cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphologic Blooming in Breast MRI as a Characterization of Margin for Discriminating Benign from Malignant Lesions

Rationale and Objectives Develop a fully automated, objective method for evaluating morphology on breast magnetic resonance (MR) images and evaluate effectiveness of the new morphologic method for detecting breast cancers. Materials and Methods We present a new automated method (morphologic blooming) for identifying and classifying breast lesions on MR that measures margin sharpness, a characteristic related to blooming, defined as rapid enhancement, with a border that is initially sharp but becomes unsharp after 7 minutes. Independent training sets (98 biopsy-proven lesions) and testing sets (179 breasts, 127 patients, acquired at five institutions) were used. Morphologic blooming was evaluated as a stand-alone feature and as an adjunct to kinetics using free-response receiver operating characteristic and sensitivity analysis. Dependence of false-positive (FP) rates on acquisition times and pathologies of contralateral breasts were evaluated. Results Sensitivity of morphologic blooming was 80% with 2.46 FP per noncancerous breast: FPs did not vary significantly by acquisition times. FPs varied significantly by pathologies of contralateral breasts (cancerous contralateral: 4.29 FP/breast; noncancerous contralateral: 0.48 FP/breast; P Conclusion We present a new, fully automated method of identifying and classifying margin sharpness of breast lesions on MR that can be used to direct radiologists’ attention to lesions with suspicious morphologies. Morphologic blooming may have important utility for assisting radiologists in identifying cancers with benign-like kinetics and discriminating normal tissues that exhibit cancer-like enhancement curves and for improving the performance of computer-aided detection systems.
Axial X-ray scattering on high-performance polymeric fibers

High-temperature polymers were spum from liquid-crystalline solutions into fibers of superior thermal stability and mechanical properties. Fibers of two extended-chain polymers poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide), PPTA, and poly-2,5-benzoxazole, ABPBO, as well as a rod-like polymer poly(p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole), PBO, were examined by axial x-ray scattering. Both wide-angle scattering and small-angle scattering were performed with CuKα radiation aiming along the fiber axis (c-axis) for structural information on the a-b lattice plane. In addition to previously reported lattice structure, the PPTA fibers (Kevlar® 29, 49, and 149) showed strong [004] and a [022] reflections suggesting that segments of the PPTA molecules were transverse to the fiber axis. This unique fiber structure is more prominent and the void content is less for the PPTA fibers with higher tensile modulus, (i.e., Kevlar® 149 > Kevlar® 49 > Kevlar® 29). Similar measurements on thermally annealed ABPBO and PBO fibers showed no [00l], [h0l], or [0kl] reflection indicative of a truly uniaxial molecular orientation. Evidence of microfibrillar order was discovered for the Kevlar® fibers and the ABPBO fiber. Results of conventional x-ray scattering on these fibers were compared and reconciled. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sort-and-match algorithm for soft-decision decoding

Let a q-ary linear (n, k) code C be used over a memoryless channel. We design a decoding algorithm /spl Psi//sub N/ that splits the received block into two halves in n different ways. First, about /spl radic/N error patterns are found on either half. Then the left- and right-hand lists are sorted out and matched to form codewords. Finally, the most probable codeword is chosen among at most n/spl radic/N codewords obtained in all n trials. The algorithm can be applied to any linear code C and has complexity order of n/sup 3//spl radic/N. For any N/spl ges/q/sup n-k/, the decoding error probability P/sub N/ exceeds at most 1+q/sup n-k//N times the probability P/sub /spl Psi//(C) of maximum-likelihood decoding. For code rates R/spl ges/1/2, the complexity order q/sup n-k/2/ grows as square root of general trellis complexity q/sup min{n-k,k}/. When used on quantized additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels, the algorithm /spl Psi//sub N/ can provide maximum-likelihood decoding for most binary linear codes even when N has an exponential order of q/sup n-k/.
Mathematical theory of image straightening with applications to camera calibration

Extracting quantitative measures from roadway camera images requires calibration of the camera. Roadway features such as fog lines and lane boundaries can provide the information necessary to calibrate the cameras on the fly. In addition, "straightening" the image allows for linear measurements in the image which in turn allows the use of linear correlation to measure features and traffic speed. This paper presents the theory for straightening and camera calibration
When Can Patients Sue Drug Companies?: Supreme Court Finds That FDA Approval Does Not Stand In the Way

Drugs go through rigorous testing before the FDA approves them. Drug manufacturers may spend as much as $1 billion and up to 12 years to gain permission to sell a new prescription product. Even when permission is granted, an approval still carries numerous limitations, including restrictions on promotional materials and requirements for specific warnings that must appear on the product’s labeling. After running this gauntlet, can manufacturers rest assured that they have met the legal standard for selling their drugs? Or, to put it another way, if a drug maker complies with FDA marketing and labeling restrictions, can an injured patient also sue the company for not making the product safe enough? In a closely watched case, the Supreme Court in early March said definitively “yes;” a company can be sued even after FDA approval.
Receptive and Expressive Communication Development of Young Males With Fragile X Syndrome

