cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1783: Examination of the chemoresistant subpopulation in ovarian cancer identifies DNA repair genes contributing to survival after primary therapy.

Background: Although the majority of patients with advance stage epithelial ovarian cancer respond to platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy, most patients ultimately develop recurrent disease, demonstrating that a select subpopulation of cancer cells is capable of surviving this initial challenge. Tumor heterogeneity makes identification of genes most relevant to this process difficult. A comparison of matched primary tumors and tumors still present after initial chemotherapy could shed light onto which genes are contributing to survival after primary therapy. DNA repair pathways may be important in this process. Methods: After IRB approval, 45 patients were identified in whom both primary and secondary (recurrent) tumor samples were collected. For 12 of these, the recurrent tumor was collected immediately at the completion of primary therapy, therefore representing the population that survived chemotherapy and referred to as “persistent disease”. Tumor cells were extracted from FFPE slides by laser capture microdissection and subjected to a qPCR array consisting of 84 genes participating in DNA damage response and repair (SA Biosystems, Qiagen). Gene expression was compared between the two samples, and select genes identified as significantly different were validated with qPCR. Expression of genes of interest was also examined in 3 pairs of matched chemosensitive/chemoresistant ovarian cancer cell lines: A2780/A2780cp55, HeyA8/HeyA8MDR, and SKOV3ip1/SKOV3TRip2 both at baseline, and with 24-hour exposure to carboplatin. Levels of gene expression were compared with the Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test for non-parametric data, and the student9s t-test for normally distributed data. Results: Of 84 genes evaluated in the DNA repair pathway array, 7 were significantly different (p Conclusions: We have identified several genes participating in DNA repair pathways that may contribute to survival of primary therapy in epithelial ovarian cancer. Such genes might be targeted for downregulation in an attempt to overcome the ability of cancer cells to repair DNA damage induced by chemotherapy and reduce rates of relapsed disease. Citation Format: Britt K. Erickson, Adam D. Steg, Zach C. Dobbin, Ashwini A. Katre, Ronald D. Alvarez, Charles N. Landen. Examination of the chemoresistant subpopulation in ovarian cancer identifies DNA repair genes contributing to survival after primary therapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1783. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1783
Effect of Some Benzyl-1,3-Benzodioxole Analogs on Reproduction in the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann)

Seven benzyl-1,3-benzodioxole analogs were tested for possible effects on reproduction in females of the Mediterranean fruit fly. Single topical doses of J2581 (5-ethoxy-6-[4-methoxyphenyl]methyl-1,3-benzodioxole) and J3263 (5-methoxy-6-(1-[4-ethoxyphenyl]ethyl)-1,3-benzodioxole) were found to cause a temporary delay in ovarian growth in female medflies by 9 and 13 days respectively when compared to acetone-treated controls. Continued exposure of the analogs at the target site(s) appears to be necessary for more permanent effects. Nurse cell development appears not to be affected, but oocyte growth and subsequent egg production and egg hatch were significantly reduced. Methoprene treatment appeared to obviate the effect of J2581 in arresting ovarian growth.
American Studies of Vietnamese History

This article intends to provide a review of the Vietnamese Studies in the United States since the 19th century.The author argues that the evolution of American studies of Vietnam can be divided into the following phases: 1) from the early 19th century to 1945;2) 1946-1968;3) 1968-1975;and 4) since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.The focus of this article is on the second and third phases.The article offers information and discussions on important scholars of each phase,their works and views,and pays special attention to the mutual influence of politics and academic research.
50 Obesity and Cancer with Emphasis on Bariatric Surgery

The aim of this chapter is to identify cancers that to date have been associated with obesity and to highlight the leading physiologic theories linking obesity and cancer. The chapter will then explore the validity of national and international recommendations to reduce adiposity, when appropriate, for the purpose of lowering cancer incidence as well as risk for cancer recurrence. Finally, as a result of bariatric surgery the opportunity has been advanced to investigate whether or not long-term voluntary weight loss for overweight or obesity is associated with reduced cancer risk and lower cancer-related mortality. Finally, the chapter will review cancer risk and cancer mortality subsequent to bariatric surgery, with brief mention of cancer diagnosis incidental to weight loss surgery.
Heidegger and Politics: The Ontology of Radical Discontent

In this fresh interpretation of Heidegger, Alexander S. Duff explains Heidegger's perplexing and highly varied political influence. Heidegger and Politics argues that Heidegger's political import is forecast by fundamental ambiguities about the status of politics in his thought. Duff explores how, in Being and Time as well as earlier and later works, Heidegger analyzes 'everyday' human existence as both irretrievably banal but also supplying our only tenuous path to the deepest questions about human life. Heidegger thus points to two irreconcilable attitudes toward politics: either a total and purifying revolution must usher in an authentic communal existence, or else we must await a future deliverance from the present dispensation of Being. Neither attitude is conducive to moderate politics, and so Heidegger's influence tends towards extremism of one form or another, modified only by explicit departures from his thought.
Efficacy of vacuum-assisted closure therapy on rehabilitation during the treatment for surgical site infection after cardiovascular surgery

