cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Why Consider a Career in Academic Surgery

This chapter gives perspective on a career in academic surgery and some of the reasons a student would consider such a career. Surgery itself has many rewards, regardless of the setting in which one practices. The privilege of taking care of patients, the trust people have in allowing us to operate on them and the close bonds we form with patients and their families are some of the intangible rewards to a surgical career. We really do make a difference in people’s lives. While this chapter is focused on why one might consider a career in academic surgery, I would hope that much of it is relevant to anyone considering a surgical career.
Abstract B12: CLPTM1L and GRP78 interact and promote pancreatic tumor survival under ER-stress and chemoresistance through cell-surface translocation and interaction with PI3K

Altered regulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis has been implicated in many cancers and has recently become a therapeutic and chemosensitization target of interest. Tumor cells must endure ER stress caused by microenvironmental, oxidative, energetic, and therapeutic stresses to survive. However, the role of ER stress survival signaling in pancreatic tumorigenesis has not been elucidated. We have identified Cleft Lip and Palate Transmembrane 1-Like (CLPTM1L)/Cisplatin Resistance Related Protein 9 (CRR9) as an ER stress related target in pancreatic cancer. We recently demonstrated that CRR9/CLPTM1L is overexpressed in 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and associated with poor outcome, while it is not expressed in normal pancreatic ductal epithelium. Furthermore, we have shown that CLPTM1L can confer resistance to chemotherapeutic killing, apoptosis, and anoikis, and is critical for KRas transformation and tumorigenesis. Here, we demonstrate that CLPTM1L interacts with phosphoinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and the ER stress protein Glucose Related Protein 78 (GRP78) at the tumor cell surface and causes up-regulation of Bcl-xL and pAkt survival signaling. Surface accumulation of both CLPTM1L and GRP78 are induced by ER stress and by chemotherapy in vitro. Subsequent to our recent discovery of the presence of CLPTM1L at the cell surface, we have developed antibody inhibitors of CLPTM1L, which deplete chemotherapy-inducible surface accumulation of CLPTM1L and GRP78, as well as downstream survival signaling through the Akt pathway and Bcl-xL expression. These agents have shown striking anti-tumorigenic efficacy in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer and present a promising therapeutic and chemosensitization approach. Citation Format: Michael James.{Authors}. CLPTM1L and GRP78 interact and promote pancreatic tumor survival under ER-stress and chemoresistance through cell-surface translocation and interaction with PI3K. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Advances in Science and Clinical Care; 2016 May 12-15; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(24 Suppl):Abstract nr B12.
A resistance to thyroid hormone syndrome mutant operates through the target gene repertoire of the wild-type thyroid hormone receptor

Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) play crucial roles in vertebrates. Wild-type (WT) TRs function primarily as hormone-regulated transcription factors. A human endocrine disease, Resistance to Thyroid Hormone (RTH)-Syndrome, is caused by inheritance of mutant TRs impaired in the proper regulation of target gene expression. To better understand the molecular basis of RTH we compared the target genes regulated by an RTH-TRβ1 mutant (R429Q) to those regulated by WT-TRβ1. With only a few potential exceptions, the vast majority of genes we were able to identify as regulated by the WT-TRβ1, positively or negatively, were also regulated by the RTH-TRβ1 mutant. We conclude that the actions of R429Q-TRβ1 in RTH-Syndrome most likely reflect the reduced hormone affinity observed for this mutant rather than an alteration in target gene repertoire. Our results highlight the importance of target gene specificity in defining the disease phenotype and improve our understanding of how clinical treatments impact RTH-Syndrome.
Soil organic carbon partitioning and Δ14C variation in desert and conifer ecosystems of southern Arizona

Soils are significant terrestrial carbon stores yet the mechanisms that stabilize organic carbon in mineral soil remain poorly constrained. Here, we identified climate and topographic controls on soil organic carbon storage along the Catalina Critical Zone Observatory that spans a significant range in mean annual temperature (>10 °C) and mean annual precipitation (>50 cm year−1). Granitic soils were collected from divergent summit and convergent footslope positions in desert scrub, pine, and mixed conifer systems. Physical soil carbon distribution was quantified using a density and sonication technique to obtain the “free,” “occluded,” and heavy “mineral” soil carbon pools. We examined bulk soil ( 3%) that partitioned evenly between the free light and mineral fractions. Soil C in the P. pine system also reflected the impact of a moderate severity fire in 2002 that led to modern ∆14C values for bulk soil and density fractions. The mixed conifer system contained a greater proportion of passive occluded C in the subsurface soils. We observed evidence for modern fire inputs into the surface soils of the mixed conifer system in combination with buried charcoal and occluded C associated with historic fire events. Convergent landscapes contained higher soil carbon stocks and depleted ∆14C relative to adjacent divergent landscapes, suggesting a landscape-level mechanism that includes the transport, burial, and preservation of soil carbon downslope. These data sets provide insights into ecosystem- and hillslope-scale variations in soil carbon storage across semiarid to subhumid environments.
Gray Matter Surface Based Spatial Statistics (GS-BSS) in Diffusion Microstructure

Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) has proven to be a popular technique for performing voxel-wise statistical analysis that aims to improve sensitivity and interpretability of analysis of multi-subject diffusion imaging studies in white matter. With the advent of advanced diffusion MRI models – e.g., the neurite orientation dispersion density imaging (NODDI), it is of interest to analyze microstructural changes within gray matter (GM). A recent study has proposed using NODDI in gray matter based spatial statistics (N-GBSS) to perform voxel-wise statistical analysis on GM microstructure. N-GBSS adapts TBSS by skeletonizing the GM and projecting diffusion metrics to a cortical ribbon. In this study, we propose an alternate approach, known as gray matter surface based spatial statistics (GS-BSS), to perform statistical analysis using gray matter surfaces by incorporating established methods of registration techniques of GM surface segmentation on structural images. Diffusion microstructure features from NODDI and GM surfaces are transferred to standard space. All the surfaces are then projected onto a common GM surface non-linearly using diffeomorphic spectral matching on cortical surfaces. Prior post-mortem studies have shown reduced dendritic length in prefrontal cortex region in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder population. To validate the results, statistical tests are compared between GS-BSS and N-GBSS to study the differences between healthy and psychosis population. Significant results confirming the microstructural changes are presented. GS-BSS results show higher sensitivity to group differences between healthy and psychosis population in previously known regions.
The common core conundrum: To what extent should we worry that changes to assessments will affect test-based measures of teacher performance?

Abstract Policies that require the use of information about student achievement to evaluate teacher performance are becoming increasingly common across the United States, but there is some question as to how or whether to use student test-based teacher evaluations when student assessments change. We bring empirical evidence to bear on this issue. Specifically, we examine how estimates of teacher value-added are influenced by assessment changes across 12 test transitions in two subjects and five states. In all of the math transitions we study, value-added measures from test change years and stable regime years are broadly similar in terms of their statistical properties and informational content. This is also true for some of the reading transitions; we do find, however, some cases in which an assessment change in reading meaningfully alters value-added measures. Our study directly informs contemporary policy debates about how to evaluate teachers when new assessments are introduced and provides a general analytic framework for examining employee evaluation policies in the face of changing evaluation metrics.
MiRge 2.0: An updated tool to comprehensively analyze microRNA sequencing data

miRNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression. The rapidly developing field of microRNA sequencing (miRNA-seq; small RNA-seq) needs comprehensive bioinformatics tools to analyze these large datasets. We present the second iteration of miRge, miRge 2.0, with multiple enhancements. miRge 2.0 adds new functionality including novel miRNA detection, A-to-I editing analysis, better output files, and improved alignment to miRNAs. Our novel miRNA detection method is the first to use both miRNA hairpin sequence structure and composition of isomiRs resulting in a more specific capture of potential miRNAs. Using known miRNA data, our support vector machine (SVM) model predicted miRNAs with an average Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.939 over 32 human cell datasets and outperformed miRDeep2 and miRAnalyzer regarding phylogenetic conservation. The A-to-I editing analysis implementation strongly correlated with a reference datasets prior analysis with adjusted R2 = 0.96. miRge 2.0 comes with alignment libraries to both miRBase v21 and MirGeneDB for 6 species: human, mouse, rat, fruit fly, nematode and zebrafish; and has a tool to create custom libraries. With the redevelopment of the tool in Python, it is now incorporated into bcbio-nextgen and implementable through Bioconda. miRge 2.0 is freely available at: https://github.com/mhalushka/miRge.
Development of a New Generation of High Head Pump-Turbines, Guangzhou Ii

For the Guangzhou Pumped Storage Plant in the People’s Republic of China we had to develop the Pump-Turbines of the second phase considering the very tight delivery and erection schedule. The hydraulic, as well as the mechanical design, the manufacture of a new complete homologous model machine and the detailed model tests had to be performed within a very short time.
Health-related quality of life among North Carolina adults with diabetes mellitus.

