cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Six Theoretical Perspectives on Performance Budgeting Reform

This chapter discusses the implications of six theoretical perspectives for reform strategies and practices. These theoretical perspectives include: performance budgeting as an organizational change process; performance budgeting as a policy diffusion process; performance budgeting as a political process; performance budgeting as a communicative process; performance budgeting as a principal—agent challenge; and and performance budgeting as an institutional change. It is hard to argue against the idea that budgetary actors should consider the outputs, outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and other performance dimensions of public programs when they spend taxpayers’ money. In many countries, performance budgeting initiatives and any related organizational changes are triggered by policy diffusion. Performance budgeting can also be viewed as a process of information exchange and communication. Since the 1990s, there has been a growing emphasis on outcome- or results-oriented performance measurement and budgeting. Principal—agent theories provide a few interesting insights for performance budgeting practitioners.
Statistical Test/Estimation Methods Used in Contemporary Phase III Cancer Randomized Controlled Trials with Time-to-Event Outcomes

There exist a wide variety of statistical methods for clinical trials. Despite decades of clinical trial research, little is known about which methods are used in data analysis practice of the real world. This review describes the evidence of existing practices on survival data analysis and identifies potential opportunities to improve them.
Psychotherapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

The best of the PTSD outcome research is deeply flawed—researcher and institutional biases, lack of blinding, large attrition, questionable patient self-report, and others. Analysts who are not committed to psychotherapy, that is, neutral critics, might interpret the same primary evidence as a profound challenge to the clinical claims that any form of psychotherapy provides effective treatment for PTSD. It is worth considering that the VA and NIMH, as agencies of government that presumably bear the obligation for objective and neutral assessment in protection of the health of the nation, are simply carrying forward the stakes of the treatment community and apparently the priorities of the society. The caring alternative to psychotherapy: expensive and largely unexplored.
Noise CMOS ISFETs Using In-Pixel Chopping

Ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs) are CMOS-compatible pH sensors which have been adopted for a wide range of biochemical sensing applications. Drift and low-frequency noise are perennial challenges for these small charge-sensitive devices. However, ISFET designers have often avoided the common circuit solution of chopper stabilization due to understandable concern that the switching will disturb the sensing gate. Here we introduce a new configuration which modulates the source and drain voltages of the ISFET, reducing 1/f noise and drift with negligible disturbance of the sensing gate. We experimentally demonstrate this in-pixel chopping scheme with titanium nitride ISFETs in 180-nm CMOS technology. Using in-pixel chopping, the circuit achieves a three-fold reduction in drift along with suppression of 1/f noise.
Evaluation of Tacrolimus Levels and Risk of Graft-Versus-Host Disease, Relapse and Non-Relapse Mortality after Haploidentical Transplantation with Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide

Following haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy), the range of target tacrolimus blood levels is wide (5-15 ng/ml). This fact, combined with pharmacogenomic variation and effects of drug interactions, leads to significant variability in tacrolimus serum concentrations. In the setting of matched related or unrelated donor transplantation using conventional graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, several published studies have correlated higher post-transplant tacrolimus levels with a lower risk of GVHD. Therefore, we hypothesized that early post-transplant tacrolimus levels following haplo-HCT might impact the incidence of GVHD and other post-transplant endpoints and that more precise tacrolimus level targeting may improve post-transplant outcomes. To this end, we analyzed the relationship between mean weekly tacrolimus levels and acute and chronic GVHD, relapse, non-relapse mortality (NRM) and survival in 158 consecutive patients with hematologic malignancies receiving haplo-HCT using PTCy, tacrolimus and mycophenolate for GVHD prophylaxis between 2013-2018. Transplanted patients had a median age of 51 years (range, 19-75) and comorbidity index was ≥3 in 97 (61%). Peripheral blood was the graft source in 142 (90%), and regimen intensity was myeloablative in 90 (57%). Mean weekly tacrolimus levels were calculated each week for the first 4 weeks starting on day +7 and ending day +35 post-transplant, as well as aggregate mean tacrolimus level for 2- and 4-week intervals. Table 1 depicts a summary of the univariate analysis of weekly mean tacrolimus levels and various clinical endpoints (hazard ratios are depicted for each 1 ng/ml increment in mean tacrolimus levels). In this analysis, there were no significant associations between higher mean weekly tacrolimus levels and acute GVHD, chronic GVHD, relapse, NRM, or survival. Using tertiles, mean tacrolimus levels during weeks 1-4 were divided into
Creative destruction: collisions and redundancy generate emergent sparseness on the mammal connectome

