cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 2704: Ectopic expression of CHST11 promotes proliferation and migration of human breast cancer cells.

Introduction. We have previously demonstrated that the expression levels of carbohydrate (chondroitin 4) sulfotransferase-11 (CHST11) correlates with P-selectin binding and aggressiveness (basal-like, triple-negative and mesenchymal phenotype) of human breast cancer. The present study was performed to establish stably transfected cell lines and study the functional role of CHST11 in human breast cancer cells. Methods. MCF7 cells were transfected with a plasmid vector containing the CHST11 coding sequence. Stable transfectants, MCF-7-CHST11, were established. Flow cytometry and real-time PCR were used for expression analysis. Metastatic phenotype of cells was characterized through conduction of proliferation and migration assays. Morphology and growth pattern of MCF-7-CHST11 cells were monitored and compared to parental MCF-7 cells. Results. We observed that MCF-7-CHST11 reacted strongly with anti-chondroitin sulfate A (CS-A) antibody and recombinant P-selectin. CS-A is the immediate product of CHST11 activity. CHST11 expression significantly affected cell proliferation as MCF-7-CHST11 cells grew much faster. Migration assay using transwell chamber showed high migratory potential for MCF-7-CHST11 cells as compared to the parental MCF-7 cells. The significant migratory advantage was not proliferation dependent. The CHST11expression affected the morphology of cells and cell spreading behavior consistent with more efficient anchorage independent growth. Colony formation in soft agar, Invasion and adhesion assays are being performed at the present time. We are planning more experiments to study mechanisms involved. Conclusions. The data confirm that the CHST11 products on the cell surface can serve as P-selectin ligands. The results indicate that the CHST11 expression can affect metastatic phenotype of cancer cells by promoting cellular proliferation and migratory potential. Citation Format: Alice Behrens, Fariba Jousheghany, Aiwei Yao-Borengasser, Thomas Kieber-Emmons, Behjatolah Monzavi-Karbassi. Ectopic expression of CHST11 promotes proliferation and migration of human breast cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2704. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2704
Predictors of Cigarette Smoking among Adolescents

Cigarette smoking among adolescents was predicted by age, race, involvement in activities with peers and family, peer smoking, family's smoking, and peers' acceptance of smoking. A random sample of 1,826 South Carolina public school students served as subjects. Multiple regression analysis indicated that 43% of the variance in reported cigarette smoking could be explained by these variables. Older, white subjects and subjects with friends and family members who smoked were more likely to smoke themselves. Adolescents who reported low family involvement and high peer involvement were more likely to smoke. High peer involvement and peers' approval of smoking were also associated with greater reported smoking.
Wideband Photonic Compressive Sampling System

We present experimental results of a wideband photonic compressive sampling system that relies on periodic nonuniform sampling. The system unambiguously identifies signals in a 5-GHz instantaneous band using an average nonuniform sample rate an order of magnitude less than the equivalent Nyquist uniform sample rate. We demonstrate spectrum reconstruction of continuous-wave, pulsed carrier, and communications signals from dc to 50 GHz. The system demonstrates high-fidelity reconstruction of the spectral shape of signals with bandwidth in both single- and multisignal environments.
Where's Your Thesis Statement and What Happened to Your Topic Sentences? Identifying Organizational Challenges in Undergraduate Student Argumentative Writing

The authors examine the challenges students faced in trying to write organized texts using effective thesis statements and topic sentences by analyzing argumentative history essays written by multilingual students enrolled in an undergraduate history course. They use the notions of macro-Theme (i.e., thesis statement) and hyper-Theme (i.e., topic sentence) from systemic functional linguistics to categorize students' challenges constructing effective macro-Themes and hyper-Themes. They compare higher graded essays and lower graded essays at six time points during one semester. Both higher and lower graded essays showed challenges with the fronting, specificity, and consistency of their macro-Themes and hyper-Themes. However, there was improvement over the course of the semester. By identifying these challenges, the authors aim to help teachers and students develop a meta-language to talk about these textual features of academic writing and thus enhance the teaching and writing of academic writing. They call for the need for explicit instruction to enhance students' organization of their ideas.
Classification of atrioventricular block.

The site of atrioventricular block determines its clinical significance and, hence, the proper mode of treatment or implantation of an electronic pacemaker. For practical purposes, the site of block can be identified in most instances by the duration of the QRS complex.
Volume homeostasis in calves with artificial atria and ventricles.

