cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CCC1 suppresses mitochondrial damage in the yeast model of Friedreich's ataxia by limiting mitochondrial iron accumulation.

Deletion of YFH1 inSaccharomyces cerevisiae leads to a loss of respiratory competence due to excessive mitochondrial iron accumulation. A suppressor screen identified a gene, CCC1, that maintained respiratory function in a Δyfh1 yeast strain regardless of extracellular iron concentration. CCC1 expression prevented excessive mitochondrial iron accumulation by limiting mitochondrial iron uptake rather than by increasing mitochondrial iron egress. Expression of CCC1 did not result in sequestration of iron in membranous compartments or cellular iron export.CCC1 expression in wild type cells resulted in increased expression of the high affinity iron transport system composed ofFET3 and FTR1, suggesting that intracellular iron is not sensed by the iron-dependent transcription factor Aft1p. Introduction of AFT1 up, a constitutive allele of the iron transcription factor, AFT1, that also leads to increased high affinity iron transport did not prevent Δyfh1 cells from becoming respiratory-incompetent. Although the mechanism by whichCCC1 expression affects cytosolic iron is not known, the data suggest that excessive mitochondrial iron accumulation only occurs when cytosolic free iron levels are high.
Logistics Professional Identity: Strengthening the Discipline as Galaxies Collide

The merger of logistics, operations, supply management, and related disciplines into the broader field of supply chain management (SCM) has brought together academic fields with different professional identities and competing visions of what SCM ought to be, what students ought to be taught, and what the priorities for research and publication should be. This raises serious concerns because logistics faculty are less numerous than faculty in related fields. Logistics professional identity risks being diluted by the merger, resulting in potentially serious consequences for the future of logistics education and research. This paper explores these issues and offers suggestions to preserve logistics' professional identity, education and research in a supply chain world. We propose that logisticians expand the journals where they publish logistics research, continuing support for strengthening the Journal of Business Logistics as the “A” journal in logistics, rethink the way we train doctoral students, and work to preserve our community both inside and outside business schools.
Treatment of euthyroid cardiac patients by producing myxedema with radioactive iodine.

SummaryRadioactive iodine 131 was administered to 2 severely ill cardiac patients who showed no clinical or laboratory evidences of thyrotoxicosis or myxedema. In both instances, decided reduction in the metabolic rate coincided with clinical improvement. These results justify further studies and observations.
Ferroic crystals and tensor distinction

The tensor distinction of ferroic crystals by physical property tensors is reviewed. We consider whether or not a physical property can simultaneously distinguish among all the domains which arise in a ferroic phase transition and between pairs of domains. Because of their central role in determining switching of domains, we also consider which components of a tensor distinguish between the pairs of domains. We also include the fourth primary ferroic physical property, the toroidal moment, in addition to magnetization, polarization, and strain.
Detection of occult foci of breast cancer using breast-specific gamma imaging in women with one mammographic or clinically suspicious breast lesion.

Rationale and Objectives The aim of this study was to determine how often breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) identifies occult cancerous lesions in women with one suspicious lesion detected on mammography or physical exam. Materials and Methods A retrospective review was performed of the records of all patients who underwent BSGI between January 1, 2004, and June 4, 2007. Included in the study were 159 women who had one suspicious breast lesion on physical exam and/or mammography and who underwent BSGI to evaluate for occult lesions in the breast. All patients had one or more foci of cancer proven pathologically. BSGI findings were classified as normal or abnormal on the basis of the presence of focal radiotracer uptake. Results BSGI detected additional suspicious lesions occult to mammography and physical exam in 46 of 159 women (29%). BSGI identified occult cancer in 14 of 40 women (35%) who underwent biopsy or excision because of BSGI findings and in 14 of the 159 (9%) women in this study. In nine women, the occult cancer was present in the same breast as the index lesion (6%), and in five women, the occult cancer was found in the contralateral breast (3%). Conclusions BSGI is an effective imaging modality in the identification of mammographically and clinically occult cancer in women with one suspicious breast lesion.
Occlusive Vascular Diseases of the Abdomen

Johannes Lammer’s abstract on occlusive vascular diseases of the abdomen divides arterial occlusive disease into acute and chronic occlusions and summarizes the etiologies, clinical manifestations, imaging diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. Additionally, the most frequent and important manifestations of venous occlusive disease in the inferior vena cava, its branches as well as in the portal venous system and in the hepatic veins are summarized.
Death by homicide in National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes between 2003 and 2013

