cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Inhabitants of the Earth”: Reasoning About Folkbiological Concepts in Wichi Children and Adults

ABSTRACTAcross the world, people form folkbiological categories to capture their commonsense organization of the natural world. Structured in accordance with universal principles, folkbiological categories are also shaped by experience. Here we provide new evidence from the Wichi—an understudied indigenous community who live in the Chaco rainforest and speak their heritage language. A total of 44 Wichi (6- to 8-year-olds, 9- to 12-year-olds, adults) participated in an induction task designed to identify how broadly they attribute an invisible biological property (e.g., an internal organ) from 1 individual (either a human, nonhuman animal, or plant) to other humans, nonhuman animals, plants, natural kinds, and artifacts. Research Findings: These results (a) clarify the content of the Wichi’s categories and the words they use to describe them, (b) showcase the power of covert (unnamed) categories, and (c) fortify the view that human-centered reasoning is not a universal starting point for reasoning about na...
Should vascular surgery be done in the small hospital

Dr. Abernathy’s answer is a qualified “yes” based on the excellent results in Montrose with well-trained surgeons backed up by experienced supporting personnel including blood bank, angiographic, and vascular laboratory services.
Abstract PL02-03: Overcoming cultural and geographic barriers to participation in clinical trials among Native Hawaiians

The Native Hawaiian population of Hawaii has disproportionately high cancer incidence and mortality rates. Native Hawaiian women with breast cancer present at an advanced stage and have death rates that are 52 % above the state average. Prostate cancer among Native Hawaiian men is diagnosed at more advanced stage. Native Hawaiian participation in cancer clinical trials was historically low. Reasons for this were varied including access, health literacy, lack of primary and referring physician awareness/time constraints and cultural barriers. Since the establishment of the University of Hawaii Minority Based Clinical Oncology Program (UHMBCCOP) participation in cancer clinical trials has definitely increased. MBCCOP provided clinical trial promotion, increased access and clinical trial support for a group of hospital and office based oncologists across the islands of Oahu and Kauai have all contributed to the increase. Education programs in Hawaii by multiple organizations, in particular, Imi Hale, the Native Hawaiian Cancer Network Program have enhanced knowledge of cancer and clinical trials in the Native Hawaiian community. Imi Hale9s emphasis has focused on community based patient training, patient navigation and referring physician cancer clinical trial training. In fact, a recent program was recently initiated in conjunction with Education Network to Advance Clinical Trials (ENNACT) and Queens Medical Center. Review of Native Hawaiian participation in both cancer prevention and treatment trials through the UHMBCCOP over the last 20 years shows a significant gender difference with more women participating in both prevention and treatment trials. The reasons for this are not well understood but are under investigation. In summary, increased focused access and community based education have improved Native Hawaiian participation in cancer clinical trials but challenges persist including gender disparities in enrollment onto clinical trials and lack of access outside of Oahu and Kauai islands. Citation Format: Jeffrey L. Berenberg. Overcoming cultural and geographic barriers to participation in clinical trials among Native Hawaiians. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr PL02-03. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-PL02-03
Alkaline Phosphatase, Soluble Extracellular Adenine Nucleotides, and Adenosine Production after Infant Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Rationale Decreased alkaline phosphatase activity after infant cardiac surgery is associated with increased post-operative cardiovascular support requirements. In adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, alkaline phosphatase infusion may reduce inflammation. Mechanisms underlying these effects have not been explored but may include decreased conversion of extracellular adenine nucleotides to adenosine. Objectives 1) Evaluate the association between alkaline phosphatase activity and serum conversion of adenosine monophosphate to adenosine after infant cardiac surgery; 2) assess if inhibition/supplementation of serum alkaline phosphatase modulates this conversion. Methods and Research Pre/post-bypass serum samples were obtained from 75 infants <4 months of age. Serum conversion of 13C5-adenosine monophosphate to 13C5-adenosine was assessed with/without selective inhibition of alkaline phosphatase and CD73. Low and high concentration 13C5-adenosine monophosphate (simulating normal/stress concentrations) were used. Effects of alkaline phosphatase supplementation on adenosine monophosphate clearance were also assessed. Changes in serum alkaline phosphatase activity were strongly correlated with changes in 13C5-adenosine production with or without CD73 inhibition (r = 0.83; p<0.0001). Serum with low alkaline phosphatase activity (≤80 U/L) generated significantly less 13C5-adenosine, particularly in the presence of high concentration 13C5-adenosine monophosphate (10.4μmol/L vs 12.9μmol/L; p = 0.0004). Inhibition of alkaline phosphatase led to a marked decrease in 13C5-adenosine production (11.9μmol/L vs 2.7μmol/L; p<0.0001). Supplementation with physiologic dose human tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase or high dose bovine intestinal alkaline phosphatase doubled 13C5-adenosine monophosphate conversion to 13C5-adenosine (p<0.0001). Conclusions Alkaline phosphatase represents the primary serum ectonucleotidase after infant cardiac surgery and low post-operative alkaline phosphatase activity leads to impaired capacity to clear adenosine monophosphate. AP supplementation improves serum clearance of adenosine monophosphate to adenosine. These findings represent a potential therapeutic mechanism for alkaline phosphatase infusion during cardiac surgery. New and Noteworthy We identify alkaline phosphatase (AP) as the primary soluble ectonucleotidase in infants undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass and show decreased capacity to clear AMP when AP activity decreases post-bypass. Supplementation of AP ex vivo improves this capacity and may represent the beneficial therapeutic mechanism of AP infusion seen in phase 2 studies.
Standardization of Disposable Instruments in Microvascular Breast Reconstruction: A Case Study in Cost Reduction