Background Previous research on health-related quality of life among people with diabetes used subgroups of diabetics who were not representative of a larger population and long questionnaires that are not practical for surveillance. Objective To identify people with diabetes in North Carolina who are at risk for a poor quality of lift based on demographic and medical characteristics using surveillance data. Methods Analysis of Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System data from North Carolina, years 1998 through 2001, to examine associations between demographic and medical characteristics among people with diabetes and four different health-related quality-of-life outcome indicators, including general health status, physically unhealthy mentally unhealthy and functionally limited days. The demographic and medical characteristics studiedwere age, sex, ethnicity marital status, education, income, health insurance, obesity duration of diabetes, and insulin use. These same characteristics were also tested for independent associations with functionally limited days. Results Ethnicity and gender were not associated with any of the quality-of-life measures among people with diabetes. Those younger than age 65 were more likely to have mentally unhealthy days, but age was not related to the other outcomes. A household income of less than 20,000 dollars was related to poor general health and greater than one week each of physically unhealthy mentally unhealthy and functionally limited days. Subjects with a high school education or less, no health insurance, and those not married or cohabiting had at least one poor health-related quality-of-life outcome. Obesity duration of diabetes often or more years, and insulin use were also associated with at least one poor quality-of-life outcome. The only characteristic that was independently related to the number of functionally limited days was income. People with diabetes of working age and with low incomes were more likely to have greater than one week of functionally limited days (aOR = 10.3; 95% CI = 4.9-21.5). Conclusions Our results suggest an association between poor quality of life and low-socioeconomic status among people with diabetes in North Carolina.
Tumors of Parathyroid Gland

The most common parathyroid gland pathology in primary hyperparathyroidism is parathyroid adenoma, followed by hyperplasia and carcinoma. Adenoma, hyperplasia, and carcinoma have distinct molecular genetic profiles, however, their pathologic features are often overlapping leading to significant diagnostic dilemma, even on permanent sections. Final diagnosis must be arrived at after taking into consideration the abnormal gland, the status of the remaining glands, and the pre- and post-operative blood parathyroid hormone levels. The goal of treatment is achievement of normocalcemia, but recurrences occur in a significant number of patients. Differentiating between different pathologic entities is important in predicting recurrences and choosing the appropriate extent of surgical resection. Several genetic syndromes are associated with primary hyperparathyroidism and include multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN1 and MEN2a), familial isolated hyperparathyroidism, and hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome.
Introduction: The Dynamics and Terrains of Local Democracy and Corporate Power in the 21st Century

Particular to the struggles of today is a renewed and increasingly networked politics of local democracy in opposition to global corporate power. With the five urgent essays in this symposium we bring these politics into a world-systems space, considering specific community conflicts with corporations over water and petro-carbon as part of larger translocal struggles, and taking up broader strategies for asserting democratic control over economic life. The included essays feature two of four terrains of struggle —the translocalization of local resistance and contests over sovereignty – that we see as significant in the contemporary dynamics of local democracy and corporate power. We identify additional examples of contests on each these terrains of struggle, as well as those terrains involving contestation of the corporation itself and of alternative global constitutionalisms, in mapping the dimensions of the developing period of community-corporate struggle. Our purpose is to set in motion further collaborations between academic and community-based scholars, with the goal of equipping communities with knowledge useful in expanding and deepening democracy.
Application of the Spectral Element Method in a Surface Ship Far-Field UNDEX Problem

The prediction of surface ship response to a far-field underwater explosion (UNDEX) requires the simulation of shock wave propagation in the fluid, cavitation, fluid-structure interaction, and structural response. Effective approaches to model the fluid include cavitating acoustic finite element (CAFE) and cavitating acoustic spectral element (CASE) methods. Although the spectral element method offers the potential for greater accuracy at lower computational cost, it also generates more spurious oscillations around discontinuities which are difficult to avoid in shock-related problems. Thus, the advantage of CASE remains unproven. In this paper, we present a 3D-partitioned FSI framework and investigate the application of CAFE and CASE to a surface ship early-time far-field UNDEX problem to determine which method has the best computational efficiency for this problem. We also associate the accuracy of the structural response with the modeling of cavitation distribution. A further contribution of this work is the examination of different nonmatching mesh information exchange schemes to demonstrate how they affect the structural response and improve the CAFE/CASE methodologies.
A novel wearable device to deliver unconstrained, unpredictable slip perturbations during gait.

Task-specific perturbation training is a widely studied means of fall prevention, utilizing techniques that induce slips or slip-like perturbations during gait. Though effective, these methods only simulate narrow ranges within the larger space of possible slipping conditions encountered in daily life. Here we describe and test a novel, wearable apparatus designed to address these limitations and simulate a diverse range of slipping disturbances. The device consists of wireless triggering and detachable outsole components that provide adequate friction with the floor when secured to the wearer’s foot, but suddenly create a low-friction surface underfoot upon release. “Benchtop” tests were carried out to quantify device triggering characteristics (i.e. cutting temperature, release delay) and the resulting friction reduction. The device was also tested on six healthy young adults (3 female, age 23 ± 2.4 years), who walked with and without the device to observe how gait kinematics and spatiotemporal parameters were influenced, then performed 12 walking trials ending with a slip delivered by the device. Each participant also completed a survey to obtain opinions on device safety, device comfort, slip realism, and slip difficulty. A linear mixed effects analysis was employed to compare subject spatiotemporal parameters with and without the apparatus, as well as correlation coefficients and root mean square errors (RMSE) to assess the impact of the device on lower limb gait kinematics. Slip onset phases, distances, directions, velocities, and recovery step locations were also calculated. This device rapidly diminishes available friction from static coefficients of 0.48 to 0.07, albeit after a substantial delay (0.482 ± 0.181 s) between signal reception and outsole release. Strong correlations (R > 0.93) and small RMSE between gait kinematics with and without the device indicate minimal effects on natural gait patterns, however some spatiotemporal parameters were significantly impacted. A diverse range of slip perturbations and recovery steps were successfully elicited by the device. Our results highlight the efficacy and utility of a wearable slipping device to deliver diverse slip conditions. Such an apparatus enables the study of unconstrained slips administered across the gait cycle, as well as during different locomotor behaviors like turning, negotiating slopes, and level changes.
Integration of remote‐weed mapping and an autonomous spraying unmanned aerial vehicle for site‐specific weed management

