cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of treatment and outcomes in elderly patients with non-metastatic, unresected gastric adenocarcinoma: A review of the Florida cancer data system.

146Background: Concurrent chemoradiation is considered definitive treatment for unresected, localized gastric adenocarcinoma, but utilization in the elderly is complicated by increased toxicity risk and limited life expectancy. The benefit of concurrent chemoradiation in this population over non-definitive therapy is not well characterized. Methods: The Florida Cancer Data System was queried for patients ≥ 60 years old diagnosed with non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma between 2004 and 2010 who did not undergo primary surgery. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate variables independently associated with treatment and mortality hazard was evaluated using Cox-proportional modeling. The primary aim was to compare overall survival between groups. Results: A total of 1,729 patients were identified with a median and maximum age of 79 and 101 years respectively. The majority received no therapy (68.4%) followed by concurrent chemoradiation (12.0%), chemotherapy alone (10.5%), radiation alone (5.0%), an...
Putting skin in the game: dermis-derived stem cells provide insight into familial pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a lethal disease characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling due to smooth muscle hypertrophy, endothelial proliferation, and adventitial fibrosis. This remodeling progressively obliterates a large cross section of the lung vasculature, turning the normal low pressure pulmonary circulation into a hypertensive circuit and eventually leading to pump failure of the right ventricle. In the past 20 years, multiple effective therapies for PAH have been validated in clinical trials and these drugs have dramatically improved the quality of life of PAH patients. Yet drugs that halt or reverse vascular remodeling have remained elusive and many treated subjects still die (1). Like many seemingly sporadic diseases a subset of PAH is inherited (familial PAH, or FPAH) which enabled the discovery in 2000 via positional cloning that haplo-insufficiency of BMPR2 is the genetic basis of FPAH (2). BMPR2 is a receptor within the TGF-β superfamily. Subsequently, sporadic BMPR2 mutations were also found in a minority of non-familial (idiopathic) PAH patients (3).
Factors influencing the Salmonella internalization into seedpods and whole plants of Arachis hypogaea (L.)

Here we investigated whether Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028 was capable of internalizing in peanut seedpods and plants when exposed to inoculated soil and the edaphic factors that influenced uptake. Intact dry Virginia (DV) and fresh green Virginia (GV) seedpods were exposed to soil containing 6.5 Log (CFU/g) Salmonella under different soil moisture conditions. Internalization of S. Typhimurium into peanut plants germinated in inoculated soil was also examined with and without Bradyrhizobium (Arachis) sp.NC92. Salmonella counts recovered from GV seedpods were on average of 2.0 Log (CFU/pod) less than those recovered from DV seedpods. The internalization in DV pods was only observed at soil water content of 15% or greater in a loamy sand soil. S. Typhimurium was detected inside peanut plant tissues during most testing times. Cells were recovered from stem samples (3.5 Log CFU/g) at greater levels than it was observed for root (2.6 Log CFU/g) and leaf (1.7 Log CFU/g) samples. Overall, recovery of Salmonella from stem, root, and leaf samples were lower when B. NC92 was inoculated on seeds before sowing, but this trend was not significant. Our observations suggest possible routes of contamination of Salmonella into peanut products from soil.
Surface diffusion measurements of In on InGaAs enabled by droplet epitaxy

Surface diffusion is a critical parameter for non-equilibrium growth techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy. However, very little is known about diffusion rates of individual cations in a mixed cation material. Using droplet epitaxy as the growth technique, we isolate the diffusivity prefactor (D0) and activation energy (EA) of indium on the surface of In0.53Ga0.47As/InP(100). We report two regimes of indium diffusivity under As2-rich conditions: above and below the droplet deposition temperature of 300 °C, corresponding to a change in surface reconstruction. We also discuss methods of extracting the indium diffusion parameters on metal-rich surfaces using droplet epitaxy and nucleation theory. The obtained diffusion parameters are compared to previous work in the literature and could be employed to optimize growth conditions for non-equilibrium crystal growth.
Heavy Chain Disease of the Small Bowel

The purpose of this review is to discuss current knowledge and recent findings regarding pathogenesis, outcome, and treatment for heavy chain disease (HCD) involving the small bowel, focusing on alpha HCD or immunoproliferative small intestinal disease (IPSID), the HCD subtype typically affecting the small bowel. A link between Campylobacter jejuni infection and IPSID has been established, but there is controversy as to the role played by this organism in disease pathogenesis. While cytogenetic abnormalities involving various immunoglobulin loci and PAX5 have been reported, these have been described in rare, single cases, limiting their ability to shed further light on disease pathogenesis. IPSID is typically regarded as a pre-lymphomatous condition with eventual progression to frank lymphoma; however, recent reports of longstanding non-progressive cases have expanded its clinical spectrum. IPSID is an uncommon disorder affecting the small intestine. This review focuses on current knowledge and novel insight regarding its pathogenesis, outcome, and treatment, with an emphasis on future directions.
Sort'N merge: A deterministic microfluidic platform for co-encapsulating distinct particles in microdroplets

