cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Although the majority of thyroid cancer patients presenting to our surgical endocrinology clinics present with resectable and often curable disease, patients may rarely present with a history and physical findings suggestive of an anaplastic thyroid cancer. The endocrine surgeon should recognize, diagnose, and treat this patient urgently and promptly. The clinical course and findings from two patients who presented to our endocrine surgery clinic recently are summarized below from the patients’ clinical notes.
Enalapril over 5 years reduced albuminuria and deterioration in renal function in normotensive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and microalbuminuria

Source Citation Ravid M, Savin H, Jutrin I, et al. Long-term stabilizing effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on plasma creatinine and on proteinuria in normotensive type II diabetic ...
Community Governance: Archetype for Transmuting Insurgency into Peacebuilding in Nepal

This paper analyses the capacity of community governance, a community possessed archetype that contributed to transmute the insurgency into peacebuilding process in Nepal. Ten focus group discussions and 45 in-depth interviews were employed to collect the empirical information at 5 VDCs of Dang district Nepal. Result indicates the active engagement of communities at the grassroots’ level explores a new discourse via local self-governing system to shift the insurgency towards peacebuilding process. Overall practice of governance to reinforce the peace process at the community level was efficient. A number of factors have been causing for convergence of community governance. First, communities as peacebuilding actors at the grassroots level create a new network and partnership structure. Second, they play a significant role in addressing inequality, isolation and poverty. Third, they foster awareness creation, democratic exercise, and governance practice. Fourth, they facilitate efficient mobilisation of local resources. Finally, they focus on giving ‘voice to the voiceless’ and clout to the powerless. Following the discussion of results, this study proposes some recommendations regarding the operations of a sound peace process at the grassroots’ level through community governance.
Electroshock Induced Seizures in Adult C. elegans

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a useful model organism for dissecting molecular mechanisms of neurological diseases. While hermaphrodite C. elegans contains only 302 neurons, the conserved homologous neurotransmitters, simpler neuronal circuitry, and fully mapped connectome make it an appealing model system for neurological research. Here we developed an assay to induce an electroconvulsive seizure in C. elegans which can be used as a behavioral method of analyzing potential anti-epileptic therapeutics and novel genes involved in seizure susceptibility. In this assay, worms are suspended in an aqueous solution as current is passed through the liquid. At the onset of the shock, worms will briefly paralyze and twitch, and shortly after regain normal sinusoidal locomotion. The time to locomotor recovery is used as a metric of recovery from a seizure which can be reduced or extended by incorporating drugs that alter neuronal and muscular excitability.
Imaging Tunneling Membrane Tubes Elucidates Cell Communication in Tumors

Intercellular communication is a vital yet underdeveloped aspect of cancer pathobiology. This Opinion article reviews the importance and challenges of microscopic imaging of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) in the complex tumor microenvironment. The use of advanced microscopy to characterize TNTs in vitro and ex vivo, and related extensions called tumor microtubes (TMs) reported in gliomas in vivo, has propelled this field forward. This topic is important because the identification of TNTs and TMs fills the gap in our knowledge of how cancer cells communicate at long range in vivo, inducing intratumor heterogeneity and resistance to treatment. Here we discuss the concept that TNTs/TMs fill an important niche in the ever-changing microenvironment and the role of advanced microscopic imaging to elucidate that niche.
2016 Updates to the WHO Brain Tumor Classification System: What the Radiologist Needs to Know

Radiologists play a key role in brain tumor diagnosis and management and must stay abreast of developments in the field to advance patient care and communicate with other health care providers. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an update to its brain tumor classification system that included numerous significant changes. Several previously recognized brain tumor diagnoses, such as oligoastrocytoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, and gliomatosis cerebri, were redefined or eliminated altogether. Conversely, multiple new entities were recognized, including diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor and multinodular and vacuolating tumor of the cerebrum. The glioma category has been significantly reorganized, with several infiltrating gliomas in children and adults now defined by genetic features for the first time. These changes were driven by increased understanding of important genetic factors that directly impact tumorigenesis and influence patient care. The increased emphasis on genetic factors in brain tumor diagnosis has important implications for radiology, as we now have tools that allow us to evaluate some of these alterations directly, such as the identification of 2-hydroxyglutarate within infiltrating gliomas harboring mutations in the genes for the isocitrate dehydrogenases. For other tumors, such as medulloblastoma, imaging can demonstrate characteristic patterns that correlate with particular disease subtypes. The purpose of this article is to review the changes to the WHO brain tumor classification system that are most pertinent to radiologists. ©RSNA, 2017.
Optically thin core accretion: how planets get their gas in nearly gas-free discs

