicus, Staphylococcus simulans, Staphylococcus warneri and Staphylococcus xylosus), making it a strong candidate protein antimicrobial. This lytic activity is maintained at the pH (6.7), and the "free" calcium concentration (3 mM) of milk. Truncated endolysin-derived proteins containing only the endopeptidase domain also lyse staphylococci in the absence of the SH3b-binding domain.
Quantum Yang-Mills Theory on Compact Surfaces

We describe the construction of the Yang-Mills measure for the (Euclidean) quantum theory of gauge fields associated to a bundle over a compact surface. This measure is obtained from the product of a Gaussian measure and a Haar measure by means of a conditioning process which encodes the topology of the bundle. We then describe expectation values of important random variables (‘Wilson loops variables’) associated to systems of loops on the surface. We also discuss results relating to the limit of the Yang-Mills measure as an associated parameter goes to zero, and the symplectic nature, in certain situations, of the set of minima of the Yang-Mills functional.
Exertional Heat Illnesses and Environmental Conditions During High School Football Practices

Background:Guidelines for preventing exertional heat illnesses (EHIs) during extreme heat stress should be specific to regional environments, age, and sport and should be based on evidence of reducing the risk. Each year in the United States, over 1 million high school football players practice in the August heat; however, no published data describe the incidence of EHIs in these athletes.Purpose:To describe the environmental conditions and incidence of EHIs during high school football practices over a 3-month period.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:For a 3-month period (August-October), athletic trainers at 12 high schools in North Central Florida recorded the practice time and length, environmental conditions (wet-bulb globe temperature), and incidences of EHIs in varsity football athletes.Results:Athletes suffered 57 total EHIs during 29,759 athlete-exposures (AEs) for the 3-month data collection period (rate = 1.92/1000 AEs). August accounted for the majority of all EHIs, with 82.5%...
Payouts for Rainouts - Weather Derivatives and Sporting Events

The research presents an overview of derivatives and progresses to the concept of weather derivatives, specifically in the use of weather derivatives to hedge losses in revenue with respect to baseball stadium attendance because of the climate changes. We observed four cities for an eleven year period on the basis of heating degree days, cooling degree days, and daily precipitation as weather factors. Furthermore attendance and daily record of the team are the franchise factors observed. The obtained results are unable to create a conclusive result for any single weather factor that covers all franchises due the considerable variations in weather and fan support from franchise to franchise. The lack of a conclusive result doesn’t stipulate a lack of correlation, but in effect, leads us to conclude that each franchise is an unique enough scenario that an individual assessment of each franchise needs to be made to make the necessary conclusions on how the climate can affect the attendance.
In pursuit of resilience: stress, epigenetics, and brain plasticity

The brain is the central organ for adaptation to experiences, including stressors, which are capable of changing brain architecture as well as altering systemic function through neuroendocrine, autonomic, immune, and metabolic systems. Because the brain is the master regulator of these systems, as well as of behavior, alterations in brain function by chronic stress can have direct and indirect effects on cumulative allostatic overload, which refers to the cost of adaptation. There is much new knowledge on the neural control of systemic physiology and the feedback actions of physiologic mediators on brain regions regulating higher cognitive function, emotional regulation, and self-regulation. The healthy brain has a considerable capacity for resilience, based upon its ability to respond to interventions designed to open "windows of plasticity" and redirect its function toward better health. As a result, plasticity-facilitating treatments should be given within the framework of a positive behavioral intervention; negative experiences during this window may even make matters worse. Indeed, there are no magic bullets and drugs cannot substitute for targeted interventions that help an individual become resilient, of which mindfulness-based stress reduction and meditation are emerging as useful tools.
Abstract P5-08-48: Vitamin D deficiency in various breast cancer subtypes and its impact on response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in operable breast cancer