We prospectively examined the developmental trajectories of receptive and expressive communication skills of 39 young males, 20 to 86 months of age, with fragile X syndrome. Eight showed features characteristic of autism. Children were tested one to three times using a standardized language test. They showed marked delays in language development, but substantial individual variability. Participants acquired expressive language skills more slowly than receptive language over time, gaining receptive language at about half the rate expected for typically developing children and expressive language at one third the rate. Both cognitive skills and autistic characteristics of the young males with fragile X syndrome related to receptive and expressive communication development, but neither predicted the discrepancies between expressive and receptive language acquisition over time.
An intelligent system for an autonomous vehicle

This paper describes an intelligent full-size autonomous vehicle system which simultaneously performs multiple constraint path planning from a DMA data base and goal properties list, obstacle avoidance, and road following. Path planning and obstacle avoidance were successfully demonstrated in March 1985; road following will be demonstrated in February 1986. These results are made possible by the coupling of several procedural and knowledge-based subsystems into a modular architecture.
The extent of pyrene excimer fluorescence emission is a reflector of distance and flexibility: analysis of the segment linking the LDL receptor-binding and tetramerization domains of apolipoprotein E3.

Pyrene is a spatially sensitive probe that displays an ensemble of monomeric fluorescence emission peaks (375–405 nm) and an additional band (called excimer) at ∼460 nm when two fluorophores are spatially proximal. We examined if there is a correlation between distance between two pyrenes on an α-helical structure and excimer/monomer (e/m) ratio. Using structure-guided design, pyrene maleimide was attached to pairs of Cys residues separated by ∼5 A increments on helix 2 of the N-terminal domain of apolipoprotein E3 (apoE3). Fluorescence spectral analysis revealed an intense excimer band when the probes were ∼5 A from each other with an e/m ratio of ∼3.0, which decreased to ∼1.0 at 20 A. An inverse correlation between e/m ratio and the distance between pyrenes was observed, with the probe and helix flexibility also contributing to the extent of excimer formation. We verified this approach by estimating the distance between T57C and C112 (located on helices 2 and 3, respectively) to be 5.2 A (4.9 A from NMR...
Optimal chip-package codesign for high-performance DSP

In high-performance DSP systems, the memory bandwidth can be improved using high-density interconnect technology and appropriate memory mapping. High-density MCM and flip-chip solder bump technology is used to achieve a system with an I/O bandwidth of 100 Gb/s/cm2 die. The use of DRAMs in these systems usually make the performance of these systems poor, and some algorithms make it difficult to fully utilize the available memory bandwidth. This paper presents the design of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) engine that gives SRAM-like performance in a DRAM-based system. It uses almost 100% of the available burst-mode memory bandwidth. This FFT engine can compute a million-point FFT in 1.31 ms at a sustained computation rate of 8.64 /spl times/ 10/sup 10/ floating-point operations per second (FLOPS). This is at least an order of magnitude better than conventional systems.
An ensemble based incremental learning framework for concept drift and class imbalance

We have recently introduced an incremental learning algorithm, Learn++.NSE, designed to learn in nonstationary environments, and has been shown to provide an attractive solution to a number of concept drift problems under different drift scenarios. However, Learn++.NSE relies on error to weigh the classifiers in the ensemble on the most recent data. For balanced class distributions, this approach works very well, but when faced with imbalanced data, error is no longer an acceptable measure of performance. On the other hand, the well-established SMOTE algorithm can address the class imbalance issue, however, it cannot learn in nonstationary environments. While there is some literature available for learning in nonstationary environments and imbalanced data separately, the combined problem of learning from imbalanced data coming from nonstationary environments is underexplored. Therefore, in this work we propose two modified frameworks for an algorithm that can be used to incrementally learn from imbalanced data coming from a nonstationary environment.
Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Health and Disease

Abstract Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) play critical roles in anti-helminth immunity, airway epithelial repair, and metabolic homeostasis. Recently, these cells have also emerged as key players in the development of allergic inflammation at multiple barrier surfaces. ILC2s arise from common lymphoid progenitors in the bone marrow, are dependent on the transcription factors RORα, GATA3, and TCF-1, and produce the type 2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-9, and/or IL-13. The epithelial cell-derived cytokines IL-25, IL-33, and TSLP regulate the activation and effector functions of ILC2s, and recent studies suggest that their responsiveness to these cytokines and other factors may depend on their tissue environment. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our understanding of the various factors that regulate ILC2 function in the context of immunity, inflammation, and tissue repair across multiple organ systems.
What aspects of emotional functioning are impaired in schizophrenia

Disturbances in emotional functioning are a major cause of persistent functional disability in schizophrenia. However, it is not clear what specific aspects of emotional functioning are impaired. Some studies have indicated diminished experience of positive affect in individuals with schizophrenia, while others have not. The current study assessed emotional responses by 34 individuals with schizophrenia and 35 demographically matched healthy participants to 131 images sampling a wide range of emotional arousal and valence levels. Ratings of affective response elicited by individual images were highly correlated across the groups (r's>.90), indicating similar emotional experiences at the moment of stimulus exposure. However, the data did not indicate strong relationships between ratings of the emotional impact of the images and most measures of day-to-day emotional processing. These results demonstrate that individuals with schizophrenia report "normal" emotional responses to emotional stimuli, and thus suggests that deficits in emotional functioning associated with the disorder are likely to occur further downstream, and involve the effective integration of emotion and cognition for adaptive functioning in areas such as goal-setting, motivation, and memory.
New approach for curbing childhood obesity.