Models of core accretion assume that in the radiative zones of accreting gas envelopes, radiation diffuses. But super-Earths/sub-Neptunes (1-4$R_\oplus$, 2-20$M_\oplus$) point to formation conditions that are optically thin: their modest gas masses are accreted from short-lived and gas-poor nebulae reminiscent of the transparent cavities of transitional disks. Planetary atmospheres born in such environments can be optically thin to both incident starlight and internally generated thermal radiation. We construct time-dependent models of such atmospheres, showing that super-Earths/sub-Neptunes can accrete their $\sim$1%-by-mass gas envelopes, and super-puffs/sub-Saturns their $\sim$20%-by-mass envelopes, over a wide range of nebular depletion histories requiring no fine tuning. Although nascent atmospheres can exhibit stratospheric temperature inversions effected by atomic Fe and various oxides that absorb strongly at visible wavelengths, the rate of gas accretion remains controlled by the radiative-convective boundary (rcb) at much greater pressures. For dusty envelopes, the temperature at the rcb $T_{\rm rcb} \simeq 2500$ K is still set by ${\rm H}_2$ dissociation; for dust-depleted envelopes, $T_{\rm rcb}$ tracks the temperature of the visible or thermal photosphere, whichever is deeper, out to at least $\sim$5 AU. The rate of envelope growth remains largely unchanged between the old radiative diffusion models and the new optically thin models, reinforcing how robustly super-Earths form as part of the endgame chapter in disk evolution.
Clinical Implications of Candida Biofilms

In this review, we will assess what is currently known about Candida biofilms, its epidemiology and impact on clinical practice, and the biology underlying biofilm-related antifungal drug resistance. We also review potential antifungal lock therapies and discuss what avenues are available for future discoveries for the prevention and eradication of fungal biofilms. There is a multitude of in vitro tests of agents against Candida biofilms, but many of these studies have not demonstrated their utility against other Candida species and/or their efficacy in in vivo systems. This makes it particularly difficult to translate these findings for use in the clinical setting. Research has helped us to understand the complexity of biofilms and its inherent antifungal resistance. The extracellular matrix remains a significant barrier for most antifungal therapy, and thus it stands to reason that agents directed at disrupting this protective barrier could be useful in antifungal lock therapies.
A Case for Promoting the Word Processing/Data Processing Concept in Collegiate Schools of Business

(1981). A Case for Promoting the Word Processing/Data Processing Concept in Collegiate Schools of Business. The Journal of Data Education: Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 11-14.
Identifying spurious modes in RF-MEMS resonators using photoelastic imaging

This paper reports the first use of dynamic photoelastic imaging for identifying in-plane vibration modes in high-frequency MEMS resonators. In a set of width-extensional mode resonators (WE-BARs), we map fundamental width-extensional modes ω (01) and unwanted higher-order spurious length-extensional modes ω (i, 0) . In addition, we detect unexpected spurious modes ‘ω χ ’ for all designs that are potentially detrimental due to their proximity to w (0,1) . We show the dependence of both intended modes and spurious modes on aspect ratio and discuss methods of mitigation for the latter. It is shown that the photoelastic technique is broadly applicable to high-resolution mapping and identification of vibration modes in MEMS resonators.
1601a Overview –update of potential hazards of engineered nanomaterials

There is a growing body of literature examining potential hazards of engineered nanomaterials. This session will take stock of some of that literature and in particular, consider High Aspect Ratio Nanomaterials (HARNs) and more specifically carbon nanotubes. The first part of the session will address the oxidative/stress effects of various metallic nanoparticles. This will be followed by a discussion of a Horizon 2020 project known as BIORIMA. BIORIMA is a multinational collaboration to assess hazards of nano biomaterials and develop appropriate risk management tools. The remaining presentations will focus on a range of issues related to HARNs. These include assessing the similarities between carbon nanotubes (CNT) and asbestos, the identification of molecular initiating events of CNT in biological systems, the role of fibre rigidity in toxicity, mechanisms of CNT-induced inflammation, dustiness as a risk group strategy, the state of knowledge on occupational exposures, and risk management. Clearly there are many types of CNT in commerce and it is difficult to characterise the hazard with a single description. These sessions will help to identify the many factors that need to be considered.
Optimally Grouped Deep Features Using Normalized Cost for Video Scene Detection

Video scene detection is the task of temporally dividing a video into its semantic sections. This is an important preliminary step for effective analysis of heterogeneous video content. We present a unique formulation of this task as a generic optimization problem with a novel normalized cost function, aimed at optimal grouping of consecutive shots into scenes. The mathematical properties of the proposed normalized cost function enable robust scene detection, also in challenging real-world scenarios. We present a novel dynamic programming formulation for efficiently optimizing the proposed cost function despite an inherent dependency between subproblems. We use deep neural network models for visual and audio analysis to encode the semantic elements in the video scene, enabling effective and more accurate video scene detection. The proposed method has two key advantages compared to other approaches: it inherently provides a temporally consistent division of the video into scenes, and is also parameter-free, eliminating the need for fine-tuning for different types of content. While our method can adaptively estimate the number of scenes from the video content, we also present a new non-greedy procedure for creating a hierarchical consensus-based division tree spanning multiple levels of granularity. We provide comprehensive experimental results showing the benefits of the normalized cost function, and demonstrating that the proposed method outperforms the current state of the art in video scene detection.
Multicolor Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization with Centromeric DNA Probes as a New Approach to Distinguish Chromosome Breakage from Aneuploidy in Interphase Cells and Micronuclei