Collision dynamics in brain network communication have been little studied. We describe a novel interaction that shows how nonlinear collision rules can result in efficient activity dynamics on simulated mammal brain networks. We tested the effects of collisions in "information spreading" (IS) models in comparison to standard random walk (RW) models. Simulations employ synchronous agents on tracer-based mesoscale mammal connectomes at a range of signal loads. We find that RW routing models have high average activity, which increases substantially with load. Activity in RW models is densely distributed over nodes: a substantial fraction are highly active in a given time window, and this fraction increases with load. Surprisingly, while IS routing models make many more attempts to pass signals, they show lower net activity due to collisions compared to RW. Activity in IS increases relatively little over a wide range of loads. In addition, IS models have greater sparseness (which decreases slowly with load) compared to RW models. Results hold on two networks of the monkey cortex and one of the mouse whole-brain. We also find evidence that activity is lower and more sparse for empirical networks compared to degree-matched randomized networks in IS, suggesting network topology supports IS routing.
Assistive Technology for Students With Disabilities: An Updated Snapshot:

Assistive technology can benefit students with disabilities in terms of independence and performance. Yet more research is needed regarding usage of assistive technology. Using the National Longitu...
Gender composition of speakers at two annual pain medicine meetings: a cross-sectional study.

Despite constituting nearly half of all medical school graduates in recent years, women comprise 28% of the membership of the American Society of Anesthesiology and 18% of academic pain medicine physicians.[1 2][1] Compared with pediatric anesthesiology, men comprise 57.4% of the field but among
[Transanal total mesorectal excision for low rectal cancer: pros and cons].

Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most commonly diagnosed cancer, with rectal cancer specifically accounting for 1/3 of new cases. Despite advances in care, there is still a lack of standardization in diagnosis, staging, and treatment, with associated high rates of positive margins, recurrence, and mortality. The gold standard for curative resection remains a total mesorectal excision (TME) , and the quality of the TME is one of the most important prognostic factors for local recurrence. The proper TME specimen with negative resection margins is inherently challenging due to patient and tumour-related factors. These difficulties have not been overcome with the laparoscopic approach. Transanal TME (taTME) is an innovative surgical technique developed to overcome the limitations in exposure and instrumentation in low pelvic surgery by approaching the rectum from below. Interest in taTME continues to grow worldwide, and structured training programs and case registries have been developed to aid safe implementation of this new technique in clinical practice. As the utilization of taTME and indications for the procedure continue to expand, structured programs to standardize teaching, training, and safe expansion will aid the safe spread of the taTME technique. With the growing popularity, a review of the pros and cons of the taTME is timely.
Thyroid Ultrasound Reports: Will the Thyroid Imaging, Reporting, and Data System Improve Natural Language Processing Capture of Critical Thyroid Nodule Features?

Abstract Background Critical thyroid nodule features are contained in unstructured ultrasound (US) reports. The Thyroid Imaging, Reporting, and Data System (TI-RADS) uses five key features to risk stratify nodules and recommend appropriate intervention. This study aims to analyze the quality of US reporting and the potential benefit of Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems in efficiently capturing TI-RADS features from text reports. Materials and Method This retrospective study used free-text thyroid US reports from an academic center (A) and community hospital (B). Physicians created “gold standard” annotations by manually extracting TI-RADS features and clinical recommendations from reports to determine how often they were included. Similar annotations were created using an automated NLP system and compared with the gold standard. Results Two hundred eighty-two reports contained 409 nodules at least 1-cm in maximum diameter. The gold standard identified three nodules (0.7%) which contained enough information to calculate a complete TI-RADS score. Shape was described most often (92.7% of nodules), whereas margins were described least often (11%). A median number of two TI-RADS features are reported per nodule. The NLP system was significantly less accurate than the gold standard in capturing echogenicity (27.5%) and margins (58.9%). One hundred eight nodule reports (26.4%) included clinical management recommendations, which were included more often at site A than B (33.9 versus 17%, P Conclusions These results suggest a gap between current US reporting styles and those needed to implement TI-RADS and achieve NLP accuracy. Synoptic reporting should prompt more complete thyroid US reporting, improved recommendations for intervention, and better NLP performance.
Forests on the edge: forest ecology in rapidly changing conditions