This paper presents a microfluidic platform for deterministic co-encapsulation of desired combinations of distinct particles in individual droplets. Our microfluidic assay generates droplets co-encapsulating two and three different particles at a yield as high as 87.0% and 80.1%, respectively, by innovative integration of active droplet sorting and downstream merging processes. In conventional approaches, such integration is highly challenging due to the need for precisely handling a small amount of sorted droplets. The developed microfluidic platform is readily implemented for the co-encapsulation of multiple particles of a predetermined number in each droplet at high efficiency and high throughput. Our particle co-encapsulation technique eliminates stochastic pairing processes, for which the Poisson distribution severely limits the yield to < 10%.
Fabrication of Josephson Junctions

This paper discusses the materials and microcircuit-fabrication techniques that can be applied to Josephson junctions. All practical applications of Josephson junctions require reproducibility in fabrication and physical ruggedness to withstand the stresses imposed by thermally cycling a structure containing materials with different expansion coefficients. In addition, the various applications require different electrical characteristics. For example, junctions for use in SQUID magnetometers and high-frequency electromagnetic detectors and mixers must have non-hysteretic I-V characteristics, while those for most switching circuits should have hysteretic characteristics. In most applications, the ratio of critical current to capacitance (Ic/C) of the junction should be as large as possible. The choice of materials plays a key role in achieving these ends. Also, achievement of the optimum junction properties requires using sophisticated microfabrication techniques such as photo- and electron-lithography, advanced sputtering techniques, and silicon doping and etching.
Polynomial families of tautological classes on Mg,nrt

We study classes Pg,T(α;β) on Mg,nrt defined by pushing forward the virtual fundamental classes of spaces of relative stable maps to an unparameterized P1 with prescribed ramification over 0 and ∞. A comparison with classes Qg,T arising from sections of the universal Jacobian shows that the classes Pg,T(α;β) are polynomials in the parts of the partitions indexing the special ramification data. Virtual localization on moduli spaces of relative stable maps gives sufficient relations to compute the coefficients of these polynomials in various cases.
Characterization of a peek composite segmental bone replacement implant

A composite material of polyetheretherketone and short, chopped E-glass fibers was used to produce a segmental bone replacement implant. Problems with current metallic implants include stress-shielding of the surrounding bone and subsequent loosening of the implant. A better match between the bulk material properties of the implant and the bone it replaces can decrease the occurrence of these problems. Composite materials were chosen because their properties can be tailored to match the requirements. Material selection was accomplished with the aid of modeling software, which predicted the composite properties based on its composition and fiber directional parameters. Prototype parts were completed through a series of in-house molding and machining processes. Sections complete with an embedded metallic porous surface were tested to measure the strength of the attachment of the surface. The molded parts were characterized both destructively and nondestructively. The results of tensile tests performed on molded parts were comparable to those using commercially supplied samples. The fiber orientation was measured to verify the random positioning of fibers throughout the part, as assumed in the initial material selection. Ultrasonic C-scanned images confirmed that the molded parts had a very low density of air pockets or voids.
Regulatory T Cells and Th17 Cells in Cancer Microenvironment

It is widely believed that tumors maintain highly tolerogenic environments to suppress antitumor immune responses. This perspective on tumor microenvironments appears to be largely true, but an increasing body of evidence suggests that certain types of cancer are formed in inflammatory conditions and tumors produce a number of inflammatory mediators. The tolerogenic nature of the tumor microenvironment is reflected in the presence of a large number of immunosuppressive FoxP3+ T cells in tumors and draining lymph nodes. Th17 cells, formed in inflammatory conditions, are variably present in many types of tumors. Both FoxP3+ T cells and Th17 cells can regulate antitumor immune responses in positive and negative ways. Tumor microenvironments and cancer types significantly affect the numbers and functions of the two T-cell subsets in tumors. Tumor microenvironments that regulate migration and population of FoxP3+ T cells and Th17 cells in tumors and associated lymphoid tissues are discussed in this chapter.
Digital Video Image Capture in Establishing Positive Identification

Positive identification of skeletonized, decomposed, or disfigured victims lacking clinical records is a difficult endeavor. However, videotapes of family and social activities can be analyzed using the frame isolating technique of video image capture by inexpensive means. A rare skeletal Class III malocclusion and dental peculiarities in a decomposing 3-year old lacking a clinical history were compared to videotapes taken of a suspected victim shortly prior to her disappearance. Overlaying transparent dental tracings from digitized skeletal remains onto selected frames of the videotape (and reversing this process) produced the identification and hastened the entire investigation.
Radiation Dose Monitoring for Fluoroscopically Guided Interventional Procedures: Effect on Patient Radiation Exposure