Screening for obesity and intensive behavioral therapy to help lose weight should be a routine part of an annual physical for children as young as 6 years, according to the updated U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. he new statement is a major change from the task force's 2005 recommendation.
Compiler-assisted software verification using plug-ins

We present Protagoras, a new plug-in architecture for the GNU compiler collection that allows one to modify GCC's internal representation of the program under compilation. We illustrate the utility of Protagoras by presenting plug-ins for both compile-time and runtime software verification and monitoring. In the compile-time case, we have developed plug-ins that interpret the GIMPLE intermediate representation to verify properties statically. In the runtime case, we have developed plug-ins for GCC to perform memory leak detection, array bounds checking, and reference-count access monitoring.
Interleaving slow- and rapid-data-rate experiments with a time-sharing laboratory automation system

A technique is described for accommodating rapid-transfer-rate experiments within an IBM 1800 Time Share Executive (TSX) laboratory automation monitor designed primarily for slow-scanning, low-drift apparatuses, each having the computer control its independent variable. The slow-scan experiments may be delayed for substantial periods to allow break-in by, and dedication of the computer to, those tasks requiring acquisition of short bursts of high-speed data. The system is structured so that each user can implicitly and dynamically specify the current maximum time interval for which his experiment may be interrupted. The break-in on a slow-scan experiment is done on a demand-response basis through the use of interrupt coreloads and masking of all other interrupts that are likely to interfere with a particular high-speed scan that has been initiated. When data acquisition is completed, control is returned to the time-sharing system by unmasking the interrupts and an appropriate data analysis task is queued for later execution.
Online sentiment-based topic modeling for continuous data streams

Continuous social text streams, such as tweets, provide a timeline of discussions. Topic modeling techniques such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) have been used to extract the topics being discussed on social media streams. Recently, Online LDA has been proposed as a fast alternative for topic extraction, based on on-line stochastic optimization, while sentiment analysis is often used to track the polarity of posts. In this paper, we propose an online technique, integrating Online LDA and sentiment analysis to extract more refined polarity-aware topics within an online learning framework from continuous Twitter streams.
Narrowband Ultraviolet B Light in Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: A Case Report

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) (previously called eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schuller-Christian syndrome, Letterer-Siwe disease, and Hashimoto-Pritzker disease) is a rare, heterogeneous disorder with highly variable presentation. LCH commonly affects the skin, as well as internal organs. Because the skin lesions appear benign, and LCH is unfamiliar to most physicians, diagnosis is often delayed. Treatment is controversial, with further clinical study needed. For persons with extensive, skin-limited disease, the existing topical therapies are impractical. We present a child with cutaneous LCH lesions that responded to ultraviolet light phototherapy with minimal adverse effects or patient discomfort.
Hypoxia induces an autocrine-paracrine survival pathway via platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B/PDGF-β receptor/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling in RN46A neuronal cells

In neurons, hypoxia activates intracellular death-related pathways, yet the antiapoptotic mechanisms triggered by hypoxia remain unclear. In RN46A neuronal cells, minimum media growth conditions induced cell death as early as 12 h after the cells were placed in these conditions (i.e., after removal of B-27 supplement). However, apoptosis occurred in hypoxia (1% O2) only after 48 h, and in fact hypoxia reduced the apoptosis associated with trophic factor withdrawal. Furthermore, hypoxia induced time-dependent increases in expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) B mRNA and protein, as well as PDGF-beta receptor phosphorylation. Although exogenous PDGF-BB induced only transient Akt activation, hypoxia triggered persistent activation of Akt for up to 24 h. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) or of PDGF-beta receptor phosphorylation abrogated both hypoxia-induced and exogenous PDGF-BB-induced Akt phosphorylation, and it completely abolished hypoxia-induced protection from media supplement deprivation, which suggests that the long-lasting activation of Akt during hypoxia and the prosurvival induction were due to endogenously generated PDGF-BB. Furthermore, these inhibitors decreased hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) DNA binding, which suggests that the PDGF/PDGF-beta receptor/Akt pathway induces downstream HIF-1alpha gene transcription. We conclude that in RN46A neuronal cells, hypoxia activates an autocrine-paracrine antiapoptotic mechanism that involves up-regulation of PDGF-B and PDGF-beta receptor-dependent activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to induce downstream transcription of survival genes.
Report on the National Eye Institute Audacious Goals Initiative: Photoreceptor Regeneration and Integration Workshop.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) hosted a workshop on May 2, 2015, as part of the Audacious Goals Initiative (AGI) to foster a concerted effort to develop novel therapies for outer retinal diseases. The central goal of this initiative is to “demonstrate by 2025 the restoration of usable vision in humans through the regeneration of neurons and neural connections in the eye and visual system.” More specifically, the AGI identified two neural retinal cell classes—ganglion cells and photoreceptors—as challenging, high impact targets for these efforts. A prior workshop and subsequent white paper provided a foundation to begin addressing issues regarding optic nerve regeneration, whereas the major objective of the May 2015 workshop was to review progress toward photoreceptor replacement and identify research gaps and barriers that are limiting advancement of the field. The present report summarizes that discussion and input, which was gathered from a panel of distinguished basic science and clinical investigators with diverse technical expertise and experience with different model systems. Four broad discussion categories were put forth during the workshop, each addressing a critical area of need in the pursuit of functional photoreceptor regeneration: (1) cell sources for photoreceptor regeneration, (2) cell delivery and/or integration, (3) outcome assessment, and (4) preclinical models and target patient populations. For each category, multiple challenges and opportunities for research discovery and tool production were identified and vetted. The present report summarizes the dialogue that took place and seeks to encourage continued interactions within the vision science community on this topic. It also serves as a guide for funding to support the pursuit of cell and circuit repair in diseases leading to photoreceptor degeneration.
Assessment of Cerebrovascular Dysfunction after Traumatic Brain Injury: MRI-BOLD versus NIRS (S28.006)