We examined whether replacement of cardiac atria and ventricles with total artificial hearts (TAH), a procedure that removes cardiac nerves and all sources of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), would cause alterations in volume homeostasis in awake calves. Preoperatively, extracted plasma immunoreactive (ir)ANF levels were 13.3 +/- 0.6 and remained postoperatively at 10.5 +/- 0.4 pg/ml (P less than 0.01). TAH implantation caused systemic and pulmonary hypertension (P less than 0.01), salt retention, edema, and significant elevations of plasma renin, aldosterone, and arginine vasopressin. In intact calves rapid infusion of 6 liters of normal saline raised irANF levels to 73.7 +/- 6.5 pg/ml (P less than 0.01) and elicited a large natriuresis and diuresis. No such response to 6 liters of normal saline was obtained after calves had recovered from TAH implantation. Reduction of cardiac output (CO) by 50% caused further salt retention and no change in irANF levels. Elevation of CO back to and 33% above base line ...
Natural Interaction for Bot Detection

Bot detection -- identifying a software program that's using a computer system -- is an increasingly necessary security task. Existing solutions balance proof of human identity with unobtrusiveness in users' workflows. Cognitive modeling and natural interaction might provide stronger security and less intrusiveness.
Esoteric solutions: Ireland and the colonial critique of political economy

In the manuscript collection of the National Library of Ireland, there is a diary recording the impressions of an anonymous English traveler who toured Ireland in 1837. In a digression on the “manners” of the Irish people, the writer comments on the frequent, idiosyncratic use of the English word “elegant”: The word Elegant is applied by them to almost every thing: two kennel makers with their faces like the mud they grope in will accost one another with, “we[ll] Pat and how are ye, by the powers you look elegant this cold morning.” [I]f by a fire side “let the fire alone ye spallpeen it will be an Elegant one by and bye[”] – A dead pig at a butcher shop will also have the appelation of being elegant. The anecdote illustrates a broad perception in the era preceding the Irish Famine that the Irish are completely outside the system of market value that encompassed English society. The story seems to point out that a person living in utter poverty can have no power to discern what is “elegant” from what is not. But reference to the “faces like mud” invokes the question of national and racial difference, which will grow increasingly important within the analysis of Irish economic life. In this discourse, once the disastrous scope of starvation in Ireland becomes clear, the representation of the problem will begin to change.
Structure-Function Relationships: Chemotaxis and Ethylene Receptors

Publisher Summary An elaborate network of environmental sensors and response regulators enable the cell to probe the changes in their surrounding. In bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and plants, two distinct but related sensor proteins modulate specific phosphorelay circuits referred to as the "two-component system" (TCS): methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) and the membrane bound histidine protein kinases (HPKs). Their periplasmic domains are structurally unrelated, reflecting the diverse receptor function. The periplasmic and cytoplasmic domains are connected by transmembrane (TM) helices. The basic biochemical events of two component signal transduction comprise autophosphorylation of a histidine protein kinase (HPK) and the subsequent transfer of the phosphoryl moiety to a response regulators (RR). For MCPs, kinase activity resides in a separate but closely related HPK. Response regulators induce changes by altering the pattern of gene expression or, in the case of chemotaxis, the swimming behavior.
Maternally Determined Susceptibility to D-Amphetamine-Induced Stereotypy in Rats

During the first week after parturition, rat pups were removed and returned to a mother-present nest, were removed and returned to a mother-absent nest, were separated from their mothers by removal of the mothers, or were undisturbed. In adulthood, when repeatedly injected with a dose of D-amphetamine which induces progressively higher levels of stereotypy (2.5 mg/kg), only subjects which had been removed and returned to a mother-present nest in infancy showed a retarded rate of increase in stereotypy.
Towards reliable broadcast in practical sensor networks

Broadcast is one of the fundamental primitives to enable sensor networks. In this paper, we address some practical concerns regarding reliable broadcast. Particularly, we consider the following issues: • Hybrid fault model: We prove the tight necessary and sufficient condition for using Certified Propagation Algorithm (CPA) to achieve reliable broadcast in directed networks under hybrid fault model. The hybrid fault model considers both node and link failures. • Geometric Random Graph: Geometric random graph is considered to be a suitable network model for sensor network deployment. We show that our condition has close relations with connectivity in geometric random graphs in the one-dimensional space. We prove that with a suitable choice of parameters, we can use CPA to achieve reliable broadcast in such graphs. • Eventually reliable broadcast: We also study the reliable broadcast problem with relaxed properties. Especially, we explore the trade-off between latency of broadcast and validity (or correctness). For validity, we provide a lower bound on the probability of receiving a correct value in any graphs. For latency, we show that in the geometric random graphs in the one-dimensional space, the proposed algorithm achieves low latency (through simulations).
Kinetic studies of the AOP radical-based oxidative and reductive destruction of pesticides and model compounds in water.

