cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stimulatory effect of unsaturated fatty acids on the level of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 mRNA in cultured human endothelial cells

To determine whether unsaturated fatty acids induce changes in the mRNA level of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1), Northern analyses were performed on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and vascular smooth muscle cells that were treated with two common fatty acids. Supplementation of cultured HUVEC with docosahexanoic acid (DHA) or with dihomogamma linolenic acid (DGLA), resulted in a concentration dependent, specific increase of the PAI-1 transcript levels, which was detectable within 2 h. DHA and DGLA treatment of smooth muscle cells did not result in changes in the PAI-1 mRNA levels. Homology search of the upstream regulatory region of the PAI-1 gene sequences identified a consensus nucleotide sequence for a fatty acid-responsive element. Our results indicate that unsaturated fatty acids selectively increase PAI-1 mRNA levels in endothelial cells, the primary source of circulating PAI-1 in vivo.
Catalase and glutathione peroxidase mimics

Overproduction of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) superoxide (O2−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are increasingly implicated in human disease and aging. ROS are also being explored as important modulating agents in a number of cell signaling pathways. Earlier work has focused on development of small catalytic scavengers of O2−, commonly referred to as superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetics. Many of these compounds also have substantial abilities to catalytically scavenge H2O2 and peroxynitrite (ONOO−). Peroxides have been increasingly shown to disrupt cell signaling cascades associated with excessive inflammation associated with a wide variety of human diseases. Early studies with enzymatic scavengers like SOD frequently reported little or no beneficial effect in biologic models unless SOD was combined with catalase or a peroxidase. Increasing attention has been devoted to developing catalase or peroxidase mimetics as a way to treat overt inflammation associated with the pathophysiology of many human disorders. This review will focus on recent development of catalytic scavengers of peroxides and their potential use as therapeutic agents for pulmonary, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and inflammatory disorders.
Functions of acetylcholine in signal processing and development of the mammalian retina

Acetylcholine (ACh) was the first biological substance to be identified as a neurotransmitter. In spite of this relatively long history, the functions of acetylcholine in biological systems are still in the process of being elucidated. In the retina, which is responsible for the receipt and initial processing of light information for use by the visual system, acetylcholine has at least two functions: as a neurotransmitter and as an important molecule helping to organize the development of retinal cells.
The Role of Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptor γ in Colon Cancer and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

○ Objective.-Review the role and therapeutic potential of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) y in colonic disorders. Data Sources.-Recent peer-reviewed scientific literature focusing on PPAR γ in the colon. Study Selection.-Research reports using animal models, cultured cell lines, and clinical material were examined for content related to the role of PPAR y in normal colon cell function, colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease. Issues concerned with potential therapeutic use were also considered. Data Synthesis.-Key points pertaining to PPAR function and involvement in colon pathology were extracted and noted. Potential compromises to therapeutic utility are identified. Conclusions.-The emerging important role of PPAR y in normal tissue homeostasis and pathologic outcomes suggests this receptor is a good candidate as a drug target. Several potential problems with this approach will require further investigation prior to widespread recommendations for modulation of PPAR as an efficacious therapy for cancer, chemoprevention of colon cancer, or treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The widespread use of PPAR γ ligands for management of type 2 diabetes (such as the glitazone class of drugs including rosiglitazone and pioglitazone) may provide a fortuitous assessment of the efficacy of long-term PPAR modulation.
Using Wikipedia to learn semantic feature representations of concrete concepts in neuroimaging experiments

In this paper we show that a corpus of a few thousand Wikipedia articles about concrete or visualizable concepts can be used to produce a low-dimensional semantic feature representation of those concepts. The purpose of such a representation is to serve as a model of the mental context of a subject during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments. A recent study by Mitchell et al. (2008) [19] showed that it was possible to predict fMRI data acquired while subjects thought about a concrete concept, given a representation of those concepts in terms of semantic features obtained with human supervision. We use topic models on our corpus to learn semantic features from text in an unsupervised manner, and show that these features can outperform those in Mitchell et al. (2008) [19] in demanding 12-way and 60-way classification tasks. We also show that these features can be used to uncover similarity relations in brain activation for different concepts which parallel those relations in behavioral data from human subjects.
‘ Republicanos ’ and ‘ la Communidad de Peruanos ’: Unimagined Political Communities in Postcolonial Andean Peru

Although unimagined and unanticipated within the Creole nationalist ‘discursive frameworks’ of the liberal-republican state, nineteenth-century Andean peasant communities sought mediated re-insertion in the postcolonial Peruvian Republic. Key to peasant political engagement in the Andean region of Huaylas-Ancash was the tactical deployment of ‘Indian rights’ of colonial origin to make moral and material claims on the postcolonial caudillo state. In Huaylas-Ancash peasant claims and political practices destabilised liberal notions of ‘republic’ and ‘republican’ citizenship, and eventually challenged the teleogical historicity of Creole nation-building itself.
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator contributes to reacidification of alkalinized lysosomes in RPE cells