Introduction: Pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is associated with improved long-term outcomes. Vitamin D (VD) deficiency has been associated with carcinogenesis as well as poorer outcomes in breast cancer (bc) particularly in luminal-type bc. In addition, replacement of VD during adjuvant chemotherapy was found to improve disease-free survival. However, VD deficiency was not associated with pCR following NAC in one series which included patients (pts) with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) negative bc only. We report the relationship between VD deficiency and pCR in a cohort that includes all bc subtypes and report how VD deficiency varied by clinical and pathologic parameters. Methods: Patients (pts) prospectively enrolled in the University of Iowa Breast Molecular Epidemiologic Resource between 2010-14 with invasive bc, receiving at least one cycle of NAC, and who had serum collected at enrollment or during NAC were eligible. VD deficiency was defined as 25 kg/m2). To investigate the relationship between VD, clinical parameters, and NAC outcomes, chi-square, Fisher9s exact, and t-tests were used. Results: 73 pts were eligible. 52 (71%) pts had Stage I-II bc. All pts received a combination of taxanes with other agents (Cytoxan, 5FU, Carboplatin, Gemcitabine) with or without an anthracycline or anti-HER 2 therapy. 62/73 (85%) received an anthracycline. 65/73 (89%) received at least 75% of intended NAC. pCR was achieved in 25/73 (34%) pts. VD deficiency was found in 17/73 (23%) pts and was more frequent among overweight-obese pts (Table 1). VD deficiency occurred significantly more often in estrogen receptor (ER)+/progesterone receptor (PR)+/HER2- and ER+ or PR+ bc but not in HER2+ bc. Results suggest VD deficient pts may be at increased odds of not achieving a pCR (OR=3.02, p=0.10). In this cohort, VD deficient pts were at increased odds of having residual disease in the breast (OR=3.76, p=0.05), but not in the nodes (OR=1.43, p=0.53), (Table 2). Conclusion: Being overweight-obese was associated with VD deficiency and may warrant screening in this group. VD deficiency was significantly associated with ER+/PR+/HER2-bc and ER+ or PR+ disease. Notably, these pts are candidates for bone-injuring anti-estrogen agents as part of their overall course of therapy. VD deficiency was not significantly associated with pCR after NAC though a trend was suggested. Citation Format: Raman R, Link BK, Mott SL, Schroeder MC, Thomas A. Vitamin D deficiency in various breast cancer subtypes and its impact on response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in operable breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Eighth Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2015 Dec 8-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-48.
Cognitive Behavioral Mobile Applications: Clinical Studies, Marketplace Overview, and Research Agenda

Abstract Objective To review the current literature for evidence regarding the feasibility and efficacy of smartphone-based cognitive-behavioral intervention mobile applications, compare such to the number of applications on the commercial marketplaces, and explore potential steps forward for research in the field. Methods A literature search was conducted for papers published before February 2015 featuring quantitative results on clinical outcomes regarding the use of a smartphone for cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, behavioral activation, and acceptance and commitment therapy. A search for the number of related applications available to consumers on the Apple and Google Play commercial marketplaces was also conducted. Results Nine studies, described in 11 articles, were identified that featured the use of smartphones in cognitive-behavioral interventions. The majority of studies presented pilot results suggesting the potential feasibility/efficacy of such apps. Four hundred and forty-seven related applications were found to be available on the commercial marketplaces. Conclusions The research base for smartphone-based cognitive-behavioral intervention mobile applications is preliminary at this point although results are encouraging. There is a discrepancy between the published literature and commercial applications available to consumers. We suggest potential steps forward in research to advance clinical use and research on this topic.
Prognosis of Asymptomatic Urolithiasis

Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a cost-effective approach to the management of symptomatic urolithiasis. Many patients with asymptomatic renal stones wish to have prophyactic destruction of these stones by ESWL. However, there are no good data on the prognosis of asymptomatic urolithiasis nor are there any clinical trial data comparing the alternative strategies of early prophylactic ESWL to later ESWL as indicated by symptoms. The prognosis of asymptomatic urolithiasis is described in this study.
How Cell Division Facilitates Nuclear Reprogramming