Abstract Absolute second-order rate constants for hydroxyl radical (HO ) reaction with four organophosphorus pesticides, malathion, parathion, fenthion and ethion, and a suite of model compounds of structure (EtO)2P(S)-X (where X = Cl, F, SH, SEt, OCH2CF3, OEt, NH2, and CH3) were measured using electron pulse radiolysis and transient absorption techniques. Specific values were determined for these four pesticides as k = (3.89 ± 0.28) x 109, (2.20 ± 0.15) x 109, (2.02 ± 0.15) x 109 and (2.93 ± 0.10) x 109 M−1 s−1, respectively, at 20 ± 2 °C. The corresponding Bronsted plot for all these compounds demonstrated that the HO oxidation reaction mechanism for the pesticides was consistent with the model compounds, attributed to initial HO -adduct formation at the P(S) moiety. For malathion, steady-state 60Co radiolysis and 31P NMR analyses showed that hydroxyl radical-induced oxidation produces the far more potent isomalathion, but only with an efficiency of 4.9 ± 0.3%. Analogous kinetic measurements for the hydrated electron induced reduction of these pesticides gave specific rate constants of k = (3.38 ± 0.14) x 109, (1.38 ± 0.10) x 109, (1.19 ± 0.12) x 109 and (1.20 ± 0.06) x 109 M−1 s−1, respectively, for malathion, parathion, fenthion and ethion. Model compound measurements again supported a single reduction reaction mechanism, proposed to be electron addition at the P S bond to form the radical anion. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that the radical-based treatment of organophosphorus contaminated waters may present a potential toxicological risk if advanced oxidative processes are used.
Patient and hospital characteristics predictive of inferior vena cava filter usage in venous thromboembolism patients: A study from the 2013 to 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database.

AbstractTo examine the association between patient and hospital characteristics and inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) utilization in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE).The 2013 to 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database was used to define a cohort of patients with VTE aged ≥18 after a primary V
Physical Basis of Monitoring Fetal Heart Rate, Oxygenation, and Acid-Base Status

Fetal well-being may be assessed by recording and analyzing either the mechanical activity of the heart and its consequences, or the electric current produced by the cardiac contraction. In addition, alterations of fetal blood homeostasis, pO2, and pH have recently been successfully observed. All have been investigated as possible sources of information for following the progress of the fetus through early gestation, advanced pregnancy, and labor.
SUMMARY OF THE U.S. THERMOCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE AND TRANSPORT (TEST) PROGRAM

Recent activities in the U.S. Thermochemical Energy Storage and Transport (TEST) Program are summarized, and areas requiring additional research are indicated.
Addressing Healthcare Disparities

Mental health needs of minorities receive minimal attention, resulting in inadequate provision of culturally appropriate mental health care in racial and ethnic minority communities. Advancing our understanding of cultural issues is essential for reducing disparities. Culture is embedded in many social components, including identity, gender ideologies, generational experience, racial discrimination, and socioeconomic status. Through ongoing efforts to improve our understanding of the ways culture influences mental illness, health, and wellbeing, we enhance our ability to reduce stigma, optimize screening, enhance formulation, and design more effective interventions for all groups. Using case vignettes, this chapter illustrates key cultural considerations for psychosomatic practitioners to provide quality care and reduce mental health disparities in children and adolescents.
A Comprehensive Approach to University Wellness Emphasizing Million Hearts® Demonstrates Improvement in Population Cardiovascular Risk

Purpose: This study evaluated changes in university faculty and staff cardiovascular population risk over a three-year period after the implementation of the Million Hearts®' initiative, which targets the ABCS for cardiac care (i.e., Appropriate aspirin therapy, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation), with an additional S for Stress reduction. Methods: Using a longitudinal descriptive analysis of population cardiovascular health from 2012 to 2015, the Framingham Risk criteria for over 28,000 continuously-enrolled university faculty and staff were examined in a quality improvement initiative following the implementation of the Million Hearts® national initiative. Launched in 2011 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Center for Medicaid Services within the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative targets modifiable risk factors to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2022. Results: Faculty and staff with low-risk Framingham scores increased from 7.8 % to 14.1 % from 2012 to 2015. Conclusion: Although this study was not a randomized controlled trial, findings support a comprehensive integrated approach to population health and wellness, emphasizing the ABCS of Million Hearts® with an added S for Stress reduction, can improve cardiovascular disease risk.
IMAGES: Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy: An Investigative Tool for Mechanisms of PAP Failure.

This is a case report of a 60-year-old female with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who presented to CPAP Alternatives clinic following multiple failed attempts at positive airway pressure (PAP) ...
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE USE OF WIND .ROTOR AS A POWER GENERATING' DEVICE FROM SMALL RIVERS (Part 1).