Background Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used in agriculture to collect imagery for crop and pest monitoring, and for decision-making purposes. Spraying-capable UAVs are now commercially available worldwide for agricultural applications. Combining UAV weed mapping and UAV sprayers into an UAV integrated system (UAV-IS) can offer a new alternative to implement site-specific pest management. Results The UAV-IS was 0.3- to 3-fold more efficient at identifying and treating target weedy areas, while minimizing treatment on non-weedy areas, than ground-based broadcast applications. The UAV-IS treated 20-60% less area than ground-based broadcast applications, but also missed up to 26% of the target weedy area, while broadcast applications covered almost the entire experimental area and only missed 2-3% of the target weeds. The efficiency of UAV-IS management practices increased as weed spatial aggregation increased (patchiness). Conclusion Integrating UAV imagery for pest mapping and UAV sprayers can provide a new strategy for integrated pest management programs to improve efficiency and efficacy while reducing the amount of pesticide being applied. The UAV-IS has the potential to improve the detection and control of weed escapes to reduce/delay herbicide resistance evolution. © 2019 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
A Nanoscale Metal-Organic Framework to Mediate Photodynamic Therapy and Deliver CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides to Enhance Antigen Presentation and Cancer Immunotherapy.

Checkpoint blockade immunotherapy (CBI) awakes a host innate immune system and reactivates cytotoxic T cells to elicit durable response in some cancer patients. Now, a cationic nanoscale metal-organic framework, W-TBP, is used to facilitate tumor antigen presentation by enabling immunogenic photodynamic therapy (PDT) and promoting the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs). Comprised of dinuclear WVI secondary building units and photosensitizing 5,10,15,20-tetra(p-benzoato)porphyrin (TBP) ligands, cationic W-TBP mediates PDT to release tumor associated antigens and delivers immunostimulatory CpG oligodeoxynucleotides to DCs. The enhanced antigen presentation synergizes with CBI to expand and reinvigorate cytotoxic T cells, leading to superb anticancer efficacy and robust abscopal effects with >97 % tumor regression in a bilateral breast cancer model.
Latent classes of lifetime drug use disorder in national epidemiological survey on alcohol and related conditions - III

Abstract Aims/Background People diagnosed with multiple drug use disorders are high-risk subpopulations, but changes in diagnostic classification and drug use prevalence mean patterning of drug use disorders has changed in the past decade. We analyzed comorbidity patterns of lifetime drug use disorder in a general population sample. Design Using latent class analysis, we derived lifetime drug use disorder classes based on dichotomous indicators of sedative, cannabis, opioid, cocaine, stimulant, hallucinogen, inhalant/solvent, club drug, heroin, and other drug use disorders in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (n = 36,309). Multinomial models assessed associations between sociodemographic and clinical correlates and latent class status. Results Four latent classes of lifetime substance use disorder were identified: A very low risk class, a class with high opioid, sedative and heroin comorbidity, a class based on cocaine and stimulant comorbidity, and class with high likelihood of multiple lifetime drug use disorders. All higher risk classes were associated with higher risk of lifetime personality disorder and mood disorder. Conduct disorder was also associated with higher risk, but level of risk varied by class. Opioid and sedative class was associated with higher odds of lifetime eating disorder diagnosis. Conclusions Comorbidity of drug use disorders is associated with a range of lifetime mental health disorder diagnoses. Unlike previous research, we did not identify a cannabis use class, possibly due to changes in diagnostic criteria and cannabis prevalence rates.
Self-administration of heroin by vapor inhalation in female Wistar rats