This special issue of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research highlights research presented at the 12th North American Forest Ecology Workshop (NAFEW), which took place in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, in June 2019. NAFEW is a biennial workshop series designed with the explicit mission “to bring researchers, academicians, and managers together to foster dialogue and discussion of current issues related to basic and applied research in forested ecosystems in North America”. NAFEW 2019 was a truly continental conference. Over 300 attendees from Canada, Mexico, and the United States gathered to discuss exciting new discoveries, identify pressing management applications, and recognize emerging contemporary issues.
Effect of Medical Scribes on Throughput, Revenue, and Patient and Provider Satisfaction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Study objective Documentation in the medical record increases clerical burden to clinicians and reduces time available to spend with patients, thereby leading to less efficient care and increased clinician stress. Scribes have been proposed as one approach to reduce this burden on clinicians and improve efficiency. The primary objective of this study is to assess the effect of scribes on throughput, revenue, provider satisfaction, and patient satisfaction in both the emergency department (ED) and non-ED setting. Methods PubMed, Scopus, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature database, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for studies assessing the effect of scribes versus no scribes on the following outcomes: patients per hour, relative value units (RVUs) per hour, RVUs per encounter, clinic length of stay, time to disposition, ED length of stay, ED length of stay for admitted patients, ED length of stay for discharged patients, provider satisfaction, and patient satisfaction. Data were dual extracted into a predefined work sheet, and quality analysis was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Subgroup analyses were planned between ED versus non-ED studies. Results We identified 39 studies comprising greater than 562,682 patient encounters. Scribes increased patients treated per hour by 0.30 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10 to 0.51). Scribes increased RVUs per encounter by 0.14 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.24) and RVUs per hour by 0.55 (0.30 to 0.80). There was no difference in time to disposition (5.74 minutes; 95% CI –2.63 to 14.10 minutes) or ED length of stay (–3.44 minutes; 95% CI –7.68 to 0.81 minutes), although a difference was found in clinic length of stay (5.74 minutes; 95% CI 0.42 to 11.05 minutes). Fourteen of 16 studies reported favorable provider satisfaction with a scribe. Seven of 18 studies reported favorable patient satisfaction with a scribe. No studies reported negative provider or patient satisfaction with scribes. Conclusion Overall, we found that scribes improved RVUs per hour, RVUs per encounter, patients per hour, provider satisfaction, and patient satisfaction. However, we did not identify an improvement in ED length of stay. Future studies are needed to determine the cost-benefit effect of scribes and ED volume necessary to support their use.
Airborne metals exposure and risk of hypertension in the Sister Study.

Abstract Background Hypertension-related disease burden is a major challenge globally, with an estimated 1.56 billion adults expected to be affected by hypertension by 2025. Environmental factors, such as metals, could be risk factors for hypertension, but the relationship between airborne metals and hypertension is rarely studied. Methods Census-tract airborne metal concentrations (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, and antimony) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2005 National Air Toxics Assessment database were linked to enrollment residential addresses of 47,595 women in the Sister Study cohort. Hypertension was defined as high systolic (≥140 mm Hg) or diastolic (≥90 mm Hg) blood pressure measured by trained examiners at enrollment or taking anti-hypertensive medications. Multivariable log binomial regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between individual metals and hypertension, with and without co-adjustment for other metals. Quantile-based g-computation was used to estimate the joint effect of the overall metal mixture. Results Comparing the highest to lowest quartiles, risk of hypertension was higher among women with higher residential exposure to arsenic (PR = 1.05, 95%CI = 1.02,1.09), lead (PR = 1.04, 95%CI = 1.01,1.08), chromium (PR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.00,1.06), cobalt (PR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.00,1.07), and manganese (PR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.00,1.06). Selenium was associated with lower risk of hypertension (PR = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.93,0.99). Results were similar with mutual adjustment for all other metals. The associations varied by race/ethnicity, with greater PRs in other races/ethnicities (Hispanic, black, and other participants) compared to non-Hispanic white participants. The joint effect of a quartile increase in exposure to all the metals was 1.02 (95%CI = 0.99,1.04). Conclusion We found that living in areas of higher exposure to arsenic, lead, chromium, cobalt, and manganese was related to higher risk of hypertension, whereas living in areas with higher selenium was inversely related to the risk of hypertension.
Ethylene Polymerization Activity of (R3P)Ni(codH)+ (cod = 1,5-cylcooctadiene) Sites Supported on Sulfated Zirconium Oxide.

PAr3 containing o-OMe, o-Me, or o-Et substituents reacts with Bronsted sites on sulfated zirconium oxide (SZO) to form [HPAr3][SZO]. The phosphonium sites on this material react with bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel [Ni(cod)2] to form [Ni(PAr3)(codH)][SZO] that are active in ethylene polymerization reactions. Selective poisoning studies with pyridine show that ∼90% of the Ni(PAr3)(codH)+ sites in this material are active in polymerization reactions.
Effect of Covid 19 lockdown on the lifestyle and dietary diversity of women handloom workers