The role of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in lysosomal acidification has been difficult to determine. We demonstrate here that CFTR contributes more to the reacidification of lysosomes from an elevated pH than to baseline pH maintenance. Lysosomal alkalinization is increasingly recognized as a factor in diseases of accumulation, and we previously showed that cAMP reacidified alkalinized lysosomes in retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. As the influx of anions to electrically balance proton accumulation may enhance lysosomal acidification, the contribution of the cAMP-activated anion channel CFTR to lysosomal reacidification was probed. The antagonist CFTRinh-172 had little effect on baseline levels of lysosomal pH in cultured human RPE cells but substantially reduced the reacidification of compromised lysosomes by cAMP. Likewise, CFTR activators had a bigger impact on cells whose lysosomes had been alkalinized. Knockdown of CFTR with small interfering RNA had a larger effect on alkalinized lysosomes than on baseline levels. Inhibition of CFTR in isolated lysosomes altered pH. While CFTR and Lamp1 were colocalized, treatment with cAMP did not increase targeting of CFTR to the lysosome. The inhibition of CFTR slowed lysosomal degradation of photoreceptor outer segments while activation of CFTR enhanced their clearance from compromised lysosomes. Activation of CFTR acidified RPE lysosomes from the ABCA4−/− mouse model of recessive Stargardt's disease, whose lysosomes are considerably alkalinized. In summary, CFTR contributes more to reducing lysosomal pH from alkalinized levels than to maintaining baseline pH. Treatment to activate CFTR may thus be of benefit in disorders of accumulation associated with lysosomal alkalinization.
Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Construct Redefinition, Measurement, and Validation

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is reconceptualized in terms of civic citizenship as described in political philosophy. We used this theoretical foundation to derive substantive categorie...
The Relation of Morphological Awareness and Syntactic Awareness to Adults' Reading Comprehension: Is Vocabulary Knowledge a Mediating Variable?.

The authors’ goal was to examine the structural relationships among vocabulary knowledge, morphological awareness, syntactic awareness, and reading comprehension in English-speaking adults. Structural equation analysis of data collected from 151 participants revealed that morphological awareness affected reading comprehension directly. Syntactic awareness predicted reading comprehension not only directly but also indirectly via vocabulary knowledge. Vocabulary knowledge made an independent contribution to reading comprehension above and beyond those of morphologic awareness and syntactic awareness.
Hereditary gynaecological malignancies: Advances in screening and treatment

In the last two decades there have been significant advances in our understanding of female genital tract tumours. The discovery of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in ovarian cancer and the mismatch repair genes in endometrial carcinoma has revolutionized our approach to the diagnosis and screening of women for ovarian and uterine cancers. This review discusses the pathogenesis of these two hereditary syndromes in depth and explains how the molecular genetics is tailoring the manner in which these diseases are diagnosed and potentially treated. Other, less common hereditary conditions associated with gynaecological tract manifestations, such as Cowden syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Gorlin syndrome and hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma, are also summarized briefly.
A Problem of Fit: Extreme Delinquents, Blended Sentencing, and the Determinants of Continued Adult Sanctions

One of the most significant changes to juvenile justice processing in recent decades has been blended sentencing. Unlike traditional juvenile court or adult court waiver processes, blended sentencing statutes provide authority to juvenile or adult court judges to sanction delinquent offenders with juvenile and adult dispositions. Although state variations abound, most blended sentencing schemes feature a fail-safe postadjudication stage where decisions are made to suspend or invoke the adult portion of the original blended sentence. Based on data from 1,504 serious and violent male delinquents sanctioned via a blended sentencing statute, this study explored the relationship of a battery of delinquent background, commitment offense, and postadjudication institutional misconduct variables on decisions to invoke or suspend the adult portion of a blended sentence. Results of the analysis revealed that commitment offense type, age at commitment and, to a lesser extent, institutional misconduct behavior weighed most heavily in decisions to invoke the adult portion of the blended sentence.
Inner-Outer Bracket Models for Word Alignment using Hidden Blocks

Most statistical translation systems are based on phrase translation pairs, or "blocks", which are obtained mainly from word alignment. We use blocks to infer better word alignment and improved word alignment which, in turn, leads to better inference of blocks. We propose two new probabilistic models based on the inner-outer segmentations and use EM algorithms for estimating the models' parameters. The first model recovers IBM Model-1 as a special case. Both models outperform bidirectional IBM Model-4 in terms of word alignment accuracy by 10% absolute on the F-measure. Using blocks obtained from the models in actual translation systems yields statistically significant improvements in Chinese-English SMT evaluation.
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-S) and Psychiatric and Laboratory Measures of Frailty in a Residential Care Population