This work describes model tests performed on vertical axis wind buckets. A possible application of this wind rotor would be used to extract energy from slow moving water(no head streams) through small rivers. The mojor use of the design proposed is to provide small amounts of electric power for areas far from the main electric power systems especially for developing countries. The test model has been designed and aerodynamically tested for different wind bucket geometries.
Surgical Decompression for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in Adolescent Patients

Objectives:Thoracic outlet syndrome represents a complex combination of symptoms in the upper extremity that occurs due to compression of the neurovascular structures of the thoracic outlet or subc...
Hayek on the essential dispersion of market knowledge

A key insight in Hayek’s thought is the importance of so-called “local knowledge” in economic activity. In The Fatal Conceit, he states that such knowledge is “essentially dispersed,” an especially intriguing description given that “essential” is a highly technical term from a philosophical perspective. In Section 1, we outline and discuss Hayek’s use of essential as found in The Fatal Conceit and in the process distinguish a “strong” and a “weak” sense of the term. We then explain the importance of this distinction to the theoretical viability of socialism and make an initial attempt to determine which sense Hayek himself might have had in mind. Section 2 explores the “strong” sense of essential in more detail and links it to Aristotle’s “causal account” of scientific knowledge. Section 3 traces the development of the popular and highly influential “empirico-positivistic” explanation of scientific knowledge –an explanation that does not support the strong sense of essential—and concludes that Aristotle’s account is superior. In Section 4 we employ the Aristotelian account and observe that, in point of fact, local knowledge is essentially dispersed in the strong sense and as such inherently defies the centralized management required by all forms of socialism. Evidence that the stronger sense of essential is more consistent with Hayek’s own thought is also briefly presented.
Low Power FPGA-SoC Design Techniques for CNN-based Object Detection Accelerator

This paper shows the possibility of the existing low power register transfer level (RTL) techniques can be effective as a low power design scheme for CNN-based object recognition system acceleration in contrast to conventional techniques. Most power efficient design techniques regarding CNN acceleration are focused on the High-level Synthesis (HLS) aspect, such as memory bandwidth optimization, network architecture reconfiguration, data reuse, and batch normalization. However, these attempts have reached the limits of the effectiveness of itself. Using the post-synthesis RTL code generated by field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) manufacturers, the proposed RTL low power design technique was applied to the original FIFO part for reducing the power consumption during data transformation. We compared the HLS optimized result with the RTL optimized result in the aspect of power consumption. We configured the testbench for the modified FIFO module and analyzed the estimated power dissipation result. These power effectiveness factors, such as a look-up table (LUT), a lookup table RAM (LUTRAM), can reduce the power dissipation by 54%, 49% respectively, even though increased block RAM (BRAM) leads to the elevated power dissipation by 154%. Thus, the total power consumption was able to be decreased by 10%. This paper discusses two factors of FPGA with system-on-chip (FPGA-SoC) design for CNN-based hardware implementation in power consumption aspect, such as RTL architecture, memory design architecture, and the model architecture-based hardware implementation methods. The virtual additional memory can support the high throughput at full speed. Our simulated low power schemes applied to Processing System (PS) and Programmable Logic (PL) architecture effectively reduced the power consumption by 25.9% in the FIFO data transformation. We established that the increased LUT blocks affect the power-efficient rate and reduce the power consumption of the PL design up to 49%.
REVIVING NIGERIAN RUBBER INDUSTRY: Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, FUD, Dutse, Nigeria

The present research empirically looks at the possibility of devising a mechanism of reviving Nigerian rubber industry. The research used dated data that spanned from 1961 to 2017 and it covered production, area, yield and producer’s price (rubber). The data were drawn from the FAO database and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Empirical evidence showed that the incremental change in the country’s rubber production was majorly driven by area effect which necessitates area risk owing to pressure on the limited available land for other purposes to be the main factor that affected the average output of rubber in the country. Furthermore, the future of the sub-sector is not promising owing to the fact that the slight gentle rise in the forecasted production trend will be driven by a gentle incremental rise in annual area as the annual yield level year-in-year-out plummeted. The decrease in the forecasted annual yield levels will be as a result of non-productive income and not technology, because farmers are at the mercy of the Licensed Buyers (LBs) who exploit them given that they used collusive effect other than allow the market forces to determine the prevailing market price as they serve as the major link to the importing markets. Therefore, the study recommends that the farmers should constitute themselves into viable co-operative organizations in order to venture into export marketing so that they can take advantage of their bargaining power.
Nondirective Counseling: Theory and Practice