Over the last two decades the United States has experienced a significant increase in the abuse of opioid drugs, resulting in record numbers of opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Starting around 2002, there has been an increase in non-medical use of prescription opioids, followed by increased heroin and then fentanyl use. Inhalation has been a common route of administration for opioid drugs, with a documented history spanning back to Mediterranean antiquity and up through modern use with e-cigarette devices, but preclinical reports with inhalation as the model route of administration remain relatively few. This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of e-cigarette vapor inhalation of heroin in rats. Non-contingent exposure to heroin vapor produced slowed tail-withdrawal in male and female rats, demonstrating anti-nociceptive efficacy. Female Wistar rats trained to self-administer heroin vapor exhibited individual preference differences. The most-preferring half of the distribution administered more vapor reinforcers when the concentration of heroin was reduced in the vapor vehicle and when pre-treated with the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. The anti-nociceptive effect of heroin self-administered by vapor was identical in magnitude to that produced by intravenous self-administration. Finally, anxiety-like behavior increased 24-48 h after last heroin vapor access, consistent with withdrawal signs seen with intravenous self-administration. In sum, these studies show that pharmacological effects of heroin are produced in rats by vapor inhalation using e-cigarette technology. Importantly, self-administration models by this route can be deployed to determine health effects of inhaled heroin.
Dissociative Symptoms in a Nationally Representative Sample of Trauma-Exposed U.S. Military Veterans: Prevalence, Comorbidities, and Suicidality.

Abstract Background Dissociative symptoms have been documented in diverse clinical and non-clinical populations, and are associated with poor mental health outcomes. Yet, research on dissociative symptoms is frequently limited to PTSD samples, and therefore little is known about the prevalence, clinical correlates, and risk factors related to dissociative symptoms in broader, representative trauma-exposed populations. Methods The current study assessed dissociative symptoms in a contemporary, nationally representative sample of trauma-exposed U.S. veterans irrespective of PTSD diagnostic status. We then compared sociodemographic, military, and psychiatric characteristics, trauma histories, level of functioning, and quality of life in veterans with dissociative symptoms to those without dissociative symptoms; and determined the incremental association between dissociative symptoms, and suicidality, functioning, and quality of life, independent of comorbidities. Results A total 20.8% of U.S. veterans reported experiencing mild-to-severe dissociative symptoms. Compared to veterans without dissociative symptoms, veterans with dissociative symptoms were younger, and more likely to be non-white, unmarried/partnered and unemployed, had lower education and income, and were more likely to have been combat-exposed and use the VA are their primary source of healthcare. They also had elevated rates of psychiatric comorbidities, lower functioning and quality of life, and a 5-fold greater likelihood of current suicidal ideation and 4-fold greater likelihood of lifetime suicide attempt history. Limitations Cross-sectional data limit inference of the directionality of findings, and results may not generalize to non-veteran populations. Conclusions Dissociative symptoms are prevalent in U.S. veterans and may be an important transdiagnostic marker of heightened risk for suicidality and psychiatric comorbidities. These results underscore the importance of assessing, monitoring, and treating dissociative symptoms in this population.
Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy Combined With Ultrahypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Clinically Localized, Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer: Results From a Prospective Trial.

Purpose To report early toxicity and tumor control outcomes of Pd-103 brachytherapy with ultrahypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (RT) for intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Methods and Materials This prospective trial included 40 patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer who underwent low-dose-rate (Pd-103) brachytherapy (prescription dose, 100 Gy), followed 1 month later with ultrahypofractionated stereotactic RT (25 Gy in 5 fractions) to the prostate and seminal vesicles. The primary endpoint was the rate of grade 2+ genitourinary toxicity at 12 months using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v 4.0. Secondary endpoints included patient-reported quality-of-life metrics (International Prostate Scoring System [IPSS], International Index of Erectile Function, and Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-bowel). Biochemical failure was defined as prostate-specific antigen nadir +2 ng/mL. Posttreatment biopsies were performed at between 24 and 36 months; median follow-up was 36 months. Results The rate of grade 2 urinary toxicity at 12 months was 25% with no grade 3 urinary toxicity noted. Mean IPSS at baseline and 12 and 24 months was 5, 10, and 6.2, respectively. Mean change in IPSS from baseline at 12 months was +5.5 (interquartile range, 1-9.75) and +1.05 (interquartile range, –3 to 3.25) at 24 months. Grade 2 bowel toxicity was 5% at 12 months with no grade 3 bowel toxicity noted. Mean Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-bowel domain scores at baseline and 12 months were 92.8 and 90.3, respectively. Of patients who were potent (International Index of Erectile Function ≥21) at baseline, 75% remained potent at 12 months. Of 40 patients, 28 underwent posttreatment prostate biopsy (PPB), which was negative (n = 20) or demonstrated severe treatment effect (n = 8). No patient had a positive PPB or developed biochemical failure during the follow-up period. One patient without a PPB developed osseous metastases at 18 months posttreatment in the absence of biochemical failure. Conclusion Low-dose-rate brachytherapy in combination with ultrahypofractionated stereotactic RT was safe and effective for intermediate-risk prostate cancer in early results of this trial.
Religious Doctrine and Natural Science

