cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Signals for Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis

Receptor-mediated endocytosis is the mechanism by which a variety of nutrients, hormones and growth factors are selectively removed from the circulation and rapidly taken up by cells (reviewed in Goldstein et al., 1985). Studies of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) provided the first evidence that the initial step in this process is the concentration of specific cell surface receptors in clathrin-coated pits (Anderson et al., 1977). Analysis of naturally-occurring internalization-defective mutant LDLRs from patients with familial hypercholesterolemia indicated that the cytoplasmic domain of the receptor was essential for high efficiency endocytosis. Mutant receptors from the patient J.D. differed from wild-type LDLR only by the substitution of a cysteine residue for tyrosine at position 807 within the cytoplasmic domain implying that this tyrosine was essential for rapid internalization (Davis et al., 1986). Subsequently, the cytoplasmic domains of other receptors including the transferrin receptor (TR) (Rothenberger et al., 1987; Jing et al., 1990), cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (Man-6-PR) (Lobel et al., 1989), polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (polyIgR) (Mostov et al., 1986) and asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) (Fuhrer et al., 1991) were shown to be important for clustering in coated pits and specific tyrosine residues within their cytoplasmic domains were also identified as critical for high efficiency endocytosis (Jing et al., 1990; Lobel et al., 1989; Breitfeld et al., 1990; Fuhrer et al., 1991). Together, these data led to the concept that constitutively recycling receptors have a tyrosine-containing internalization signal located within their cytoplasmic domains. However, the primary structures of receptor cytoplasmic tails were sufficiently dissimilar that inspection of their sequences did not reveal a shared feature that might provide a clue as to the nature of internalization signals and early attempts to identify internalization signals based on sequence patterns met with limited success (Vega and Strominger, 1989; Ktistakis et al., 1990). It was necessary, therefore, to determine the sequences of internalization signals of individual receptors experimentally by functional analysis of mutant receptors derived by in vitro mutagenesis. The internalization signals of several receptors have now been identified and, as described below, their properties can be accounted for by a model that invokes a common structural chemistry and implicates a tight et al. (1990), endocytosis. supported by direct structural have been substantiated and have led to further the properties of internalization signals that may have potential practical implications.
Internal Blackbody Emission Interferometry for Measurement of Crystallization Kinetics and Optical Properties of Amorphous Si and Ge

The spectral emissivity of a semi-transparent thin film on a heated substrate varies with film thickness due to optical interference within the layer. This leads to oscillations in the emitted blackbody radiation intensity when the film thickness changes with time. We show how measurements of these oscillations have been used to determine the crystallization kinetics and optical constants of ion-implanted amorphous Si and Ge layers undergoing solid phase epitaxial crystallization. A comparision of emission and reflectivity data illustrates that the emission behavior can be understood in terms of a straightforward optical model.
Effect of regional competition on heart transplant waiting list outcomes.

Background Heterogeneity of risk within heart transplant urgency designations is undesirable. Regional competition for donor hearts may contribute to this variation in risk. In this study we assessed whether an association exists between center competition and variation in event rates within status designations on the waiting list. Methods Our study sample included 20,237 adult transplant registrants initially listed between July 1, 2006 and July 1, 2013. Market competition was quantified using the Herfindahl–Hirshman Index (HHI) and number of centers within a donor service area (DSA) per 1 million people. A Cox model was used to assess for variation in waiting list outcomes within status designation by both HHI and DSA density. The primary outcome was death or delisting as too ill. Results Outcome rates within status designations differed significantly between centers: Status 1A, center p p p p = 0.012; Status 1B HR 0.95, p = 0.010; and Status 2 HR 1.02, p = 0.360]. Center density within the DSA was not associated with outcome rates within each status designation (Status 1A HR 0.99, p = 0.961; Status 1B HR 1.03, p = 0.901; and Status 2 HR 1.20, p = 0.399). Conclusions The rate of death or delisting as too ill within urgency designations varies between transplant centers and is partially explained by competition between transplant programs. Further methods of normalizing risk within status designations are necessary.
Transient Synaptic Potentiation in the Visual Cortex. II. Developmental Regulation

Harsanyi, Krisztina and Michael J. Friedlander. Transient synaptic potentiation in the visual cortex. II. Developmental regulation. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 1284–1293, 1997. In our previous study, pair...
RESEARCH SITUATION AND PROSPECTS OF WHEAT CONDITION MONITORING BASED ON GROWTH MODEL AND REMOTE SENSING

Wave bands and the combination of RS images can reflect the spatial information of crop growth,monitor wheat growth and estimate its yield.Including the effects of climate,soil,cultivars and cultivation measures on physiological processes such as phonological development,photosynthesis,organ building,dry matter partition and quality formation,the wheat growth model is a dynamic mathematical model with predictability and mechanism.On the basis of a brief introduction to the wheat growth model and RS monitoring,the research advances in wheat growth monitoring combining the wheat growth model and RS monitoring are summarized,and some ideas for further researches are discussed in this paper.
The Radicalization Function of Civilian-run Higher Education in the Process of Urbanization——Taking Beijing as example

The urbanization promotes the escalation of indusatial structure and the change of the requirement for men of ability.In the process of urbanization,the civilian-run higher education has its selfish function,economic function and stable function.The government should support the civilian-run higher education and the civilian-run higher education should take the way to combining with urbanization and promote the process of urbanization.
Symptom criteria and family history in major depression.