Purpose To analyze the clinical effect of continuous dose monitoring and patient follow-up for fluoroscopically guided vascular interventional procedures over 8 years. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, an in-house semiautomated system was developed for fluoroscopic dose monitoring. The quarterly number of procedures from January 2010 to December 2017 was analyzed with count time series to estimate quarterly change rate. Technologists recorded four dose surrogates in custom fields of institutional dictation software through a Web interface. Radiation doses were transferred automatically to the radiology report and a centralized dose database when the radiologist initiated procedure dictation. A medical physicist reported weekly on procedures with air kerma at the reference point (Ka,r) of 2 Gy or higher to a division-designated radiologist and hospital radiation safety committee who required the attending radiologist to set up follow-up appointments for patients who underwent procedures with a Ka,r greater than or equal to 5 Gy. Results There were a total of 41 585 procedures; 1553 (3.7%) procedures had a Ka,r of 2-5 Gy. Among 240 procedures with Ka,r greater than 5 Gy, 22 had Ka,r greater than 9 Gy. The percentage of high Ka,r procedures decreased over time, going from 5.9% in 2010 to 2.0% in 2017 for procedures with Ka,r of 2-5 Gy and from 1.0% in 2010 to 0.13% in 2017 for procedures with Ka,r greater than or equal to 5 Gy. Relative reduction per quarter was approximately 2.7% (95% confidence interval: 1.5%, 3.8%) for Ka,r of 2-5 Gy and 4.5% (95% confidence interval: 1.5%, 7.6%) for Ka,r greater than or equal to 5 Gy. Conclusion Eight-year temporal trends show three- to eightfold reduction in the number of high-dose procedures. © RSNA, 2019 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Balter in this issue.
Fe–Ni Invar alloy reinforced by WC nanoparticles with high strength and low thermal expansion

Invar is a solid solution alloy that offers high-dimensional stability. It is challenging for traditional methods to strengthen Invar alloys without a significant increase in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). In this work, WC nanoparticle-reinforced Invar nanocomposite was manufactured. The microstructures, mechanical properties, and thermal expansion behavior were investigated. It was found that the Invar alloy was effectively strengthened by WC nanoparticle reinforcement without significant elevation of its CTE. The Invar–WC nanocomposite exhibits an enhanced yield and tensile strength of 440 and 795 MPa, an increase of 60% and 77% from commercial Invar alloy, and a moderate ductility of 22.7% in annealed state. In cold-rolled state, The Invar–WC nanocomposite exhibits a high tensile strength of 1050 MPa, an increase of 46% from commercial Invar alloy, while retaining 4.5% ductility. A record low CTE value of 2.61 × 10−6/°C and an enhanced Young’s modulus of 185 GPa, up from 140 GPa, were also achieved. It was found that WC leads to a lower CTE at higher temperature compared to unreinforced Invar.
Retinal Microvascular and Neurodegenerative Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment Compared with Control Participants

Purpose Evaluate and compare the retinal microvasculature in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and cognitively intact controls using OCT angiography. OCT parameters were also compared. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Seventy eyes from 39 AD participants, 72 eyes from 37 MCI participants, and 254 eyes from 133 control participants were enrolled. Methods Participants were imaged using Zeiss Cirrus HD-5000 with AngioPlex (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA) and underwent cognitive evaluation with Mini-Mental State Examination. Main Outcome Measures Vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) in the SCP within the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study 6-mm circle, 3-mm circle, and 3-mm ring were compared between groups. Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, central subfield thickness (CST), macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness, and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were also compared. Results Alzheimer’s participants showed significantly decreased SCP VD and PD in the 3-mm ring (P = 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively) and 3-mm circle (P = 0.003 and P = 0.004, respectively) and decreased SCP VD in the 6-mm circle (P = 0.047) compared with MCI and significantly decreased SCP VD and PD in the 3-mm ring (P = 0.008 and P = 0.004, respectively) and 3-mm circle (P = 0.015 and P = 0.009, respectively) and SCP PD in the 6-mm circle (P = 0.033) when compared with cognitively intact controls. There was no difference in SCP VD or PD between MCI and controls (P > 0.05). FAZ area and CST did not differ significantly between groups (P > 0.05). Alzheimer’s participants showed significantly decreased GC-IPL thickness over the inferior (P = 0.032) and inferonasal (P = 0.025) sectors compared with MCI and significantly decreased GC-IPL thickness over the entire (P = 0.012), superonasal (P = 0.041), inferior (P = 0.004), and inferonasal (P = 0.006) sectors compared to controls. MCI participants showed significantly decreased temporal RNFL thickness (P = 0.04) compared with controls. Conclusions Alzheimer’s participants showed significantly reduced macular VD, PD, and GC-IPL thickness compared with MCI and controls. Changes in the retinal microvasculature may mirror small vessel cerebrovascular changes in AD.
Review of Literature and Overview of Study

ABSTRACTThis thematic issue entitled, Kinesiology Doctoral Students’ Perspectives on Their Doctoral Training, presents a study with a four-phase design. The overall purpose of this study was to exa...
A preliminary study on functional activation and connectivity during frustration in youths with bipolar disorder.