Background The incidence of homicide-related death among individuals of college age in the United States population is estimated at 15.5/100 000. The incidence of homicide among National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes is unknown. Aim To investigate the rate of homicide-related death in NCAA athletes and to identify associated risk factors. Methods The NCAA Resolutions list, NCAA catastrophic insurance claims, media reports, and published NCAA demographic data were used to identify student athlete deaths and total participant seasons from 2003–04 through 2012–13. Homicide-related deaths were analysed by sex, race, division, sport, method, location, and circumstance. Internet searches were used to gather case details. Results Forty-two cases of homicide-related death were identified from 4 242 519 individual participant seasons during the ten-year study period. The incidence of homicide-related death in NCAA athletes was 1.0/100 000. The incidence in males was 1.45/100 000 and in females was 0.4/100 000 (relative risk (RR) 2.9, p=0.01). The incidence in black athletes was 4.2/100 000 and in white athletes was 0.4/100 000 (RR 7.0, p Conclusions Homicide-related deaths in NCAA athletes occur most commonly in males, black athletes, and American football players. Understanding the incidence, risk factors, and circumstances of homicide-related deaths in college athletes may assist NCAA institutions in developing preventative measures. Trial registration number University of Washington Human Subjects Application, HSD No. 42077.
A New Species of Polylopadium (Acari: Trombiculidae) from Colombia, with a Key to the Species in the Genus

Polylopadium antioquiai is described as new from specimens collected in Colombia from Tomes' Spiny Rat, Proechimys semispinosus . A key to the 11 species in the genus is given.
Toward a Minimal Artificial Axon.

The electrophysiology of action potentials is usually studied in neurons, through relatively demanding experiments which are difficult to scale up to a defined network. Here we pursue instead the minimal artificial system based on the essential biological components—ion channels and lipid bilayers—where action potentials can be generated, propagated, and eventually networked. The fundamental unit is the classic supported bilayer: a planar bilayer patch with embedded ion channels in a fluidic environment where an ionic gradient is imposed across the bilayer. Two such units electrically connected form the basic building block for a network. The system is minimal in that we demonstrate that one kind of ion channel and correspondingly a gradient of only one ionic species is sufficient to generate an excitable system which shows amplification and threshold behavior.
The rare earths—XCI: Lanthanide(III) complexes of N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine

Abstract Under carefully controlled experimental conditions and with the maintenance of completely anhydrous systems, crystalline lanthanide complexes with nitrogen-donor ligands N,N′-dimethylethylenediamine (dmed) and N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmed) have been isolated. Stoichiometric compositions of the products are Ln(dmed)2Cl3 (Ln = Sm, Er, Yb), Ln(dmed)2(NO3)3 (Ln = Pr, Sm), Gd(dmed)(NO3)3, Ln(tmed)Cl3 (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Ho, Er) and Ln(tmd)(NO3)3·xCH3CN (Ln = Nd, Er, Ho; x = 0, 1). Calorimetric studies indicate that the dmed complexes do not form in a stepwise fashion in acetonitrile, but rather that higher-order species form in solution.
SUCCESSFUL MID-TERM OUTCOMES OF CRYOABLATION WITH AN 8-MM TIP CATHETER FOR PEDIATRIC AVNRT

Despite the fact that cryoablation has been shown to be safe and effective for pediatric AVNRT, there is limited information available on the outcomes of these patients (pts) using the 8-mm tip Cryocatheter. The goal of this single-center study was to compare the efficacy of cryoablation using the 8
Robust Transmission Planning Under Uncertain Generation Investment and Retirement

Transmission planning is typically faced with a wide range of uncertainty including growth in demand, renewable energy generation and fuel price. The restructuring of the electric power industry, the drive for energy independence and the push for a cleaner environment have led to additional sources of uncertainty in all aspects of power system operations and planning. The more decentralized decision-making implicates uncertainty in future generation investment and retirement of existing units. Such uncertainties are among the biggest challenges in transmission planning in power systems. However, existing approaches in the literature do not fully address this problem. In this paper, we construct a new robust transmission planning model representing generation investment and retirement uncertainty more realistically to improve the quantification and visualization of uncertainty and the impacts of environmental policies. With this model, we can manage the impacts of uncertainty in the time, the size and the location of candidate generation additions as well as the retirement of units. The corresponding algorithm we develop takes advantage of the structural characteristics of the model so as to obtain a computationally efficient solution methodology. We present an extensive numerical study on the WECC 240-bus system and illustrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Promoting Collaboration with Social Robots

As robotic technology becomes more robust and interactive, robots are increasingly stepping into the role of a collaborator to humans in various contexts. In addition to performing collaborative tasks accurately and efficiently, robots should also contribute socially by improving team effectiveness and cohesion. This work is a first step toward developing a high-level reasoning model of the motivations and strategies held by each individual of the team. With this model, social robots will be able to promote more efficient and enjoyable collaboration by suggesting improvements to specific actions, aligning diverging strategies, and encouraging actions that promote higher team cohesiveness.
Analysis of dynamic stress response of lower course by moving-vibrating compaction on semi-rigid base