Abstract Background Covid-19 lockdown has influenced the lifestyle of handloom women as weaving is the only mean of earnings for them. The nutrition profile of working women is a vital part of their general health as they have more chances of dietary deficiencies; in addition they face various safety related problems at workplace. Working conditions and household responsibilities complicate role conflict leading to stress that in turn affect nutrition and health status. Material and methods Purposive sampling method was used to collect data from 100 samples of women handloom workers between the ages of 30–60 years from Kanhirode Weaver's Co-operative Society, Kannur, Kerala, India. Personal interview method was used for data collection. The interview schedule included occupational health profile, anthropometric, physical activity and food frequency assessment. Dietary diversity questionnaire was used to assess the levels and adequacy of dietary diversity. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) was used to assess psychological well-being among the samples. Results COVID-19 lockdown downgraded the life style of majority (90.7%) of women workers. Majority of samples were with mean age 46.74 ± 5.73 years and height of 1.52 ± 0.10 m respectively. Out of 100, 63 samples noticed a weight change from which majority (71.4%) noticed an increase in their body weight. The mean weight before lockdown was 54.100 ± 7.603 Kg and after lockdown 55.020 ± 8.013 Kg. The mean BMI before lockdown was 23.232 ± 2.866 and after lockdown BMI slightly increased to 23.572 ± 2.928. Lockdown introduced a significant reduction in percentage of consumption of pulses (3.7 ± 1.2g), fish (4.1 ± 0.5g), chicken (2.0 ± 0.6g), meat (1.4 ± 0.6g) and milk products (4.6 ± 1.05 ml). Most of the subsamples were not meeting the calories (2063.3 ± 166.9 Kcal), fat (20.6 ± 4.3g) and micronutrients such as vitamin A (761.3 ± 180.3 mg), vitamin C (61.2 ± 15.9 mg) and calcium (963.3 ± 183.9 mg) requirements which indicate the incomplete dietary diversity. Conclusion The nutrition profile of women handloom workers was negatively influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biogenesis of the mouse muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

Publisher Summary Interest lies in understanding the processing and assembly of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) molecules. One approach taken is to transfect the expression vectors, encoding subunits of the mouse muscle AChR, into a fibroblast cell line that does not normally express any of the AChR subunits. By expressing the individual and combinations of subunits in this manner, the processing and functional properties of unassembled or partially assembled complexes have been monitored. In addition, by expressing mutated subunits, generated by site-directed mutagenesis, amino acids are defined and the structural elements proposed that are required for normal processing and assembly. This chapter describes the work, using a fibroblast expression system, to study the processing and assembly of AChR subunits in the context of other studies on the structure and function of this molecule. The subunit structure and processing, some of its common features and the conformational maturation, and assembly, the dynamics of normal assembly, the specificity and regulation of subunit assembly, and the functional properties of assembly intermediates are discussed in the chapter. The expression of individual subunits and combinations of subunits in fibroblasts is used to study the processing and assembly of the AChR.
SU-E-T-604: Penumbra Characteristics of a New InCiseâ„¢ Multileaf Collimator of CyberKnife M6â„¢ System

Purpose: The InCise™ Multileaf Collimator (MLC) of CyberKnife M6™ System has been released recently. The purpose of this study was to explore the dosimetric characteristics of the new MLC. In particular, the penumbra characteristics of MLC fields at varying locations are evaluated. Methods: EBT3-based film measurements were performed with varying MLC fields ranging from 7.5 mm to 27.5 mm. Seventeen regions of interests (ROIs) were identified for irradiation. These are regions located at the central area (denoted as reference field), at the left/right edge areas of reference open field, at an intermediate location between central and edge area. Single beam treatment plans were designed by using the MultiPlan and was delivered using the Blue Phantom. Gafchromic films were irradiated at 1.5 cm depth in the Blue Phantom and analyzed using the Film Pro software. Variation of maximum dose, penumbra of MLC-defined fields, and symmetry/flatness were calculated as a function of locations of MLC fields. Results: The InCise™ MLC System showed relatively consistent dose distribution and penumbra size with varying locations of MLC fields. The measured maximum dose varied within 5 % at different locations compared to that at the central location and agreed with the calculated data well within 2%.more » The measured penumbrae were in the range of 2.9 mm and 3.7 mm and were relatively consistent regardless of locations. However, dose profiles in the out-of-field and in-field regions varied with locations and field sizes. Strong variation was seen for all fields located at 55 mm away from the central field. The MLC leakage map showed that the leakage is dependent on position. Conclusion: The size of penumbra and normalized maximum dose for MLC-defined fields were consistent in different regions of MLC. However, dose profiles in the out-field region varied with locations and field sizes.« less
Role of Brønsted and Lewis acidity in the conversion of n-pentane on dealuminated H-Y, H-mordenite and HZSM-5

Abstract n -pentane transformation has been used in order to study the respective role of Bronsted acid sites and, in one case, of Lewis acid sites. Pseudo-steady rates were used to evaluate the activity of four series of de aluminated acid zeolites, namely, HY (DHY), H-mordenite (DHM), H-ZSM-5 (DHZ) and fluorinated ultrastable Y (USYnF). These samples have been thoroughly characterized by 29 Si MAS NMR, low temperature CO adsorption FTIR, NH 3 chemisorption, XRD, adsorption isotherms of N 2 and pentane. For DHZ, DHM and USYnF, linear correlations are found between the total rate of conversion and Q 1 , which is the number of bridging OH groups linked to Si with one aluminum in its first coordination shell. The role of stronger Bronsted sites consisting of an OH bridging silicon to an aluminum with zero next-nearest-neighbor (O.n.n.n Al) has also been studied. In DHY a maximum in activity was observed when the Si/Al was about 5. Synergism between Lewis and Bronsted acid sites has been observed in the case of DHM. The selectivity to isomerization vs. cracking depends mainly on zeolite structure. Cracking is favored in DHZ while DHY and USYnF are more selective towards isomerization. In DHM the selectivity towards isomerization is almost 50%.
What is Central Toxic Keratopathy Syndrome if it is not Diffuse lamellar Keratitis Grade IV