Chromosomal abnormalities are believed to contribute significantly to human reproductive failure, carcinogenesis and other pathophysiological conditions (Hecht and Hecht, 1987; De Braekeleer and Dao, 1991). For example, approximately 15% of recognized pregnancies terminate in spontaneous abortion, and of these, approximately 30% have been shown to be chromosomally abnormal (Hook, 1985). The contribution of chromosomal abnormalities to early embryonic and fetal death appears to decrease with gestational age, suggesting that as many as 67% of the aborted embryos in early embryonic deaths are chromosomally abnormal (Hook, 1985). Furthermore, clinically significant chromosomal abnormalities can also be found to be present in approximately 0.58 to 0.67% of live births (Hook, 1985; Brusick, 1987). These figures indicate that within a given year, hundreds of thousands of chromosomally abnormal babies will be born throughout the world and additional millions of chromosomally abnormal embryos will have been spontaneously aborted.
Sensing DNA Damage: a Role for Chromosome Communication in Aneuploidy Induction

Mitotic cells of all organisms examined exhibit the capability for recombination based on the physical or genetic detection of exchange or the isolation of enzymes involved in recombination such as strand exchange protein. However, evidence demonstrating interactions between chromosomes is generally lacking except with smaller eukaryotes. In humans there are abundant examples of homozygosis for disease genes, particularly tumor suppressors, thereby demonstrating the relevance of interchromosomal interactions. The appearance in Bloom’s syndrome of symmetrical quadriradials between the sister chromatids in homologous chromosomes (Chaganti, Schonberg & German, 1974) further implies that interchromosomal exchange can occur in mitotic cells of humans.
Algebraic Techniques for Numerical Solution of Queueing Networks

Equilibrium behavior of nonseparable Markovian networks is, to a presently limited extent, susceptable to rapid, precise numerical calculuation. At issue in extending the application of numerical techniques is the exploitation of algebraic structure in the equilibrium equations of the network. Such structure is usually inherent in the network character of the original problem.
Practical Recommendations for Supporting Medical Students and Faculty in Learning about Family Violence.

Family violence is an integral component of medical education and material on this topic should be spread among many courses throughout the 4 years of medical school. Medical faculty in the US are just beginning to recognize the complexities of teaching about family violence and the need for medical students to deal effectively with their own attitudes feelings and reactions toward abuse victims. Without adequate preparation and supervision the stress of caring for abused patients can lead to countertransference compassion fatigue burnout denial and projection. Students with a personal background of exposure to family violence are especially in need of support. This paper presents 10 recommendations for family violence curriculum developers: 1) provide orientation to difficult issues in medicine including physician impairment; 2) expose students to community and clinical experiences; 3) observe students interviewing abuse survivors; 4) legitimize all personal reactions to work in this area; 5) make available personal support consultation and treatment; 6) develop faculty discussion and support groups; 7) communicate a sense of urgency about the importance of family violence education; 8) provide a multimedia resource library for faculty and student use; 9) promote student and faculty scholars through attendance at local and national conferences; and 10) include family violence questions on board examinations.
Effects of temperature on larval American lobster (Homarus americanus): Is there a trade-off between growth rate and developmental stability?

Abstract The American lobster supports the most economically valuable fishery in the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Canada. Across much of its range, ocean temperatures have increased at rates faster than almost anywhere in the world. Studies of warming effects on larvae have largely focused on survival and development, but rarely have examined sub-lethal effects that could influence settlement and subsequent recruitment to the fishery. We explored how warming influences rate of development, survival, stress, and developmental stability of larval lobsters reared under four nominal temperatures: 14, 16, 18, and 22 °C. Our study is the first to evaluate the use of fluctuating asymmetry as a biomarker for developmental instability in larval American lobster. We also recorded total hemocyte counts in postlarvae as an indicator of stress, a novel technique for work in larval lobster. Development proceeded significantly faster as temperature increased, and cumulative survival was significantly positively correlated with temperature. However, postlarvae reared under temperature extremes exhibited elevated hemocyte counts and had significantly lower levels of variance in midline asymmetry compared to intermediate temperature groups. Together, this suggests that warmer temperatures may facilitate faster growth at the expense of increased physiological stress and a loss of genetic diversity, potentially affecting the species’ ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Fluctuating asymmetry could prove to be a useful bioindicator for population resilience.
Longitudinal Measurements of Resting Energy Expenditure by Indirect Calorimetry in Healthy Term Infants during the First 2 Months of Life.