Background A key avoidable expense in the surgical setting is the wastage of disposable surgical items, which are discarded after cases even if they go unused. A major contributor to wastage of these items is the inaccuracy of surgeon preference cards, which are rarely examined or updated. The authors report the application of a novel technique called cost heatmapping to facilitate standardization of preference cards for microvascular breast reconstruction. Methods Preference card data were obtained for all surgeons performing microvascular breast reconstruction at the authors' institution. These data were visualized using the heatmap.2 function in the gplot package for R. The resulting cost heatmaps were shown to all surgeons performing microvascular breast reconstruction at our institution; each surgeon was asked to classify the items on the heatmap as “always needed,” “sometimes needed,” or “never needed.” This feedback was used to generate a lean standardized preference card for all surgeons. This card was validated by all surgeons performing the case and by nursing leadership familiar with the supply needs of microvascular breast reconstruction before implementation. Cost savings associated with implementation were calculated. Results Implementation of the preference card changes will lead to an estimated per annum savings of $17,981.20 and a per annum reduction in individual items listed on preference cards of 1,693 items. Conclusion Cost heatmapping is a powerful tool for increasing surgeon awareness of cost and for facilitating comparison and standardization of surgeon preference cards.
Interaction on Online Forums and Group Communication: A Case Study of an IT Support Community

In the digital age, group communication migrates online. Web forums serve as communication hubs for people who work together to solve particular problems. This study uses qualitative content analysis and interviews to determine whether discussion threads on an IT user forum could be viewed as group communication in the traditional scholarly interpretation of the term. The findings suggest that online discussion threads dwelling on non-mainstream issues have all five features of face-to-face group work – size, interdependence, task, identity, and norms. The study concludes that though online forums introduce limitations to interactions, discussion threads can indeed be viewed as group communication.
Ratio of Systolic Blood Pressure to Right Atrial Pressure, a Novel Marker to Predict Morbidity and Mortality in Acute Systolic Heart Failure

Congestion is the main contributor to heart failure (HF) morbidity and mortality. We assessed the combined role of congestion and decreased forward flow in predicting morbidity and mortality in acute systolic HF. The Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness trial data set was used to determine if the ratio of simultaneously measured systolic blood pressure (SBP)/right atrial pressure (RAP) on admission predicted HF rehospitalization and 6-month mortality. One hundred ninety-five patients (mean age 56.5 years, 75% men) who received pulmonary artery catheterization were studied. The RAP, SBP, and SBP/RAP had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.593 (p = 0.0205), 0.585 (p = 0.0359), and 0.621 (p = 0.0026), respectively, in predicting HF rehospitalization. The SBP/RAP was a superior marker of HF rehospitalization compared with RAP alone (difference in AUC 0.0289, p = 0.0385). The optimal criterion of SBP/RAP <11 provided the highest combined sensitivity (77.1%) and specificity (50.9%) in predicting HF rehospitalization. The SBP/RAP had an AUC 0.622, p = 0.0108, and a cut-off value of SBP/RAP <8 had a sensitivity of 61.9% and specificity 64.1% in predicting mortality. Multivariate analysis showed that an SBP/RAP <11 independently predicted rehospitalization for HF (estimated odds ratio 3.318, 95% confidence interval 1.692 to 6.506, p = 0.0005) and an SBP/RAP <8 independently predicted mortality (estimated hazard ratio 2.025, 95% confidence interval 1.069 to 3.833, p = 0.030). In conclusion, SBP/RAP ratio is a marker that identifies a spectrum of complications after hospitalization of patients with decompensated systolic HF, starting with increased incidence of HF rehospitalization at SBP/RAP <11 to increased mortality with SBP/RAP <8.
A systematic review of measurement properties of patient-reported outcome measures for use in patients with foot or ankle diseases