OBJECTIVE: To compare 2 measures, MRI-BOLD and fNIRS, of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) among healthy control (HC) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) subjects. BACKGROUND: Injury to small and medium-sized blood cerebral blood vessels is a well-recognized consequence of TBI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods have been developed to reliably and non-invasively measure CVR, including the MRI Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) response to hypercapnia challenge. Functional Near-InfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS) also non-invasively measures CVR after vasodilatory stimuli with excellent temporal resolution. It is less expensive and more readily utilized in outpatient clinical settings than MRI-BOLD. DESIGN/METHODS: We tested 22 moderate/severe TBI subjects, and 6 age/gender-matched HC with both MRI-BOLD with hypercapnia challenge and fNIRS with hypercapnia challenge. In both studies, hypercapnia was induced with a Douglas bag fitted with a valve that supplied room air alternating each minute with room air mixed with 5[percnt] carbon dioxide (CO2) over 7 minutes total of testing. We performed a standard voxel-by-voxel general linear model (GLM) analysis on the functional time series against the end-tidal (Et) CO2. The CVR was calculated as a percentage of change in the BOLD signal divided by the variation of EtCO2 (CVR = ΔBOLD signal/ΔEtCO2). RESULTS: Global CVR measured with BOLD fMRI-hypercapnia challenge is highly correlated with CVR in frontal regions measured by fNIRS-hypercapnia challenge (R2 = 0.7125). TBI subjects have lower and more variable CVR values than HC (TBI mean 0.293 ± 0.039; HC mean 0.336 ± 0.014; p = 0.0085). CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of the hemodynamic response to hypercapnia with both fMRI and fNIRS are practical, noninvasive methods to assess CVR in humans after TBI. MRI-BOLD yields better spatial resolution and fNIRS better temporal resolution. These results support the use of both fMRI and fNIRS as biomarkers for clinical trials of CVR-directed therapies. Disclosure: Dr. Amyot has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kenney has received royalty payments from the National Institutes of Health Technology Transfer. Dr. Moore has nothing to disclose. Dr. Silverman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Silverman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Harburg has nothing to disclose. Dr. Diaz-Arrastia has nothing to disclose.
Successful Design of New Very Low Thermal Expansion Ceramics

In the last few years we have succeeded in developing three separate groups of near-zero-expansion ceramics. These are based on: (1) Modification by crystalline solution of GeO2 for SiO2 in the well-known cordierite phase. (2) Discovery of a new structural family known as [NZP] or [CTP], many members of which have near-zero values of a and very extensive crystalline solution possibilities permitting continuous control of α. (3) Di- (or multi) phasic composites of phases, one with negative and one with positive a to give a net-zero-α ceramic material.
Dinitrogen (15N2) fixation and acetylene reduction in free-living strains ofRhizobium

Dinitrogen (15N2) fixation of four free-livingRhizobium strains ranged from 0.8 to 2.3 μmol/mg biomass N. Parallel-grown cultures liberated 4–8 μmol hydrogen and reduced 12–23 μmol acetylene, giving a mean ratio of reduced acetylene-to-fixed15N2 of 12. This ratio contrasts with lower values others have observed for asymbiotic diazotrophs.
Tethered capsule OCT endomicroscopy: from bench to bedside at the primary care office (Conference Presentation)