Objective To determine longitudinal measurements of resting energy expenditure (REE) by indirect calorimetry (IC) in healthy term infants during the first 2 months of life. Study Design An outpatient prospective pilot study was performed in healthy term infants to estimate REE by measuring expired gas fractions of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) with IC in a respiratory and metabolic steady state. Results A total of 30 measurements were performed. Fourteen subjects completed measurements at both 1 and 2 months of life, and two subjects had only measurements made at 1 month of life. Mean REE values were 64.1 ± 12.7 and 58.4 ± 14.3 kcal/kg/d at 1 and 2 months of age, respectively. Mean O2 consumption and CO2 production measurements were 9.3 ± 2.0 and 7.7 ± 1.2 mL/kg/min and 8.1 ± 2.2 and 6.4 ± 1.1 mL/kg/min at 1 and 2 months of age, respectively. Conclusion This pilot study demonstrates longitudinal measurements of REE by IC in healthy term infants during the first 2 months of life. We also demonstrate that, overall, there is consistency in REE values in this population, with a likely decrease in individual longitudinal measurements over the first 2 months of life.
Are Gluten-Free Diets More Nutritious? An Evaluation of Self-Selected and Recommended Gluten-Free and Gluten-Containing Dietary Patterns

Gluten-free (GF) eating patterns are frequently perceived to be healthier than gluten-containing (GC) ones, but there has been very little research to evaluate this viewpoint. The effect of GF eating patterns on dietary composition was assessed using two independent approaches. One approach compared macronutrients and typical shortfall nutrients between MyPlate example menus developed with either GC or equivalent GF foods. In this analysis, the GF menus were significantly lower in protein, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, folate, and sodium (p = 0.002–0.03), with suggestive trends towards lower calcium and higher fat (p = 0.06–0.08). The second approach was a meta-analysis of seven studies comparing information on the nutrient intakes of adults with celiac disease following a GF diet with control subjects eating a GC diet, and differences were evaluated using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon Signed rank tests. In this analysis, consuming a GF diet was associated with higher energy and fat intakes, and lower fiber and folate intakes compared to controls (p < 0.001 to p = 0.03). After adjusting for heterogeneity and accounting for the large mean effect size (−0.88 ± 0.09), the lower fiber remained significant (p < 0.001). These combined analyses indicate that GF diets are not nutritionally superior except for sodium, and in several respects are actually worse.
Bacteria and Viruses: The Bogeymen in the Intensive Care Unit

This article covers the frequently encountered bacteria and viruses in the ICU. It focuses on recognition, management, and prevention. Emerging and difficult-to-treat organisms are covered in detail.
Fabrication of polymeric lenses using magnetic liquid molds

Traditional molding and casting processes in optical manufacturing require sophisticated and expensive molds and molding equipment. In this work, magnetic liquid droplets were used as soft and deformable molds. The magnetic drop within an immiscible polymeric resin forms a conical shape at the interface due to the equilibrium of magnetostatic force and surface tension, which results in a plano–concave lens after curing. An apparatus was assembled to control the amplitude and gradient of the magnetic field. A Shack-Hartmann sensor was employed to measure the focal length of the formed polydimethylsiloxane lenses. The effects of magnetic field intensity, gradient of the magnetic field, and magnetic susceptibility were investigated. This technique is low cost, rapid, and straightforward and can be used for forming lenses with different sizes and shapes.
Orthogonal cutting of alloy steel 4340 with micro-grooved cutting tools

Abstract This paper presents orthogonal cutting experiments on the effects of micro-textured/ micro-grooved tungsten carbide cutting tools on cutting forces, friction coefficient, and tool wear in dry cutting of alloy steel AISI 4340. Micro-groove patterns perpendicular to the cutting edge are fabricated with micro-electrical discharge machining (µ-EDM) along the rake faces of the tungsten carbide inserts with varying micro-texture pattern parameters including micro-groove width (50 µm, 100 µm), micro-groove depth (10 µm, 20 µm, 30 µm), and spacing between micro-grooves ranging between 50 µm and 200 µm. The inserts are used in orthogonal cutting configuration of turning thin webs in steel alloy 4340. The experiments include measuring cutting forces and tool wear along the rake face. The effects of cutting speed and feed rate are reported. The results reveal certain influences of micro-groove parameters on specific cutting forces, friction along tool-chip contact, and tool wear.
Smart Structures Research in the U. S.

Fundamental research and development in smart structures and materials have shown great potential for enhancing the functionality, serviceability and increased life span of our civil and mechanical infrastructure systems and as a result, could contribute significantly to the improvement of every nation’s productivity and quality of life. The intelligent renewal of aging and deteriorating civil and mechanical infrastructure systems includes efficient and innovative use of high performance sensors, actuators, materials, mechanical and structural systems. In this paper some examples of NSF funded projects and research needs as well as a new initiative on Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence are presented.
Disparity in Transplant Referral Patterns for Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Based on Physician-Dependent Variables.