The appropriate introduction to this paper would be a full discussion of the method of science. My version of this was presented in the Nature of Physical Reality, A summary of it may be found in the first chapter of Open Vistas. Its essence, crudely illustrated in Fig. 1 of this paper, will here be very briefly stated.
Encouraging Desistance from Crime

Half of individuals released from prison in the United States will be re-incarcerated within three years, creating an incarceration cycle that is detrimental to individuals, families, and communities. There is tremendous public interest in ending this cycle, and public policies can help or hinder the reintegration of those released from jail and prison. This review summarizes the existing empirical evidence on how to intervene with existing oﬀenders to reduce criminal behavior and improve social welfare.
Studies of a Rapid Change Detector Using CYGNSS Level-2 Wind Speed Products

This work further investigates the use of ocean wind speed retrievals from NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission that are closely spaced in space and in time to detect regions in the atmosphere undergoing “rapid” change. As in a previous investigation, CYGNSS measurement “clumps” (i.e., groups of wind speed measurements satisfying specified time/space separation criteria) are used to create a wind speed change detector, and the results are compared to a set of atmospheric properties derived from Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications 2 model datasets. The analysis uses a four-year CYGNSS Level-2 wind speed dataset developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and highlights the potential for using CYGNSS's wind speed measurements to locate various dynamic activities occurring over the ocean's surface. The presented results also highlight some of the challenges of the method, including the inherent dependence of detection performance on the quality of CYGNSS's wind speed estimates as well as the validity of comparisons to “truth” datasets having temporal resolutions much coarser than those provided by CYGNSS.
Effects of phospholipid scramblase 1 (PLSCR1) on migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells

3525 PSCR1 is an endofacial membrane protein identified by its capacity to promote transbilayer phospholipid movement in response to Ca 2+ . Recent evidence suggests that PLSCR1 also participates in cell response to growth factors and cytokines, influencing myeloid differentiation, the anti-viral activity of interferon and tumor growth. PLSCR1 is induced by growth factor EGF, which has been shown to stimulate ovarian cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Previously, we showed that tumors overexpressing (OE) PLSCR1 in the human ovarian carcinoma cell line (HEY 1B) were smaller and had increased infiltration of leukocytes and macrophages. Based on these prior results, we hypothesized that PLSCR1 would also affect the migratory or invasive properties of the ovarian cancer cells themselves. Human PLSCR1 cDNA was stably expressed and siRNAs were transiently transfected into HEY 1B. Immunoblots confirmed OE and downregulation of PLSCR1. Cell migration and invasion were determined using collagen I and matrigel coated Boyden chambers, respectively. Quantitation of cell migration and invasion was performed by colorometry per manufacturer’s protocol (Chemicon Inc) and utilizing ImagePro(v 5.1), respectively. To validate invasion results, zymogram assays for matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) were performed. To determine expression of PLSCR1, immunoblots were probed using PLSCR1 monoclonal antibody. The PLSCR1 transfected cells had a 3-fold increase in PLSCR1 compared to the parental, untransfected cells. Transient siRNA treatment of HEY 1B resulted in about a 5-fold decrease in PLSCR1. Downregulation of PLSCR1 with siRNA decreased cell migration by 40% compared to untreated cells (p=0.03) or by 70% compared to control siRNA treated cells (p=0.15). However, migration was similar when comparing the OE-PLSCR1 and parental cell lines. Remarkably, invasion was significantly increased (3-fold) in the OE-PLSCR1 cells when compared to parental HEY 1B (p=0.008). Accordingly, invasion of the PLSCR1 siRNA treated cells was decreased 2-fold compared with the siRNA control (p=0.038). MMP-9 activity was increased 2- to 3-fold in the OE-PLSCR1 cells when compared to parental, untransfected HEY 1B and decreased 2-3 fold in the PLSRC1 siRNA treated cells when compared to parental HEY 1B and the siRNA control . These data suggest that PLSCR1 promotes invasion in ovarian cancer cells in vitro . In future studies, we plan to evaluate the effect of PLSCR1 on the invasion properties of human ovarian cancer cells implanted orthotopically in athymic mice. PLSCR1 is a potential molecular target for ovarian cancer therapy.
On controller design for delay-independent stability of linear time-invariant systems with multiple delays

In this paper, we present a new control-design procedure for linear time-invariant (LTI) systems with “multiple” delays. These procedures are based on algebraic tools and allow designing controllers that can stabilize such systems regardless of how large/small the delays are. That is, with these controllers, the system at hand can be rendered delay-independent stable (DIS). The essence of the control design is based on the Rekasius transformation, algebraic tools, elimination techniques, and Sturm sequences. The advantages of the design procedure are that it simplifies the control design to managing the roots of some single-variable polynomials while also preserving the controller structure and complying with the necessary and sufficient conditions of stability.
Assessment and Treatment of Families with Visually Handicapped Children: A Project Description.