The dynamic stress response of the lower course by moving-vibrating compaction on semi-rigid base was analyzed to judge whether it caused early wreckage to the lower course.The pressure of vibrating road roller on the compacted course was predigested to cyclical and rectangle uniform pressure. A moving-vibrating load model was used to simulate the load of vibrating road roller during compacting course,and the load was applied and solved with APDL based on fini-element model.3D fini-element transient dynamic method and ANSYS fini-element program were used to calculate and analyze the dynamic stresses of the lower course while vibrating compaction on semi-rigid base.So a method of analyzing dynamic stresses of pavement structure under vibrating compaction was built.The calculation example shows that the peak value of dynamic tensile stress on lower course by vibrating compaction approaches the tensile strength of this course which may cause early wreckage to the lower course in 7d,meanwhile it also shows the necessity of control of construction load and construction time during vibrating compacting on semi-rigid base.
Analysis on the quality of death-case-reporting-system of 2012in Wuhu city

Objective To assess the quality of network-based death-case reporting system in Wuhu city.Methods Data of death cases reported directly in the network-based system were collected,analyzed,and the quality of death-case-reporting-system was evaluated in terms of the promptness of reporting and auditing and common coding error.Results A total of 8263death cases were reported in 2012in Wuhu city,in which 43.30% of death cases were from medical institutions,whil the remaining cases were from outside.The overall promptness rate of reporting was 84.04%,whiche was much higher among death cases reported from medical institutions compared to those from outside(χ2=374.27,P0.01).The timely rate of auditing was 99.66%.24.01% death cases contained obvious coding errors which was three times higher among death cases reported outside medical institutions(33.66%)compared to cases reported inside(11.38%),and the difference was statistically significant(χ2=551.90,P0.01).Conclusions The quality of coding on death causes in medical institutes is poor,suggesting that the training on ascertainment and coding of underlying death causes should be improved.
[Survival analysis on AIDS antiretroviral therapy in Henan province during 2003-2009].

Objective To study the effect of a government-provided-free highly activeantiretroviral treatment (HAART) program,on the reduction of mortality and relevant risk factorsamong adult (AIDS) patients in Henan province.Methods Data on the survival and deaths of AIDSpatients were collected from the National HAART reporting system between 2003 and 2009.Coxproportional hazards model was applied to analyze those factors that affecting the survival time of thepatients.Results 24 669 cases were enrolled to this study in Henan province,from 2003 to 2009.The overall mortality declined from 20.1/100 person-years in 2003 to 5.1/100 person-years in 2009.There was significant difference between the survival curves of different CD4 + T counts and differentnumbers of opportunistic infection syndromes.Results from the Multivariate Cox proportional hazardsregression analysis indicated that CD4+T cell counts ( ＞200 cells/μl,50-199 cells/μ l) was a riskfactor to death,with hazard ratio as 4.4 and 2.0 respectively.Hb of the patients that lower than 90,was a risk factor to death with the HR=1.8.Number of opportunistic infection (OIs) episodes was arisk factor to the mortality (HR=1.7).In addition,other risk factors would include age ( ≥60 years,old),being male,unmarried or divorced,ALT＞100 μl,and other routes of infection,other thanFormer Plasma Donors (FPDs),with HR as 2.2,1.6,1.5,1.3 and 1.2.However,the protectivefactors would include:(1)the earlier the HAART began,the longer the survival time would last(HR =0.8 ) ; (2) when one spouse had already had the infection of HIV,it seemed helpful for the otherspouse to live longer (HR=0.8).Conclusion The National Free Treatment Program hadsignificantly reduced the AIDS mortality rate.Some effective measures should be further taken tomonitor the CD4 + T and the opportunistic infection of the AIDS patients.Patients who were in need totake the HARRT should be adopted into the ART timely,At the same time,the occurrence ofopportunistic infections should be actively prevented. Key words: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Antiretroviral therapy; Mortality
Microbial filtrates activate granulocytes without complement or prostaglandins.

UNLABELLED Cardiorespiratory dysfunction in sepsis may be mediated by circulating complement, activated leukocytes, prostaglandins, or by a direct effect of endotoxin. The purposes of this study were to determine if pathogenic microbes produce these substances and to evaluate the direct effects of substances released by micro-organisms on granulocyte aggregation (GA). Escherichia coli, (E. coli), Aeromonas hydrophila (Aeromonas h.), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Candida albicans, (Candida a.) were incubated in broth to a concentration of 10(9)/ml. Broth was filtered and analyzed by radioimmunoassay for complement components C3a and C5a, thromboxane B2 (TxB), and prostaglandin 6-keto-F1 alpha (PGI) and by the limulus amebocyte lysate test (LAL) for endotoxin. GA, % of maximum zymosan activated aggregation (% max. T), was performed with broth, microbial filtrates, and endotoxin or normal purified human leukocytes in HBSS. Organisms were incubated in broth (B), broth + 0.0135 mg/ml arachidonic acid (BA), and broth + arachidonic acid + indomethacin (BAI). Broth alone was the control (C). RESULTS C3a, C5a, TxB, and PGI were not detectable in C broth or in any microbian filtrate. LAL was positive in all filtrates, but negative in C broth. GA responses were significantly greater in E. coli (56 +/- 5% max T) and Aeromonas h. (57% +/- 8% max T) compared to S. aureus (10 +/- 5% max T), Candida a. (14 +/- 8% max T) and C broth (1 +/- 1% max T). GA with purified E. coli endotoxin at concentrations measured in the filtrates was not related to the GA responses the original filtrates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
When antihypertensive monotherapy fails: fixed-dose combination therapy.