The author examined the relationship between symptom criteria for major depression and family history of mood disorders in 82 outpatients with major depression and 27 outpatients with nonaffective disorders. The family members of depressed patients with six or more groups of DSM-III symptoms of major depression exhibited substantially higher rates of mood disorders than the family members of depressed patients with fewer than six groups of symptoms and the family members of patients with nonaffective disorders. These data suggest that stricter symptom critena for major depression may define a more homogeneous phenotype, at least from the standpoint of familial aggregation. (Am J Psychiatry 1990; 147:850-854)
Monitoring Endoscopic Treatment of Superficial Bladder Carcinoma by Postoperative Urinary Cytology

Transurethral resection was the only modality of treatment in 39 patients with long-standing, recurrent, superficial bladder carcinoma. Postoperative urinary cytology was performed within 3 days of each endoscopy. Tumor recurrence was defined by the presence of a positive biopsy or visible papillary tumors on followup cystoscopic examination. Tumor recurred in 38 patients (97.4 per cent) and 1 patient (2.6 per cent) has remained free of disease 74 months following transient positive postoperative cytology. Among the 38 recurrences 15 (39.5 per cent) were positive, 3 (7.9 per cent) suspicious and 20 (52.6 per cent) negative at the postoperative cytological examination. The interval to recurrence did not differ significantly among the 3 groups. The failure of a negative postoperative cytology study to predict a durable response to treatment by transurethral resection reflects the polychronotopic nature of superficial bladder tumors in this select patient population and suggests the need for adjuvant therapy.
Emotional Distress Following Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant life event that can have serious and long-lasting impacts on neurobehavioral and psychosocial functioning, and may cause disruptions in major life areas. High levels of emotional distress are frequently experienced by persons who have sustained a TBI, and are associated with poorer functional outcomes following injury. Effective assessment and treatment of emotional distress and the “wounded soul” (J Head Trauma Rehabil 1991, 6(4):1–10) in persons with TBI are well-recognized as important components of rehabilitation following TBI. This chapter will focus on the most common types of emotional distress experienced by persons who have sustained a TBI: depression and anxiety. Factors associated with the experience of emotional distress following injury, assessment considerations, and interventions for emotional distress will be discussed. Finally, two case studies that highlight issues that may impact the psychological treatment of emotional distress in persons with TBI will be presented.
Surgical Excision and Adjuvant Brachytherapy vs External Beam Radiation for the Effective Treatment of Keloids: 10-Year Institutional Retrospective Analysis.

Background Surgically excised keloids reportedly recur at a rate of >45%. Post-excision radiation (RT) has been delivered via external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) or interstitial high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Despite historical data showing 10% to 20% keloid recurrences with post-excision RT, there is a paucity of high-quality evidence comparing keloid recurrences between the two RT modalities. Objectives We performed the largest single-institution case-control retrospective study (2004-2014) of keloid recurrence rates and complications between post-excision EBRT and HDR brachytherapy. Methods One-hundred and twenty-eight patients, with 264 keloid lesions, were treated by excision alone ( n = 28), post-excision EBRT ( n = 197), or post-excision HDR brachytherapy ( n = 39). Patient and keloid recurrence data were analyzed using mixed effect Cox regression modeling with a statistical threshold of P < .05. Results Fifty-four percent of keloids recurred after surgical excision alone (9-month median follow up); 19% of keloids recurred with post-excision EBRT (42-month median follow up); 23% of keloids recurred with post-excision brachytherapy (12-month median follow up). Adjuvant EBRT and brachytherapy each showed significant control of keloid recurrence compared to excision alone ( P < .01). EBRT significantly delayed the time of keloid recurrence over brachytherapy by a mean difference of 2.5 years ( P < .01). Conclusions Post-excision RT shows significant reduction in keloid recurrence compared to excision alone. While the recurrence control rates are not statistically different between EBRT and brachytherapy, keloids treated with EBRT recurred significantly later than those treated by HDR brachytherapy by a mean of 2.5 years. Further workup with a randomized control study will help to refine optimal adjuvant RT treatment. Level of Evidence 3![Graphic][1] Therapeutic [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
The Influence of PV Module Materials and Design on Solder Joint Thermal Fatigue Durability