Surgical site infection (SSI) after cardiovascular procedures is a severe complication, potentially leading to high morbidity and mortality. In addition, during the treatment of SSI, rehabilitation is delayed, which can severely impair postoperative recovery. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy on rehabilitation during the treatment of SSI after cardiovascular surgery. From January 2008 to March 2015, 10 patients underwent VAC therapy for SSI after cardiovascular operations. The patient characteristics, duration of VAC therapy, time interval from the implementation of VAC to physical therapy (PT) (T1), ambulation (T2) and walking (T3), functional independent measure (FIM), and maximum consecutive walking capacity (MCWC) were retrospectively analyzed. Nine patients underwent mid-sternal incision and one patient underwent thoraco-abdominal incision. The mean time interval from the beginning of VAC therapy to PT, ambulation, and walking was 0.38 ± 0.50, 0.63 ± 0.71, and 1.38 ± 1.86 days, respectively. The average FIM was 84.5 ± 14.0 at the beginning of VAC therapy and 106.7 ± 18.5 at the end of VAC therapy (P = 0.000494). On average, MCWC was 52.3 ± 54.6 m at the installation of VAC therapy and 189.7 ± 152.8 m at the completion of VAC therapy (P = 0.0169). FIM and MCWC improvement rate was better in VAC group than non-VAC group although these data are not suitable for statistical analysis because of a small sample size. Although further studies are warranted, VAC therapy may have a role in facilitating rehabilitation and improving the prognosis of SSI cases after major cardiovascular operations.
Design and Analysis of Buildings with Fluidic Self-Centering Systems

AbstractDesign and analysis procedures for buildings with fluidic self-centering systems are presented and evaluated. The design procedures parallel those for buildings with damping systems in Chapter 18 of the ASCE 7 Standard. The evaluation of the procedures is based on the design and nonlinear response history analysis of 3- and 6- story steel moment frame example buildings. The study establishes the validity of simplified methods of analysis and determines their range of accuracy. Specifically, the simplified methods of analysis provide good and most often conservative estimates of drift and good predictions of self-centering device forces. The results demonstrated that buildings equipped with fluidic self-centering devices and designed per the presented procedures offer benefits of substantial reduction in residual story drift but also reduced peak story drift, peak floor acceleration, peak story shear and base shear forces, and reduced floor acceleration response spectra by comparison to the code-co...
Intraspinal Transplantation of Human Neural Stem Cells

In this chapter, we provide a detailed procedure for intraspinal transplantation of human NPCs including information on cell preparation as well as surgical procedures on mice that enable a successful transplant. We also make note of the critical steps and points one should be wary of, which will help to ensure a successful procedure. In addition, we provide a list of the equipment, supplies, and reagents that have worked well in our laboratory.
Inviting dialogue on the role and use of religion and spirituality in social work for social and economic justice

As I begin the Editorship of the Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, I have many questions that I hope we can explore together as authors and readers of this journal ...
Bioarchaeology of compassion: Exploring extreme cases of pathology in a Bronze Age skeletal population from Tell Abraq, U.A.E.

Tell Abraq is a Bronze Age archaeological site located in the modern day United Arab Emirates and was occupied from the 3rd millennium BC to the 1st century AD. The coastal location provided access to both marine and agricultural resources as well as trade routes and foreign exchange. The tomb at the site was in use for 200 years (2200-2000 BC) and housed the commingled remains of a minimum of 286 adults. These individuals lived hard lives, dependent on good health to maintain a life-line of sustenance for themselves and each other. A number of individuals with severe expressions of pathological cases, however, indicate they were in need of support from others during their times of illness or injury. These pathologies include osteoarthritis with eburnation, stress fracture, healed mal-union fracture, spondylosis deformans, dislocated knee, and osteomyelitis. Using clinical literature, each case is interpreted based on current medical notions of disability and pain. Limited mobility and diminished capacity to provide for oneself lend to a biocultural analysis in which compassion is displayed through extended care and support to ailing and injured people. This research brings focus to an area of study that has received little attention, attempts to highlight individuals in a commingled context, and suggests ways of integrating bioarchaeology in a community.
Activity engagement and physical function in old age sample.