The generation of animals from somatic cells by nuclear transfer has taught us that cellular differentiation is reversible and not caused by permanent changes to the genome. Rather, the same genetic information is used to establish different gene expression states and thereby cell types with different physiological functions. Experimental manipulations of gene expression states by nuclear transplantation can provide insights into how cells alter or stably maintain a particular state. An important determinant of the successful transition from a somatic to an embryonic state is the cell cycle stage of oocytes or zygotes at the time of somatic cell nuclear transfer. At interphase, the factors constituting the gene expression program in oocytes or zygotes are associated with chromatin, while in mitosis they localize to the cytoplasm. This physical separation of the genetic information from the major determinants that regulate its expression allows the exchange of the embryonic with a somatic genome, while retaining an embryonic gene expression program. However, embryonic factors can only mediate an efficient transition from somatic to embryonic gene expression if the somatic nucleus is remodeled during cell division and reformed as a nucleus of embryonic morphology at the first interphase after transfer. This suggests that nuclear structure and gene expression are functionally interdependent and require coordinated establishment in a cell type-specific manner during the exit from meiosis or mitosis.
Entomologic and demographic correlates of anti-tick saliva antibody in a prospective study of tick bite subjects in Westchester County, New York.

We measured anti-tick saliva antibody (ATSA) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using whole sonicated Ixodes dammini salivary glands as antigen in subjects with 1) a recent and confirmed I. dammini (n = 100) or Dermacentor variabilis bite (n = 3), 2) erythema migrans (n = 15), 3) late-stage Lyme disease (n = 4), and 4) normal controls without a history of tick bites (n = 5). Tick bite subjects had three ATSA determinations over approximately six weeks. On the first ATSA measurement at a mean +/- SD of 18.5 +/- 19.8 hr after removal of the tick, the subjects bitten by I. dammini had a mean ATSA optical density value (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 0.264 (0.223, 0.305); the corresponding value in controls was 0.142 (0.115, 0.169). There was no consistent change in ATSA levels in individuals with time. Multiple linear regression indicated that tick engorgement (P males; P = 0.03) were all independent predictors of ATSA levels. Logistic regression revealed that a bite by I. dammini that became engorged (defined as an engorgement index > or = 3.4) was a risk factor for ATSA seropositivity (odds ratio [95% CI] = 6.2 [1.7, 21.8]). Finally, the ATSA test had a sensitivity of 0.81 and a specificity of 0.56 for a bite by I. dammini that became engorged. Overall, the data are further evidence that ATSA is a biologic marker of tick exposure, in that the engorgement index, a surrogate for tick saliva dose, was the strongest independent predictor of antibody response.
Effects of Whole Egg Consumption on Vitamin E Absorption from Co-Consumed, Mixed-Vegetable Salad

The daily usual intake of vitamin E (VIT E) in nearly 90% of the US population is lower than the estimated average requirement. In addition to promoting increased VIT E intake, dietary approaches t...
Dignity, Wisdom, and Tomorrow's Ethical Business Leader

This article examines the role wisdom and dignity play in developing ethical business leaders, or what we call shamanic leaders, for the twenty-first century. We define wisdom as the integration of moral imagination (the good), systems understanding (the true), and aesthetic sensibility (the beautiful) into decisions, actions, and practices in the service of a better world. Dignity is our inherent value, worth, and vulnerability, a core aspect of humanity that each of us is born with. The challenges of developing shamanic leaders, i.e., individuals who evidence the shamanic attributes of healing, connecting, and sensemaking, are discussed, including how to think about and embody wisdom, and the learning that is required to understand and lead with dignity. We argue that dignity and wisdom can be learned and provide the reader with insights into what is required to promote an inclusive and integrated culture where human flourishing and well-being are at the core of ethical leadership.
Confessions of a Federal 'Bureaucrat': The Possibilities of Perfecting Procedural Reform

We are told that the bloom is off the rose of federal procedural rulemaking; its "Golden Age" is over. Although the adoption of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure accomplished a transformation of American civil procedure from the 1930s to the 1960s, for many the future of effective procedural rulemaking from the federal apparatus has become grim since the 1980s. Against this background, Professor Koppel has made the innovative suggestion that the states band together to pick up the cudgel of procedural reform from the faltering federal hands and bring it into the current century. This possibility is one theme unifying this conference.
Anomalous spectral lines and relic quantum nonequilibrium