Background Antihypertensive monotherapy fails to control blood pressure in many patients. Methods Data on the efficacy and tolerance of fixed dose angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor/calcium antagonist combinations were reviewed, since they are the most widely prescribed medications for hypertension. Results A fixed-dose combination of two drug classes is an option for hypertension treatment. Four fixed-dose ACE inhibitor/calcium antagonist combinations are available. They achieve superior blood pressure control with no increase in adverse events compared with their monotherapy components. In addition, they antagonize some class-specific adverse effects and may exhibit beneficial effects on target organ disease, such as renal dysfunction and left ventricular hypertrophy. Conclusions Fixed-dose combination therapy is an attractive option when reasonable doses of initial antihypertensive monotherapy fail. Use of such combinations could increase patient compliance, by virtue of better tolerance compared with increased-dose monotherapy and simplicity of administration.
Modeling Influenza by Modulating Flu Awareness

It is important for public health officials to follow both the incidence of disease and the public’s perception of it, especially in the Internet-connected age. In the specific context of influenza, disease surveillance through social media has proven effective, but public awareness of influenza and its effects are not well understood. We build upon the existing Epstein model of coupled contagion with the aim of including modern media mechanisms for awareness transmission. Our agent-based model captures the unique effects of news media and social media on disease dynamics, and suggests potential areas for policy intervention to modulate the spread of the flu.
Developing National Estimates of the Out-of-Pocket Costs of Cancer: The Importance of Including Patients with Lymphoma.

Background: While Congress has mandated that the NIH provide a national estimate of the cost of cancer, almost all cancer cost studies have focused exclusively on breast cancer. No study has reported comparison data for persons with Hodgkin’s disease (HD) or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). These illnesses have a high cure rate, and affected persons are likely to experience significant economic hardships. Many participate in the workforce during treatment and long after the treatment is complete. Herein, we report preliminary results from an ongoing study on the out-of-pocket direct medical and non-medical costs for a cohort of patients with lymphoma and provide contextual comparison with a cohort of breast cancer patients who received care at the same cancer center (Arozullah, Supportive Oncology, 2004). Methods: 178 breast cancer and lymphoma patients provided information on out-of-pocket costs for the preceding 3-month period; 12% had a diagnosis of HD or NHL. In total, 120 lymphoma patients will be interviewed for this study. Direct medical costs are costs related to medical care such as medications, procedures, and doctor visits. Direct non-medical costs are costs related to cancer, but not medical care, such as costs for meals, transportation, parking, and phone calls. Results: The majority of both lymphoma and breast cancer patients were th grade education ($1,585/month) and HD ($1,133/month). Conclusion: Mean monthly out-of-pocket expenditures are similar for HD/NHL and breast cancer. Direct medical out-of-pocket expenditures for lymphoma vary. Direct medical expenditures are greatest for HD ($1,130), intermediate for aggressive NHL and breast cancer ($512–$597), and lowest for indolent NHL ($180). Comprehensive economic analyses of cancer should include a range of malignancies. Average Monthly Out-of-Pocket Costs for Lymphoma and Breast Cancer Patients.
Random Projection Clustering on Streaming Data

Clustering streaming data has gained importance in recent years due to an expanding opportunity to discover knowledge in widely available data streams. As streams are potentially evolving and unbounded sequence of data objects, clustering algorithms capable of performing fast and incremental processing of data points are necessary. This paper presents a method of clustering high-dimensional data streams using approximate methods called streamingRPHash. streamingRPHash combines random projections with locality-sensitivity hashing to construct a high-performance clustering method. streamingRPHash is amenable to distributed processing frameworks such as Map-Reduce, and also has the benefits of constrained overall complexity growth. This paper describes streamingRPHash algorithm and its various configurations. The clustering performance of streamingRPHash is compared to several alternatives. Experimental results show that streamingRPHash has comparable clustering accuracy and substantially lower runtime and memory usage.
Acute on chronic gastrointestinal bleeding: a unique clinical entity