Objectives Frustration is associated with impaired attention, heightened arousal, and greater unhappiness in youths with bipolar disorder (BD) vs. healthy volunteers (HV). Little is known about functional activation and connectivity in the brain of BD youths in response to frustration. This exploratory study compared BD youths and HV on attentional abilities, self-reported affect, and functional activation and connectivity during a frustrating attention task. Methods 20 BD (Mage =15.86) and 20 HV (Mage =15.55) youths completed an fMRI paradigm that differentiated neural responses during processing of frustrating feedback from neural responses during attention orienting following frustrating feedback. We examined group differences in (1) functional connectivity using amygdala, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and striatum as seeds and (2) whole-brain and regions of interest (amygdala, IFG, striatum) activation. We explored task performance (accuracy, reaction time), self-reported frustration and unhappiness, and correlations between these variables and irritability, depressive, and manic symptoms. Results BD youths, relative to HV, exhibited positive IFG-ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) connectivity yet failed to show negative striatum-insula connectivity during feedback processing. Irritability symptoms were positively associated with striatum-insula connectivity during feedback processing. Moreover, BD vs. HV youths showed positive IFG-parahippocampal gyrus (PHG)/periaqueductal gray (PAG) connectivity and negative amygdala-cerebellum connectivity during attention orienting following frustration. BD was not associated with atypical activation patterns. Conclusions Positive IFG-vmPFC connectivity and striatum-insula decoupling in BD during feedback processing may mediate heightened sensitivity to reward-relevant stimuli. Elevated IFG-PAG/PHG connectivity in BD following frustration may suggest greater recruitment of attention network to regulate arousal and maintain goal-directed behavior.
A Comparison of Three Approaches for Measuring Negative Cognitions for Psychological Reactance

Psychological reactance, routinely operationalized as a latent construct comprised of anger and negative cognitions, represents an aversive state following a threatened or eliminated freedom. The c...
Focused ultrasound median nerve stimulation can modulate nociceptive pain

Current treatments for neuropathic pain, such as pharmaceuticals and electrical stimulation, have large trade-offs in specificity and the need for surgical interventions. Moreover, these treatments have variable effectiveness and may only work in select populations of patients. Here we explore the use of focused ultrasound (FUS) for mitigating pain in healthy subjects. Nociceptive pain was induced using a custom heating probe and FUS was applied upstream to the median nerve. Our results show that pain ratings were reduced by a maximum of 1.4 units of pain from FUS vs sham stimuli. Moreover, a minimum amount of displacement was observed for pain the reduction. These findings lay the groundwork for reduction of pain using FUS neuromodulation.
Neurological manifestations of polyarteritis nodosa: a tour of the neuroaxis by case series.

Author(s): Halabi, Cathra; Williams, Erika K; Morshed, Ramin A; Caffarelli, Mauro; Anastasiou, Christine; Tihan, Tarik; Cooke, Daniel; Abla, Adib A; Dowd, Christopher F; Shah, Vinil; Chung, Sharon; Richie, Megan B | Abstract: BackgroundHeterogenous central nervous system (CNS) neurologic manifestations of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) are underrecognized. We review three cases of patients with PAN that illustrate a range of nervous system pathology, including the classical mononeuritis multiplex as well as uncommon brain and spinal cord vascular manifestations.Case presentationCase 1 presented with mononeuritis multiplex and characteristic skin findings. Case 2 presented with thunderclap headache and myelopathy due to spinal artery aneurysm rupture. Both patients experienced disease remission upon treatment. Case 3 presented with headache and bulbar symptoms due to partially thrombosed intracranial aneurysms, followed by systemic manifestations related to visceral aneurysms. She demonstrated clinical improvement with treatment, was lost to follow-up, then clinically deteriorated and entered hospice care.ConclusionsAlthough the peripheral manifestations of PAN are well-known, PAN association with CNS neurovascular disease is relatively underappreciated. Clinician awareness of the spectrum of neurologic disease is required to reduce diagnostic delay and promote prompt diagnosis and treatment with immunosuppressants.
Transnationalism within: a study of beach vendors in Cabo San Lucas (Mexico)

It is argued that some tourist centers are denationalized and transnational social spaces created since the 1970s by neoliberal policies married to the forces of globalization. They are transnational social spaces not only because of transnational investment and the migration of tourists and expatriates who settle both semi-permanently and permanently, but also because of internal migration flows that must cross (internal) political, as well as cultural, linguistic, and ethnic, borders within. Inside these spaces, globalization as indexed by the effects of the global economic recession is experienced daily on an individual level. This can be seen in the results of interviews with 60 beach vendors, part of the semi-informal and informal economy, in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Interpolation System of Traffic Condition by Estimation/Learning Agents