Abstract Introduction Distance from a liver transplant (LT) center does not affect post-transplant outcomes. Rural areas have lower rates of listing and receiving solid organ transplants. The aim of this study was to investigate trends in referral for LT based on physician-dependent variables. Methods An online survey was distributed to a cohort of physicians. Questions pertained to physician demographics, including age, specialty, practice location, and training at an LT center. Distances to the nearest transplant center was calculated based on zip code. Variables studied included length of sobriety, patient age, and body mass index required for transplant evaluation. Responses were analyzed using univariate ordinal logistic regression models and multivariable analyses. Results In the study, 299 physician respondents were analyzed. Physicians without LT center training were 2.05 (confidence interval [CI] 1.33-3.17) times more likely to require longer duration of sobriety. As distance increased from a transplant center, the odds of requiring longer sobriety increased by 1.43 (CI 1.11-1.83) times. Gastroenterologists (GIs) and transplant hepatologists (THs) showed significant differences in referral candidacy for patients with alcohol-related liver disease (P Discussion Our study demonstrates that physician-dependent variables exist in referral for transplant evaluation. GIs and THs were more likely to refer higher-risk patients, which suggests a disparity in referral of patients with alcohol-related liver disease to transplantation depending on access to subspecialty care.
A 77.1-dB 6.25-MHz-BW Pipeline SAR ADC with Enhanced Interstage Gain Error Shaping and Quantization Error Shaping

This paper presents an enhanced interstage gain error shaping technique that adopts a digital error feedback technique to extend the interstage gain error tolerance by 5 times. This paper also proposes a passive quantization error shaping technique that reduces the ratio of the two-input-pair comparator by 2.7 times. A prototype equipped with the proposed techniques is implemented in 40nm CMOS. It achieves a SNDR of 77.1 dB over 6.25-MHz bandwidth while operating at 100 MS/s and consuming 1.38 mW. It achieves 173.7 dB Schreier FoM.
Predicting Sheet Anisotropy from the Fracture Angle of Tension Specimens

Fracture angles and plastic strain ratios (r values) for aluminum alloys 2036-T4, 3004-H19, 5182-O, and 5352-H19 were determined and compared to the theoretical relationship between localized necking angle and r value. Data determined for 3004-H19 and 5352-H19 specimens, which exhibit minimal diffuse necking prior to localized necking, follow the theoretical relationship, while data determined for 2036-T4 and 5182-O specimens, which exhibit considerable diffuse necking, do not. Empirically determined fracture angle correction terms were developed for 2036-T4 and 5182-O to permit reasonable estimates of r based on the theoretical relationship.
Recent Advances in Epigenetic Biomarkers and Epigenetic Targeting in Prostate Cancer

Abstract Context In addition to genetic alterations, epigenetic alterations play a crucial role during prostate cancer progression. A better understanding of the epigenetic factors that promote prostate cancer progression may lead to the design of rational therapeutic strategies to target prostate cancer more effectively. Objective To systematically review recent literature on the role of epigenetic factors in prostate cancer and highlight key preclinical and translational data with epigenetic therapies. Evidence acquisition We performed a systemic literature search in PubMed. At the request of the editors, we limited our search to articles published between January 2015 and August 2020 in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Clinical trials targeting epigenetic factors were retrieved from clinicaltrials.gov. Evidence synthesis We retrieved 1451 articles, and 62 were finally selected for review. Twelve additional foundational studies outside this time frame were also included. Findings from both preclinical and clinical studies were reviewed and summarized. We also discuss 12 ongoing clinical studies with epigenetic targeted therapies. Conclusions Epigenetic mechanisms impact prostate cancer progression. Understanding the role of specific epigenetic factors is critical to determine how we may improve prostate cancer treatment and modulate resistance to standard therapies. Recent preclinical studies and ongoing or completed clinical studies with epigenetic therapies provide a useful roadmap for how to best deploy epigenetic therapies clinically to target prostate cancer. Patient summary Epigenetics is a process by which gene expression is regulated without changes in the DNA sequence itself. Oftentimes, epigenetic changes influence cellular behavior and contribute to cancer development or progression. Understanding how epigenetic changes occur in prostate cancer is the first step toward therapeutic targeting in patients. Importantly, laboratory-based studies and recently completed and ongoing clinical trials suggest that drugs targeting epigenetic factors are promising. More work is necessary to determine whether this class of drugs will add to our existing treatment arsenal in prostate cancer.
Entinostat, a selective HDAC1/2 inhibitor, potentiates the effects of olaparib in homologous recombination proficient ovarian cancer.