This chapter begins with a discussion of correctional rehabilitation and the programs/techniques that have been shown to reduce recidivism. Next, we describe the goals and purposes of correctional counseling, as well as the similarities and differences between interviewing and counseling. We then provide a brief discussion of the three core counseling theories included in this book: psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, and humanistic. The remainder of the chapter focuses on two of the major nondirective counseling methods used today. The section on psychotherapy describes the psychosexual stages, defense mechanisms, and lessons regarding the usefulness (or lack thereof) of using psychotherapy in correctional settings. The section on client-centered counseling discusses the major tenets of the approach (unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathy) and provides examples of empathetic responses. The chapter ends with a discussion on Motivational Interviewing, an extension of the client-centered approach that is commonly used in corrections today.
Resonant Forcing of Chaotic Dynamics

We study resonances of multidimensional chaotic map dynamics. We use the calculus of variations to determine the additive forcing function that induces the largest response, that is, the greatest deviation from the unperturbed dynamics. We include the additional constraint that only select degrees of freedom be forced, corresponding to a very general class of problems in which not all of the degrees of freedom in an experimental system are accessible to forcing. We find that certain Lagrange multipliers take on a fundamental physical role as the efficiency of the forcing function and the effective forcing experienced by the degrees of freedom which are not forced directly. Furthermore, we find that the product of the displacement of nearby trajectories and the effective total forcing function is a conserved quantity. We demonstrate the efficacy of this methodology with several examples.
Semantic Consciousness and Inhabiting a Languacultural Community: A Sociocultural Approach

Vygotsky’s final ambition (see Veresov and Moc 2018) was to transform his previous work into a dynamic, interfunctional perspective of personhood centered on consciousness. What he was able to accomplish before his untimely demise focused primarily on the unity of cognition and affect. Human consciousness, as considered from the perspective of sociogenesis, necessarily involves how people come to inhabit the ecosocial world around them, moving from the social to the psychological. For Vygotsky, language is transformed in this process, becoming primarily semantic in inner speech, and together with perezhivanie , or how a person experiences an event/environment (interpretence), mediates consciousness. How we come to inhabit a language, culture, languaculture, or extemporaneous community, whether consisting of speakers of many languages or just one, necessarily involves our associations with language and experience at the intrapersonal level in formulating shared levels of interpretence interpersonally as well.
Magnetic Forces Enable Control of Biological Processes In Vivo

Similar to mechanical forces that can induce profound biological effects, magnetic fields can have a broad range of implications to biological systems, from magnetoreception that allows an organism to detect a magnetic field to perceive direction, altitude, or location, to the use of heating induced by magnetic field for altering neuron activity. This review focuses on the application of magnetic forces generated by magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs), which can also provide imaging contrast and mechanical/thermal energy in response to an external magnetic field, a special feature that distinguishes MIONs from other nanomaterials. The magnetic properties of MIONs offer unique opportunities for enabling control of biological processes under different magnetic fields. Here, we describe the approaches of utilizing the forces generated by MIONs under an applied magnetic field to control biological processes and functions, including the targeting of drug molecules to a specific tissue, increasing the vessel permeability for improving drug delivery, and activating a particular viral vector for spatial control of genome editing in vivo. The opportunities of using nanomagnets for a broad range of biomedical applications are briefly discussed.
Emergency Department Asthma "Spacing Trials": Institutional Variability and Time Cost.

Abstract Background Some admitting physicians request a medication-free interval (“spacing trial”) in the emergency department (ED) to determine whether a patient with an acute exacerbation of asthma can be safely admitted to a hospital ward bed, where bronchodilators are only available every 4 h. Objective Our objectives were to estimate the frequency of ED spacing trials in different hospitals and their associated time cost. Methods This multicenter retrospective cohort study examined patients admitted for asthma from 2015 to 2018. We included all university records and a random sample of records from two community hospitals in the same urban area. Two team members abstracted data from each record using recommended methods, with group consensus to resolve differences. Proportion confidence intervals were calculated using normal binomial approximation. We calculated mean differences in ED stay associated with spacing trials, using multivariable linear regression to adjust for age, hospital type, history of intubation, initial pulse, initial respiratory rate, initial signs of distress. Results We collected data from 274 patients in the university hospital, and 71 and 70 cases from the community hospitals. An explicit spacing trial was noted in 52 of 274 (19%) university hospital records vs. 3 of 141 (2%) community hospital records, with a difference of 17% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11–23%). Delayed patient decompensation occurred in 3%, with no difference between hospitals. Spacing trials were associated with an adjusted mean of 159 min (95% CI 102–217 min) increase in ED stay. Conclusions The practice of spacing varies widely between hospitals and is associated with substantial delay without an apparent benefit.
Greater preferences for death in hospital and mechanical ventilation at the end of life among non-whites recently diagnosed with cancer