Interpolation system of traffic condition is proposed, which consists of estimation and learning agents. To evaluate the interpolation accuracy, coefficient of determination (CD) and mean square error (MSE) are used. The interpolation accuracy can be improved by the alternate use of estimation and learning agents, and the iterative uses of the same probe data. The standard deviation of the normalized velocity can be improved to 0.1353, and that of the velocity is 6.77 km/h in the mid velocity region. Furthermore, the CD and MSE could be improved by the additional repetition of estimation and learning.
Data-driven methods to explore a large space of computationally costly compact binary progenitor models

Being able to measure each merger's sky location, distance, component masses, and conceivably spins, ground-based gravitational-wave detectors will provide an extensive and detailed sample of coalescing compact binaries in the local and, with third-generation detectors, distant universe. By applying conventional Bayesian methods to an array of competing progenitor formation models, these measurements will distinguish between competing scenarios. First, however, each progenitor formation scenario must be calculated, typically at great computational cost. In practice, a sparse sample of costly scenarios will be gradually refined, guided by observations. This iterative procedure requires physically motivated and data-driven parametrizations of the model space, to quantify the similarities between a given sparse sample of scenarios; the ability for observations to distinguish between them; and to identify plausible new scenarios meriting detailed evaluation. In this paper we develop practical tools to characterize the amount of experimentally accessible information available, to distinguish between two a priori progenitor models. Using a simple time-independent model, we demonstrate the information content scales strongly with the number of observations. The exact scaling depends on how significantly mass distributions change between similar models. We develop phenomenological diagnostics to estimate how many models can be distinguished, using first-generation and future instruments. Finally, we emphasize that multiobservable distributions can be fully exploited only with very precisely calibrated detectors, search pipelines, parameter estimation, and Bayesian model inference.
Animal models for percutaneous absorption

The ideal way to determine the percutaneous absorption of a compound in humans is to do the actual study in humans. Mechanism and parameters of percutaneous absorption elucidated in vivo with human skin are most relevant to the clinical situation. However, many compounds are potentially too toxic to test in vivo in humans, and so their percutaneous absorption must be tested in animals. Likewise, until more complete animal-to-human validation studies become available, not all investigators will have access to human volunteers. Mechanistic studies and studies on factors affecting absorption must, therefore, be conducted using animals and in vitro techniques. We have two basic criteria to judge whether an animal model is good. First, the animal model should give the same percutaneous absorption as that in humans. If this is not possible, then percutaneous absorption in the animal model should be consistently different from that in humans. Therefore, this chapter stresses studies where percutaneous absorption in an animal model (or the skin from that animal) is compared directly to that in humans.
Networking Architecture for Seamless Cloud Interoperability

Seamless cloud interoperability is highly desired but not yet easily attainable in the current cloud solutions market. This work tackles one aspect of achieving cloud interoperability, namely, inter-cloud networking. We list the requirements and propose an inter-cloud networking architecture for a case of independent clouds owned by different entities and powered by different cloud management and network virtualization technologies. Then we validate the proposed architecture by describing an example of working implementation for Open Stack cloud powered by Open Daylight Open DOVE SDN solution. Finally, we compare our architecture to the existing solutions.
Where's the Farmer? Limiting Liability in Midwestern Industrial Hog Production

Scholars largely assume that hog production is following the same industrialization process as the integrated poultry industry. Since the collapse of hog farming in the 1990s, academics have anticipated that pro- ducers will eventually become trapped in contracts that leave the integrator with full control over the production process. Embedded in this prediction is an assumption that hog farmers respond to these productive pressures indi- vidually. Our analysis of the Carthage Management System suggests a differ- ent path for the hog commodity chain. The Carthage Management System is a conglomeration of business management firms that bring finishing hog farmers together to form limited liability corporations (LLCs) in the breed- to-wean stage of hog production. We use a sociology of agrifood framework to suggest that the nuances of hog production encourage the use of what we call folding corporations to limit liability in ways that profoundly transform the family farm. Corporations and individual hog farmers alike employ this cre- ative LLC structure to deflect responsibility for the risks of hog production. We identify how folding corporations externalize the costs of production onto rural communities. Additional research is needed to better understand unfolding farmer identities, legal protections for farmers, how widespread organizational structures like Carthage Management System are, and their consequences for rural communities and the industrialization process.
BRAF-mutated colorectal cancer: clinical implications for a distinct subset of the disease

SUMMARY Colorectal cancer (CRC) is many diseases, with each case defined by the underlying genetic and molecular changes of that particular tumor. The heterogeneity of CRC emphasizes the need to understand this disease within the context of genetic subsets. BRAF mutations mark a subpopulation that arises through the serrated pathway to carcinogenesis. This subset of cancers is associated with unique clinical and histopathologic characteristics. BRAF-mutated CRCs have a worse prognosis compared with their wild-type counterparts, and may not be as responsive to chemotherapy. Target therapies specifically against BRAF and its related signaling pathways are under both scientific and clinical investigation. This article highlights the clinical relevance of the subset of BRAF-mutated CRCs.
Mitochondrial oncobioenergetic index: A potential biomarker to predict progression from indolent to aggressive prostate cancer.