To identify currently available patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used in patients with foot or ankle diseases; and to critically appraise, compare and synthesize the psychometric evidence for the identified PROMs. Literature searches were performed in Medline and EMBASE from their inception to January 25th, 2016. Methodological quality was evaluated using the COSMIN checklist. The final rating of the methodological quality of each study for each property was the lowest rating among the items within that property. The psychometric evidence of the properties investigated in the included articles was assessed using the quality criteria established by Terwee et al. The methodological quality ratings and psychometric evidence assessments were synthesized using the method first proposed by Schellingerhout et al. In total, 3077 articles were identified by the literature search, from which 115 studies investigating 50 PRO instruments were included in the review process. The Foot Function Index (FFI) was the most explored instrument, while the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) demonstrated the best properties. Most PROMs on foot and ankle diseases have limited evidence for their psychometric properties. The MOXFQ, with the highest overall ratings, could be a useful PROM for evaluating patients with foot or ankle diseases, based on current available evidence. More research is needed to improve the quality of the standards used to assess PROMs and the studies making these assessments.
Patient Preferences with Regard to Laser versus Intravitreal Injections in the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema

Purpose. To identify treatment preferences of patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) having undergone laser and intravitreal injections. Methods. Patients with DME who received lasers and injections were surveyed, measuring preferences toward specific treatments. 66/210 diabetic patients met the criteria for our survey assessing preference for lasers and/or injections, incorporating demographics and treatment preference questions. Outcome measures included treatment preference (laser or injections), how often patients are willing to be treated, and how much vision they will sacrifice to avoid being treated every month. Results. 66 patients completed the survey. The mean diabetes duration was 20.7 years, the mean retina follow-up was 4.4 years, and patients received a mean of 4.82 lasers and 4.86 injections. 56% preferred injections, 33% preferred laser, and 11% had no preference. Regarding treatment effectiveness, 38% found no difference, 36% chose laser, and 25% chose injections. Regarding anxiety, 56% reported injection anxiety. While 50% versus 38% reported that laser was easier than injections. 91% would give up zero lines on the eye chart, and 76% would come in 12 times yearly for treatment to maintain vision. Conclusion. Patients with DME have no profound preference regarding laser versus intravitreal injections but prefer aggressive treatment and are unwilling to sacrifice vision for less visits.
An accelerated iteration algorithm for reconstructing sparse compressed sensing data

The variable stepsize methods are effective to accelerate many iteration algorithms, one aim of them is to construct an adaptive stepsize, which has more simple and efficient format. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new simpler variable stepsize for the CQ (Convexes C and Q) algorithm and to reconstruct the sparse compressed sensing data from noise. In order to solve the split feasibility problem with faster CQ algorithm, through analysing the former adaptive stepsizes, the paper proposed a much more simpler stepsize format, which can avoid to compute the objective function. Then, the convergence of to the new modified CQ algorithm is proved. In the experiment of reconstruct compressed sensing data, satisfied results not only show that the proposed modified stepsize can accelerate CQ algorithm better, but also give out a new method to reconstruct the sparse signal
Pregnancy in Adolescence

Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in the United States and worldwide. Each year, approximately 750 000 adolescents in the United States become pregnant, the majority of which are unintended. This article examines the epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes of teenage pregnancy. We also examine adolescent sexual behaviors and barriers that teenagers encounter when trying to access contraceptive and abortion services.
Voltage stability assessment using the V-Q sensitivity and modal analyses methods

Voltage stability is an important factor, which needs to be taken into consideration in order to avoid voltage collapse. There are different methods used to study the voltage collapse phenomenon. In this paper, V-Q Sensitivity and Modal analyses methods are implemented on IEEE 14 bus system. Modal analysis method makes use the Jacobian matrix to determine the eigenvalues necessary to evaluate the voltage stability and V-Q Sensitivity method makes use of the diagonal elements of the inverse of reduced Jacobian matrix to a assess this stability. In this paper, our main objective is to apply V-Q Sensitivity and Modal analysis methods by analyzing the effect of neglecting the weak coupling between reactive power Q and voltage angle δ A comparison in terms of the weakest buses is made between the results obtained by taking into account the weak coupling between Q and δ, i.e., by considering the reduced Jacobian matrix and those obtained by neglecting this coupling.
Complexity of Bayesian belief exchange over a network

Many important real-world decision making problems involve group interactions among individuals with purely informational externalities, such situations arise for example in jury deliberations, expert committees, medical diagnosis, etc. In this paper, we will use the framework of iterated eliminations to model the decision problem as well as the thinking process of a Bayesian agent in a group decision/discussion scenario. We model the purely informational interactions of rational agents in a group, where they receive private information and act based upon that information while also observing other people's beliefs. As the Bayesian agent attempts to infer the true state of the world from her sequence of observations which include her neighbors' beliefs as well as her own private signal, she recursively refines her belief about the signals that other players could have observed and beliefs that they would have hold given the assumption that other players are also rational. We further analyze the computational complexity of the Bayesian belief formation in groups and show that it is MV-hard. We also investigate the factors underlying this computational complexity and show how belief calculations simplify in special network structures or cases with strong inherent symmetries. We finally give insights about the statistical efficiency (optimality) of the beliefs and its relations to computational efficiency.
Science-The Search for Understanding