The Central Toxic Keratopathy (CTK) syndrome describes a rare, acute, self-limited, non-inflammatory process that yields central corneal opacification and significant hyperopic shift after refractive surgery. Despite being exceedingly rare, certain clinical features of CTK give the condition a striking resemblance to other more serious inflammatory conditions, including diffuse lamellar keratitis (DLK). As the authors demonstrate in this article, despite the overlapping clinical features, CTK is a disease process that is distinct from DLK and, therefore, in need of distinct management interventions.
Mid-IR room temperature operated GaSb-based lasers and laser arrays

Technology of GaSb-based type-I quantum-well lasers is considered. The role of quantum-well strain in determining device injection efficiency, differential gain and contribution of Auger recombination to threshold current is discussed.
Mutual Exclusion Between Neighboring Nodes in an Arbitrary System Graph Tree That Stabilizes Using Read/Write Atomicity

Our purpose in this paper is to propose a new protocol that can ensure mutual exclusion between neighboring nodes in an arbitrary distributed system, i.e., under the given protocol no two neighboring nodes can execute their critical sections concurrently. This protocol can be used to run a serial model self stabilizing algorithm in a distributed environment that accepts as atomic operations only "send a message", "receive a message", and "update a state". Unlike the scheme in [1], our protocol does not use time-stamps (which are basically unbounded integers); our protocol is a generalization of the protocol described in [2] which was restricted to work only for tree structured distributed systems. Like the protocol in [2], our algorithm uses only bounded integers and can be easily implemented.
Autologous mixed-lymphocyte reaction in man: XVII. In vitro effect of ion channel-blocking agents on the autologous mixed-lymphocyte response

Abstract The in vitro effect of ion channel-blocking agents verapamil (V), 4-aminopyridine (4AP), tetraethylammonium (TEA), and quinine (Q) was examined on the proliferative response of human peripheral blood T lymphocytes in the autologous mixed-lymphocyte reaction (AMLR). All the above channel blockers in a dose-dependent manner inhibited the AMLR. Tetramethylammonium (TMA), an analog of TEA that does not block K + channel currents, did not inhibit the AMLR. 4AP at 1 m M /ml concentration inhibited the expression of IL-2 receptors, as defined by monoclonal antibody anti-Tac, on T-cell activated in the AMLR. In vitro addition of recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) completely corrected the inhibition of the AMLR by channel blockers. Furthermore, the concentrations of ion channel blockers required for blocking 50% response of T cells in the AMLR was much lower than that reported for 50% block of T-cell proliferation in response to phytohemagglutinin or in allogeneic mixed-lymphocyte culture (MLC). These data suggest a role of ion channels in T-cell functions and show that the AMLR provides a more sensitive system, as compared to lectin stimulation or MLC, to examine any immunosuppressive effects of ion channel-blocking agents in disease states where they are used as therapeutic modalities.
SUPERMAN, a regulator of floral homeotic genes in Arabidopsis

We describe a locus, SUPERMAN, mutations in which result in extra stamens developing at the expense of the central carpels in the Arabidopsis thaliana flower. The development of superman flowers, from initial primordium to mature flower, is described by scanning electron microscopy. The development of doubly and triply mutant strains, constructed with superman alleles and previously identified homeotic mutations that cause alterations in floral organ identity, is also described. Essentially additive phenotypes are observed in superman agamous and superman apetala2 double mutants. The epistatic relationships observed between either apetala3 or pistillata and superman alleles suggest that the SUPERMAN gene product could be a regulator of these floral homeotic genes. To test this, the expression patterns of AGAMOUS and APETALA3 were examined in superman flowers. In wild-type flowers, APETALA3 expression is restricted to the second and third whorls where it is required for the specification of petals and stamens. In contrast, in superman flowers, APETALA3 expression expands to include most of the cells that would normally constitute the fourth whorl. This ectopic APETALA3 expression is proposed to be one of the causes of the development of the extra stamens in superman flowers. The spatial pattern of AGAMOUS expression remains unaltered in superman flowers as compared to wild-type flowers. Taken together these data indicate that one of the functions of the wild-type SUPERMAN gene product is to negatively regulate APETALA3 in the fourth whorl of the flower. In addition, superman mutants exhibit a loss of determinacy of the floral meristem, an effect that appears to be mediated by the APETALA3 and PISTILLATA gene products.
Abstract 5703: Up-regulation of miR-146a contributes to the inhibition of invasion of pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an aggressive malignancy with high mortality and is believed to be in part due to its highly invasive and metastatic behavior, which is associated with over-expression of EGFR and activation of NF-κB. Emerging evidence also suggest critical roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of various pathobiological processes including metastasis in PC and in other human malignancies. In the present study, we found lower expression of miR-146a in PC cells compared to normal human pancreatic duct epithelial (HPDE) cells. Interestingly, re-expression of miR-146a inhibited the invasive capacity of Colo357 and Panc-1 PC cells with concomitant down-regulation of EGFR and IRAK-1. Mechanistic studies including miR-146a re-expression, anti-miR-146 transfection, and EGFR knock-down experiment showed that there was a crosstalk between EGFR, MTA-2, IRAK-1, IκBα and NF-κB. Most importantly, we found that the treatment of PC cells with “natural agents” [3,3′-diinodolylmethane (DIM) or isoflavone] led to an increase in the expression of miR-146a and consequently down-regulated the expression of EGFR, MTA-2, IRAK-1 and NF-κB, resulting in the inhibition of invasion of Colo357 and Panc-1 cells. These results provide experimental evidence in support of the role of DIM and isoflavone as potential non-toxic agents as regulators of miRNA, which could be useful for the inhibition of cancer cell invasion and metastasis, and further suggesting that these agents could be important for designing novel targeted strategy for the treatment of PC.
An AC electrokinetic method for enhanced detection of DNA nanoparticles.