// Praveen K. Vayalil 1 , Aimee Landar 1 1 Department of Pathology, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Center for Free Radical Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA Correspondence to: Praveen K. Vayalil, e-mail: praveen@uab.edu Keywords: mitochondria, prostate cancer, oncobioenergetics, bioenergetics, mitochondrial oncobioenergetic index Received: June 19, 2015 Accepted: September 04, 2015 Published: October 15, 2015 ABSTRACT Mitochondrial function is influenced by alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and changes in the microenvironment occurring during tumorigenesis. Therefore, we hypothesized that mitochondrial function will be stably and dynamically altered at each stage of the prostate tumor development. We tested this hypothesis in RWPE-1 cells and its tumorigenic clones with progressive malignant characteristics (RWPE-1 < WPE-NA22 < WPE-NB14 < WPE-NB11 < WPE-NB26) using high-throughput respirometry. Our studies demonstrate that mitochondrial content do not change with increasing malignancy. In premalignant cells (WPE-NA22 and WPE-NB14), OXPHOS is elevated in presence of glucose or glutamine alone or in combination compared to RWPE-1 cells and decreases with increasing malignancy. Glutamine maintained higher OXPHOS than glucose and suggests that it may be an important substrate for the growth and proliferation of prostate epithelial cells. Glycolysis significantly increases with malignancy and follow a classical Warburg phenomenon. Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is significantly lower in tumorigenic clones and invasive WPE-NB26 does not utilize FAO at all. In this paper, we introduce for the first time the mitochondrial oncobioenergetic index (MOBI), a mathematical representation of oncobioenergetic profile of a cancer cell, which increases significantly upon transformation into localized premalignant form and rapidly falls below the normal as they become aggressive in prostate tumorigenesis. We have validated this in five prostate cancer cell lines and MOBI appears to be not related to androgen dependence or mitochondrial content, but rather dependent on the stage of the cancer. Altogether, we propose that MOBI could be a potential biomarker to distinguish aggressive cancer from that of indolent disease.
Ethnicity and Elite Coalitions: The Origins of 'Big Man' Presidentialism in Africa

What explains "Big Man'' presidentialism in Sub-Saharan Africa? And how does it affect elite political stability in the region? The preponderance of untrammeled presidential power and high levels of elite political instability across Sub-Saharan Africa underscore the importance of answering these questions. Past research on political and economic institutions in Africa has assumed presidential power in the region to be exogenous. In this paper I argue and present evidence showing that presidential power in Africa is conditioned by the ethnic group size of incumbent presidents. In doing this I articulate a theory of the political economy of elite-level political competition in Africa. The hypotheses derived from the theory are then tested using cross-national panel data from 43 African countries covering the period 1961-2007. Results show ways in which political competition along ethnic lines condition presidential power in the region. Paradoxically, African presidents from relatively large ethnic groups are weaker than their counterparts from smaller groups.
Sodium MRI in human heart: a review

This paper offers a critical review of the properties, methods and potential clinical application of sodium (23Na) MRI in human heart. Because the tissue sodium concentration (TSC) in heart is about ~40 µmol/g wet weight, and the 23Na gyromagnetic ratio and sensitivity are respectively about one-quarter and one-11th of that of hydrogen (1H), the signal-to-noise ratio of 23Na MRI in the heart is about one-6000th of that of conventional cardiac 1H MRI. In addition, as a quadrupolar nucleus, 23Na exhibits ultra-short and multi-component relaxation behavior (T1 ~ 30 ms; T2 ~ 0.5–4 ms and 12–20 ms), which requires fast, specialized, ultra-short echo-time MRI sequences, especially for quantifying TSC. Cardiac 23Na MRI studies from 1.5 to 7 T measure a volume-weighted sum of intra- and extra-cellular components present at cytosolic concentrations of 10–15 mM and 135–150 mM in healthy tissue, respectively, at a spatial resolution of about 0.1–1 ml in 10 min or so. Currently, intra- and extra-cellular sodium cannot be unambiguously resolved without the use of potentially toxic shift reagents. Nevertheless, increases in TSC attributable to an influx of intra-cellular sodium and/or increased extra-cellular volume have been demonstrated in human myocardial infarction consistent with prior animal studies, and arguably might also be seen in future studies of ischemia and cardiomyopathies – especially those involving defects in sodium transport. While technical implementation remains a hurdle, a central question for clinical use is whether cardiac 23Na MRI can deliver useful information unobtainable by other more convenient methods, including 1H MRI. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimized rule induction

Swap-1, a state-of-the-art system for learning decision rules from data, is presented. The method embodied in Swap-1 generates reduced-complexity solutions by inducing compact solutions in larger dimensions where many rules might be needed to make accurate predictions. For many applications, such systems can automatically construct relatively compact rule sets with highly predictive performance. >
Balancing efficiency and interpretability in an interactive statistical assistant