We have developed a swallowable tethered capsule OCT endomicroscopy (TCE) device that acquires microscopic images of the entire esophagus in unsedated subjects in a quick and comfortable procedure. To test its capabilities of TCE to become a population-based screening device, we conducted a clinical feasibility study in the primary care office. The swept-source OCT imaging system (1310nm central wavelength, 40kHz A-line rate, 10um axial resolution) together with the tethered capsule catheter (11x25mm capsule attached to a flexible tether) were transferred to the PCP office where unsedated patients scheduled for non-urgent PCP visits swallowed the capsule and microscopic OCT images of the entire esophagus were collected. After the whole length of the esophagus was imaged, the catheter was disinfected for reuse. Twenty subjects were enrolled in the study, including nine female and eleven male. All TCE procedures were performed by a nurse and lasted in average 5:42 ± 1:54 min. High-resolution images of the esophagus were obtained in all seventeen subjects that swallowed the capsule. Our clinical experience in this cohort, subject feedback, image quality, and technological adaptations for efficient utilization in this setting will be presented. The ease and simplicity of the procedure combined with high quality of the images demonstrate the potential for this technology to become a population-based screening device. Technology limitations and future development guided by findings from this initial experience will be discussed with the goal of effectively translating TCE to the outpatient primary care setting.
Doris Löve 1918–2000

(2000). Doris Love 1918–2000. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research: Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 360-362.
Biotinidase Deficiency: Early Presentation

Two infants with manifestations of biotinidase deficiency presenting at age 3 weeks and 2 weeks are reported from the University of Aarhus, Roskilde County Hospital, and Herning Central Hospital, Denmark.
Enterocyte progenitors can dedifferentiate to replace lost Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells revealing that many different progenitor populations can regain stemness.

The epithelium lining the gastrointestinal tract serves many functions, including aiding in digestion, nutrient absorption, barrier function, and immunity. In the small intestine, the intestinal epithelium is comprised of repeating crypt-villus units which undergo constant renewal to maintain intestinal homeostasis and tissue integrity (1). Multipotent intestinal stem cells (ISCs) located in the base of the crypt are responsible for constant renewal and rapid replenishment of cells lining the crypt-villus axis. ISCs give rise to rapidly proliferating transit-amplifying (TA) cell population which, as they exit crypt, differentiate into the four major mature cell types: enteroendocrine cells, goblet cells, and Paneth cells belong to the secretory lineage, while enterocytes comprise the absorptive lineage. Although it is agreed upon that each crypt contains ISCs, the exact identity of the stem cell population has been debated for many years (2,3).
Stochastic Hall-Magneto-hydrodynamics System in Three and Two and a Half Dimensions

We introduce the stochastic Hall-magneto-hydrodynamics (Hall-MHD) system in three and two and a half dimensions with infinite-dimensional multiplicative noise, white in time, and prove the global existence of a martingale solution via a stochastic Galerkin approximation and applications of Prokhorov’s, Skorokhod’s and martingale representation theorems, as well as the pressure term through de Rham’s theorem adapted to processes. The Hall term represents mathematically a very singular nonlinear term, unprecedented in the previous work. The results extend many others on the deterministic Hall-MHD and stochastic MHD systems and Navier–Stokes equations. In contrast to the stochastic MHD system, the path-wise uniqueness in the two and a half dimensional case is an open problem.
Nitric Oxide (NO) induced sensitization of tumor cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis via induction of RKIP and DR5 expression and inhibition of YY1

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4868 We have recently reported that the induction of NO or the use of NO donors can reverse tumor cell resistance to death ligands via inhibition of NF-κB and the transcription repressor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) activities and upregulation of death receptors (Baritaki et al., 2007). The underlying molecular mechanisms of these NO-induced effects are not well defined. The metastatic suppressor gene Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP), has been reported to inhibit NF-κB activity (Yeung et al., 1999,2000). Therefore, we hypothesized that NO may induce RKIP expression leading to inhibition of NF-κB and YY1 and upregulation of DR5, leading to sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. The involvement of RKIP and its interplay with YY1 and DR5 in the NO-induced sensitization to TRAIL was investigated using the resistant prostate tumor cells PC3 and the Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cell line Ramos. Treatment of tumor cells with the NO donor DETA/NONOate (1000 uM) resulted in significant sensitization to TRAIL-induced apoptosis and concomitantly induction of RKIP mRNA and protein levels. In contrast, YY1 promoter activity and YY1 expression (both in transcript and protein levels) were significantly reduced after DETA/NONOate treatment. Since we have recently shown that YY1 negatively regulates DR5 transcription and expression, tumor treatment with DETA/NONOate also resulted in upregulation of DR5. The role of YY1 in the regulation of DR5 and sensitization to TRAIL was corroborated by the use of YY1 siRNA which resulted in sensitivity to TRAIL. The direct role of RKIP in the NO-based tumor cell sensitization to TRAIL was confirmed by significant inhibition of NO-induced cell sensitization to TRAIL following treatment of tumor cells with RKIP siRNA. The above findings provide evidence that NO-induced sensitization to TRAIL is mediated, in large part, via induction of RKIP expression and subsequently, inhibition of NF-κB and YY1 activities and upregulation of DR5 expression. Preliminary findings in tissues nude mice bearing PC3 tumor xenografts and treated with DETA/NONOate showed upregulation of DR5 expression and inhibition of YY1 by IHC. These findings suggest that for successful anti-cancer immunotherapeutic approaches there is a need to use sensitizing agents that can upregulate RKIP/DR5 or inhibit NF-κB/YY1. Such sensitizing agents, like NO donors, may reverse TRAIL-resistance when used in combination with TRAIL/anti-DR4 or DR5 monoclonal antibodies.
Christian Reconstructionism and the Austrian School of Economics