In biomedical research and diagnostics it is a challenge to isolate and detect low levels of nanoparticles and nanoscale biomarkers in blood and other biological samples. While highly sensitive epifluorescent microscope systems are available for ultra low level detection, the isolation of the specific entities from large sample volumes is often the bigger limitation. AC electrokinetic techniques like dielectrophoresis (DEP) offer an attractive mechanism for specifically concentrating nanoparticles into microscopic locations. Unfortunately, DEP requires significant sample dilution thus making the technology unsuitable for biological applications. Using a microelectrode array device, special conditions have been found for the separation of hmw-DNA and nanoparticles under high conductance (ionic strength) conditions. At AC frequencies in the 3000–10 000 Hz range, 10 μm microspheres and human T lymphocytes can be isolated into the DEP low field regions, while hmw-DNA and nanoparticles can be concentrated into microscopic high field regions for subsequent detection using an epifluorescent system. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
BIOGRAPHICAL CORRELATES OF SENSATION-SEEKING'

The Sensation-seeking scale (Zuckerman, et al., 1964) and a biographical questionnaire were administered to 50 undergraduate students to identify variables which correlated with sensation-seeking. Two mobility variables were significant (p < .001) and seven other biographical variables also correlated with scores on the scale.
In vitro T-lymphocyte proliferative response to mouse thyroglobulin in experimental autoimmune thyroiditis.

Abstract The in vitro lymphocyte proliferative response to mouse thyroglobulin (MTg) was studied in good and poor responder mice in relationship to in vivo antibody formation and thyroid infiltration. CBA( H-2 k ) and BALB/c( H-2 d ) mice were immunized in the hind footpads with MTg incorporated into complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). At weekly intervals up to 28 days, groups of mice were sacrificed. Their popliteal lymph nodes were cultured in vitro for proliferative response to MTg and their antibody levels and thyroid involvement determined. In good responder CBA mice, the proliferative responses to MTg were strongest on Days 8 to 14, where they were 9- to 14-fold over control levels, depending on the day of harvest. The response declined to 2- to 4-fold over background on Days 21 to 28, although high antibody levels were present throughout this period. The proliferative response was abrogated by anti-Thy-1 treatment, indicating its dependence on T cells. In poor responder BALB/c mice, no significant proliferative responses to MTg were observed at any time, although the animals displayed moderate levels of MTg antibody. The responses to PPD, in contrast, were similar in both strains, usually being 4- to 7-fold above background. Thyroid infiltration, like the proliferative response to MTg, was observed only in CBA mice. Thus lymphocyte proliferation at 8 to 14 days represents a reliable, early in vitro correlate of autoimmune thyroiditis induced with CFA as adjuvant.
An exploration of opinion and practice patterns affecting low use of antenatal corticosteroids

One of the major challenges in modern obstetrics is the prevention of preterm birth, especially the birth of a very preterm infant. Preterm birth is associated with most of all neonatal deaths and is a major cause of infant morbidity. To date little evidence exists that obstetric care is effective in reducing the preterm delivery rate.’ In fact recent data indicate that from 1981 to 1991 a small increase occurred in preterm births, especially among African-American women.’ Better management of preterm labor and delivery and advances in neonatal medicine have contributed to the increased survival of preterm infants. Although most survive, many of these very preterm babies end up with serious long-term complications as a result of prematurity-related conditions such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Therefore more attention is being given to secondary prevention strategies that may reduce these negative outcomes. One of the few interventions available to obstetricians that has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing the negative sequelae associated with preterm birth is
A semi-local neighborhood-based framework for probabilistic cell lineage tracing.