Making an interface more efficient, in a task analysis sense, can make it more difficult for an automated reasoning system to infer user goals, by eliminating some user actions, by presenting information without requiring overt user selection, and so forth. We call the extent to which a system can make such inferences interpretability. In this paper we describe the tradeoff between interpretability and efficiency. We give some general heuristics for improving interpretability in a system and explain how they apply in an implemented system, an assistant for exploratory statistical analysis. Increased interpretability in the system is provided by navigation techniques for data exploration and a data mountain for organizing results; a formative evaluation illustrates some of the potential benefits of applying interpretability heuristics to an intelligent user interface
Isolation, Modification, and NMR Assignments of a Series of Cellulose Oligomers

A homologous series of cellulose oligomers from two to eight repeating subunits have been isolated and size-fractionated from the hydrolysis products of microcrystalline cellulose. Chemical modification of cellotriose (1), cellotetraose (2), cellopentaose (3), and cellohexaose (4) to the corresponding β-methyl glycosides 13−16 proceeded in three steps in overall yields of 16−46%. Peracetylation produced oligomers 5−8 in 70−75% yield, and subsequent formation of the β-methyl glycosides gave 9−12 in 42−89% yield. Removal of the acetate-protecting groups employing guanidine provided 13−16 in 73−79% yield. This modification eliminated anomeric equilibration and permitted a detailed NMR solution study of these oligomers. The complete 1H and 13C chemical shift assignments of each peracetylated and deprotected oligomer were obtained through a combination of DQF−COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and HMQC-TOCSY experiments. All the resonances in methyl cellotriose (13) and methyl cellotetraose (14) were readily distinguishable fr...
Biosocial Resonation: A Conceptual Model of the Links between Social Behavior and Physical Illness

If sociomedical research is to move beyond the stage of repeatedly reporting correlations between social variables and disease, a viable conceptualization of the connection between social and physiological variables must be developed. We suggest that subjective interpretations of information perceived in a situation as congruous or incongruous with learned expectations is the key point of articulation. Each individual has an information repertoire derived from social interaction and direct contact with the non-social environment. If the individual's perceptions of the situation are not congruous with his information repertoire, he is likely to experience activation of the autonomic nervous system and related neuroendocrine and somatic processes. If these physiological processes are intense and/or prolonged enough, they may alter the body's resistance to infectious organisms, temporarily or irreversibly damage the body or reduce behavioral efficiency, increasing the likelihood of accidents. At the same tim...
National differences in reported subjective well-being: Why do they occur?

There are marked variations between nations in reported subjective well-being (SWB), but the explanations for this diversity have not been fully explored. It is possible that the differences are entirely due to true variability in SWB, but it is also reasonable that the differences may be due to factors related to self-report measurement such as variation across nations in whether it is desirable to say one is happy. At a substantive level, there might be differences in the norms governing the experience of emotion such that cultural differences in SWB are due to affective regulation. Pacific Rim countries (e.g., Japan, the People's Republic of China, and S. Korea) appear to have lower SWB than their material circumstances warrant, and the U.S.A. has higher SWB than is predicted based on its income per person. The genesis of these differences was explored by comparing students in S. Korea, Japan, and the People's Republic of China to students in the U.S.A., and it was concluded that: (1) The Pacific Rim subjects score lower on both happiness and life satisfaction in both absolute terms and when income is controlled, (2) There probably is not a general negative response set in the Pacific Rim which causes lower SWB, as evidenced by the fact that the Asians express dissatisfaction in some areas (e.g., education and self) but not in other areas (e.g., social relationships), (3) Artifacts are not causing the lower reported SWB, (4) The general suppression of mood in the Pacific Rim is unlikely to be the cause of SWB differences, but Chinese students do appear to avoid negative affect, (5) SWB is no less important and salient in Japan and S. Korea, but does appear to be a less central concern in China, and (6) There are different patterns of well-being depending on whether life satisfaction or hedonic balance are considered.
Adhesive Bonding of Oil-Contaminated Steel Substrates

Abstract Durability of adhesive bonds formed by curing epoxies against oil-contaminated steel substrates using amidoamine curing agents was determined during exposure to boiling water. The most durable bonds were obtained using amidoamine curing agents with relatively low amine numbers and by blending silane coupling agents such as γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-GPS) and N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxy silane (AAMS) into the adhesives. When X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the failure surfaces of the adhesive joints after exposure to boiling water, it was determined that adhesives prepared using amidoamine curing agents with low amine numbers were able to displace the oil from the steel surface but adhesives prepared with amidoamine curing agents with high amine numbers were not. Results obtained from XPS also showed that the amino groups on the substrate fracture surfaces of joints prepared using curing agents with low amine numbers were protonated whereas th...
Range surface characterization and segmentation using neural networks