Finite element model (FEM) simulations have been performed to elucidate the effect of flat plate photovoltaic (PV) module materials and design on PbSn eutectic solder joint thermal fatigue durability. The statistical method of Latin Hypercube sampling was employed to investigate the sensitivity of simulated damage to each input variable. Variables of laminate material properties and their thicknesses were investigated. Using analysis of variance, we determined that the rate of solder fatigue was most sensitive to solder layer thickness, with copper ribbon and silicon thickness being the next two most sensitive variables. By simulating both accelerated thermal cycles (ATCs) and PV cell temperature histories through two characteristic days of service, we determined that the acceleration factor between the ATC and outdoor service was independent of the variables sampled in this study. This result implies that an ATC test will represent a similar time of outdoor exposure for a wide range of module designs. This is an encouraging result for the standard ATC that must be universally applied across all modules.
Not All Education Is Created Equal: How Choice of Academic Major Affects the Racial Salary Gap:

Using 48,403 observations from the National Survey of College Graduates, this article examines the racial salary disparity between Black and White college graduates. We find that academic major and first higher education institution influence one’s final occupation, which in turn affects the salary disparity between Blacks and Whites. We suggest that public policy builds awareness among high school students aspiring for college of the importance of preparing for specific academic majors that lead to occupations expected to maintain an earnings premium.
Millennials and the sharing economy: Lessons from a ‘buy nothing new, share everything month’ project

Abstract There is a growing consensus that millennials (people born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s) have embraced the sharing economy in large numbers, adopting a new mindset in which access to goods and services is seen as more valuable than ownership of them. While surveys suggest this shift may be underway, little research has been done on behavior directly. This paper is a step in that direction. My project examines student engagement with the sharing economy through experiential learning. For one month, students were asked not to buy anything new, other than food and absolute necessities. Instead, they were expected to rely on the sharing economy to meet their needs and then to describe their experiences. I use mixed-methods design to analyze the resulting data quantitatively and qualitatively. Although the findings do not generalize to millennials as a whole, they point to a possible research program with which to test millennial engagement with the sharing economy. The results also suggest that a shift toward this new, access-driven mindset may be more challenging than popularly assumed.
Broadband, monochromatic and quasi-monochromatic x-ray propagation in multi-Z media for imaging and diagnostics.

With the advent of monochromatic and quasi-monochromatic x-ray sources, we explore their potential with computational and experimental studies on propagation through a combination of low and high-Z (atomic number) media for applications to imaging and detection. The multi-purpose code GEANT4 and a new code PHOTX are employed in numerical simulations, and a variety of x-ray sources are considered: conventional broadband devices with well-known spectra, quasi-monochromatic laser driven sources, and monochromatic synchrotron x-rays. Phantom samples consisting of layers of low-Z and high-Z material are utilized, with atomic-molecular species ranging from H2O to gold. Differential and total attenuation of x-ray fluxes from the different x-ray sources are illustrated through simulated x-ray images. Main conclusions of this study are: I. It is shown that a 65 keV Gaussian quasi-monochromatic source is capable of better contrast with less radiation exposure than a common 120 kV broadband simulator. II. A quantitative measure is defined and computed as a metric to compare the efficacy of any two x-ray sources, as a function of concentration of high-Z moieties in predominantly low-Z environment and depth of penetration. III. Characteristic spectral features of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] fluorescent emission and Compton scattering indicate pathways for accelerating x-ray photoexcitation and absorption; in particular, we model the tungsten [Formula: see text] at 59 keV alongside experimental measurements at the European synchrotron research facility to search for the signature of induced [Formula: see text] resonance fluorescence. The present study should contribute to the understanding of diagnostic potential of new x-ray sources under development, as well as the underlying fundamental physical processes and features for biomedical applications.
U.S. State Chartering Competition: Evidence of Director Primacy in Corporate Governance?

Utilizing concepts from agency theory as well as director and shareholder primacy models, this study examines U.S. state chartering competition and the debate about whether Delaware incorporation provides additional firm value for shareholders. In a longitudinal study of firms with data from 1996-2013, we found that on the surface, in line with shareholder primacy goals, Delaware incorporated firms appear to have less debt, and a higher Tobin's Q than similar firms in other states, suggesting that they are managed well for shareholder returns and supporting race to the top arguments. However, when taking into account fixed effects, and expanding the sample to include those companies that are publicly traded in the U.S. but incorporated overseas, the effect of Delaware incorporation is negligible to shareholder wealth. Foreign incorporated firms provide significantly more value for shareholders over longer periods of time than do Delaware corporations. This suggests that the popularity of Delaware incorpor...
The Effects of Universal Preschool on Grade Retention

Nationwide, the percentage of four-year-olds enrolled in state-supported preschool programs has more than doubled since the early 2000s as states dramatically increased their investments in early c...
Shift to community-onset Clostridium difficile infection in the national Veterans Health Administration, 2003-2014.

Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) occurs frequently in inpatient settings; however, community-onset cases have been reported more frequently in recent years. This study evaluated hospital-onset and community-onset CDI in the national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) population over a 12-year period. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of all adult VHA beneficiaries with CDI between October 1, 2002, and September 30, 2014. Data were obtained from the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure. CDI was categorized into community-associated CDI (CA-CDI); community-onset, health care facility-associated CDI; and health care facility-onset CDI (HCFO-CDI). Each type was described longitudinally and was assessed as an independent risk factor for health outcomes using multivariable logistic regression. Results Overall, 30,326 patients with a first CDI episode were included. HCFO-CDI was the predominant type (60.2%), followed by CO-HCFA-CDI (20.6%) and CA-CDI (19.2%). The proportion of patients with HCFO-CDI decreased from 73.5% during fiscal year 2003 to 53.2% during fiscal year 2014, whereas CA-CDI increased from 8.3% to 26.7%. HCFO-CDI was a positive predictor of severe CDI (odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-1.84) and 30-day mortality (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.32-1.61), but a negative predictor of 60-day recurrence (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.37-0.46). Conclusions HCFO-CDI was the predominant CDI type. The proportion of patients with CA-CDI increased and HCFO-CDI decreased in recent years. Patients with HCFO-CDI experienced higher rates of severe CDI and mortality.
Using computer‐assisted instruction to increase the eye gaze of children with autism

Many children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty making appropriate eye contact and engaging in joint attention. The current study evaluated a computer-assisted instruction package (pairing visual stimuli with vocal stimuli) as a novel treatment to improve the eye gaze accuracy in 3 elementary school children with autism. The researchers measured the latency from a recorded verbal stimulus to the students making eye contact with pictures of familiar individuals displayed on a computer screen, and the duration for which eye gaze on the stimulus was maintained. An automated infrared camera system for measuring eye gaze was utilized that eliminated the need for an instructor to make subjective judgments regarding participants' eye gaze. For all three participants, duration of eye contact increased, and latency to responding decreased following exposure to the computer-assisted instruction. The implications of these findings for the treatment of individuals with autism are discussed, along with suggestions for future research on the topic.
Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Knee in Patients Aged 40 Years and Older

Background:Treatment of large chondral defects of the knee among patients aged ≥40 years remains a difficult clinical challenge owing to preexisting joint degeneration and the lack of treatment opt...
Impact of co-carriage of IncA/C plasmids with additional plasmids on the transfer of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica isolates.

Abstract Background Antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica is often plasmid encoded. A key resistance plasmid group is the incompatibility group (Inc) A/C plasmids that often carry multiple resistance determinants. Previous studies showed that IncA/C plasmids were often co-located with other plasmids. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of plasmid co-carriage on antimicrobial resistance and plasmid transfer. Methods A total of 1267 Salmonella isolates, representing multiple serotypes and sources were previously subjected to susceptibility testing and 251 isolates with resistance to at least 5 antimicrobial agents were identified for further study. Each isolate was subjected to PCR-based replicon typing, and those with IncA/C plasmids were selected for plasmid isolation, PCR-based mapping of IncA/C plasmid backbone genes, and conjugation assays to evaluate resistance plasmid transferability. Results Of the 87 identified IncA/C positive isolates, approximately 75% carried a plasmid with another identified replicon type, with the most common being I1 (39%), FIA, FIIA, FIB and HI2 (each 15%). PCR-based mapping indicated significant diversity in IncA/C backbone content, especially in regions encoding transfer-associated and hypothetical proteins. Conjugation experiments showed that nearly 68% of the isolates transferred resistance plasmids, with 90% containing additional identified plasmids or larger (>50 kb) non-typeable plasmids. Conclusions The majority of IncA/C-positive strains were able to conjugally transfer antimicrobial resistance to the recipient, encoded by IncA/C and/or co-carried plasmids. These findings highlight the importance of co-located plasmids for resistance dissemination either by directly transferring resistance genes or by potentially providing the needed conjugation machinery for IncA/C plasmid transfer.
Sustaining sleep: Results from the randomized controlled work, family, and health study

Although calls for intervention designs are numerous within the organizational literature and increasing efforts are being made to conduct rigorous randomized controlled trials, existing studies have rarely evaluated the long-term sustainability of workplace health intervention outcomes, or mechanisms of this process. This is especially the case with regard to objective and subjective sleep outcomes. We hypothesized that a work-family intervention would increase both self-reported and objective actigraphic measures of sleep quantity and sleep quality at 6 and 18 months post-baseline in a sample of information technology workers from a U.S. Fortune 500 company. Significant intervention effects were found on objective actigraphic total sleep time and self-reported sleep insufficiency at the 6- and 18-month follow-up, with no significant decay occurring over time. However, no significant intervention effects were found for objective actigraphic wake after sleep onset or self-reported insomnia symptoms. A significant indirect effect was found for the effect of the intervention on objective actigraphic total sleep time through the proximal intervention target of 6-month control over work schedule and subsequent more distal 12-month family time adequacy. These results highlight the value of long-term occupational health intervention research, while also highlighting the utility of this work-family intervention with respect to some aspects of sleep. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Preventing P-gp Ubiquitination Lowers Aβ Brain Levels in an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model

One characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is excessive accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain. Aβ brain accumulation is, in part, due to a reduction in Aβ clearance from the brain across the blood-brain barrier. One key element that contributes to Aβ brain clearance is P-glycoprotein (P-gp) that transports Aβ from brain to blood. In AD, P-gp protein expression and transport activity levels are significantly reduced, which impairs Aβ brain clearance. The mechanism responsible for reduced P-gp expression and activity levels is poorly understood. We recently demonstrated that Aβ40 triggers P-gp degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Consistent with these data, we show here that ubiquitinated P-gp levels in brain capillaries isolated from brain samples of AD patients are increased compared to capillaries isolated from brain tissue of cognitive normal individuals. We extended this line of research to in vivo studies using transgenic human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP)-overexpressing mice (Tg2576) that were treated with PYR41, a cell-permeable, irreversible inhibitor of the ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1. Our data show that inhibiting P-gp ubiquitination protects the transporter from degradation, and immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that PYR41 prevented P-gp ubiquitination. We further found that PYR41 treatment prevented reduction of P-gp protein expression and transport activity levels and substantially lowered Aβ brain levels in hAPP mice. Together, our findings provide in vivo proof that the ubiquitin-proteasome system mediates reduction of blood-brain barrier P-gp in AD and that inhibiting P-gp ubiquitination prevents P-gp degradation and lowers Aβ brain levels. Thus, targeting the ubiquitin-proteasome system may provide a novel therapeutic approach to protect blood-brain barrier P-gp from degradation in AD and other Aβ-based pathologies.
Targeted Hybrid Capture for Inherited Disease Panels

The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies facilitated a breakthrough in the speed and cost of sequencing. This has transformed the ability of molecular diagnostic laboratories to provide comprehensive genetic testing for patients by targeting a large number of genes, the exome, or the entire genome. Gene enrichment, or targeted, approaches for NGS include amplification-based strategies and hybrid capture strategies. This chapter reviews the application and utility of the target hybrid capture approach in the diagnosis of constitutive diseases. In addition, a comparison of technical and interpretive parameters to other enrichment strategies, as well as to whole exome/genome sequencing, will be discussed.
METHODS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SUBMICRO QUANTITIES OF TOTAL NITROGEN, AMMONIA, AMINO NITROGEN, AMIDES, PEPTIDES, ADENYLIC ACID, AND NITRATES

In 1935 one of us described micromethods for ammonia, urea, total nitrogen, uric acid, creatinine, and allantoin (1). These methods are adapted for the analysis of 1 to 2 ml. aliquots of dilute solutions, e.g. 0.1 mg. per cent of ammonia or urea, and for carrying out a large number of analyses simultaneously. These methods all end in a calorimetric measurement.
A suitable woman: The coming-of-age of the ‘third world woman’ at the bottom of the pyramid: A critical engagement:

While the slogan ‘Make Poverty Business’ has become integral to neoliberal discourses on global poverty management, what often goes unremarked is the role of women, especially poor third world wome...
Experimental Validation of High Performance HIL-based Real-time PMU Model for WAMS

This paper presents design, analysis, and implementation of a new real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) based model for synchronized phasor measurement unit (PMU) compliant with the standard C37.118.1. The proposed model is feasible for a wide area measurement system (WAMS) in modern power grids involving renewable energy sources. The main goal is to investigate the performance of the HIL-based PMU models, each of which represent an intelligent agent. Accordingly, monitoring, control, and protection functionalities are significantly enhanced. Additionally, the proposed model is tested for steady-state (normal) and dynamic (fault occurrence) performance through different scenarios. The proposed HIL-based PMU model performance is investigated and compared with measurement (M) and performance (P) class models. Furthermore, a reduced-scale 6-bus real-time experimental laboratory setup incorporating digital controller is built and tested to demonstrate the practical validity of the proposed model for smart grid research and development.
Diversity of mental health issues in agriculture

It is long-recognized that occupational demands and environment may contribute to poor mental health. In 1976, Cooper and Marshall proposed the Occupational Stress Model to demonstrate the potentia...
The Afro-Brazilian Speech of Calunga: Historical, Sociolinguistic, and Linguistic Considerations

Calunga is an Afro-Brazilian speech spoken primaril y in and around Patrocinio, Minas Gerais, a rural town located in the western region of the sta te known as the Triângulo Mineiro. In the early 21 st century, this Afro-Brazilian speech exists in a mo ribund state. The present article is an attempt to provide a basic overview regarding some of the historical, sociolinguistic, and linguistic considerations of this Afro-Brazilian sp eech community, and how it fits into the larger picture of the African legacy in Brazil in terms of language and culture.
Multi-needle detection in 3D ultrasound images with sparse dictionary learning