Abstract Objectives To describe the patterns of engagement in mental, physical, and social activity (MA, PA, and SA) and to examine the relationship between combined activity engagement and physical function among community-dwelling older adults. Design Cross-sectional correlational study. Setting Multiple communities. Participants A total of 466 individuals aged 55 years or older. Measurements Physical function was assessed using grip strength and gait speed. Engagement in PA, MA and SA was obtained from self-report questionnaires. Results We identified four classes (“Active PA and MA”, “Active MA”, “Active PA”, and “Inactive”) that significantly differed in the frequency of engagement in MA and PA using latent class analysis. SA didn’t differ across classes. Controlling for age, the “Active PA and MA”, “Active MA”, “Active PA” groups displayed similar grip strength that was superior to the “Inactive” group. “Active PA and MA” group had best gait speed relative to other groups, especially “Active MA” and “Inactive” group, while the “Active PA”, “Active MA”, and “Inactive” group were similar in gait speed. Conclusion Combined physical and mental activity engagement was associated with better physical function, especially in gait speed. Future interventional research should investigate the combination of both physical and cognitive training to prevent decline of physical function in older adults.
Perspectives on the ribosome

Protein accounts for roughly half the dry mass of all organisms and, in large measure, the morphologies and physiologies of organisms are macroscopic manifestations of the properties of the proteins they synthesize for themselves. This issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society
Confined Electromagnetic Waves—Cavities

In this chapter I will briefly focus on the description of the electromagnetic field inside a cavity. Starting from Maxwell’s equations, one can derive a formalism treating such field modes inside a resonator as harmonic oscillators. These field modes can then be quantized and treated as quantum harmonic oscillators.
Quantum Transport Simulation of Carrier Capture and Transport within Tunnel Injection Lasers

Hot electron distributions within the active region of quantum well lasers lead to gain suppression, reduced quantum efficiency, and increased diffusion capacitance, greater low-frequency roll-off and high-frequency chirp. Recently, “tunnel injection lasers” have been developed to minimize electron heating within the active quantum well region by direct injection of cool electrons from the separate confinement region into the lasing subband(s) through a tunneling barrier. Tunnel injection lasers, however, also present a rich physics of transport and scattering, and a correspondingly rich set of challenges to simulation and device optimization. For example, a Golden-Rule-based analysis of the carrier injection into the active region of the ideal tunnel injection laser would suggest approximately uniform injection of electrons among the nominally degenerate ground quantum well states from the separate confinement region states. However, such an analysis ignores (via a random-phase approximation among the final states) the basic real-space transport requirement that injected carriers still must pass through the wells sequentially, coherently or otherwise, with an associated attenuation of the injected current into each subsequent well due to electron-hole recombination in the prior well. Transport among the wells then can be either thermionic, or, of theoretically increasing importance for low temperature carriers, via tunneling. Coherent resonant tunneling between wells, however, is sensitive to the potential drops between wells that split the energies of the lasing subbands and (further) localizes the electron states to individual wells. In this work such transport issues are elucidated using Schrodinger Equation Monte Carlo (SEMC) based quantum transport simulation.
Abstract 576: Salicylamine, A γ-ketoaldehyde Scavenger, Improves HDL Function and Reduces Atherosclerosis in Apoe Deficient Mice

Background: Lipid peroxidation products impair the cholesterol efflux capacity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and promote the development of atherosclerosis. The impact of inhibition of malondialdehyde (MDA)-HDL adduct formation by scavengers on HDL function and whether small molecule aldehyde scavengers protect against the development of atherosclerosis was examined. Methods and Results: Western blot analysis of ApoAI revealed that the amount of ApoAI crosslinking increased with MDA concentration. In the presence of LPS, MDA-HDL (HDL modified by 1mM MDA) versus control HDL stimulated 2- and 1.8-fold more expression of TNF-α and IL-1β in Apoe-/- macrophages demonstrating that MDA-HDL has reduced anti-inflammatory function. HDL-mediated macrophage cholesterol efflux was decreased by ~ 42%, 55%, 70%, and 80%, respectively, for HDL modified with 0.125 mM, 0.25 mM, 0.5 mM, and 1mM MDA, demonstrating that MDA modification of HDL affects its cholesterol efflux capacity in a dose dependent manner. Analysis by Western blot demonstrated that 5mM of salicylamine (SAM) and 5mM of pentylpyridoxamine (PPM), γ-ketoaldehyde scavengers, attenuated MDA mediated crosslinking of apoA-I in HDL (molar ratio of MDA and HDL is 1:5) by 60% and 80 % (P Apoe-/- macrophages. In addition, pretreatment of LDL with SAM prevented MDA-ApoB adduct formation, and compared to incubation with LDL containing MDA-ApoB adducts, SAM treatment resulted in 57% less cholesterol accumulation in J774 macrophages. Importantly, administration of the ketoaldehyde scavenger, SAM, versus the nonreactive analogue, 4-SAM, to Apoe-/- mice consuming a Western diet for 16 weeks reduced the extent of proximal aortic atherosclerosis by 28% (P Conclusions: Treatment with salicylamine, a γ-ketoaldehyde scavenger: 1) inhibits MDA-ApoA1 adduct formation thereby preserving HDL cholesterol efflux capacity; 2) prevents MDA-apoB100 formation resulting in less macrophage cholesterol accumulation; 3) reduces atherosclerosis in Apoe -/- mice. These results support the therapeutic potential of salicylamine in the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Wrong sign bottom Yukawa coupling in low energy supersymmetry