In the first chapter, we described science as consisting of three essential elements: 1. It is a search for understanding 2. by means of laws or principles of the greatest generality 3. which are capable of experimental test.
TURNOVER OF SOLUBLE PROTEIN IN GROWING CULTURES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

Escherichia coli cells auxotrophic for leucine were grown to midlog phase on 14C-leucine. After centrifugation and resuspension cells were pulsed with 3H-leucine. Cell extracts were subjected to isofocusing (first dimension) and gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (second dimension) and the 14C to 3H ratio determined for each isolated protein (232 spots). A study of these ratios showed seven proteins whose ratio was consistently higher. The results suggest that some of these high ratios are the result of differential synthesis and others are the result of protein degradation and de novo resynthesis.
Topology, Superspace, and Heterotic Gravitational Anomalies

The (1,0) superdiffeomorphic and Lorentz anomalies are constructed using cohomology in heterotic superspace. The superfield gravitational Wess-Zumino term is presented, and the relationship between superdiffeomorphic and Lorentz anomalies discussed.
Patterns of heal recurrence in crohn's disease: A prospective randomized study

To gain information on the pathogenesis of ileal recurrence, 86 patients with Crohn's disease undergoing their first ileocolic resection were randomized to receive either an end-to-end (n = 47) or side-to-end (n = 39) anastomosis. The demographic and clinical characteristics of both groups were similar. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in postoperative complications or in the subsequent development of symptomatic or documented recurrences. Among the 43 patients with follow-up in the end-to-end anastomosis group, there were 10 documented ileal recurrences (23%), and all involved distal ileum in the characteristic preanastomotic location. Among the 35 patients with follow-up in the side-to-end anastomosis group, there were 11 documented recurrences (31%, not significant). The ileal recurrence pattern could be determined accurately in five of these 11 patients and involved the ileum adjacent to the colon, but spared the distal ileum in the blind pouch. This study suggests that the fecal stream and reflux of colonic contents are important factors in determining the pattern of ileal recurrence after ileocolectomy for Crohn's disease.
Surgical Versus Nonsurgical Management of Rotator Cuff Tears: A Matched-Pair Analysis.

Background:Rotator cuff disease is a major medical and economic burden due to a growing aging population, but management of rotator cuff tears remains controversial. We hypothesized that there is no difference in outcomes between patients who undergo rotator cuff repair and matched patients treated
1013-P: Modification of Inflammatory and Alzheimer Markers with Intracellular Delivery of Insulin Using Cholestosomes

The importance of glucose metabolic changes and inflammatory responses to these changes connect diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The role intracellular insulin may have in this process could provide for alternative therapeutic approaches. In this study a novel cholesteryl ester based vesicle called a CholestosomeTM, that encapsulates payloads at a high drug to lipid ratio has been used to study the effect of intracellular delivery of insulin on the expression of AD and inflammatory markers in neural cell lines. CholestosomeTM-encapsulated molecules, including insulin, have been delivered to a number of different cell types in vitro and in vivo. Prior studies in rodents have shown the potential for oral delivery of insulin using cholestosomeTM technology with a high tissue to plasma ratio in several tissues, including brain. The present study measured the relative expression of AD (APP, BACE, presenilin 1 and 2, clusterin and GSK3B) and inflammatory (MMP-9, TLR-4, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha) markers determined after delivery of Insulin (I) and CholestosomeTM encapsulated insulin (CHI) to several neural cell lines. In this preliminary comparative study the impact of insulin (I) versus CHI on RNA expression of these markers differed depending on neural subtype and marker type. Disclosure M. McCourt: None. L. Mielnicki: None. J. Hughes: None. M.Q. Irving: None. J. Schentag: Stock/Shareholder; Self; TheraSyn. H. Ghanim: None. P. Dandona: Research Support; Self; JDRF. Speaker’s Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk Inc.
The Input Matters: Assessing Cumulative Language Access in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals and Populations

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children present several challenges to traditional methods of language assessment, and yet language assessment for this population is absolutely essential for optimizing their developmental potential. Whereas assessment often focuses on language outcomes, this Conceptual Analysis argues that assessing cumulative language input is critically important both in clinical work with DHH individuals and in research/public health contexts concerned with DHH populations. At the individual level, paying attention to the input (and the person's access to it) is vital for discriminating disorder from delay, and for setting goals and strategies for reaching them. At the population level, understanding relationships between cumulative language input and resulting language outcomes is essential to the broader public health efforts aimed at identifying strategies to improve outcomes in DHH populations and to theoretical efforts to understand the role that language plays in child development. Unfortunately, several factors jointly result in DHH children's input being under-described at both individual and population levels: for example, overly simplistic ways of classifying input, and the lack of tools for assessing input more thoroughly. To address these limitations, this Conceptual Analysis proposes a new way of characterizing a DHH child's cumulative experience with input, and outlines the features that a tool would need to have in order to measure this alternative construct.
Availability analysis of a permissioned blockchain with a lightweight consensus protocol