Gastrointestinal bleeding is defined in temporal-spatial terms-as acute or chronic, and/or by its location in the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we define a distinct type of bleeding, which we have coined 'acute on chronic' gastrointestinal bleeding. We prospectively identified all patients who underwent endoscopic evaluation for any form of gastrointestinal bleeding at a University Hospital. Acute on chronic bleeding was defined as the presence of new symptoms or signs of acute bleeding in the setting of chronic bleeding, documented as iron deficiency anemia. Bleeding lesions were categorized using previously established criteria. We identified a total of 776, 254, and 430 patients with acute, chronic, or acute on chronic bleeding, respectively. In patients with acute on chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, lesions were most commonly identified in esophagus (28%), colon and rectum (27%), and stomach (21%) (p<0.0001 vs locations for acute or chronic bleeding). In those specifically with acute on chronic upper gastrointestinal bleeding (n=260), bleeding was most commonly due to portal hypertensive lesions, identified in 47% of subjects compared with 29% of acute and 25% of chronic bleeders, (p<0.001). In all patients with acute on chronic bleeding, 30-day mortality was less than that after acute bleeding alone (2% (10/430) vs 7% (54/776), respectively, p<0.001). Acute on chronic gastrointestinal bleeding is common, and in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding was most often a result of portal hypertensive upper gastrointestinal tract pathology. Reduced mortality in patients with acute on chronic gastrointestinal bleeding compared with those with acute bleeding raises the possibility of an adaptive response.
Intraoperative Computed Tomography Angiography: A Novel Completion Imaging Modality for Carotid Endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND Intraoperative computed tomography angiography (ICTA) is a novel completion imaging modality for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). No studies exist in the literature describing ICTA use in CEA. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of ICTA as a method of immediately evaluating the technical results of CEA. METHODS Twenty-three consecutive CEAs were performed by a single neurosurgeon over an 8-month period. Of this series, 12 utilized ICTA for completion imaging, 10 utilized duplex ultrasonography (US), and 1 utilized no intraoperative completion imaging. Electronic medical records were reviewed to assess demographics, CTA results, US results, and need for revisions. RESULTS Patients included 13 men (62%) and 8 women (38%). All patients had symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) patch angioplasty was used in 16 cases (70%). Average operative times were comparable between cases that utilized CTA and US, 180 and 175 min, respectively. Major technical defects were identified in one of the 12 cases utilizing ICTA and none of the 10 cases utilizing intraoperative US. The technical defect was revised without subsequent neurological complication. One patient had a postoperative intracerebral hemorrhage requiring surgical evacuation. Fifteen patients were followed for up to 3 months with no postoperative stroke or transient ischemic attacks. CONCLUSION ICTA is a potentially safe and effective completion imaging modality compared to traditional alternatives, enabling the identification of technical deficits intraoperatively. While no statistically significant difference in operative times were noted between intraoperative CTA and US use, numerous steps must be taken to maximize the efficiency of ICTA.
Study Design and Analysis in Sleep Medicine

The evaluation of medical evidence derived from the literature obviously requires the ability to understand and critique published studies. In this chapter, the design and analysis of observational and interventional studies will be discussed, with specific reference to selected papers in the field of sleep medicine. The approach taken is to first review the various types of research designs used in clinical epidemiology, e.g., cohort, case–control, experimental, quasi-experimental, etc., with examples from the recent literature. After the design of these studies has been described, an introduction to statistical methods is provided with an explanation of how these methods were applied to the analysis of the papers under consideration. Although a comprehensive treatment of research design and analysis is clearly beyond the scope of this chapter, it is hoped that the treatment provided herein will provide the reader with the basic skills and enthusiasm to delve further into the analytical methods applied to sleep medicine studies.
Proactive identification of exploits in the wild through vulnerability mentions online

The number of software vulnerabilities discovered and publicly disclosed is increasing every year; however, only a small fraction of them is exploited in real-world attacks. With limitations on time and skilled resources, organizations often look at ways to identify threatened vulnerabilities for patch prioritization. In this paper, we present an exploit prediction model that predicts whether a vulnerability will be exploited. Our proposed model leverages data from a variety of online data sources (white-hat community, vulnerability researchers community, and darkweb/deepweb sites) with vulnerability mentions. Compared to the standard scoring system (CVSS base score), our model outperforms the baseline models with an F1 measure of 0.40 on the minority class (266% improvement over CVSS base score) and also achieves high True Positive Rate at low False Positive Rate (90%, 13%, respectively). The results demonstrate that the model is highly effective as an early predictor of exploits that could appear in the wild. We also present a qualitative and quantitative study regarding the increase in the likelihood of exploitation incurred when a vulnerability is mentioned in each of the data sources we examine.
Maze-Solving Cells

Moving cells have surprising abilities to navigate efficiently through complex microscale human-engineered mazes. Most often, they follow chemical gradients established by diffusion from a source to a sink. Cells steer towards the steepest gradients and move along the shortest paths towards the source. Occasionally, the gradients are self-generated by the moving cells themselves. While the cells also respond to the same gradients they create, a self-sustained loop is established, which guides the cells towards the shortest path towards exit from confined spaces. Precision measurements of human cell maze-navigation performance could ultimately enhance our capabilities to diagnose, monitor, and treat various diseases that range from inflammation to cancer.
Evaluation of Thrombocytopenia in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy.