Abstract Objective Poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are most effective in BRCA1/2 mutated ovarian tumors. Better treatments are needed for homologous recombination HR-proficient cancer, including CCNE1 amplified subtypes. We have shown that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) sensitize HR-proficient ovarian cancer to PARPi. In this study, we provide complementary preclinical data for an investigator-initiated phase 1/2 clinical trial of the combination of olaparib and entinostat in recurrent, HR-proficient ovarian cancer. Methods We assessed the in vitro effects of the combination of olaparib and entinostat in SKOV-3, OVCAR-3 and primary cells derived from CCNE1 amplified high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients. We then tested the combination in a SKOV-3 xenograft model and in a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Results Entinostat potentiates the effect of olaparib in reducing cell viability and clonogenicity of HR-proficient ovarian cancer cells. The combination reduces peritoneal metastases in a SKOV-3 xenograft model and prolongs survival in a CCNE1 amplified HR-proficient PDX model. Entinostat also enhances olaparib-induced DNA damage. Further, entinostat decreases BRCA1, a key HR repair protein, associated with decreased Ki-67, a proliferation marker, and increased cleaved PARP, a marker of apoptosis. Finally, entinostat perturbs replication fork progression, which increases genome instability. Conclusion Entinostat inhibits HR repair by reducing BRCA1 expression and stalling replication fork progression, leading to irreparable DNA damage and ultimate cell death. This work provides preclinical support for the clinical trial of the combination of olaparib and entinostat in HR-proficient ovarian cancer and suggests potential benefit even for CCNE1 amplified subtypes.
High power density and bias-free reverse electrowetting energy harvesting using surface area enhanced porous electrodes

Abstract Reverse electrowetting-on-dielectric (REWOD) is a novel energy harvesting technology with a significant advantage over other energy harvesting technologies due to its effective performance at a low-frequency range and not requiring resonance frequency of solid structures. However, REWOD energy harvesting based on planar electrodes has a limited surface area and therefore a lower power output. In this work, we present a novel approach for enhancing power output from a REWOD energy harvester by significantly increasing the total available surface area using perforated silicon wafer electrodes. Without applying any external bias voltage, maximum current and voltage densities per unit planar area were measured to be 3.77 μA/cm2 and 1.05 V/cm2, respectively, for a 38 μm pore-size electrode at 5 Hz modulation frequency. RMS power density output was 4.8 μW/cm2, which is ∼23 times higher than that from our prior work on planar electrodes showing the significance of porous electrodes in REWOD energy harvesting. A simple capacitive theoretical model validating experimental results was developed and justified. The novelty of this work lies in the combination of a bias-free approach to REWOD energy harvesting coupled with significant enhancement in electrode surface area per planar area to increase the output power density.
Solution-processed flexible solid-state micro-supercapacitors for on-chip energy storage devices

Flexible energy storage devices have developed rapidly in recent years to meet the increasing requirements for portable electronics. Supercapacitors have been regarded as promising energy storage units that exhibit long cycle life, high power density, high electrical and mechanical compatibility. In order to enhance the functionality and reliability in smaller scale, micro-supercapacitors have been developed to serve as on-chip micro-power sources for miniaturized electronic devices. In this work, we developed a novel method to fabricate the all solid-state graphene-based flexible micro-supercapacitors with high scalability and performance. A specifically designed shallow mask is applied for fabrication of interdigital patterns. The as-fabricated micro-device, with excellent charge storage capability, has shown great potential to be used in electronic packaging for fast and high power supply.
A reliable temperature control system for the Alcator C-MOD vacuum vessel

In Alcator C-MOD, a complex magnetic field is used to hold a hydrogen plasma in a vacuum. In normal operation, the magnets and support structure are cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature (-200/spl deg/C) to take advantage of the reduced resistivity of copper and the increased strength of stainless steel at cryogenic temperatures. However the vacuum vessel, which is surrounded by the cold magnets, must be kept relatively warm (20/spl deg/C) to maintain the integrity of the vacuum seals. Once C-MOD has begun operation, the temperature control system must operate continuously for months at a time. The temperature control system includes 454 heaters of various types with a nominal electrical load of 250 kW. A programmable logic controller (PLC) monitors 472 K-type thermocouples to measure vacuum vessel temperatures and controls the heaters via banks of solid state relays. The relays by themselves can only permit an on-off control of the heaters. The PLC software makes it possible to implement a superior proportional-plus-integral (PI) control scheme with electrical load leveling. The PLC also provides data logging and on-line diagnostic capabilities not as readily available in a hard-wired system. The construction of C-MOD is described briefly with an emphasis on thermal considerations. The temperature limits for the various components and the overall performance requirements for the vacuum vessel temperature control system are discussed. The design of the temperature control hardware and software is presented in some detail. Problems discovered during the initial C-MOD run period, which required changes in the heaters and controls, are described. Some of the faults and failures that plague any large system with hundreds of active components, thousands of connections, and miles of wire are also discussed.
Interpretation of the Stephan Quintet Galaxy Cluster using Hydro-Gravitational Theory