Abstract This paper presents an integrated neural net-based approach to the segmentation of range images into distinct surfaces, which is an essential step in range image analysis and interpretation. A two-stage connectionist neural net model is proposed which extracts local surface features at each image point and groups pixels via local interactions among different features. The first stage computes surface parameters, e.g., surface normals, curvature and discontinuities (crease and jump) by optimally projecting the local range profile onto a set of non-orthogonal basis functions. In the second stage, adjacent pixels compete with each other based on the surface features associated with them to group themselves into different surface patches. Daugman's projection neural net (DPNN) and Kohonen's self-organizing neural net (KSNN) are used for the feature extraction and region-growing, respectively. Empirical performance analysis shows that the feature extraction using neural net is quite robust with respect to the additive noise. Experimental results are included to demonstrate the performance of the proposed technique.
Is it now time to promote mixed enteral and parenteral nutrition for the critically ill patient

Intensive care outcome measured by morbidity and mortality is altered in the severely malnourished ICU patient, and nutritional support of the critically ill is accepted as a standard of care. Current recommendations suggest starting enteral feeding as soon as possible whenever the gastrointestinal tract is functioning. The disadvantage of enteral support is that inadequate energy and protein intake can occur. The present commentary focuses on some recent findings regarding the nutritional support of critically ill patients and proposes to promote mixed nutrition support by enteral nutrition (EN), and by parenteral nutrition (PN) whenever EN is insufficient. An increasing nutrition deficit during a long ICU stay is associated with increased morbidity (increased infection rate or impaired wound healing). Evidence shows that EN can result in underfeeding and that nutrition goals are reached only after 5–7 days. Contrary to former beliefs, recent meta-analyses of studies in the ICU showed that PN is not related to excess mortality but may even be associated with improved survival. Optimising the increased substrate requirement for the critically ill by initiating timely nutrition support and ensuring tight glycaemic control with insulin is now considered central for improved intensive care outcomes. Supplemental PN combined with EN could be an effective alternative to achieve 100% of energy and protein targets at day 4, when EN alone fails to achieve goals greater than 60% by day 3. Whether such combined nutrition support provides additional benefit on overall outcome has to be ascertained in further studies.
Antiviral effects on bacteriophages and rotavirus by cranberry juice

Studies were undertaken to investigate the antiviral effects of comestible juices, especially cranberry juice, on non-related viral species. After exposure of bacteriophage T2 to a commercially available cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) juice cocktail (CJ), virus infectivity titer was no longer detectible. After a 60-min exposure to orange (OJ) and grapefruit juices (GJ), phage infectivity was reduced to 25-35% of control, respectively. Similar data were observed for the bacteriophage T4. CJ inactivation of phage T4 was rapid, dose-dependent, and occurred at either 4 or 23 degrees C. Neither pH nor differences in sugar/carbohydrate levels among the juices may be ascribed to the recognized antiviral effects. Further studies were performed to identify the occurrence of antiviral activity by CJ to a mammalian enteric virus. The treatment of the simian rotavirus SA-11 with a 20% CJ suspension was sufficient to inhibit hemagglutination. Under scanning and transmission electron microscopy, CJ was observed to inhibit the adsorption of phage T4 to its bacterial host cells and prevented the replication of rotavirus in its monkey kidney (MA-104) host cells, respectively. The data suggest, for the first time, a non-specific antiviral effect towards unrelated viral species (viz., bacteriophages T2 and T4 and the simian rotavirus SA-11) by a commercially available cranberry fruit juice drink.
Endovascular Treatment of Iliac Limb Stenoses or Occlusions in 31 Patients Treated with the Ancure Endograft

PURPOSE The authors report their experience with treatment of iliac limb complications in patients treated with the Ancure endograft with Wallstents to provide additional support and thrombolysis when needed. MATERIALS AND METHODS From February 1996 to October 1999, 88 patients were treated for abdominal aortic aneurysm with use of the Ancure endograft. Of the 88 devices used, 20 were tube grafts and the remaining 68 devices had a total of 130 iliac limbs (bifurcated, n = 62; aortoiliac, n = 6). After graft deployment, all patients underwent intraoperative aortography; since July 1997, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has also been used. RESULTS Thirty-one patients (46%) required treatment of 47 (36%) limbs with Wallstents. Graft narrowing was observed in 41 limbs (27 patients) with IVUS immediately after graft deployment. All were successfully treated with placement of Wallstents. Before routine use of intraoperative IVUS, three patients presented between 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively with iliac limb thrombosis. All three limbs were successfully treated with thrombolysis and Wallstent placement to correct the underlying iliac problem. Additionally, two contralateral limbs in these three patients were also noted to have stenosis and were treated with use of Wallstents. The last patient required placement of a Wallstent to treat stenosis of surgical anastomosis of the iliac limb of an aortoiliac endograft at 3 days. All Wallstent-reinforced Ancure endografts remained patent from 1 to 36 months (mean, 14 months). CONCLUSION After placement of an Ancure bifurcated or aortoiliac endograft, iliac limb stenosis is easily detected with use of intraoperative IVUS. Such complications can be safely corrected with Wallstent placement. Postoperative limb occlusion at the authors' institution has been eliminated with such intervention.