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) may be associated with thrombocytopenia in critically ill patients. A confounding factor is concomitant use of unfractionated heparin (UFH) a...
Quantum Dots for Imaging of Angiogenesis

Quantum dots (QDs) are inorganic fluorescent nanoparticles that have found tremendous application in the field of biomedical imaging. QDs have superior photoluminescence properties over traditionally utilized fluorescent probes such as being brighter and more photostable. Their unique advantages make them attractive alternatives to conventional fluorescent dyes and show promise in tumor diagnostics and therapy. In recent years, more and more studies show that QD based nanoparticles with specificity for activated endothelial cells can be used to image ongoing angiogenesis. In this chapter, we will briefly introduce the methods of preparing targeted QDs based probes for angiogenesis imaging.
Last Exit Time and Harmonic Measure for Brownian Motion in Rd

The purpose of this paper is to establish a connection between the last exit time distribution and the so-called harmonic measure of the Brownian motion process in Rd . The main tool in handling this problem is the following Chung’s formula [1] : let D be a bounded domain in Rd , (X(t)) the Brownian motion process in Rd , and τD the exit time from D, i.e., τD = inf{t> 0; X(t) є DC} . For every bounded measurable function f on ∂D define HD as: $${{H}_{D}}f\left( x \right)={{E}^{X}}\left[ f\left( X\left( {{\tau }_{D}} \right) \right);{{\tau }_{D}}<\infty \right],x\in D$$ (*) Then, according to [1], a measure HD(x,.) defined on the boundary ∂D is called the harmonic measure of x with respect to D.
The Struggle to Make Sustainable Change in Global Health

In light of the current global economic crisis, the concept of promoting sustainability as part of public health efforts has reemerged as a major focus of the global health community. Historically, however, health efforts have not been focused on sustainability. Rather, efforts have focused on disease-specific intervention programs. These programs do not support systematic change to healthcare delivery systems and in many instances have taken away medical personnel from struggling local health systems to administer disease-specific short-term interventions. Aid for global health is donated by many state and private actors in a largely uncoordinated manner, directed overwhelmingly to specific high-profile diseases – rather than toward the general health of the public. Uncoordinated aid makes things worse on the ground. Often sustainability is mentioned in passing as a project goal without the discussion of specific endpoints and strategies, but in order to achieve true long-term change, clear targets need to be at the center of any effort. Charity is easy; transformation, however difficult, is the far preferable goal.
Clinical syndrome and lipid metabolism in hereditary deficiency of apolipoproteins A-I and C-III, variant 1.

The DNA alteration in hereditary deficiency of apoA-I and C-III, variant 1, is one of the best characterized of all the dyslipoproteinemias. Since that discovery lipid metabolism has been examined in some detail in the two patients with this disorder. This report will review the clinical findings in the two patients and present results of studies on the physico-chemical properties and metabolism of their lipoproteins.
Small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, a single institution experience.

e16512Background: Small cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder (SCCB) is a rare but aggressive malignancy associated with poor prognosis. There is no established treatment guideline. It is typically...
Implementing and measuring the impact of a clinical and translational research mentor recognition program.

Introduction Research shows incentives can motivate faculty to increase their engagement in mentoring, despite a myriad of institutional barriers. One such incentive may be the implementation of a university-wide mentor award program to promote a culture of mentorship. Methods A new mentorship award was created at a research-intensive university and faculty recipients were surveyed to assess their perceptions of the award's impact on their mentoring practices and career. Results Sixty-two percent of awardees (n=21) completed the survey and felt the recognition incentivized them to engage in further mentoring and participate in formal mentorship training. Most awardees referenced the award in their CVs, performance evaluations, and grant proposals. Additionally, they felt the award effectively promoted mentoring among the broader faculty community. Conclusion Growth of clinical and translational research depends in part on the mentorship received by early career faculty. Therefore, other research universities may benefit from implementing such awards.
Climate Change and Crime Revisited: An Exploration of Monthly Temperature Anomalies and UCR Crime Data:

A growing body of research suggests a positive connection between climate change and crime, but few studies have explored the seasonal nature of that link. Here, we examine how the impact of climat...
Validation of the GAMMA-PC methodology for dry cask loading optimization