Stephan's Quintet (SQ) is a compact group of galaxies that has been well studied since its discovery in 1877 but is mysterious using cold dark matter hierarchical clustering cosmology (CDMHCC). Anomalous red shifts z = (0.0027,0.019, 0.022, 0.022, 0.022) among galaxies in SQ either; reduce it to a Trio with two highly improbable intruders from CDMHCC, or support the Arp (1973) hypothesis that its red shifts may be intrinsic. An alternative is provided by the Gibson 1996-2000 hydro-gravitational-theory (HGT) where superclusters, clusters and galaxies all originate by universe expansion and gravitational fragmentation in the super-viscous plasma epoch (after which the gas condenses as 10^{24} kg fog-particles in metastable 10^{36} kg dark-matter-clumps). By this fluid mechanical cosmology, the SQ galaxies gently separated recently and remain precisely along a line of sight because of perspective and the small transverse velocities permitted by their sticky, viscous-gravitational, beginnings. Star and gas bridges and young-globular-star-cluster (YGC) trails observed by the HST are triggered as SQ galaxies separate through each other's frozen baryonic-dark-matter halos of dark proto-globular-cluster (PGC) clumps of planetary-mass primordial-fog-particles (PFPs). Discordant red shifts (from CDMHCC) between angularly clustered quasars and bright galaxies are similarly explained by HGT.
Analysis of the Mechanism of Gram Differentiation by Use of a Filter-Paper Chromatographic Technique

Abstract Bartholomew, J. W. (University of Southern California, Los Angeles), Thomas Cromwell, and Richard Gan. Analysis of the mechanism of Gram differentiation by use of a filter-paper chromatographic technique. J. Bacteriol. 90:766–777. 1965.—Data are presented which demonstrate that the mechanism of gram-positivity could not be due solely to factors such as a single, specific gram-positive substrate, specific affinities of crystal violet for certain cellular components, a specific crystal violet-iodine-substrate complex, or to any specific characteristic of the dye, iodine, or solvent molecules. Ruptured cells of gram-positive organisms stain gram-negatively when subjected to a standard Gram-stain procedure. However, when stained fragments of broken cells were deposited in thick layers on the surface of filter-paper strips and exposed to decolorizers, the rate of dye release correlated with the Gram characteristic of the intact cell. Therefore, the intact cell in itself is not an absolute requirement for Gram differentiation. The data are interpreted as indicating that the mechanism of Gram differentiation primarily involves the rate of permeation of molecules (dye, iodine, solvent) through the interstitial spaces of cell-wall material.
The Holocene 15,8 (2005) pp. 1227-1235 A geoarchaeological chronology of Holocene dune building on San Miguel Island, California

A data base of 114 14C dates from 40 archaeological sites in San Miguel Island sand dunes provides a general chronology for Holocene dune building. Although rising seas have probably submerged earlier evidence, postglacial dune building on San Miguel began as early as 10000 years ago. More intensive dune building dates to the middle and late Holocene, including large parabolic dunes that traverse the island and climb some of the highest landforms. Native American peoples lived on and altered island sand dunes for nearly 10 000 years, and native burning and other landscape alterations may have contributed to periodic destabilization of island dunefields. Accumulation of cultural debris also facilitated anthropogenic soil formation in many coastal localities, however, and over the millennia midden debris protected large expanses of the island's coastal perimeter from wind erosion. With the introduction of sheep c. AD 1850, destabilization and erosion of dune soils caused by overgrazing and other human impac...
BPOpt: A framework for BIM-based performance optimization

Abstract The increase in global environmental concerns as well as the advancement of computational tools and methods have had significant impacts on the way in which buildings are being designed. Building professionals are increasingly expected to improve energy performance of their design. To achieve a high level of energy performance, multidisciplinary simulation-based optimization can be utilized to help designers in exploring more design alternatives and making informed decisions. Because of the high complexity in setting up a building model for multi-objective design optimization, there is a great demand of utilizing and integrating the advanced modeling and simulation technologies, including BIM, parametric modeling, cloud-based simulation, and optimization algorithms, as well as a new user interface that facilitates the setup of building parameters (decision variables) and performance fitness functions (design objectives) for automatically generating, evaluating, and optimizing multiple design options. This paper presents an integrated framework for building information modeling (BIM)-based performance optimization, BPOpt. This framework enables designers to explore design alternatives using an open-source, visual programming user interface on the top of a widely used BIM platform, to generate models of building design options, assess the environmental performance of the models through cloud-based simulation, and search for the most appropriate design alternatives. This paper details the process of the development of BPOpt and also provides a case study to show its application. The case study demonstrates the use of BPOpt in minimizing the energy consumption while maximizing the appropriate daylighting level for a residential building. Finally, strengths, limitations, current adoption by academia and industry, and future improvements of BPOpt for high-performance building design are discussed.
Lack of influence of DAT1 and DRD2 gene variants on antidepressant response in generalized anxiety disorder