Abstract This paper offers a novel approach to the evaluation of provenance blockchain security and reliability using analytical methods for assessing system availability against malicious miner DoS attacks. In particular, we present the reliability and availability analysis of the LightWeight Mining (LWM) protocol for securing data provenance. Our analysis shows the reliability of the protocol and its ability to protect against malicious miner DoS attacks. We use digital signatures to prove integrity and non-repudiation of messages passing the system. We describe system behaviors using communicating sequential processes (CSP) to check for synchronization within a number of concurrent processes. Queuing theory is used to determine the average waiting time for client blockchain transactions when malicious miners work to slow the system. CSP and queuing theory jointly test the blockchain’s ability to make progress despite the presence of malicious miners. Further, the methodology described can be extended to other blockchain applications. Additional threats, beyond the malicious miner DoS attack, are reserved for future work.
The uses of botulinum toxin A in facial aesthetics

The demand for non-surgical facial rejuvenation procedures is rising, and they are more popular than ever, with the aesthetic uses of botulinum toxin dramatically changing the landscape of facial r...
Increasing tumor budding in cholangiocarcinoma is associated with decreased disease-specific survival

Summary Tumor budding (TB) has been shown to be an adverse prognostic factor in several gastrointestinal malignancies, most notably colorectal carcinoma (CRC). TB has undergone some evaluation in Eastern cohorts of cholangiocarcinoma (CC), and we undertook this study to evaluate whether TB in CC was linked to other clinicopathologic factors or to outcome in a Western cohort. We evaluated 112 cases of CC for age, sex, margin status, location, size, grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), perineural invasion (PNI), subtype (large or small duct), staging parameters, recurrence-free survival, disease-specific survival (DSS), and TB. Budding was scored using International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference recommendations for CRC: The highest tumor bud count at the invasive tumor front in a 0.785 mm2 area was recorded and stratified into Bd1 (0–4 buds), Bd2 (5–9 buds), and Bd3 (≥10 buds). Our cohort included 54 (48%) extrahepatic CCs and 58 (52%) intrahepatic CCs. TB was more commonly seen in the settings of higher-grade lesions, males, extrahepatic CC, PNI, LVI, and positive resection margin (all P ≤ 0.021). In multivariate analysis, worse DSS was correlated with budding score Bd2/Bd3 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.6687, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.585–5.217, P = 0.001) and with nodal disease (HR 2.876, 95% CI 1.585–5.217, P = 0.001). TB is associated with higher-grade disease in CC, and increased TB is associated with poor disease-specific survival. Our findings support the notion that TB may serve as useful information for clinicians with respect to patient prognosis in CC, as in CRC.
Validation of an obstructive sleep apnea symptom inventory in persons with multiple sclerosis.

Background:Improved screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could enhance multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical care; yet the utility of current screening tools for OSA have yet to be evaluated in p...
Exome sequence association study of levels and longitudinal change of cardiovascular risk factor phenotypes in European Americans and African Americans from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for 31% of all deaths worldwide. Among CVD risk factors are age, race, increased systolic blood pressure (BP), and dyslipidemia. Both BP and blood lipids levels change with age, with a dose-dependent relationship between the cumulative exposure to hyperlipidemia and the risk of CVD. We performed an exome sequence association study using longitudinal data with up to 7805 European Americans (EAs) and 3171 African Americans (AAs) from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. We assessed associations of common (minor allele frequency > 5%) nonsynonymous and splice-site variants and gene-based sets of rare variants with levels and with longitudinal change of seven CVD risk factor phenotypes (BP traits: systolic BP, diastolic BP, pulse pressure; lipids traits: triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]). Furthermore, we investigated the relationship of the identified variants and genes with select CVD endpoints. We identified two novel genes: DCLK3 associated with the change of HDL-C levels in AAs and RAB7L1 associated with the change of LDL-C levels in EAs. RAB7L1 is further associated with an increased risk of heart failure in ARIC EAs. Investigation of the contribution of genetic factors to the longitudinal change of CVD risk factor phenotypes promotes our understanding of the etiology of CVD outcomes, stressing the importance of incorporating the longitudinal structure of the cohort data in future analyses.
STING1 in sepsis: Mechanisms, functions, and implications.

Abstract Sepsis is a life-threatening clinical syndrome and one of the most challenging health problems in the world. Pathologically, sepsis and septic shock are caused by a dysregulated host immune response to infection, which can eventually lead to multiple organ failure and even death. As an adaptor transporter between the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor 1 (STING1, also known as STING or TMEM173) has been found to play a vital role at the intersection of innate immunity, inflammation, autophagy, and cell death in response to invading microbial pathogens or endogenous host damage. There is ample evidence that impaired STING1, through its immune and non-immune functions, is involved in the pathological process of sepsis. In this review, we discuss the regulation and function of the STING1 pathway in sepsis and highlight it as a suitable drug target for the treatment of lethal infection.
Acute ureteral obstruction secondary to mucoid impaction in supravesical diversion. Treatment with N-acetylcysteine.