We describe features that could be observed in the line spectra of relic cosmological particles should quantum nonequilibrium be preserved in their statistics. According to our arguments, these features would represent a significant departure from those of a conventional origin. Among other features, we find a possible spectral broadening that is proportional to the energy resolution of the recording telescope (and so could be much larger than any conventional broadening). Notably, for a range of possible initial conditions we find the possibility of spectral line ``narrowing,'' whereby a telescope could observe a line that is narrower than it is conventionally able to resolve. We discuss implications for the indirect search for dark matter, with particular reference to some recent controversial spectral lines.
Magadiite/styrene‐butadiene rubber composites for tire tread applications: effects of varying layer spacing and alternate inorganic fillers

Magadiite (MGD), a synthetic layered silicate (Na2Si14O29·9H2O) with surface chemistry similar to precipitated silica, was cation-exchanged with three different organic cations to explore the effect of varying MGD layer spacing on the mechanical properties of MGD-based styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) composites. This work also compares the mechanical properties of MGD/SBR composites with those formulated with montmorillonite (MMT) and precipitated silica. Dodecylpyridinium (DP+) produces greater expansion of MGD layers than cetyltrimethylammonium (CTA+); the resulting DP-MGD/SBR composites have greater yield strain, toughness, and rubbery storage modulus than comparable CTA-MGD/SBR composites. MGD treated with hexadecylammonium (HDA+) has the greatest layer spacing, but the HDA-MGD layers collapse upon melt-blending with SBR. CTA-treated MMT (CMMT) exfoliates in aqueous suspension, but the platelets re-stack upon drying and during melt-blending with SBR. The presence of exfoliated and/or disordered platelet stacks in CMMT/SBR probably accounts for its higher tensile and dynamic moduli compared to MGD- and silica-based SBR composites. Dynamic mechanical properties are used to predict tire tread performance metrics for these composites. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44764.
Management of Brain Metastases in Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor–Naïve Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor–Mutant Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Multi-Institutional Analysis

Purpose Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are treatment options for brain metastases in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This multi-institutional analysis sought to determine the optimal management of patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC who develop brain metastases and have not received EGFR-TKI. Materials and Methods A total of 351 patients from six institutions with EGFR-mutant NSCLC developed brain metastases and met inclusion criteria for the study. Exclusion criteria included prior EGFR-TKI use, EGFR-TKI resistance mutation, failure to receive EGFR-TKI after WBRT/SRS, or insufficient follow-up. Patients were treated with SRS followed by EGFR-TKI, WBRT followed by EGFR-TKI, or EGFR-TKI followed by SRS or WBRT at intracranial progression. Overall survival (OS) and intracranial progression-free survival were measured from the date of brain metastases. Results The median OS for the SRS (n = 100), WBRT (n = 120), and EGFR-TKI (n = 131) cohorts was 46, 30, and 25 months, respectively ( P < .001). On multivariable analysis, SRS versus EGFR-TKI, WBRT versus EGFR-TKI, age, performance status, EGFR exon 19 mutation, and absence of extracranial metastases were associated with improved OS. Although the SRS and EGFR-TKI cohorts shared similar prognostic features, the WBRT cohort was more likely to have a less favorable prognosis ( P = .001). Conclusion This multi-institutional analysis demonstrated that the use of upfront EGFR-TKI, and deferral of radiotherapy, is associated with inferior OS in patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC who develop brain metastases. SRS followed by EGFR-TKI resulted in the longest OS and allowed patients to avoid the potential neurocognitive sequelae of WBRT. A prospective, multi-institutional randomized trial of SRS followed by EGFR-TKI versus EGFR-TKI followed by SRS at intracranial progression is urgently needed.
Is marathon running toxic? An observational study of cardiovascular disease prevalence and longevity in 54 male marathon runners.

ABSTRACTObjectives: Recent literature suggests reduced benefits associated with high intensity (HIT) and or sustained intensity exercise training (SIT). While important, they tend to contrast with other studies of HIT and SIT and may not be representative of all individuals wishing to participate in activities such as marathon running. The purpose of this observational report is to describe a 45-year history of 54 long distance runners, their incidence of death from cardiovascular disease and their ages at death compared to the normal population.Methods: Data were collected longitudinally on all 54 members of a Southern California mens running club by the author, a cardiologist with 45 years of experience, member of the running club, and personal physician for most of the men for over 40 years. Retrospective and observational data were collected from direct professional and personal contact with the 54 men in the running club.Results: Closely monitored group of marathon runners with extreme HIT and SIT re...
Conservation of Hemostatic System Component Function Between Zebrafish and Mammals.