This chapter traces the relationship between the Austrian School of Economics and the little-known, but highly influential American theological and political movement called Christian Reconstructionism. Through biographical sketches of Christian Reconstruction pioneers Rousas John Rushdoony and Gary North, the chapter explores how the small-government, libertarian ethos of the Austrian School helped shape the anti-statist theological agenda of one of the primary intellectual engines behind the rise of the Religious Right in the United States. The chapter outlines how Austrian thinkers such as Hayek, Mises, Rothbard, and Sennholz contributed to a unique strain of political Christianity in the United States and, in turn, highlights how conservative Protestant ideas regarding economics and social organization helped shape the popular reception of the Austrian School in American culture.
How Primary Care Pediatricians Manage Behavioral Health Problems in Integrated and Non-Integrated Clinics

Introduction: Pediatric primary care physicians (PPCPs) are often the first professionals families consult for management of child behavioral health (BH) problems but may vary in their level of training and experience with these issues. These factors, as well as patient access to BH providers, is likely to influence how PPCP’s manage presenting BH concerns. Method: This study assessed PPCP’s perceptions on identification, treatment, and referral follow-up of patients with common BH problems (i.e., issues with anxiety, depression, feeding, sleep, toileting, behavior, and ADHD). Surveys were completed by 60 PPCPs practicing in 20 clinics within two major academic medical centers. Responses were on a 7-point Likert Scale (1= Very Uncomfortable/Unlikely to 7 = Very Comfortable/Likely). Results: PPCP’s endorsed relative comfort with differential diagnosis of all types of BH concerns (range of 5.17 to 6.20) but indicated significantly less comfort providing treatment for all concerns (p The likelihood of using medication to treat BH problems was examined for various patient age groups (0 to 2; 3 to 5; 6 to 12; 13 and up). PPCP’s only endorsed greater than neutral likelihood (M> 4.00) for ADHD ages 6 and up (M= 6.15), depression ages 13 and up (M= 4.32), sleep issues ages 13 and up (M= 4.05), and toileting problems at all ages (M= 4.41). PPCPs were significantly more likely (p The likelihood of patient follow-up with on-site BH services (M= 6.03) was rated significantly higher than off-site (M= 4.05), p Conclusions: PPCPs endorsed discomfort treating all common BH problems with the exception of ADHD but felt comfortable with differential diagnosis of these issues. Use of medication was deemed unlikely for most ages and BH problems and was less supported for younger children. PPCPs were highly confident their patients with BH problems received care when referred to an on-site psychologist but not off-site. Lessons Learned: PPCP’s feel comfortable identifying BH problems but are substantially less comfortable treating the majority of these conditions, especially those presenting in young children. PPCP’s acknowledge that clinics with integrated BH providers improve patient care and enhance patient access to BH services. These findings indicate a need for integration of BH services witihin the primary care setting and provide insight on specific issues PPCP's feel most ill-equipped to manage independently. Limitations: It is unclear what accounts for PPCP’s higher comfort with treating behavioral health concerns relative to their likelihood of using medication. Future Research: It would be useful to examine whether or not integrated care clinics influence PPCP’s management of BH problems in terms of diagnoses, treatment, and referrals.
Patient and Health System Experience With Implementation of an Enterprise-Wide Telehealth Scheduled Video Visit Program: Mixed-Methods Study

Background: Real-time video visits are increasingly used to provide care in a number of settings because they increase access and convenience of care, yet there are few reports of health system experiences. Objective: The objective of this study is to report health system and patient experiences with implementation of a telehealth scheduled video visit program across a health system. Methods: This is a mixed methods study including (1) a retrospective descriptive report of implementation of a telehealth scheduled visit program at one large urban academic-affiliated health system and (2) a survey of patients who participated in scheduled telehealth visits. Health system and patient-reported survey measures were aligned with the National Quality Forum telehealth measure reporting domains of access, experience, and effectiveness of care. Results: This study describes implementation of a scheduled synchronous video visit program over an 18-month period. A total of 3018 scheduled video visits were completed across multiple clinical departments. Patient experiences were captured in surveys of 764 patients who participated in telehealth visits. Among survey respondents, 91.6% (728/795) reported satisfaction with the scheduled visits and 82.7% (628/759) reported perceived quality similar to an in-person visit. A total of 86.0% (652/758) responded that use of the scheduled video visit made it easier to get care. Nearly half (46.7%, 346/740) of patients estimated saving 1 to 3 hours and 40.8% (302/740) reported saving more than 3 hours of time. The net promoter score, a measure of patient satisfaction, was very high at 52. Conclusions: A large urban multihospital health system implemented an enterprise-wide scheduled telehealth video visit program across a range of clinical specialties with a positive patient experience. Patients found use of scheduled video visits made it easier to get care and the majority perceived time saved, suggesting that use of telehealth for scheduled visits can improve potential access to care across a range of clinical scenarios with favorable patient experiences. [JMIR Med Inform 2018;6(1):e10]
Superfast 3D shape measurement of a flapping flight process with motion based segmentation