A review of the literature on psychosocial functioning in families with a handicapped child reveals a striking paucity of empirical research. This paper describes one of the first comprehensive exp...
Passive RFID-based localization, algorithms and estimation accuracy

RFID-based localization has become a major area of interest in ubiquitous computing in the last decade. RFID has been used for identifying and tracking static objects such as inventory items or mobile objects such as robots, vehicles, etc. Various range-based and triangulation methods have commonly been used with RFID systems (active or passive) for localization purposes. These methods include RSS, TOA, TDOA, etc. On the other hand, less attention has been devoted to range-free or proximity methods. Specifically, the proximity methods work well with passive RFID systems. We propose proximity—based passive RFID model that can identify the location of mobile nodes relative to existing anchor nodes, i.e. nodes with known location. The study explores various algorithms for estimating location coordinates. These algorithms are much simpler to implement than other techniques such as the tag segregation. We also discuss the resulting accuracy and precision of the proposed model, implemented in a laboratory environment.
ASHRAE and residential ventilation

In the last quarter of a century, the western world has become increasingly aware of environmental threats to health and safety. During this period, people psychologically retreated away from outdoors hazards such as pesticides, smog, lead, oil spills, and dioxin to the seeming security of their homes. However, the indoor environment may not be healthier than the outdoor environment, as has become more apparent over the past few years with issues such as mold, formaldehyde, and sick-building syndrome. While the built human environment has changed substantially over the past 10,000 years, human biology has not; poor indoor air quality creates health risks and can be uncomfortable. The human race has found, over time, that it is essential to manage the indoor environments of their homes. ASHRAE has long been in the business of ventilation, but most of the focus of that effort has been in the area of commercial and institutional buildings. Residential ventilation was traditionally not a major concern because it was felt that, between operable windows and envelope leakage, people were getting enough outside air in their homes. In the quarter of a century since the first oil shock, houses have gotten much more energy efficient. At the same time, the kinds of materials and functions in houses changed in character in response to people's needs. People became more environmentally conscious and aware not only about the resources they were consuming but about the environment in which they lived. All of these factors contributed to an increasing level of public concern about residential indoor air quality and ventilation. Where once there was an easy feeling about the residential indoor environment, there is now a desire to define levels of acceptability and performance. Many institutions--both public and private--have interests in Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), but ASHRAE, as the professional society that has had ventilation as part of its mission for over 100 years, is the logical place to provide leadership. This leadership has been demonstrated most recently by the publication of the first nationally recognized standard on ventilation in homes, ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2003, which builds on work that has been part of ASHRAE for many years and will presumably continue. Homeowners and occupants, which includes virtually all of us, will benefit from the application of Standard 62.2 and use of the top ten list. This activity is exactly the kind of benefit to society that the founders of ASHRAE envisioned and is consistent with ASHRAE's mission and vision. ASHRAE members should be proud of their Society for taking leadership in residential ventilation.
Asking family about memory loss. Is it helpful

OBJECTIVE: To compare a family informant’s report of memory loss in an older family member to standardized clinical diagnoses of cognitive impairment.
Properties of Thymidylate Synthetase from Dichloromethotrexate-resistant Lactobacillus casei

Abstract Extracts of dichloromethotrexate-resistant Lactobacillis casei provide a rich source of stable thymidylate synthetase, showing 100 times the activity found in extracts of the sensitive strain. The enzyme was purified 17-fold from extracts of resistant cells. It has a molecular weight of 67,000 and is activated by 2-mercaptoethanol. The rate of the reaction as determined by loss of tritium from deoxyuridine monophosphate-5-3H was 84% of the rate observed spectrophotometrically. The enzyme from dichloromethotrexate-resistant L. casei differs from Escherichia coli thymidylate synthetase, in that it will utilize tetrahydrohomofolate as a cofactor in place of tetrahydrofolate. The Km values for tetrahydrofolate and tetrahydrohomofolate are 4.5 x 10-5 m and 7.2 x 10-6 m, respectively, showing that tetrahydrohomofolate is bound to the enzyme more tightly than tetrahydrofolate, although the Vmax obtained with tetrahydrohomofolate is only 6% of that obtained with tetrahydrofolate. The Ki of tetrahydrohomofolate of 4.6 x 10-6 m is close to the Km for that compound. 10-Methyltetrahydrofolate and 11-methyltetrahydrohomofolate were inactive as cofactors. They inhibited the reaction 50% at 4 x 10-6 m and 3 x 10-5 m, respectively. Tetrahydrohomopteroate was neither a substrate nor an inhibitor at 3 x 10-4 m. Methotrexate-resistant strains of L. casei also showed high levels of thymidylate synthetase activity.
Communication in education in a revolutionary age