Abstract An unusual complication following urinary diversion by intestinal conduit involves ureteral obstruction from mucous plugs. This report concerns therapy of this complication with the use of the mucolytic agent, N-acetylcysteine.
A conceptual model for nostalgia in the context of sport tourism: re-classifying the sporting past

The concept of nostalgia is complex and difficult to measure, in part because of its diverse emotional perspectives. Various authors have attempted to classify aspects of nostalgia to further describe this phenomenon and understand its broader application. However, the nostalgia that sports fans experience, particularly in a tourist context, appears to be unique from its other types and forms. This difference is in part because the relationship between sport – and, by extension, sport-related travel – and nostalgia appears to be distinct. To address this issue, this paper provides a classification and a conceptual model to clarify the concept of nostalgia in the context of sport tourism. Specifically, this research suggests a four-way classification of nostalgia in sport tourism: (1) experience, (2) socialization, (3) personal identity, and (4) group identity. In addition, the conceptual model shows the process of the development of nostalgia by emphasizing the importance of the types of experience. The c...
Constraints on T-odd, P-even interactions from electric dipole moments, reexamined

We construct the relationship between nonrenormalizable, effective, time-reversal violating (TV), parity-conserving (PC) interactions of quarks and gauge bosons and various low-energy TVPC and TV parity-violating (PV) observables. Using effective field theory methods, we delineate the scenarios under which experimental limits on permanent electric dipole moments (EDM's) of the electron, neutron, and neutral atoms as well as limits on TVPC observables provide the most stringent bounds on new TVPC interactions. Under scenarios in which parity invariance is restored at short distances, the one-loop EDM of elementary fermions generate the most severe constraints. The limits derived from the atomic EDM of ${}^{199}\mathrm{Hg}$ are considerably weaker. When parity symmetry remains broken at short distances, direct TVPC search limits provide the least ambiguous bounds. The direct limits follow from TVPC interactions between two quarks.
Stabilization of impulsively perturbed control systems with commensurable lags

The stability of perturbed control systems with multiple lags is considered. A constructive algorithm that gives stabilizing control is formulated. >
Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets for Glioblastoma Stem Cells (P4.241)

OBJECTIVE: To identify novel therapeutic targets capable of eradicating glioblastoma tumors by killing glioblastoma stem cells. BACKGROUND: The prognosis for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) is poor. Recent evidence suggests that the cells driving GBM malignancy and possibly recurrence are GBM stem cells (GSCs), a small population of GBM cells capable of developing resistance to current therapeutics. To target GSCs, we hypothesized that specific protein kinases are essential to GSC survival. Knockdown of these essential kinases in GSCs will result in inhibition of both GSC and overall GBM tumor growth. DESIGN/METHODS: We performed a drop-out screen in U87MG human GBM cells using an shRNA library directed against human kinases. We screened the candidate kinases in a GSC line, GS9-6/NOTCH1+, and identified 39 kinases that are essential to GSCs. Kinase knockdown was further investigated in multiple GSC lines isolated from established cell lines, such as LN229, LN18, and U251, or fresh tumor tissues, such as VTC001. RESULTS: We focused on casein kinase 1 epsilon (CSNK1E) and maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) for the following reasons: 1) multiple shRNAs targeting these kinases were revealed from our screen; 2) MELK is a known essential kinase for GSCs; 3) chemical inhibitors are available for these kinases. Further experiments revealed that knockdown of CSNK1E or MELK resulted in a significant decrease in viability in multiple GSC lines. To probe the mechanism by which these kinases are essential for GSCs, we measured the self-renewal and differentiation of these GSCs and found that knockdown of MELK and CSNK1E significantly inhibited stem cell self-renewal and promoted differentiation of GS9-6/NOTCH1+ cells. CONCLUSIONS: MELK and CSNK1E are essential to GSC survival, thereby becoming appealing drug targets. Future work will evaluate MELK and CSNK1E as therapeutic targets by utilizing small molecule kinase inhibitors in an in vivo mouse model of GBM. Disclosure: Dr. Young has nothing to disclose. Dr. Liang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Murphy has nothing to disclose. Dr. Guo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sheng has nothing to disclose.
Lymphoepithelial-like carcinomas of the head and neck

Lymphoepithelial-like carcinomas (LELC) of the head and neck represent malignant neoplasms that are histologically similar to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), nonkeratinizing undifferentiated type but arise in locations other than the nasopharynx. The most common location for LELC in the head and neck is the salivary glands, in particular the parotid gland. However, LELC may arise in other sites including the oropharynx (tonsils, base of tongue), sinonasal tract, larynx, and middle ear/temporal bone. Unlike the nonkeratinizing undifferentiated type of NPC which is etiologically linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), LELCs are not uniformly associated with EBV. The differential diagnosis for LELC varies per site and depending on the site of occurrence may include lymphoepithelial sialadenitis, sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC), and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Treatment general includes combined (multimodality) therapy including surgical resection, neck dissection, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. The prognosis may vary per site overall favorable owing to a good response to therapy.
Cutaneous metastasis from an intracranial glioblastoma multiforme.