The study of the Higgs boson properties is one of the most relevant activities in current particle physics. In particular, the Higgs boson couplings to third generation fermions is an important test of the mechanism of mass generation. In spite of their impact on the production and decay properties of the Higgs boson, the values of these couplings are still uncertain and, in models of new physics, they can differ in magnitude as well as in sign with respect to the Standard Model case. In this article, we study the possibility of a wrong sign bottom-quark Yukawa coupling within the framework of the minimal (MSSM) and next-to-minimal (NMSSM) supersymmetric Standard Model. We find that a wrong sign regime is not possible in the MSSM without violating experimental constraints, and we numerically examine the parameter values which give a wrong sign bottom Yukawa within the NMSSM. Possible experimental tests are also discussed, including novel decays of the heavy $CP$-even and $CP$-odd Higgs fields that may be probed in the near future and that may lead to an explanation of some intriguing di-boson signatures observed at the ATLAS experiment.
Leverage and Taxes: Evidence from the Real Estate Industry

Finance theory has long viewed corporate income taxes as a potentially important determinant of corporate financing decisions and capital structures. But finance academics have been unable to provide convincing empirical evidence of a material effect of taxes on corporate leverage, in part because of difficulties in constructing an effective proxy for marginal corporate tax rates, and hence for the tax benefits of debt, for large samples of individual companies. The authors address this by analyzing leverage decisions in an industry whose publicly traded entities are organized either as taxable corporations, or as real estate investment trusts (REITs) that effectively avoid entity level taxation. This enables them to measure the relative tax benefits of debt with greater precision while controlling for important nontax characteristics that affect debt usage. The tax hypothesis predicts that for real estate firms with similar asset portfolios, taxable firms should have more debt than their nontaxable counterparts. Both the nontaxable and the taxable real estate firms in our sample routinely have more than twice the leverage of industrial firms, which suggests that factors other than taxes are contributing to their use of debt. But among real estate firms, tax status appears to play a much weaker role. Taxable firms have significantly more leverage only after 2000, when restrictions on REITs were removed through new regulations that made their operations much more like those of taxable real estate firms. Our findings also depend on real estate characteristicsâ€”most notably, only residential real estate firms demonstrated differences that are consistent with the tax hypothesis. Taken together, the authorsâ€™ findings suggest that although taxes do seem to matter, their role is clearly secondary relative to factors such as the nature of the firmâ€™s assets. A generous interpretation of our evidence puts the effect of taxes between oneâ€ third and oneâ€ half of that implied by prior research.
The influence of obesity on operating room time and perioperative complications in cochlear implantation.

Abstract Objective The rising incidence of obesity in the United States is associated with increased healthcare expenditures and resource allocation. Obesity has been associated with prolonged operating times during surgical procedures. The primary objective of this study is to compare body mass index (BMI) to length of surgery during cochlear implantation. Methods A retrospective case control study from a tertiary academic referral center was performed. Patients included were adults who underwent primary, single-sided cochlear implantation with documented BMI and operating room (OR) times from January 2009 to July 2015. The following data were collected: BMI, total operating room time (TORT), surgical operating room time (SORT), ASA status, perioperative and postoperative complications, age, and gender. Results Two hundreds and thirty-four patients were included and stratified into obese (BMI >30) and non-obese (BMI Conclusions Obesity leads to longer TORT and SORT during primary cochlear implant surgery. Obesity is also associated with increased perioperative and postoperative complications compared to non-obese patients. These data have implications with utilization of operating room resources.
Women’s Agency in the Malay Muslim Communities of Southern Thailand

Women have invariably been described as victims in the literature on women’s political participation in Southeast Asia. Moreover, publications tend to focus on the formal political arena of elected officials, often highlighting the obstacles that women face when entering politics. Even such obstacles have been discussed through the lenses of a discourse on women as victims—victims of patriarchy or of the “old boys” network and so on. This discourse obscures women’s agency. Literature that addresses women’s political engagement through civil society is scarce for the Southeast Asia region, particularly in the sense of highlighting the impact of women’s actions on significant human security issues. Yet women are politically engaged—whether through the formal political arena as politicians or through civil society as leaders and activists in social movements and NGOs. Women are agents of change and their political engagement makes significant impact on various issues of human security issues including peace-building efforts in various parts of Southeast Asia. This chapter examines Malay Muslim women’s agency in the conflict-torn Deep South of Thailand, focusing on civil society engagement.
Unfolding Polyhedra Method for the Design of Origami Structures with Creased Folds