THE PROCESS OF REVOLUTION On May 8 and 9, 1970, The Ohio State University recognized the retirement of one of its most distinguished teachers and scholars, Edgar Dale, with a conference featuring presentations by outstanding colleagues. The keynote address was delivered by his longtime friend and associate, Charles F. Hoban, Jr., and is published here as a tribute to the man who wrote the lead article in Vol. 1, No. 2 (1953) of AVCR. The full report of the conference, Educational Communication in a Revolutionary Age, will be published and recordings of each presentation will be available.-Ed.
Recovered vs. not-recovered from post-stroke aphasia: The contributions from the dominant and non-dominant hemispheres

Purpose Several adult studies have documented the importance of the peri-stroke areas to aphasia recovery. But, studies examining the differences in patterns of cortical participation in language comprehension in patients who have (LMCA-R) or have not recovered (LMCA-NR) from left middle cerebral artery infarction have not been performed up to date.
THE SAUDI ARABIAN BUDGETING SYSTEM: AN INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENT

SUMMARY This article describes and evaluates the budgetary institutions in Saudi Arabia. The primary sources of information for this study are publications from the Saudi Ministry of Finance and a survey implemented to investigate the different aspects of budget formulation and execution. We find that the Saudi budget experiences difficulties associated with incremental annual line-item budgeting systems. Although capital expenditures in the education and health sectors are guided by five-year plans developed by the Ministry of Planning, the rest of the budget preparation procedure is mainly driven by requests from government agencies to increase spending (i.e. a bottom-up approach), instead of being based on an early determination of the macroeconomic constraints and the acceptable level of deficit (i.e. a top-down approach). The result is an exacerbation of tragedy of the commons problems associated with information asymmetry and conflict-avoidance strategies. We discuss possible reasons for this finding and offer budgetary reform proposals. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On impulse responses and representations of multidimensional linear systems

An expression is given for the most general input-output map associated with the members of a certain important large family of multidimensional linear systems. This expression is a uniform limit of a convolution. Also given is a necessary and sufficient condition under which the limit can be written as a convolution, and we relate this to the concepts of an impulse response and a q-response limit, and to the flawed concept of the Dirac impulse function.
Presence and Modulation of Interleukin-12 in Seminal Plasma of Fertile and Infertile Men

: Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a unique cytokine that recently has drawn considerable attention because of its immunomodulatory properties and its possible involvement in several normal physiological and pathophysiological processes. In the present study, concentrations of IL-12 were determined, in the seminal plasma of fertile (n = 33), male-factor—infertile (n = 27), and immunoinfertile (n = 14) men, to investigate its role, if any, in male infertility. Levels of IL-12 were expressed both as picograms per milliliter and as programs per milligram protein. IL-12 was detected in seminal plasma of fertile men as well as in that of infertile men. The levels of IL-12 in seminal plasma of both male-factor and immunoinfertile men were significantly (P < 0.05) different from those of fertile men, when levels were expressed as picograms per milligram protein. When expressed as picograms per milliliter, the levels of IL-12 differed significantly between the immunoinfertile group and the fertile/malefactor—infertile group. There was significant correlation between the IL-12 levels and the total sperm count and percentage of morphologically normal sperm in the semen, whether groups were analyzed together or individually by condition. These findings suggest that IL-12 may have a role in fertility and that its derangement may be involved in male infertility.
The role of interferon in viral infections

Interferon, a product of mammalian tissues, was originally described as an antiviral agent over twenty years ago. Only in the past few years has evidence started to accumulate that interferon actually played a role in vivo in natural virus infections. Initially, evidence was accumulated showing that interferon could inhibit the replication of many viruses in vitro. The interferon, through induction of a second antiviral protein, could inhibit in vitro viral transcription or translation. Later, indirect evidence for an effect of interferon on in vivo viral infections was obtained by showing that (a) a temporal relationship existed between the appearance of interferon in viral infections and the progress of the infection and (b) treatment of virally infected animals with exogenous interferon or interferon inducer often resulted in less severe infections. The most recent and direct evidence for a role for interferon in natural viral infections involves the use of an anti-interferon globulin. In several cases, injection of the anti-interferon globulin into animals infected with a wide variety of viruses resulted in a severely altered course of infection. These studies suggest that interferon is directly involved in the progress of viral infections. The involvement of the interferon in the viral infections could be a direct effect of the interferon on viral replication, or an interaction of the interferon with other host defenses, such as the immune system.
Ensemble modeling for data fusion in manufacturing process scale-up

In modern manufacturing process scale-up, design of experiments is widely used to identify optimal process settings, followed by production runs to validate these process settings. Both experimental data and observational data are collected in the manufacturing process. However, current methodologies often use a single type of data to model the process. This work presents an innovative method to efficiently model a manufacturing process by integrating the two types of data. An ensemble modeling strategy is proposed that utilizes the constrained likelihood approach, where the constraints incorporate the sequential nature and inherent features of the two types of data. It therefore achieves better estimation and prediction than conventional methods. Simulations and a case study in wafer manufacturing are provided to illustrate the merits of the proposed method.