Advances in fluorescence labeling and imaging have made it possible to acquire in vivo records of complex biological processes. Analysis has lagged behind acquisition in part because of the difficulty and computational expense of accurate cell tracking. In vivo analysis requires, at minimum, tracking hundreds of cells over hundreds of time points in complex three dimensional environments. We address this challenge with a computational framework capable of efficiently and accurately tracing entire cell lineages. The bulk of the tracking problem—tracking cells during interphase—is straightforward and can be executed with simple and fast methods. Difficult cases originate from detection errors and relatively rare large motions. Therefore, our method focuses computational effort on difficult cases identified by local increases in cell number. We force these cases into tentative cell track bifurcations, which define natural semi-local neighborhoods that permit Bayesian judgment about the underlying cell behavior. The bifurcation judgment process not only correctly tracks through cell divisions and large movements, but also offers corrections to detection errors. We demonstrate that this method enables large scale analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans development, an ideal validation platform because of an invariant cell lineage. The high accuracy achieved by our method suggests that a bifurcation-based semi-local neighborhood provides sufficient information to recognize dependencies between nearby tracking choices, and to interpret difficult tracking cases without reverting to global optimization. Our method makes large amounts of lineage data accessible and opens the door to new types of statistical analysis of complex in vivo processes.
Vegetational changes associated with recreational use and fire suppression in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon: Some management implications

Abstract Construction and use of trails and campsites, grazing by recreational packstock, and suppression of fires have altered the vegetation of the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area in northeastern Oregon, USA. The amount and type of alteration has varied among vegetation types and with the kind of activity. Changes attributed to intensive recreational use are localised but severe, particularly in more densely forested areas. Suppression of fires has produced subtle but widespread changes. Current attempts to minimise these changes are often inadequate due to the lack of ecological information and the difficulties of implementing regulations. Management suggestions are offered.
Influence of body size and developmental stage of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) on lethality of several toxicants.

Abstract Acute 96 h bioassays were conducted on coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to determine their sensitivity to each of four toxicants during development. Alevins, swim-up fry and juveniles (up to 175 days post-hatch) were exposed to lethal concentrations of copper, zinc, nickel, or pentachlorophenol each week to monitor changes in susceptibility as the fish grew. Fish exhibited a high degree of susceptibility to all of the toxicants during the alevin stage. Swim-up fry showed drastic changes in sensitivity followed by more sustained patterns of change in the subsequent juvenile stage. Lethality could be related to both concentration of toxicant (C) and some exponential function of body weight (W) by the use of the multiple regression equation, Y=a+b(InC)+g(InW) where Y is the percent mortality expressed in probits. Through the use of this weighted expression of toxicity it was observed that coho alevins were consistently more sensitive to the toxicants than the juveniles. An exponential relationship between toxicity and weight could be calculated as—g/b. This exponent was found to be specific for each toxicant tested and changed in magnitude as the fish progressed through the various stages of development. Results indicated that lethality (LC50's) varied from one stage of development to the next, but within any defined stage, the relationship between toxicity and body weight was relatively constant.
Carbon dioxide sorption in conventional and plasma polymerized methyl methacrylate thin films

Abstract CO 2 sorption isotherms are reported for plasma polymerized methyl methacrylate (ppMMA) and the conventionally polymerized analog, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The isotherms are measured at temperatures ranging from 20 to 95 °C and analyzed using the Dual-Mode sorption model. In the lower temperature range, the magnitude of the Henry's law ( k D ) and the coupled Langmuir component parameters ( C ′ H b ) for both materials are similar. The expected collapse of the Langmuir sorption mode in conventional PMMA near the glass transition temperature is clearly observed. However, the Langmuir component in the plasma polymerized material does not diminish in the same manner as that for the conventional polymer analog. In contrast with the ppMMA, the PMMA materials are shown to exhibit significant dilation for extended conditioning times at high CO 2 pressures. The response of the isotherms for the two materials to ‘quench’ and ‘slow cool’ thermal conditioning protocols are similar, but small.
The Relationship between Eye Gaze and Verb Agreement in American Sign Language: An Eye-tracking Study