Abstract A 34-year-old white man with a history of an intracranial glioblastoma multiforme was treated with surgical excision and radiotherapy. Five months later, the patient had a rapidly growing scalp mass develop. This lesion was excised, and the histology revealed a tumor that was similar to the originally resected intracranial glioblastoma. Immunohistochemistry for general neuroepithelial derivation (S-100 protein) and for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was positive, whereas mesenchymal, epithelial, and neuronal markers were negative. This immunohistochemistry pattern was identical to the original tumor. Although metastasis of this tumor is not uncommon, metastasis to the skin has never been reported. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of cutaneous metastasis from glioblastoma in the world literature. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:297-300.)
A remark on the torsion subgroups of elliptic curves

Abstract A uniform bound is given for the order of the torsion subgroup of E ( K ), the group of K -rational points on an elliptic curve E defined over a number field k , with K quadratic over k .
Hydrogel micro-arrays for multi-analyte detection

Fluorescent microarrays have the ability to detect and monitor multiple analytes simultaneously and noninvasively, following initial placement. This versatility is advantageous for several biological applications including drug discovery, biohazard detection, transplant organ preservation and cell culture monitoring. In this work, poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel microarrays are described that can be used to measure multiple analytes, including H+ and dissolved oxygen. The array elements are created by filling micro-channels with a hydrogel precursor solution containing analyte specific fluorescent sensors. A photomask is used to create the microarray through UV polymerization of the PEG precursor solution. A compact imaging system composed of a CCD camera, high powered LED, and two optical filters is used to measure the change in fluorescence emission corresponding to analyte concentration. The proposed system was tested in aqueous solution by altering relevant analyte concentrations across their biological ranges.
Effect of frequent dosing of an oral proton pump inhibitor on intragastric pH.

Summary Background Treatment with a continuous i.v. proton pump inhibitor is presumed to promote clot formation and stability by sustaining intragastric pH ≥ 6. Aim We postulated that very frequent oral dosing of proton pump inhibitors should simulate i.v. infusion and achieve similar pH control. Methods Twenty healthy volunteers were stratified by Helicobacter pylori status (10 positive; 10 negative) and had determination of CYP2C19 status. After an overnight fast, an intragastric pH probe was placed. Subjects received 120 mg of lansoprazole at 8 am and 30 mg every 3 h until 8 pm. Intragastric pH was measured over 24 h, and lansoprazole plasma concentrations were determined at five time points. Results Intragastric pH was ≥6 for 41% (95% CI: 30–53%) of the 15-h period from 8 am–11 pm and 46% (95% CI: 35–56%) of the 24-h period (8–8 am). The mean proportion of patients with pH ≥6 was not significantly different in H. pylori-positive vs. negative patients. Only 25% of subjects sustained pH ≥6 for at least 60% of the 15-h period, and 35% had a sustained pH ≥6 for at least 60% of the 24-h period. Conclusions A dose of 120 mg of oral lansoprazole followed by standard 30 mg doses of lansoprazole every 3 h did not reliably sustain pH at the desired level of 6.
High-precision AMS 14C chronology for Gatecliff Shelter, Nevada

Abstract Gatecliff Shelter provides a deeply stratified record of human–environment interaction in the Desert West spanning most of the middle and late Holocene. The well-preserved 10 m-deep deposits serve as an important reference sequence for technological and subsistence change in the Great Basin. Archaeological work started at Gatecliff in 1970 and a geochronological framework was established based on 47 uncalibrated radiocarbon ( 14 C) dates obtained from several conventional radiometric laboratories between 1972 and 1982. These radiocarbon dates are not well accommodated within a Bayesian chronological model for these important deposits due to multiple temporal reversals and large analytical errors. This model was discarded in favor of one based on a combination of high-precision AMS 14 C dates of short-lived carbonized plant remains supplemented with existing 14 C dates culled from the original set using a Bayesian chronological model. Summed probabilities of the modeled posterior distributions of these 14 C dates ( N = 24) show episodic use of the shelter as a logistic hunting camp between 6050 and 3315 cal BP, a significant hiatus in occupation between 3315 and 2145 cal BP, and more persistent use by family bands after this time. In the future, this high-precision chronology will provide the foundation for reinterpreting broader patterns of technological and subsistence change in the Intermountain West and evaluating these changes relative to high-resolution climate records.
Replay to remember: a boost from dopamine

A study links transient activation of the brain's reward system during a novel experience to frequent reactivation of memory traces during sleep and shows that artificial activation of the reward circuit can strengthen memories.
Coronary artery bypass grafting in patients after failure of intracoronary stenting.