Non-white cancer patients receive more aggressive care at the end-of-life (EOL). This may indicate low quality EOL care if discordant with patient preferences. We investigated preferred potential place of death and preferences regarding use of mechanical ventilation in a cohort of Texas cancer patients. A population-based convenience sample of recently diagnosed cancer patients from the Texas Cancer Registry was surveyed using a multi-scale inventory between March 2018 and June 2020. Item responses to questions about preferences regarding location of death and mechanical ventilation were the outcome measures of this investigation. Inverse probability weighting analysis was used to construct multivariable logistic regression examining the associations of covariates. Of the 1460 respondents, a majority (82%) preferred to die at home compared to 8% who preferred dying at the hospital. In total, 25% of respondents expressed a preference for undergoing mechanical ventilation at the EOL. Adjusted analysis showed increased preference among Black (OR = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.19–2.73) and other non-white, non-Hispanic race individuals (OR = 3.53; 95% CI: 1.99–6.27) for dying at a hospital. Males, married individuals, those of higher education and poor self-reported health showed significantly higher preference for dying at home. Non-white respondents of all races were more likely to prefer mechanical ventilation at the EOL as were individuals who lived with another person at home. Non-white cancer patients were more likely to express preferences coinciding with aggressive EOL care including dying at the hospital and utilizing mechanical ventilation. These findings were independent of other sociodemographic characteristics, including decisional self-efficacy.
Coordination of iron homeostasis by bone morphogenetic proteins: Current understanding and unanswered questions.

Iron homeostasis is tightly regulated to balance the iron requirement for erythropoiesis and other vital cellular functions, while preventing cellular injury from iron excess. The liver hormone hepcidin is the master regulator of systemic iron balance by controlling the degradation and function of the sole known mammalian iron exporter ferroportin. Liver hepcidin expression is coordinately regulated by several signals that indicate the need for more or less iron, including plasma and tissue iron levels, inflammation, and erythropoietic drive. Most of these signals regulate hepcidin expression by modulating the activity of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-SMAD pathway, which controls hepcidin transcription. Genetic disorders of iron overload and iron deficiency have identified several hepatocyte membrane proteins that play a critical role in mediating the BMP-SMAD and hepcidin regulatory response to iron. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which serum and tissue iron levels are sensed to regulate BMP ligand production and promote the physical and/or functional interaction of these proteins to modulate SMAD signaling and hepcidin expression remain uncertain. This critical commentary will focus on the current understanding and key unanswered questions regarding how the liver senses iron levels to regulate BMP-SMAD signaling and thereby hepcidin expression to control systemic iron homeostasis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
“We Spray So We Can Live”: Agrochemical Kinship, Mystery Kidney Disease, and Struggles for Health in Dry Zone Sri Lanka

In March 2015, Sri Lanka’s then-President Maithripala Sirisena launched the Toxic Free Nation Movement as a long-term solution to a mysterious form of kidney disease (CKDu) now endemic in the islan...
Somatosensory Evoked Potential Model for Assessment of Nerve Regeneration

Electrophysiological studies are commonly used to evaluate nerve regeneration following repair or to simply determine the functional integrity of peripheral nerve and central neural structures in large animal models. Most often used large animals for nerve repair studies include cats, dogs, primates, gouts, and sheep. The vast majority of authors use electrophysiological methods to assess nerve regeneration including maximal nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and somatosensory evoked potential (SEPs), both spinal and cortical recorded. This chapter outlines a method to measure NCV and cortical SEPs in a sheep following median nerve stimulation. In addition, special anesthetic considerations, animal preparation, and common pitfalls that may be encounter during measurements are described.
NASA Lunar Surface Habitat and Remote Exploration Demonstration Project

The Human Exploration Demonstration Project (HEDP) conducted by the NASA Ames Research Center to develop technological integration and demonstration capabilities for lunar and Mars space missions is described. The development of safe, effective, and reliable systems requires that independently engineered subsystems be fully integrated and tested under realistic conditions. The primary objective of the HEDP is demonstration of various aspects of human exploration and habitation on extraterrestrial surfaces. Some of the technologies to be demonstrated are also applicable to unmanned precursor mission functions. It is concluded that the HEDP will provide a unique opportunity to address a broad spectrum of advanced mission operations by bridging between the early requirements for robotic systems with control at earth-based workstations.
Enhancement of aerodynamics and flight dynamics instruction with interactive computer visualizations

Desktop Macintosh computers with multimedia capabilities have been incorporated into the aerospace engineering curriculum-in particular, in the laboratory and core courses on aerodynamics and flight dynamics. Through interactive simulation, visual presentation, and image and motion analysis techniques at different levels of complexity, the enhancement of classroom materials has been achieved to further students' understanding of the underlying principles.
Endurance limits of MLC NAND flash