Abstract This paper evaluates the performance of a new greedy multiobjective memetic algorithm, GAMMA-PC, that was developed to find dry cask loading configurations with fewer casks, lower heat loads, and earlier transportation schedules. GAMMA-PC was applied to the dry cask loading problem for Zion Nuclear Power Station. This site represents a unique opportunity to validate algorithmic performance as its fuel has been completely transferred to dry storage using a high-quality loading strategy. The optimization of Zion was performed here using the same transfer timeframe as the vendor in charge of decommissioning and using an extended ten-year transfer timeline. The results of these scenarios showed that GAMMA-PC produced comparable solutions to the real Zion strategy. In the first scenario, GAMMA-PC produced a solution that dominated the real loading configuration, achieving a lower average cask initial heat load. Under the extended timeline, the real loading configuration dominated the GAMMA-PC solution, which had a higher average initial heat load. The values for the other objectives showed no difference in quality. The analysis of the individual cask characteristics also highlighted the fact that the dry cask loading paradigm does not directly address balance among the casks. Future work might incorporate this as an objective. This validation has shown that while the algorithm and problem objectives have some room for improvement, GAMMA-PC performs well and is a promising tool for the optimization of the dry cask loading problem.
Abstract A17: Generation and comparison of CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre-mediated genetically engineered mouse models of sarcoma

Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) that employ site-specific recombinase (SSR) technology are important tools for cancer research, and recently the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been increasingly utilized to model cancer in mice. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate two primary mouse models of sarcoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) in a GEMM, and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) in wild-type mice, to demonstrate the versatility of the system to generate multiple soft-tissue sarcoma subtypes. Because CRISPR technology is becoming more prevalent in cancer modeling, it is critical to thoroughly evaluate if these models are indeed comparable as tools to study cancer biology compared to conventional GEMMs initiated by recombinase technology. We used two Kras-driven sarcoma models of UPS generated with either Cre recombinase technology or CRISPR/Cas9 technology and compared the mutational profiles, histology, and growth kinetics of these models. KrasLSL-G12D/+; Rosa26LSL-Cas9-EGFP/+ (KC) mice received intramuscular delivery of an adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase and a single guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting Trp53. Cre-mediated expression of oncogenic Kras and Cas9, in combination with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of Trp53, was sufficient to generate primary soft-tissue sarcomas. Compared to the Cre/loxP model, we determined that sarcomas generated with CRISPR/Cas9 had similar growth kinetics, histology, copy number variation, and mutational load as assessed by whole-exome sequencing. We also demonstrated that off-target mutations in the sarcomas initiated by the Cas9 endonuclease were rare in tumors. Finally, we analyzed the Cas9-mediated indels present in tumors as genetic barcodes, which will enable future studies of tumor heterogeneity and clonality. These results show that sarcomas generated with CRISPR/Cas9 technology are similar to sarcomas generated with conventional modeling techniques. Ultimately this work corroborates CRISPR/Cas9-generated mouse models with traditional GEMMs phenotypically and genotypically, and expands the range of sarcoma mouse models available for research. Citation Format: Jianguo Huang, Mark Chen, Melodi Javid Whitley, Hsuan-Cheng Kuo, Eric S. Xu, Andrea Walens, Yvonne M. Mowery, David Van Mater, William C. Eward, Diana M. Cardona, Lixia Luo, Yan Ma, Omar M. Lopez, Christopher E. Nelson, Jacqueline N. Robinson-Hamm, Anupama Reddy, Sandeep S. Dave, Charles A. Gersbach, Rebecca D. Dodd, David G. Kirsch. Generation and comparison of CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre-mediated genetically engineered mouse models of sarcoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Conference on Advances in Sarcomas: From Basic Science to Clinical Translation; May 16-19, 2017; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(2_Suppl):Abstract nr A17.
Functional Domains of the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Tegument Protein pUL37: The Amino Terminus is Dispensable for Virus Replication in Tissue Culture

The herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) UL37 gene encodes for a multifunctional component of the virion tegument, which is necessary for secondary envelopment in the cytoplasm of infected cells, for motility of the viral particle, and for the first steps in the initiation of virus infection. This 120 kDa protein has several known viral interacting partners, including pUL36, gK/pUL20, pUS10, and VP26, and cellular interacting proteins which include TRAF6, RIG-I, and dystonin. These interactions are likely important for the functions of pUL37 at both early and late stages of infection. We employed a genetic approach to determine essential domains and amino acid residues of pUL37 and their associated functions in cellular localization and virion morphogenesis. Using marker-rescue/marker-transfer methods, we generated a library of GFP-tagged pUL37 mutations in the HSV-1 strain KOS genome. Through viral growth and ultra-structural analysis, we discovered that the C-terminus is essential for replication. The N-terminal 480 amino acids are dispensable for replication in cell culture, although serve some non-essential function as viral titers are reduced in the presence of this truncation. Furthermore, the C-terminal 133 amino acids are important in so much that their absence leads to a lethal phenotype. We further probed the carboxy terminal half of pUL37 by alanine scanning mutagenesis of conserved residues among alphaherpesviruses. Mutant viruses were screened for the inability to form plaques—or greatly reduced plaque size—on Vero cells, of which 22 mutations were chosen for additional analysis. Viruses discovered to have the greatest reduction in viral titers on Vero cells were examined by electron microscopy (EM) and by confocal light microscopy for pUL37–EGFP cellular localization. This genetic approach identified both essential and non-essential domains and residues of the HSV-1 UL37 gene product. The mutations identified in this study are recognized as significant candidates for further analysis of the pUL37 function and may unveil previously undiscovered roles and interactions of this essential tegument gene.
Influence of skin furrows on tape stripping in characterizing the depth of skin penetration.