Accurate and automatic multi-needle detection in three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound (US) is a key step of treatment planning for US-guided brachytherapy. However, most current studies are concentrated on single-needle detection by only using a small number of images with a needle, regardless of the massive database of US images without needles. In this paper, we propose a workflow of multi-needle detection via considering the images without needles as auxiliary. Specifically, we train position-specific dictionaries on 3D overlapping patches of auxiliary images, where we developed an enhanced sparse dictionary learning method by integrating spatial continuity of 3D US, dubbed order-graph regularized dictionary learning (ORDL). Using the learned dictionaries, target images are reconstructed to obtain residual pixels which are then clustered in every slice to determine the centers. With the obtained centers, regions of interest (ROIs) are constructed via seeking cylinders. Finally, we detect needles by using the random sample consensus algorithm (RANSAC) per ROI and then locate the tips by finding the sharp intensity drops along the detected axis for every needle. Extensive experiments are conducted on a prostate data set of 70/21 patients without/with needles. Visualization and quantitative results show the effectiveness of our proposed workflow. Specifically, our approach can correctly detect 95% needles with a tip location error of 1.01 mm on the prostate dataset. This technique could provide accurate needle detection for US-guided high-dose-rate prostate brachytherapy and facilitate the clinical workflow.
Abstract TP227: Vascular Calcification, Atherosclerosis Burden, and Stroke Mechanism in Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose: Calcification of the intracranial carotid artery is recognized as a risk factor for stroke in the general population. The significance of vascular calcifications in its rela...
Discrete Adaptive Responses to MEK Inhibitor in Subpopulations of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancers contain a spectrum of epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes. SUM-229PE cells represent a model for this heterogeneity, maintaining both epithelial and mesenchymal subpopulations that are genomically similar but distinct in gene expression profiles. We identified differential regions of open chromatin in epithelial and mesenchymal cells that were strongly correlated with regions of H3K27ac. Motif analysis of these regions identified consensus sequences for transcription factors that regulate cell identity. Treatment with the MEK inhibitor trametinib induced enhancer remodeling that is associated with transcriptional regulation of genes in epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Motif analysis of enhancer peaks downregulated in response to chronic treatment with trametinib identified AP-1 motif enrichment in both epithelial and mesenchymal subpopulations. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) of JUNB identified subpopulation-specific localization, which was significantly enriched at regions of open chromatin. These results indicate that cell identity controls localization of transcription factors and chromatin-modifying enzymes to enhancers for differential control of gene expression. We identified increased H3K27ac at an enhancer region proximal to CXCR7, a G-protein-coupled receptor that increased 15-fold in expression in the epithelial subpopulation during chronic treatment. RNAi knockdown of CXCR7 inhibited proliferation in trametinib-resistant cells. Thus, adaptive resistance to chronic trametinib treatment contributes to proliferation in the presence of the drug. Acquired amplification of KRAS following trametinib dose escalation further contributed to POS cell proliferation. Adaptive followed by acquired gene expression changes contributed to proliferation in trametinib-resistant cells, suggesting inhibition of early transcriptional reprogramming could prevent resistance and the bypass of targeted therapy. IMPLICATIONS: We defined the differential responses to trametinib in subpopulations of a clinically relevant in vitro model of TNBC, and identified both adaptive and acquired elements that contribute to the emergence of drug resistance mediated by increased expression of CXCR7 and amplification of KRAS.
Does chronic rhinosinusitis relate to systemic hypoxemia

Objectives Determine if chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is associated with systemic hypoxemia. Methods Outpatient otolaryngology visits for 12 months were analyzed, identifying patients with a diagnosis of CRS, without a comorbid diagnosis of pulmonary disease, and an oxygen saturation measurement within 14 days of the otolaryngology visit. Oxygen saturation (SpO2) measures (average SpO2, minimum SpO2 and proportion abnormal SpO2) were compared between CRS patients (with nasal polyps [NP] and without NP) and a control cohort of otology patients, also without pulmonary disease with univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Among 640 unique CRS patients with 3105 encounters, the mean and minimum SpO2 measurements were 97.6% (97.5%-97.7%) and 97.3% (97.2%-97.5%), respectively. Among 3613 control patients with 25 073 encounters, the mean and minimum SpO2 measurements were 97.3% (97.3%-97.4%) and 97.1% (97.1%-97.2%), respectively. When comparing mean and minimum SpO2 among CRSsNP (97.5% and 97.2%), CRScNP (97.3% and 97.0%) and control patients (97.3% and 97.1%), no statistically significant differences were found among the 3 groups in mean and minimum SpO2 adjusting for age and sex (P = .183 and P = .464, respectively, ANOVA). With respect to the presence of an abnormally low oxygen saturation (SpO2 ≤ 94%), 4.4% of the CRSsNP, 10.9% of the CRScNP and 7.3% of the control patients demonstrated a low oxygen saturation (P = .013). Conclusion CRS alone does not objectively contribute to systemic hypoxemia, although a subset of CRScNP patients may have abnormally low SpO2, possibly warranting SpO2 assessment in this group of patients. Level of evidence 3.
Measuring the Distribution of Galaxies Between Halos