An extensive effort is being undertaken by the flash community to develop signal processing and error-correction coding schemes that make use of soft information. Using experimental data from a state-of-the-art MLC flash device we demonstrate that the theoretical endurance improvement that such schemes can bring is limited. To investigate further, we develop a parametric channel model that takes into account the effects of cell-to-cell interference and demonstrate that it is the presence of programming errors in the channel that restricts the potential endurance enhancement that soft information can offer.
Consultation-Based Academic Intervention for Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: School Functioning Outcomes

This study evaluated the effectiveness of two consultation-based models for designing academic interventions to enhance the educational functioning of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children (N 167) meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (4th ed.—text revision; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were ran- domly assigned to one of two consultation groups: intensive data-based academic intervention (interventions designed using a data-based decision-making model that involved ongoing feedback to teachers) and traditional data-based academic intervention (interventions designed based on consultant-teacher collaboration, representing "consultation as usual"). Teachers implemented academic interven- tions over 15 months. Academic outcomes (e.g., curriculum-based assessment, report card grade, and individual goal attainment) were assessed on four occasions (baseline, 3 months, 12 months, and 15 months). Hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated significant positive growth for 9 of the 10 dependent variables; however, trajectories did not differ significantly across consultation groups. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
The Joint Effect Of Task Characteristics And Organizational Context On Job Performance: A Test Using SEM

Prior research document significant relationships between task characteristics and employee affective outcomes. However, there have been difficulties with implementing the findings of this task characteristics research in real life due to the absence of organizational context variables in these studies. The argument has been made that effective job design should emphasize task design (task characteristics) that is in congruence with surrounding organizational context and subsystems. The current study proposes an integrated task context model and then tests a subset of the model using organizational inflexibility and perceived environmental uncertainty to proxy for organizational context. The results of structural equation modeling confirm the existence of a joint effect of task characteristics and perceived environmental uncertainty on job performance among public accountants.
Spark production by abrasion of titanium alloys in golf club heads

Summary The objective of the present study was to determine whether golf clubs that have titanium (Ti) alloy surfaces can produce sparks when abraded under normal swing conditions. In the present work, sparks are defined as moving particles that emit radiant energy due to the process of combustion on its surface. Two three-irons and a three-wood containing a Ti alloy in the head as well as two three-irons and a three-wood that only contain stainless steel in the head were included in the study. The impact events during abrasion testing were recorded using a high-speed video camera, and abrasion damage was determined using stereometric analysis of scanning electron microscopy images. The findings reveal that Ti alloy faceplates that extend to the sole of the club can produce a number of Ti alloy particles when abraded under swing conditions. The particles then combust for a sufficient duration to potentially ignite a neighboring fuel source such as dry foliage and grasses. Abraded Ti alloy microparticles up to 500 µm in diameter were observed to burn for nearly 1 s, allowing ample time for fuel ignition. By contrast, no sparks were produced by stainless steel club heads when tested under the same conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Color-flavor locked phase of high density QCD at nonzero strange quark mass

We compute free energy of quark matter at asymptotically high baryon number density in the presence of non zero strange quark mass including dynamics of pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons due to chiral symmetry breaking, extending previously existing analysis based on perturbative expansion in $m_s^2/4\mu\Delta.$ We demonstrate that the CFL$K^0$ state has lower free energy than the symmetric CFL state for $0<m_s^2/4\mu\Delta<2/3$. We also calculate the spectrum of the fermionic quasiparticle excitations about the kaon condensed ground state in the regime $m_s^2/4\mu\Delta \sim 1$ and find that $(m_s^2/4\mu\Delta)_{crit}=2/3$ for the CFL-gCFL phase transition, the leading order result reported in [1], is not modified.
Tradeoffs among watershed model calibration targets for parameter estimation

[1] Hydrologic models are commonly calibrated by optimizing a single objective function target to compare simulated and observed flows, although individual targets are influenced by specific flow modes. Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) emphasizes flood peaks in evaluating simulation fit, while modified Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (MNS) emphasizes lower flows, and the ratio of the simulated to observed standard deviations (RSD) prioritizes flow variability. We investigated tradeoffs of calibrating streamflow on three standard objective functions (NSE, MNS, and RSD), as well as a multiobjective function aggregating these three targets to simultaneously address a range of flow conditions, for calibration of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) daily streamflow simulations in two watersheds. A suite of objective functions was explored to select a minimally redundant set of metrics addressing a range of flow characteristics. After each pass of 2001 simulations, an iterative informal likelihood procedure was used to subset parameter ranges. The ranges from each best-fit simulation set were used for model validation. Values for optimized parameters vary among calibrations using different objective functions, which underscores the importance of linking modeling objectives to calibration target selection. The simulation set approach yielded validated models of similar quality as seen with a single best-fit parameter set, with the added benefit of uncertainty estimations. Our approach represents a novel compromise between equifinality-based approaches and Pareto optimization. Combining the simulation set approach with the multiobjective function was demonstrated to be a practicable and flexible approach for model calibration, which can be readily modified to suit modeling goals, and is not model or location specific.
Powerful Learners and Critical Agents: The Goals of Five Urban Caribbean Youth in a Conceptual Physics Classroom.