Abstract The stratum corneum (SC), the outermost layer of the skin and its major barrier for penetration, contains furrows of different depths on its surface. The presence of these furrows might lead to erroneous interpretation of the results in skin permeation studies using tape stripping, in which the material trapped in the furrows removed by the tapes representing different layers of the SC might be interpreted as material penetrating within these layers. The present objective was to investigate the effect of skin furrows on tape stripping results. Non-penetrating fluorescent materials were topically applied to split-thickness human and full-thickness porcine skin samples. Tape stripping was applied, and the tapes were assessed by fluorescence microscopy and quantitative analyses. The microscopy images were assessed visually to determine the presence of the applied material in the furrows. The penetration depth of the material was examined and the fluorescence content and pattern in each tape were analyzed. The results suggested that skin furrows could be important in the first 10 tapes, affecting the quantification of materials in the SC, particularly in permeation studies of materials with low penetration into the SC. Depending on the properties of the materials, skin rinsing could reduce the impact of furrows.
The expanded view of individualism and collectivism: One, two, or four dimensions?:

Recent research to analyze and discuss cultural differences has employed a combination of five major dimensions of individualism–collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, femininity–masc...
Towards simulating multipath interference at detectors: a tool for validating location fingerprinting methods

Signal attributes such as angle of arrival (AoA), time of arrival (ToA), signal amplitude, and phase can be used by a set of receivers (detectors) to perform location fingerprinting (LF), whereby the location of a wireless source is determined. In validating new approaches for location fingerprinting, it is useful to simulate these attributes for the subset of signals that intersect detectors. However, given indoor settings with a complex architecture, it is computationally expensive to simulate multipath propagation while preserving detailed signal information. Moreover, this cost can be unnecessary since determining whether an LF approach is promising may not require tracing all rays that impact the detector. Here, we report on our preliminary efforts to design and test a MATLAB-based simulation tool for wireless propagation that addresses this issue. Our approach builds upon well-known ray-tracing techniques, but innovates via an algorithm designed to obtain a sizable subset of rays that intersect a detector, along with the AoA, ToA, signal amplitude, and phase for each such ray. Finally, we employ our tool in conjunction with a neural network-based method for location fingerprinting, demonstrating the intended use case for our simulation tool.
Addressing the Behavioral and Mental Health Educational Gap in Pediatric Residency Training

* Abbreviations: ABP — : American Board of Pediatrics B/MH — : behavioral and mental health In the study “Competency of Future Pediatricians Caring for Children With Behavioral and Mental Health Problems” in this issue of Pediatrics , Green et al1 describe the continued deficit in pediatric resident competence in assessing and treating behavioral and mental health (B/MH) conditions based on survey questions asked during the 2018 initial pediatrics certifying examination application. B/MH concerns in pediatric practice are rising in prevalence. Approximately 13% to 20% of children in the United States experience a mental health disorder each year, and suicide is now the second leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14 and adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 24.2 Nearly 25% of pediatric primary care visits involve a concern for B/MH issues.3 Throughout the pediatric education and training community, there has been a call for action to address the gap in trainee education on B/MH issues. The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) entrustable professional activity 9 states that care of patients with B/MH concerns requires that a pediatrician be competent in (1) identifying and managing common B/MH issues; (2) referring and comanaging … Address correspondence to Sue E. Poynter, MD, MEd, Pediatric Residency Training Program, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, MLC 5018, 3333 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229. E-mail: sue.poynter{at}cchmc.org
Permanent Scatterers in Repeat-Pass Airborne VHF Radar Sounder for Layer-Velocity Estimation

Englacial layer velocity can provide insights on the vertical-velocity structure of the ice sheets. We present a repeat-pass interferometric approach that allows the estimation of the vertical englacial layer velocity using the radar sounder data. In contrast to the ground-based sensors, the airborne radar sounder data can potentially be used to estimate the layer velocity on a continental scale. When merged with the horizontal surface velocity and the numerical models, layer velocity can support the 3-D analysis of the ice flow and structure. Our aim is to provide the proof-of-concept demonstration that, similar to the side-looking synthetic aperture radar for imaging, the airborne radar sounder data can be used to estimate the subwavelength displacement of the englacial radio-stratigraphic layers. To achieve this, we use the phase and magnitude acquired repeatedly over the same region of interest. After the extraction of the crossing points, two acquisitions are finely registered. Then, we compute the interferometric phase for the englacial layers (which are shown to behave as PSs in the nadir sounding geometry), to estimate a vertical displacement and a velocity profile. We present the results over East Antarctica using data from the high-capability radar sounder (HiCARS) system. We show two scenarios that demonstrate the feasibility, limitations, and requirements of this approach.