Flapping flight has drawn interests from different fields including biology, aerodynamics and robotics. For such research, the digital fringe projection technology using defocused binary image projection has superfast (e.g. several kHz) measurement capabilities with digital-micromirror-device, yet its measurement quality is still subject to the motion of flapping flight. This research proposes a novel computational framework for dynamic 3D shape measurement of a flapping flight process. The fast and slow motion parts are separately reconstructed with Fourier transform and phase shifting. Experiments demonstrate its success by measuring a flapping wing robot (image acquisition rate: 5000 Hz; flapping speed: 25 cycles/second).
Who Voted for Hillary Clinton? Sexual Identities, Gender, and Family Influences

Sexual identities can influence political attitudes and actions. During political elections, gay men, lesbians, and bisexual individuals (GLB) have historically aligned with Democratic candidates. ...
After the disclosures: a year of #sexual_violence_in_the_film_industry in South Korea

As the Harvey Weinstein scandal and #metoo movement dominated the news worldwide, media in South Korea (hereafter, Korea) began to ask whether “#metoo is possible in Korea” (Jisook Kim 2017). While...
Food Dyes, Activity, and Learning

We have not found conclusive evidence that improvements on the Feingold diet are related to an allergic response to the artificial colors, neither have we found any reliable evidence that children who eat artificial colors on the Feingold diet become worse in behavior. Although we found such an effect in our second challenge study, it was not repeated in our third challenge study. Our strongest evidence seemed to come from the sensitive measures of visual-motor tracking while the child was trying to perform under conditions of distraction. That effect seemed to be brief and transient, as if a drug had acted briefly and then diminished in activity. Since we no longer had the computerized tracking apparatus to investigate this question further, we decided to use alternative methods that would be sensitive indicators of attentiveness and activity.
Parallel genome-wide CRISPR analysis identifies a role for heterotypic ubiquitin chains in ER-associated degradation

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) maintains the integrity of the proteome and controls the abundance of key regulators of cellular function by selective protein degradation, but how folding-defective proteins in the secretory system are selected from the large and diverse constellation of membrane and secretory proteins and efficiently delivered to proteasomes in the cytosol is not well understood. To determine the basis of substrate selectivity in human cells, we developed a transcriptional shut off approach to conduct parallel, unbiased, genome-wide CRISPR analysis of structurally and topologically diverse ER-associated degradation (ERAD) clients. Highly quantitative screen metrics allowed precise dissection of entire pathways, enabling identification of unique substrate-specific combinations of recognition and ubiquitin conjugation modules. Our analysis identified cytosolic ubiquitin conjugating machinery that has not been previously linked to ERAD but collaborates with membrane-integrated ubiquitin ligases to conjugate branched or mixed ubiquitin chains to promote efficient and processive substrate degradation.
Quantifying hot carrier and thermal contributions in plasmonic photocatalysis

Photocatalysis based on optically active, “plasmonic” metal nanoparticles has emerged as a promising approach to facilitate light-driven chemical conversions under far milder conditions than thermal catalysis. However, an understanding of the relation between thermal and electronic excitations has been lacking. We report the substantial light-induced reduction of the thermal activation barrier for ammonia decomposition on a plasmonic photocatalyst. We introduce the concept of a light-dependent activation barrier to account for the effect of light illumination on electronic and thermal excitations in a single unified picture. This framework provides insight into the specific role of hot carriers in plasmon-mediated photochemistry, which is critically important for designing energy-efficient plasmonic photocatalysts.
GENDER BARRIERS IN POLICY AND REGULATION

The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) has been a driving force in the U.S. for ensuring that biomedical research is conducted on women and for raising awareness about the biological and physiological differences between men and women. SWHR is a Washington, DC-based patient/research advocacy organization that has successfully advocated for the inclusion of women in clinical trials for more than two decades. It has lobbied successfully for research into women’s health and sex differences and continues to recommend a number of actions to government, lawmakers and organizations as part of a comprehensive effort to transform science and improve the quality of medical care.
The role of industry in vascular surgery trainee education

Vascular surgery is a specialty discipline highlighted by a lifelong learning process from which new endovascular devices and techniques will continue to emerge. Industry partnerships can provide a safe learning environment for trainees, with a focus on maximizing learning opportunities during fellowship or residency. Unlike other surgical specialties, vascular surgery empowers its trainees to become competent in both open and image-guided endovascular interventions, requiring two unique skill sets to become a contemporary vascular surgeon. Due to the rapid growth of technology and innovations, industry partnerships enhance and maximize the learning experience of the trainee by often providing the products, education, research support, and financial assistance. This can come in the form of innovative and educational activities, including simulation, exposure to thought leaders, attendance at conferences and workshops, and one-on-one assistance with cases. In this article, we review the role that industry can serve in vascular education to support budding vascular surgeons through exposure and repetition as they lay down the fundamentals of their careers.
TRENDS AND OUTCOMES OF CARDIAC AMYLOIDOSIS RELATED HOSPITALIZATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES: ANALYSIS OF THE NATIONAL INPATIENT SAMPLE DATABASE FROM 2006 THROUGH 2014