We develop a method to measure the probability, P(N;M), of finding N galaxies in a dark-matter halo of mass M from the theoretically determined clustering properties of dark-matter halos and the observationally measured clustering properties of galaxies. Knowledge of this function and the distribution of the dark matter completely specifies all clustering properties of galaxies on scales larger than the size of dark-matter halos. Furthermore, P(N;M) provides strong constraints on models of galaxy formation, since it depends upon the merger history of dark-matter halos and the galaxy-galaxy merger rate within halos. We show that measurements from a combination of the 2MASS and SDSS or 2dFGRS datasets will allow P(N;M) averaged over halos occupied by bright galaxies to be accurately measured for N=0-2.
Cell-Laden Gradient Hydrogel Scaffolds for Neovascularization of Engineered Tissues.

Gradients in mechanical properties, physical architecture and biochemical composition exist in a variety of complex tissues, yet 3D in vitro models that enable investigation of these cues on cellular processes, especially those contributing to vascularization of engineered tissues are limited. Here, a photopolymerization approach to create cell-laden hydrogel biomaterials with decoupled and combined gradients in modulus, immobilized cell adhesive peptide (RGD) concentration, and proteolytic degradation enabling spatial encapsulation of vascular spheroids is reported to elucidate their impact on vascular sprouting in 3D culture. Vascular spheroids encapsulated in these gradient scaffolds exhibit spatial variations in total sprout length. Scaffolds presenting an immobilized RGD gradient promote biased vascular sprouting toward increasing RGD concentration. Importantly, biased sprouting is found to be dependent on immobilized RGD gradient characteristics, including magnitude and slope, with increases in these factors contributing to significant enhancements in biased sprouting responses. Conversely, reduction in biased sprouting responses is observed in combined gradient scaffolds possessing opposing gradients in RGD and modulus. The presented work is the first to demonstrate the use of a cell-laden biomaterial platform to systematically investigate the role of multiple scaffold gradients as well as gradient slope, magnitude and orientation on vascular sprouting responses in 3D culture.
Wealth Creation and Destruction from Brooke Group's Tobacco Litigation Strategy

We examine value creation and destruction in the tobacco industry due to the radical litigation strategy pursued by Brooke Group and its CEO, Bennett LeBow. Brooke Group has a tiny market share, low margins, high leverage, and a high concentration of management ownership. Beginning in 1996 the firm reached settlements in lawsuits brought against all cigarette companies by class action plaintiffs and U.S. state governments. Brooke Group’s actions, which included promises to cooperate in litigation against its rivals, spurred other companies to reach settlements on less favorable terms. The settlements eventually led to massive wealth destruction within the tobacco industry but impressive returns for shareholders of Brooke Group.
Rural Populations’ Sources of Cancer Prevention and Health Promotion Information: Rural Cancer Prevention

Purpose: Rural residents are less likely to engage in cancer risk-reduction behaviors than their urban counterparts. Rural cancer disparities may be related to limited access to and comprehension of cancer-related health information. The object of this study was to identify how rural residents access and understand cancer health promotion and prevention information. Sample: Twenty-seven residents of Central Virginia Methods: We used a qualitative design with semi-structured interviews and a focus group (n=27) with rural and non-rural residents living in Central Virginia to accomplish the study aim. Findings: Four themes were identified from the data: 1) non-rural Central Virginia residents seek health information from a variety of electronic sources, 2) rural Central Virginia residents typically seek health care information directly from health care professionals, 3) residents throughout Central Virginia encounter confusing health care information, and 4) rural residents report incorrect cancer-related information. Conclusions: Lack of internet access coupled with healthcare shortages may limit the ability of rural residents to contextualize and verify inaccurate health information. Nurses serving a rural population should consider assessing each rural patient’s internet access and disseminating printed cancer health promotion materials to rural clients without internet access. Keywords: rural health; healthcare disparities; access to care; cancer health promotion; health literacy; cancer DOI: https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v21i1.663
Charging of flowable electrodes with bimodal distribution of carbon particles