Abstract Abstract 3165 Poster Board III-102 Extensive DNA sequence similarity has previously been demonstrated for most known components of the mammalian hemostatic system and their orthologous zebrafish genes, and vascular occlusion has been observed in zebrafish following laser-induced vascular injury (Jagadeeswaran P, et al. Methods Mol Med 2006).To test potential conservation of function across species, activated bovine thrombin (Sigma-Aldrich), over a range of concentrations was injected into the orbital vascular plexus of zebrafish embryos at 72 hours post fertilization (hpf). The severity of thrombus formation was relative to the thrombin concentration, with thrombosis consistently observed in 72 hpf wild type (WT) embryos at 30-90 ng of thrombin (1-3 nl of a 30mg/ml solution diluted in 0.9% NaCl, with 0.25% phenol red as a tracer). With injection of higher doses (90 ng), complete occlusion of the circulation was generally observed within 30 seconds, with a large thrombus visible in the heart. Results were scored as zero when no thrombosis was observed, grade 1 when thrombosis was seen in the vessels but blood flow was preserved, and grade 2 for total occlusion of the circulation. Thirty of 30 WT embryos with grade 1 thrombosis showed resolution of the thrombus by 5 minutes post injection, consistent with the activity of an endogenous fibrinolytic system in zebrafish, compared to only 22 of 30 among WT embryos scored as grade 2. No thrombosis was observed with injection of BSA (N=30) or thrombin inactivated by incubation at room temperature for 24 hours (N=30). One cell stage zebrafish embryos were injected with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (MOs) designed to target the mRNAs transcribed from the zebrafish genes for the fibrinogen alpha-chain, von Willebrand Factor (VWF), or ADAMTS13. Each resulting embryo (only embryos without morphologic defects were used), along with a matched non-MO-treated control embryo, was then injected at 72 hpf with 30-60 ng bovine thrombin, and thrombus formation scored blindly by 2 independent observers at 30 seconds and 2 minutes post injection. An ∼70% reduction in mean thrombosis score was observed for embryos treated with the fibrinogen alpha-chain MO (N=29) compared to controls (p Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Analyzing Simulated Convective Bursts in Two Atlantic Hurricanes. Part I: Burst Formation and Development

AbstractUnderstanding the structure and evolution of the tropical cyclone (TC) inner core remains an elusive challenge in tropical meteorology, especially the role of transient asymmetric features such as localized strong updrafts known as convective bursts (CBs). This study investigates the formation of CBs and their role in TC structure and evolution using high-resolution simulations of two Atlantic hurricanes (Dean in 2007 and Bill in 2009) with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model.Several different aspects of the dynamics and thermodynamics of the TC inner-core region are investigated with respect to their influence on TC convective burst development. Composites with CBs show stronger radial inflow in the lowest 2 km, and stronger radial outflow from the eye to the eyewall around z = 2–4 km, than composites without CBs. Asymmetric vorticity associated with eyewall mesovortices appears to be a major factor in some of the radial flow anomalies that lead to CB development. The anomalous outfl...
Still sour about lactic acidosis years later: role of metformin in heart failure

Metformin remains a widely-used, first-line pharmacotherapy agent for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus because of its efficacy, mild side effects, and affordability. However, use of this medication has traditionally been shunned by clinicians in patient populations that are considered at risk of lactic acidosis, such as those with heart failure. The underutilization of metformin can largely be attributed to the historical stigma of its biguanide predecessor, phenformin, and its association with lactic acidosis. Despite various studies finding low rates of lactic acidosis and the United States Federal Drug Administration’s subsequent removal of heart failure from metformin’s contraindication labeling in 2006, this oral hypoglycemic remains underutilized in this patient population. In addition to reports of the safe use of metformin in the heart failure population, a multitude of studies have also additionally suggested a modest reduction in mortality and morbidity. Metformin’s role should be strongly reconsidered in the armamentarium of diabetes management in heart failure patients.