The representation of agreement is a crucial aspect of current syntactic theory, and therefore should apply in both signed and spoken languages. Neidle et al. (2000) claim that all verb types in American Sign Language (agreeing, spatial, and plain) can occur with abstract syntactic agreement for subject and object. On this view, abstract agreement can be marked with either manual agreement morphology (verb directed toward locations associated with the subject/object) or non-manual agreement (eye gaze toward the object/head tilt toward the subject). Non-manual agreement is claimed to function independently as a feature-checking mechanism since it can occur with plain verbs not marked with overt morphological agreement. We conducted a language production experiment using head-mounted eye-tracking to directly measure signers’ eye gaze. The results were inconsistent with Neidle et al.’s claims. While eye gaze accompanying (manually/morphologically) agreeing verbs was most frequently directed toward the location of the syntactic object, eye gaze accompanying plain verbs was rarely directed toward the object. Further, eye gaze accompanying spatial verbs was toward the locative argument, rather than toward the object of transitive verbs or the subject of intransitive verbs as predicted by Neidle et.al. Additionally, we found a consistent difference in the height of directed eye gaze between spatial and agreeing verbs. Gaze was directed lower in signing space for locative marking than for object marking, thus clearly distinguishing these two argument types. Plain verbs occurring with null object pronouns were not marked by gaze toward the location of the object and always occurred with an overt object topic. Thus, Neidle et.al.’s analysis of null objects as licensed by agreement (manual or non-manual) was not supported. Rather, the data substantiated Lillo-Martin’s (1986) claim that null arguments for plain verbs are licensed by topics. To account for the observed patterns of eye gaze, we propose an analysis of eye gaze agreement for agreeing and spatial verbs as marking the ‘lowest’ available argument on a noun phrase accessibility hierarchy.
Waking the sleeping giants: Commercializing state R&D in the United States and Russia

Abstract Survey data from 100 military R&D organizations in the Moscow area are used to compare the efficacy for Russia of the main organizational tools used by U.S. federal labs to encourage the transfer of military research to civilian product development. Structural isolation of the military in both systems has led to a critical gap between commercializing defense technologists and the new markets they hope to enter. This research finds that, in Russia as in the United States, reliance on inter-organizational ties and the creation of spin-offs are associated with more active methods of pursuing technology transfer.
After urban dynamics: Large scale urban simulation in the second generation

Forrester's Urban Dynamics and the criticism which it received provide a set of axioms which should guide the second generation of urban model builders. An urban model currently under development which follows these axioms is outlined, and a detailed description of the sector of that model dealing with the educational process is presented.
Sodium-dependentd-aspartate ‘binding’ is not a measure of presynaptic neuronal uptake sites in an autoradiographic assay

The binding of D-[3H]aspartate to sections of rat brain was examined in an autoradiographic assay. Binding was entirely dependent on the presence of sodium ions, but not chloride ions, and was optimal at 2 °C. D-Aspartate bound rapidly, reached equilibrium within 20 min and remained stable for 45 rain. The rate of dissociation was relatively rapid with a tl/2 of 56 s, but was not as fast as anticipated, perhaps because of some sequestration of ligand. Binding had a K d of 6.8 + 1.2/~M and a Bma x of 49.4 + 8.6 pmol/mg protein. The high Bm~ , value may further indicate some sequestration of D-aspartate. L-Glutamate, unlabeled D-aspartate, and D.L-threo-hydroxyaspartate, a potent inhibitor of synaptosomal uptake, each competed for D-[3H]aspartate binding with ICs0s of 7.0 _+ 4.3/zM, 5.4 + 1.5/~M, and 2.5 + 1.0 aM, respectively. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), quisqualate, and kainate had no affinity for this site. The regional distribution of D-aspartate binding sites was unique and did not conform to the distribution of neuronal uptake sites described by others. Striatal D-aspartate binding was unaffected by unilateral decortication or striatal quinolinic acid lesions. In contrast, binding to NMDA, quisqualate, and kainate receptors was reduced by 80-90% by quinolinate lesions of the striatum. The results of D-aspartate binding after lesions strongly suggest that this site is not associated with either lesioned glutamatergic afferents or intrinsic neurons of the striatum; it may be associated with glia.
What are Estimated Reimbursements for Lower Extremity Prostheses Capable of Surgical and Nonsurgical Lengthening

Background Growing prostheses accommodate skeletally immature patients with bone tumors undergoing limb-preserving surgery. Early devices required surgical procedures for lengthening; recent devices lengthen without surgery. Expenses for newer expandable devices that lengthen without surgery are more than for their predecessors but overall reimbursement amounts are not known.
Finite element implementation of a thermodynamic description of piezoelectric microstructures

A model and numerical framework is developed for piezoelectric materials. The model treats the piezoelectric and electrostrictive effects by incorporating orientation-dependent, single-crystal properties. The method is implemented in Object Oriented Finite Element program, a public domain finite element code, so it can be applied to arbitrary two-dimensional microstructures with crystallographic anisotropy. The model is validated against analytic solutions. Consistency of the method for known cases permits application of the technique to more complicated two-dimensional systems. The piezoelectric and electrostrictive response is determined for a few simple device geometries and provides insight for design and convergence criteria.
Evidence of Vortices on the Insulating Side of the Superconductor-Insulator Transition

The magnetoresistance of ultrathin insulating films of Bi has been studied with magnetic fields applied parallel and perpendicular to the plane of the sample. Deep in the strongly localized regime, the magnetoresistance is negative and independent of field orientation. As film thicknesses increase, the magnetoresistance becomes positive, and a difference between values measured in perpendicular and parallel fields appears, which is a linear function of the magnetic field and is positive. This is not consistent with the quantum interference picture. We suggest that it is due to vortices present on the insulating side of the superconductor-insulator transition.