Youth from low-income, minority backgrounds have often been marginalized from introductory courses, advanced study and careers in physics. Cultivating student agency may have the potential to improve access for diverse groups of learners. However, the implications of this lens for student learning have been minimally examined in the physics education literature. In this ethnographic study situated in a ninth-grade conceptual physics classroom, I discuss students' critical goals—the intentions, motivations, and desires for change that youth held. These critical goals were related to learning, voice, and participation in relationships and the world. I also describe how student goals demonstrate the idea of “critical subject-matter agency” in physics: students positioning themselves as powerful learners envisioning subject knowledge as a tool for change in their own lives and world. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed92:252–277, 2008
B-Raf Is Critical For MAPK Activation during Mitosis and Is Regulated in an M Phase-dependent Manner in Xenopus Egg Extracts

Activation of the MAPK cascade during mitosis is critical for spindle assembly and normal mitotic progression. The underlying regulatory mechanisms that control activation of the MEK/MAPK cascade during mitosis are poorly understood. Here we purified and characterized the MEK kinase activity present in Xenopus M phase-arrested egg extracts. Our results show that B-Raf was the critical MEK kinase required for M phase activation of the MAPK pathway. Consistent with this, B-Raf was activated and underwent hyperphosphorylation in an M phase-dependent manner. Interestingly B-Raf hyperphosphorylation at mitosis occurred, at least in part, as a consequence of a feedback loop involving MAPK-mediated phosphorylation within a conserved C-terminal SPKTP motif. The kinase activity of a B-Raf mutant defective at both phosphorylation sites was substantially greater than its wild type counterpart when incubated in Xenopus M phase egg extracts. Furthermore suppression of MAPK feedback at mitosis enhanced B-Raf activity, whereas constitutive activation of MAPK at mitosis strongly suppressed B-Raf activity. These results suggest that feedback phosphorylation by MAPK negatively regulates B-Raf activity at mitosis. Collectively our data demonstrate for the first time a role for B-Raf at mitosis and provide new insight into understanding the regulation and function of B-Raf during cell proliferation.
Developing an Instrument for Measuring Attitudes toward and Perceptions of Workplace Diversity: An Initial Report.

Despite the wealth of information on the ‘how-to’s’ of workplace diversity, relatively little attention has been paid to developing measures of workplace diversity itself. In this article we present the results of a three-year investigation. A multidimensional framework for conceptualising perceptions of and attitudes towards workplace diversity was constructed, an instrument was developed to measure them, and the instrument was administered in three research settings. Initial results suggest that it offers a valid, useful assessment of diversity attitudes and perceptions. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.
Is Retroperitoneal Histology Predictive of Liver Histology at Concurrent Post-Chemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection and Hepatic Resection?

Purpose: We identified factors predicting liver histology in patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumor undergoing concurrent post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and liver resection.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the Indiana University testis cancer database to identify all patients with nonseminomatous germ cell tumor and liver metastasis who underwent post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and liver resection between 1976 and 2006.Results: A total of 59 patients met study inclusion criteria. Necrosis, teratoma and cancer were identified in 31%, 46% and 24% of retroperitoneal specimens, and in 73%, 17% and 10% of liver specimens, respectively. Concordance between retroperitoneal and liver histology was 49% overall, including 94% for necrosis, 26% for teratoma and 36% for cancer. Liver necrosis alone was found in 94%, 70% and 50% of patients with retroperitoneal necrosis, teratoma and cancer, respectively.Conclusions: The overall rate of histological discordance...
The Pickwickian Syndrome—Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome

Obesity-hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), also historically described as the Pickwickian syndrome, consists of the triad of obesity, sleep disordered breathing, and chronic hypercapnia during wakefulness in the absence of other known causes of hypercapnia. Its exact prevalence is unknown, but it has been estimated that 10% to 20% of obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea have hypercapnia. OHS often remains undiagnosed until late in the course of the disease. Early recognition is important because these patients have significant morbidity and mortality. Effective treatment can lead to significant improvement in patient outcomes, underscoring the importance of early diagnosis. The authors review the definition and epidemiology of OHS, in addition to the current multifaceted understanding of the pathophysiology, and provide useful clinical approaches to diagnosis and treatment.