After addressing the kinematics of origami structures with creased folds in the previous chapter, here we present a method for their design to achieve targeted three-dimensional shapes. This chapter addresses the method of unfolding polyhedra. The goal shape is represented in this method as a three-dimensional polygonal mesh, termed as the goal mesh. The objective in unfolding polyhedra is to find the shape and fold pattern of a planar sheet that can be folded towards a configuration that matches the goal mesh. We examine the theory and computational implementation aspects of the unfolding polyhedra method and provide various representative examples.
Single Antibody Procedure

Designing an experiment with a single 1° antibody involves many of the topics presented in the previous chapters, including reagents, types of label for antibodies, and the methods for applying antibodies. This chapter presents a step-by-step approach to designing an immunocytochemistry experiment and depends on information in the Immunocytochemistry Experimental Design Chart completed in Chapter 9.
Life-Threatening Cerebral Edema in Diabetes: A Preventable Complication?

Life-threatening cerebral edema (CE) is a disastrous complication that occurs almost exclusively in patients under 25 years of age. Although exceptional in any single physician’s experience, several series suggest that it accounts for a substantial portion of diabetic ketoacidemia (DKA) associated deaths in childhood.
Commentary: Neurobiology of Psychotherapy – State of the Art and Future Directions

The region of intersection between neurobiological research and psychoanalysis is fertile and growing. As every chapter in this section attests, both empirical methods and psychoanalytic theories have advanced toward a kind of interaction that would have delighted Sigmund Freud. While this area of research grows and finds its identity, perhaps the greatest challenge will be for it to define its goals. Therefore, with these chapters in mind, I propose the following unifying principles:
DIFFERENT MECHANISMS FOR NATURAL KILLER (NK) AND ANTIBODY-DEPENDENT CELL-MEDIATED CYTOTOXICITY (ADCC) BY Fc-RECEPTOR BEARING LYMPHOCYTES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a different mechanism for natural killer (NK) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) by Fc-receptor bearing lymphocytes. Mononuclear peripheral blood leukocytes (MPBL) of normal, healthy human donors have the ability to kill cultured normal or tumor target cell lines in a 4 h, 51Cr-release assay. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) of Chang liver target cells treated with rabbit 7S anti-Chang cell antibody is dependent on a population of lymphocytes that bear Fc-receptors (FcR). FcR-bearing lymphocytes also have a spontaneous or natural killer (NK) activity toward a myeloid leukemia cell line, K-562. In a study described in the chapter, because both cytolytic activities appeared to be mediated by lymphocytes with a similar surface receptor, a thorough comparison of the two activities was initiated by simultaneously using the same lymphocyte preparations as effector cells in NK and ADCC assays. The results suggest that either 7S antibody bound to the target cells is not involved in NK against the K-562 target cells, or, if NK is in some way related to ADCC, that arming of MPBL with cytophilic 7S antibody occurs in vivo prior to testing.
Towards Bayesian hierarchical inference of equilibrium climate sensitivity from a combination of CMIP5 climate models and observational data

Despite decades of research, large multi-model uncertainty remains about the Earth’s equilibrium climate sensitivity to carbon dioxide forcing as inferred from state-of-the-art Earth system models (ESMs). Statistical treatments of multi-model uncertainties are often limited to simple ESM averaging approaches. Sometimes models are weighted by how well they reproduce historical climate observations. Here, we propose a novel approach to multi-model combination and uncertainty quantification. Rather than averaging a discrete set of models, our approach samples from a continuous distribution over a reduced space of simple model parameters. We fit the free parameters of a reduced-order climate model to the output of each member of the multi-model ensemble. The reduced-order parameter estimates are then combined using a hierarchical Bayesian statistical model. The result is a multi-model distribution of reduced-model parameters, including climate sensitivity. In effect, the multi-model uncertainty problem within an ensemble of ESMs is converted to a parametric uncertainty problem within a reduced model. The multi-model distribution can then be updated with observational data, combining two independent lines of evidence. We apply this approach to 24 model simulations of global surface temperature and net top-of-atmosphere radiation response to abrupt quadrupling of carbon dioxide, and four historical temperature data sets. Our reduced order model is a 2-layer energy balance model. We present probability distributions of climate sensitivity based on (1) the multi-model ensemble alone and (2) the multi-model ensemble and observations.
Study of resist hardmask interaction through surface activation layers