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an underdiagnosed cause of cardiomyopathy and is highly fatal if untreated. Recent trends of CA and related healthcare utilization in the US are unknown. To address this gap, we examined changes in hospitalization rates, inpatient mortality and financial outcomes of CA-
Translation affects mRNA stability in a codon-dependent manner in human cells

Proteins are made by joining together building blocks called amino acids into strings. The proteins are ‘translated’ from genetic sequences called mRNA molecules. These sequences can be thought of as series of ‘letters’, which are read in groups of three known as codons. Molecules called tRNAs recognize the codons and add the matching amino acids to the end of the protein. Each tRNA can recognize one or several codons, and the levels of different tRNAs inside the cell vary. There are 61 codons that code for amino acids, but only 20 amino acids. This means that some codons produce the same amino acid. Despite this, there is evidence to suggest that not all of the codons that produce the same amino acid are exactly equivalent. In bacteria, yeast and zebrafish, some codons seem to make the mRNA molecule more stable, and others make it less stable. This might help the cell to control how many proteins it makes. It was not clear whether the same is true for humans. To find out, Wu et al. used three separate methods to examine mRNA stability in four types of human cell. Overall, the results revealed that some codons help to stabilize the mRNA, while others make the mRNA molecule break down faster. The effect seems to depend on the supply of tRNAs that have a charged amino acid; mRNA molecules were more likely to self-destruct in cells that contained codons with low levels of the tRNA molecules. Wu et al. also found that conditions in the cell can alter how strongly the codons affect mRNA stability. For example, a cell that has been infected by a virus reduces translation. Under these conditions, the identity of the codons in the mRNA has less effect on the stability of the mRNA molecule. Changes to protein production happen in many diseases. Understanding what controls these changes could help to reveal more about our fundamental biology, and what happens when it goes wrong.
Use of fertility preservation services in female reproductive-aged cancer patients

Objective The objective of the study was to determine the rates and predictors of fertility preservation services among reproductive-aged women with common cancers in the United States. Study Design We used the MarketScan database to identify women 18–45 years of age with lung, breast, colorectal, or cervical cancer who underwent surgery and chemotherapy from 2009 through 2016. Services from 3 months before to 3 months after chemotherapy for evaluation for fertility preservation, laboratory testing for fertility evaluation, and fertility-preserving procedures were captured. Multivariable models were used to assess the factors associated with the use of fertility-preservation services. Results A total of 18,781 women, including 386 cervical, 1372 colorectal, 246 lung, and 16,777 with breast cancer, were identified. In women 18–35 years old, 11.7% underwent evaluation for fertility preservation, 13.7% underwent laboratory testing, and 6.3% pursued fertility-preserving procedures. The rates of office evaluation, laboratory testing, and performance of procedure were 3.3%, 7.5%, and 1.9 % in women aged 36–40 years and 0.5%, 7.2%, and 0.3% in those aged 41–45 years, respectively. The rate of fertility preservation evaluation rose from 1.0% in 2009 to 5.5% in 2016 (risk ratio, 4.66, 95% confidence interval, 2.38–9.11) while use of fertility-preserving procedures increased from 1.0% to 4.6% (risk ratio, 3.84, 95% confidence interval, 1.94–7.59) during the same time period. In a multivariable model, use of any fertility-preserving interventions were more common in patients with breast cancer (adjusted risk ratio, 2.30, 95% confidence interval, 1.30–4.06), those in the Northeast (adjusted risk ratio, 1.24, 95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.40), and in younger women (18–35 years) (adjusted risk ratio, 2.59, 95% confidence interval, 2.32–2.89). Conclusion Although limited by lack of information regarding cancer stage and desire for future fertility, only a small fraction of reproductive-aged female cancer patients receiving chemotherapy are evaluated in a nationwide sample for fertility preservation or undergo fertility-preserving procedures.
Neurophysiology of the auditory system: basics and ION techniques

Abstract This chapter reviews the historical perspective of brainstem auditory-evoked potentials (BAEPs) recordings and its intraoperative use. It describes the neurophysiologic basis for the generation of far-field BAEP and methods for monitoring the neural conduction in the auditory pathways using BAEPs and evoked potentials recorded directly from the VIIIth nerve. Monitoring BAEPs is beneficial in operations of large acoustic tumors, posterior fossa procedures, procedures that can compress the brainstem, and other related procedures. BAEPs have improved the outcomes in these complex procedures by giving the surgical team information on the functional status of the auditory pathway from the cochlea through the brainstem.