Background. Intracoronary stents are being used to treat acute and threatened closure after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and to prevent restenosis. Methods. The outcomes of 68 patients having coronary artery bypass grafting after stent placement were reviewed. The mean age was 60.5 ± 9.7 years, and 71% were male. Thirty-seven percent had hypertension, 13% had diabetes, 62% had class III or IV angina, 60% had multivessel disease, and 40% had sustained a prior myocardial infarction. Fifty-three patients underwent emergency operation, 22 with hemodynamic collapse immediately after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and 7 others required urgent revascularization within 24 hours of angioplasty. Seventeen underwent coronary artery bypass grafting for acute closure of the stented vessel several days after the angioplasty procedure. Results. There was no correlation between urgency of the procedure, previous infarction, or previous coronary artery bypass grafting with successful procedure. The in-hospital mortality was 4.4%, 21% had a Q-wave myocardial infarction, and 1.5% sustained a stroke. Ejection fraction was the only correlate of long-term mortality. Conclusions. Coronary artery injury for which stents are placed for acute or threatened occlusion or to prevent restenosis but then fail, thus necessitating coronary artery bypass grafting, can be treated successfully. Although the rate of Q-wave myocardial infarction is substantial and related to the initial ischemic insult, the long-term survival and event rates are excellent with prompt surgical revascularization.
A dynamic self-scheduling scheme for heterogeneous multiprocessor architectures

Today's heterogeneous architectures bring together multiple general-purpose CPUs and multiple domain-specific GPUs and FPGAs to provide dramatic speedup for many applications. However, the challenge lies in utilizing these heterogeneous processors to optimize overall application performance by minimizing workload completion time. Operating system and application development for these systems is in their infancy.In this article, we propose a new scheduling and workload balancing scheme, HDSS, for execution of loops having dependent or independent iterations on heterogeneous multiprocessor systems. The new algorithm dynamically learns the computational power of each processor during an adaptive phase and then schedules the remainder of the workload using a weighted self-scheduling scheme during the completion phase. Different from previous studies, our scheme uniquely considers the runtime effects of block sizes on the performance for heterogeneous multiprocessors. It finds the right trade-off between large and small block sizes to maintain balanced workload while keeping the accelerator utilization at maximum. Our algorithm does not require offline training or architecture-specific parameters.We have evaluated our scheme on two different heterogeneous architectures: AMD 64-core Bulldozer system with nVidia Fermi C2050 GPU and Intel Xeon 32-core SGI Altix 4700 supercomputer with Xilinx Virtex 4 FPGAs. The experimental results show that our new scheduling algorithm can achieve performance improvements up to over 200p when compared to the closest existing load balancing scheme. Our algorithm also achieves full processor utilization with all processors completing at nearly the same time which is significantly better than alternative current approaches.
Origin of K-poor leucosomes in a metasedimentary migmatite complex by ultrametamorphism, syn-metamorphic magmatism and subsolidus processes

Two types of stromatic leucosomes are identified in metasedimentary rocks from the Skagit migmatite complex, North Cascades, Washington state, U.S.A. Both types are trondhjemitic and appear similar in outcrop, but, although both contain low abundances of REE, one type consists of leucosomes that are relatively REE-enriched compared to the other, and contains (1) small ( 700°C, water-rich fluid present), inferences about the origin of the above-listed mineralogical and fluid inclusion features, and modeling of leucosome trace element abundances. The second type of leucosome is interpreted to have formed entirely by subsolidus processes (e.g., metamorphic differentiation) because these leucosomes lack features consistent with an origin by partial melting. K-poor (tonalitic/trondhjemitic) leucosomes associated with metasedimentary (biotite-bearing) source rocks may form by water-saturated partial melting or by subsolidus processes. Both general leucosome-forming mechanisms may operate at different times during upper amphibolite facies regional metamorphism. Partial melting may be initiated by syn-metamorphic magmatic activity if crystallizing plutons serve as external sources of the water-rich fluid necessary for ultrametamorphism in the middle crust during orogenesis. Large-scale migmatite complexes such as the Skagit migmatites may form at least in part in response to contact effects of plutonism associated with high-grade metamorphism, so, although migmatite complexes are a volumetrically substantial part of many orogenic belts, they may not themselves represent a significant original source of magma for larger-scale igneous bodies.
Kinetic equations for Enskog gases with piecewise constant intermolecular potentials

Abstract The Boltzmann equation, which is central to the description of many linear and nonlinear transport processes, is the equation of an ideal gas of point molecules. The Enskog equation was proposed to model the finite diameter of molecules of real gases, but does not include the effects of intermolecular potentials. We describe some models which include a finite range approximation of such intermolecular potentials. In particular, we outline the existence of weak global-in-time solutions for a kinetic equation with piecewise constant intermolecular potential.
Prebiological membranes: synthesis and properties.

Ultraviolet irradiation of alkanes on aqueous solutions of phosphate and magnesium yields complex structured products which bear many properties similar to simple membranes. The relevance of this product to prebiologic evolution is discussed from the point of view of phase spparation.