At IBM, one of the focus items for EUV patterning development is to enable the fullest extent of scaling to a second EUV node while maintaining single-exposure levels. The challenge for the next node of EUV patterning has been with attaining acceptable defectivity levels that can enable electrical yield at pitches 32nm and below. For single-expose EUV, the primary detractors to sub-32nm pitch yield are typically microbridging and line break defects, which have different root causes but can exist in the same dose range. Since the etch strategies for mitigating one of these defect types will result in exacerbating the other, the burden to improve defectivity cannot be placed solely on the pattern transfer process. Resist scumming, which is the root cause of microbriging, can be modulated through interactions with the resist-hardmask interface. The lack of acid at the substrate interface causes resist scumming, and therefore increasing the acidity at the resist hardmask interface can be expected to mitigate post-litho microbridge defects. As the number of EUV photons are significantly less compared to DUV exposures due to the high energy contained in each photon, an extra acid boost can also help to address the stochastics failures that dominate EUV patterning. This paper will demonstrate the concept of modulating the resist-hardmask interaction through surface activation layers, and show the subsequent effects on patterning process window and microbridging defectivity toward yield at pitches <32nm.
Application of an automated sample processor to the analysis of benzodiazepine drugs and their metabolites in blood serum by HPLC

An automated sample processor (PREPTM I) can be applied to the extraction of benzodiazepine drugs and metabolites from blood serum. The absolute extraction recoveries are greater than 90%. The dried extracts can be used for analysis by techniques such as liquid chromatography. Comparison of the LC results to a GC method with manual liquid-liquid extraction was excellent for concentrations up to 30 μmole · 1−1.
Modeling Female Social Aggression: Predictors from Multiple Developmental Contexts.

AbstractA diverse array of proposed antecedents of social aggression (SA) were examined in two studies. This work is informed by ecological systems theory and examined predictors from the micro- an...
Protocadherin 7 is overexpressed in castration resistant prostate cancer and promotes aberrant MEK and AKT signaling.

Background Castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) accounts for almost all prostate cancer (PCa) deaths. Aberrant activation of ERK/MEK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways plays an important role in subsets of patients with CRPC. The role of protocadherin 7 (PCDH7) in modulating these signaling pathways is investigated for the first time in PCa in the present investigation. Methods PCDH7 expression was analyzed in CRPC/neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) dataset. Protein expression was assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, and messenger RNA (mRNA) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Small hairpin ribonucleic acid was used to knockdown PCDH7. Colony formation, cell migration, and invasion studies were done using standard protocols. Results PCDH7 amplification/mRNA upregulation was observed in 41% of patients in CRPC/NEPC dataset. PCDH7 was also overexpressed in CRPC cells. Increased PCDH protein expression was observed during tumor progression in PCa tissues and in TRAMP mice. Epidermal growth factor treatment resulted in aberrant activation of ERK/AKT. Knockdown of PCDH7 decreased ERK, AKT, and RB phosphorylation and reduced colony formation, decreased cell invasion, and cell migration. Conclusions These data show for the first time that PCDH7 is overexpressed in a large number of patients with CRPC and suggest that PCDH7 may be an attractive target in subsets of patients with CRPC for whom there is no cure to-date.
Computational modeling of the monoaminergic neurotransmitter and male neuroendocrine systems in an analysis of therapeutic neuroadaptation to chronic antidepressant.

Abstract Second-line depression treatment involves augmentation with one (rarely two) additional drugs, of chronic administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which is the first-line depression treatment. Unfortunately, many depressed patients still fail to respond even after months to years of searching to find an effective combination. To aid in the identification of potentially effective antidepressant combinations, we created a computational model of the monoaminergic neurotransmitter (serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine), stress-hormone (cortisol), and male sex hormone (testosterone) systems. The model was trained via machine learning to represent a broad range of empirical observations. Neuroadaptation to chronic drug administration was simulated through incremental adjustments in model parameters that corresponded to key regulatory components of the neurotransmitter and neurohormone systems. Analysis revealed that neuroadaptation in the model depended on all of the regulatory components in complicated ways, and did not reveal any one or a few specific components that could be targeted in the design of antidepressant treatments. We used large sets of neuroadapted states of the model to screen 74 different drug and hormone combinations and identified several combinations that could potentially be therapeutic for a higher proportion of male patients than SSRIs by themselves.
Discussion Guide for the Sexually Explicit Educational Video Sexuality Reborn: Sexuality Following Spinal Cord Injury