Objective Although antidepressant drugs are used as first-line intervention to treat patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), only one-third of patients respond positively to treatment. In our study, we investigated whether functional genetic polymorphisms in the dopamine active transporter 1 (DAT1) and dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) may play a role in antidepressant treatment response in GAD. Methods We examined 156 patients diagnosed with GAD who received venlafaxine Extended-Release (XR) treatment as part of an 18-month relapse-prevention study to determine whether variation in these genes had an effect on treatment response after 6 months of open-label treatment. Genotypes were obtained for rs1076560 (DRD2), rs1800497 (DRD2), rs2550948 (DAT1), and a variable number tandem repeat in the 3′ untranslated region of the DAT1 gene using standard methods. Results Results show that none of the tested variants were associated with treatment response to venlafaxine XR in GAD. Genotype and allele frequencies did not differ statistically significantly between responders and non-responders using either the Hamilton Anxiety or Clinical Global Impressions of Improvement Scale at 6 months. Conclusions Although we detected no association in our sample, future studies using larger samples and more comprehensive gene coverage are needed to evaluate potential effects of dopaminergic variants on antidepressant treatment response in anxiety disorders. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
p53 gene mutation in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia is associated with drug resistance and is independent of MDR1/MDR3 gene expression

We studied 53 patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and found mutations of the p53 gene in 15%. Patients with p53 gene mutations were found to have an aggressive form of B-CLL disease characterized by advanced Rai stage, rapid lymphocyte doubling time (LDT), and resistance to chemotherapy. While 27 of 29 treated patients (93%) without p53 mutations achieved a partial remission, only one of seven treated patients (14%) with p53 mutations achieved a partial remission (P = .00009). Adjusting for prognostic factors (age, sex, race, and Rai stage), patients with p53 gene mutations had a 13-fold greater risk of death than patients without p53 mutations (P = .013). In addition to examining the clinical relevance of p53 gene mutations in B-CLL, we investigated the possible role of p53 gene regulation in the expression of the multidrug resistance genes MDR1 and MDR3. We quantitated MDR1 and MDR3 mRNA expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Expression of both the MDR1 and MDR3 genes was independent of p53 gene mutation or prior drug treatment, and did not predict for clinical response. Our findings indicate that p53 gene mutations in B-CLL are associated with a poor clinical outcome and may be a prognostic indicator for drug resistance.
Spatial cross-correlation of undisturbed, natural shortleaf pine stands in northern Georgia

In this study a cross-correlation statistic is used to analyse the spatial relationship among stand characteristics of natural, undisturbed shortleaf pine stands sampled during 1961–72 and 1972–82 in northern Georgia. Stand characteristics included stand age, site index, tree density, hardwood competition, and mortality. In each time period, the spatial cross-correlation statistic was used to construct cross-correlograms and cumulative cross-correlograms for all significant pairwise combination of stand characteristics. Both the cross-correlograms and cumulative cross-correlograms identified small-scale clustering and weak directional gradients for different stand characteristics in each time period. The cumulative cross-correlograms, which are based on inverse distance weighting were more sensitive in detecting small-scale clustering than the cross-correlograms based on a 0–1 weighting. Further analysis suggested that the significant cross-correlation observed among basal area growth and other stand characteristics were due, in a large part, on a subset of sample plots located in the northern part of the state, rather than regional or broad-scale variation as first thought. The ability to analyse the spatial relationship between two or more response surfaces should provide valuable insight in the development of ecosystem level models and assist decision makers in formulating pertinent policy on intelligent multiresource management.
Continuous indoor and outdoor measurements of 222Rn in New York City: City as a source

Abstract Hourly measurements of the 222Rn concentration in New York City air were performed from April 1982 through December 1988. The continuous monitor, located on the roof of the building housing the Environmental Measurements Laboratory, was a two-filter type with a 150 L decay chamber and a fixed outlet filter. The grand mean for the 7 y of outdoor measurements was 4.2 Bq 222Rn m−3. It is postulated that low outdoor radon concentrations are due in part to the urban heat dome effect and the relatively small area of unpaved soil, limiting 222Rn exhalation. Indoor measurements were made in an office in the same building during 1992–1993 using a continuous monitor. The mean concentration based on 1 y of hourly measurements was 6.2 Bq 222Rn m−3. The indoor measurements were principally influenced by the central ventilation system which controls the amount of outdoor air in the make-up system and the hours of operation,
Employee recruitment: Current knowledge and important areas for future research

Abstract Over the last forty years, research on employee recruitment has increased dramatically. In this paper, I review research on recruitment topics that have received considerable attention (e.g., recruitment methods, realistic job previews). I also address topics (e.g., targeted recruitment, the site visit) that have received relatively little attention but that have the potential to be quite important. In examining these topics, job applicant variables (e.g., self-insight), that should influence how an employer conducts the recruitment process but that have frequently been neglected, are discussed. Throughout the paper, important areas for future research are suggested.
The problem of obsolescence of knowledge

The author discusses the depreciation of the value of knowledge among scientists and engineers. Rates of growth in R & D are compared with more stable fields such as philosophy and law. Some implications for the careers of scientists and engineers and for company policy are discussed.