Carbon slurries as “flowable electrodes” have been used recently in a few electrochemical systems, e.g., electrochemical flow capacitors (EFCs) for energy storage and flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) for water treatment. These slurries typically have three parts: activated carbon particles, a conductive additive such as carbon black, and an aqueous electrolyte solution. Previously, a particle-based computational model that employs Stokesian dynamics was developed to describe the particle motion and interaction, while simultaneously solving for the charge transfer inside an electrical network of moving particles. In this work, we develop a unified expression of the dynamically varying electrical network. Furthermore, we incorporate a group of smaller particles as the conductive additive, whose effect on the charge transfer of the slurry is studied. The results suggest that at lower concentrations, the small particles may enhance charge transfer by filling interstitial spaces and bridging contacts of large particles; however, at higher concentrations, the benefits are not as clear since direct contacts of the large particles play the dominant role in charge transfer.
Sexually asymmetric colour-based species discrimination in orangethroat darters

Female mate preferences, male mate preferences and male–male competition can all potentially play roles in promoting speciation by sexual selection. The orangethroat darter, Etheostoma spectabile, is a sexually dichromatic fish in which males compete for access to females. We quantified male and female responses to conspecific versus heterospecific fish under normal light, dim light and blue light, the last of which impaired colour perception. We found that behavioural isolation was likely mediated primarily by male behavioural discrimination against heterospecific fish, with females showing no evident mate preferences. Furthermore, male aggression towards conspecific rivals was reduced in blue light, suggesting that the evolution of male coloration may contribute to speciation through male–male interactions.
Modulation of a cAMP/Protein Kinase A Cascade by Protein Kinase C in Sensory Neurons of Aplysia

The synaptic connections between the sensory neurons of Aplysia and their follower neurons have been used as a model system for examining the cellular mechanisms contributing to neuronal and synaptic plasticity. Recent studies suggest that at least two protein kinases, protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC), contribute to serotonin (5-HT)-induced short-term facilitation. The interaction between these two kinase cascades has not been examined, however. Using electrophysiological and biochemical approaches, we examined possible interactions between PKA and PKC cascades. The results indicated that prolonged activation of PKC by preincubation with phorbol esters attenuated PKA-mediated actions of 5-HT, including increases in sensory neuron excitability and spike broadening in the presence of tetraethylammonium (TEA) and nifedipine. Although phorbol esters also attenuated increases in excitability by an analog of cAMP and small cardioactive peptide B (SCPB), the degree of attenuation was smaller. In addition, phorbol esters did not attenuate broadening of TEA spikes by the cAMP analog and SCPB. Thus, phorbol esters appeared specifically to attenuate aspects of the 5-HT activation of the cAMP/PKA cascade. Measurements of cAMP levels with radioimmunoassays revealed that phorbol esters did not attenuate 5-HT-induced cAMP synthesis, however. Finally, the results indicated that phorbol esters themselves induced a small but significant increase in excitability as well as an increase in the level of cAMP. Our results suggest that there is crosstalk between the PKC and PKA cascades. The mechanisms by which phorbol esters specifically attenuate 5-HT-induced activation of the cAMP/PKA cascade are not known, however.
Stat1-dependent synergistic activation of T-bet for IgG2a production during early stage of B cell activation.

During the adaptive phase of an immune response, naive B cells receive multiple signals to become activated. Among them are the engagement of the B cell Ag receptor and stimulation by cytokines. Specifically for an anti-microbial response, the recognition of viral or bacterial Ags by the BCR and the stimulation of IFN-γ result in the predominant production of IgG2a. The T-bet protein has been shown to be required for class switching to IgG2a. In this report we further investigated the regulation of T-bet gene expression during the early stage of B cell activation. We show that there is a striking synergistic activation of T-bet in primary B cells when both the BCR and IFN-γ signaling pathways are activated. The synergistic activation of T-bet correlates with a 100% increase in the number of B cells that produce IgG2a. This transcription synergy on T-bet is transient in the first 24 h of B cell activation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the synergistic activation of T-bet is dependent on Stat1 and that Stat1 is required for the IgG2a germline transcription and the production of IgG2a in response to the simultaneous signaling of BCR and IFN-γ. Finally, we show that Stat1 directly regulates the expression of T-bet by binding to the T-bet promoter. These results reveal the mechanism of regulation of T-bet expression and uncover a novel physiological function of Stat1 for B cell activation.
Microfluidic generation of tunable emulsions for templated monodisperse silica

This paper describes a new approach to the formation of macroporous silica, templated using emulsions generated in a microfluidic device. With precise control over the size and uniformity of the emulsion droplets, we are able to tailor the pore size and size distribution of the resulting bulk silica gels. Using triethylenetetramine as a biomimetic catalyst, our gelation reactions occur within minutes at room temperature and neutral pH, in contrast to conventional sol-gel routes. Subsequent drying at 50/spl deg/C and calcining at 400/spl deg/C yields glassy materials with spherical pores where the emulsion droplets had been. Monodisperse porous silica with a range of pore sizes from 5-50 /spl mu/m and polydispersity less than 2.4% has been fabricated. Such materials may be produced in situ within lab-on-a-chip systems and functionalized for use in reaction and separation modules.