The use of sexually explicit media in education is a sensitive teaching area because of the range of adverse reactions sexually graphic images may evoke. The person planning to use a sexually explicit video needs to create a safe environment with time for discussion and they must be prepared to facilitate discussion that will elicit reactions and help viewers deal with them. This paper provides clear goals, objectives, rationale, and guidelines for using Sexuality Reborn. It also provides recommended topics for discussion including references to the key scenes, discussion questions, and comments.
Increasing high school teachers self-efficacy for integrated STEM instruction through a collaborative community of practice

Teachers can have a significant impact on student interest and learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and careers. Teacher self-efficacy can also significantly affect student learning. Researchers investigated the effects of teacher professional development and integrated STEM curriculum development on teacher self-efficacy. Participants in the study included high school science and engineering technology teachers enrolled in a National Science Foundation–ITEST project called Teachers and Researchers Advancing Integrated Lessons in STEM (TRAILS). The TRAILS program sought to prepare teachers to integrate STEM content using engineering design, biomimicry, science inquiry, and 3D printing as pedagogical approaches. Teachers learned within a community of practice working alongside industry partners and college faculty. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of the 70 h of professional development to train three cohorts of teachers over 3 years on teacher self-efficacy. The research design utilized a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group approach, including an experimental group and an untreated control group. Measurements on beliefs about teacher self-efficacy were collected on pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest survey assessments. Researchers analyzed the T-STEM survey results for teaching self-efficacy using the Wilcoxson signed-rank test for detecting significant differences. Science teachers showed a significant increase in teacher self-efficacy comparing the pretest and delayed posttest scores after TRAILS professional development and STEM lesson implementation (p = .001, effect size = .95). Additionally, significant differences between groups (science experimental vs science control group teachers) using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test were detected from pretest to posttest (p = .033, effect size = .46), posttest to delayed posttest (p = .029, effect size = .47), and pretest to delayed posttest (p = .005, effect size = .64). There were no significant differences detected in the control group. Engineering technology teachers showed no significant differences between the pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest self-efficacy scores. The results indicate the science teachers’ self-efficacy increased after professional development and after lesson implementation. Potential implications from this research suggest that the science teacher participants benefited greatly from learning within a community of practice, engaging in science practices, and using science knowledge to solve a real-world problem (engineering design).
Latent Class Mediation: A Comparison of Six Approaches.

Latent class mediation modeling is designed to estimate the mediation effect when both the mediator and the outcome are latent class variables. We suggest using an adjusted one-step approach in whi...
Dynamics and Excitation of Absorbing and Amplifying Random Media

Using microwave measurements, numerical simulations and analytic theory, we find expressions for the spectra of the transmission time, energy density and density of states in nonunitary random media.
Peer support provision and job satisfaction among certified peer specialists

Peer support services are an important resource for mental health programs. Despite the growth of peer support services in the United States, there is little knowledge on the characteristics of pee...
The Resident VIEW in Nursing Homes.

This article presents the Resident VIEW (Voicing Importance, Experience, and Well-Being), a measure designed to learn directly from long-term care residents the extent to which they experience supp...
The Melbourne Cup and the Durability of the Race Horse

The article examines the durability of the contemporary thorougbred race horse in light of the results of the Melbourne Cup in 2009.
A Baffling Bump: A Case Report of an Unusual Chest Wall Mass in a Pediatric Patient.

Author(s): Vertelney, Haley; Lin-Martore, Margaret | Abstract: Introduction: Chest wall masses are rare in children, but the differential diagnosis is broad and can include traumatic injury, neoplasm, and inflammatory or infectious causes. We report a novel case of an eight-year-old, previously healthy female who presented to the emergency department (ED) with one month of cough, fevers, weight loss, and an anterior chest wall mass.Case Report: The patient’s ultimate diagnosis was necrotizing pneumonia with pneumatocele extending into the chest wall. This case is notable for the severity of the patient’s pulmonary disease given its extension through the chest wall, and for the unique speciation of her infection.Conclusion: Although necrotizing pneumonia is a rare complication of community-acquired pneumonia, it is important for the emergency physician to recognize it promptly as it indicates severe progression of pulmonary disease even in children with normal and stable vital signs, as in this case.n The emergency physician should consider complications of pneumonia including pneumatocele and empyema necessitans when presented with an anterior chest wall mass in a pediatric patient.n Additionally, point-of-care ultrasound was used in the ED to facilitate the diagnosis of this illness and was particularly useful in determining the continuity of the patient’s lung infection with her extrathoracic chest wall mass.
Twin anemia polycythemia sequence: Successful laser photocoagulation treatment and placental histopathological findings.

Abstract Objective Twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS) is a rare complication of monochorionic twin pregnancies, which can occur either spontaneously or after laser photocoagulation procedure for twin to twin transfusion syndrome. TAPS is associated with poor perinatal outcomes and clear screening guidelines for this disease are lacking resulting in under-diagnosis of TAPS. Case Report The purpose of this report is to discuss a case of severe spontaneous TAPS, which was successfully treated with favorable outcome, to describe the placental histopathological findings, and to propose an algorithm for management and follow up of this rare condition. Conclusion Laser photocoagulation of the placental anastomoses, despite technical challenges, can be safely performed in cases of TAPS. Even with prenatal evidence of successful resolution of TAPS, close fetal surveillance is warranted because of the persistence of placental villous immaturity.
Determinants of Smallholder Maintenance of Crop Diversity in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains

Smallholder farmers are important managers of global crop diversity. However, agricultural modernization is changing farming practices and raising questions about the socio-ecological factors that support crop diversity. In the context of the semi-arid High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, we explored determinants of crop diversity through a cross-sectional survey and farmer interviews in villages adopting new crops such as apples. Through a multiple linear regression analysis and farmer interviews, we found that market participation, land holdings, and water access influenced crop diversity. We highlight the importance of water access for crop diversity, especially in semi-arid regions with uneven hydrological resources.
Mediation and Access to Justice in Africa: Perspectives from Ghana

Mediation and other ADR processes have been promoted vigorously in developing countries under the banner of access to justice. As a result, many African countries are experiencing a transformation of their civil justice systems with modern dispute resolution gaining a strong foothold throughout the African continent. Influenced by promises of increased flexibility and efficiency in resolving disputes, greater access to justice, and in some cases, promotion of foreign investment, legislators and policy-makers have become active both in promoting and in privatizing modern dispute resolution processes. There is nothing new about the use of informal and non-adversarial dispute resolution processes in African states. Many of them have had a long tradition of using customary dispute resolution processes including negotiation, mediation and arbitration to resolve legal and social conflicts. As modern dispute resolution enters its third decade of practice in several emerging democratic African countries, there has been resistance to what are considered the “compromise values” of ADR. Given this push back, it is time to take stock and reflect on some of the critical questions raised by ADR’s promise of access to justice in Africa. What is the relationship between the important values and normative principles of customary African dispute resolution and modern dispute resolution? What is ADR’s added value to customary African dispute resolution? What are litigants’ perceptions of justice in ADR processes such as mediation? This Article reflects on these inquiries through the lens of the evolving dispute resolution regime of mediation in Ghana, considered generally to be West Africa’s most stable democracy. While Ghana has zealously embraced the ADR access to justice project, there has been some resistance to settlement and to what is perceived as the compromise values of ADR. The state has responded to resistance by making mediation mandatory in some court programs, thereby diminishing the value of consent. This Article argues that the access to justice promised by ADR processes such as mediation must be rooted in authentic consent. This is the way forward that will enhance mediation’s potential for furthering the values of democratic participation in emerging African democracies.
TH-AB-304-09: A Patient-Specific Heterogeneous Radiobiological Model for Glioblastoma Multiforme

Purpose: Gliomas tumors proliferate and invade healthy brain tissue rapidly, yielding short life expectancies. Radiation therapy is commonly used, but gliomas are known to be radio-resistant, and almost always recur following treatment. Current radiotherapy protocols are based on the classic linear-quadratic radiobiological model, assuming a homogeneous (one-component) tumor. Gliomas are very heterogeneous, consisting of normoxic, hypoxic, and necrotic tissues, each responding differently to radiation. An enhanced linear-quadratic model which takes into account the different responses of the heterogeneous tumor regions to radiation can guide treatment planning to optimize dose distributions to maximize the therapeutic effect. Methods: We used a set of differential equations to model the growth of glioma tumors. Our model expands on the one-component model developed by (Rockne,2010) by including normoxic, hypoxic, and necrotic components and radiosensitivity values for each component. Proliferation and diffusion parameters are extracted by contouring the tumor on two sets of pre-treatment MRIs and modeling it as a volume equivalent sphere. Results: We compared two examples of glioma tumors presented in (Rockne,2010) with our three component model and find better predictive capabilities for post-RT tumor volumes using the three component model. In both cases, the one-component model over predicts the effects of radiation on the tumor core, while the three-component model more accurately fits the data by accounting for radioresistance of the hypoxic core. Additionally, we applied the model to a UCSF patient with a recurring tumor and use the model to predict time to fatal tumor burden. Conclusion: The three-component model accurately matches tumor growth dynamics derived from MRIs for two example cases presented in literature, and one case from UCSF. Spatial information about hypoxic, necrotic, and normoxic cell densities are derived from the model providing information needed to more intelligently prescribe dose distributions tailored to a specific patient’s tumor.[Rockne,et.al.,PhysMedBio,2010]