Previous reports have found low levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) in association with frailty in elderly patients. The mechanisms underlying these associations are not known. Therefore, psychiatric symptoms and disorders that are common in frail elderly patients were correlated with DHEA-S levels in a convenience sample selected from a nursing home population. Low DHEA-S levels were associated with high degrees of self-rated disability and insomnia. In women, low DHEA-S levels were also associated with increased numbers of pain sites. However, cognitive impairment was associated with higher DHEA-S levels in women. Thus, in frail elderly patients, there are contradictory relationships between DHEA-S and neuropsychiatric measures of frailty (cognitive impairment, disability, insomnia, and number of pain sites), and there may also be gender differences in these relationships.
A 9-bit multiple relaxation Lattice Boltzmann magnetohydrodynamic algorithm for 2D turbulence

While a minimalist representation of 2D Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) on a square lattice is a 9-bit scalar and 5-bit vector distribution functions, here we examine the effect of using the 9-bit vector distribution function on the effect of a magnetic field on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. While there is little difference in the simulation results between the 5-bit and the 9-bit vector distribution models in the vorticity, energy spectra, etc., the 9-bit model permits simulations with mean magnetic field a factor of approximately 2 greater than those attainable in the standard 5-bit model. Indeed a 9-bit single-relaxation model can attain such success over a 5-bit multiple-relaxation model at the same computational expense.
Correlation of NCI and IARC Carcinogens with Their Mutagenicity in Salmonella

Carcinogens identified by the NCI Bioassay Program and by recent IARC monographs were reviewed for mutagenicity in the Salmonella/microsome assay. Out of 124 NCI carcinogens, 33 were mutagenic in Salmonella, 24 were non-mutagenic, 19 were incompletely tested in Salmonella, and 48 were not tested. Out of 60 IARC carcinogens, 30 were mutagenic, 15 were non-mutagenic and 15 incompletely or not tested. Of the 102 adequately-tested carcinogens, 63 were mutagenic, giving an overall “success rate” of 62% (i.e. 62% of carcinogens were also mutagenic). If incompletely-tested carcinogens are eventually proven to be non-mutagenic, the success rate would be far lower. The large number of carcinogens which have either been incompletely tested in the Salmonella/microsome assay or not tested at all clearly deserve priority for in vitro testing.
Status migraine: The emergency department management of status migraine

The formal definition of status migraine is persistence of symptoms for >72 hours. This definition is clinically impractical and any persistent, protracted, and debilitating migraine attack that has been unresponsive or intractable to out-patient measures (ie oral, intranasal, sublingual, or subcutaneous measures) and requires urgent medical intervention with parenteral agents ought to be considered status migraine. These patients often present to EDs or urgent care clinics for care and a systematic approach with a series of option must be available.
Vehicular and Messaging Throughput Tradeoffs in Autonomous Highway Systems

Emerging autonomous vehicular technology advances facilitate the development of intelligent traffic regulation systems, aiming to configure vehicular mobility patterns to enhance in-road safety and accommodate high rate transport of vehicle-to- vehicle messaging flows. To date, mechanisms that are implemented to regulate vehicular mobility and those employed to provide for the communications of message flows across the highway, have been studied independently. In this paper, we investigate mechanisms that are used to regulate the mobility of highway vehicles, as they form distinct platoons, while also aiming to disseminate high priority safety and lower priority status messaging flows. We identify desired configurations of platoon entities, and the underlying setting of the parameters of the spatial TDMA scheduling scheme, aiming to satisfy the message delay limits required for the distribution of safety messages while providing for high throughput rates for the transport of status message flows. Under each vehicular traffic congestion regime, we demonstrate the design options that are available in determining the system's performance behavior, trading data messaging vs. vehicular traffic throughput rates.
Sympathoadrenal responses to stress: the linking of type A behavior pattern to ischemic heart disease.

This report is an analysis of the findings of blood pressure, pulse rate, adrenergic and noradrenergic responses to laboratory and clinical stresses in subjects according to Type A and Type B behavior patterns. Thirty-three experiments of Type A - B cardiovascular and sympathoadrenal responses to a variety of laboratory stressors were identified. Twenty-nine of these were analyzed and the data of 20 were pooled to give mean values for the percentage increments of systolic and diastolic blood pressures, pulse rates, and plasma levels of NE and E for Type A vs B patients respectively; (15 +/- 2 vs 10 +/- 1, P less than .05; 13 +/- 1 vs 8 +/- 1, P less than .02; 19 +/- 2 vs 13 +/- 2, P less than .05, 60 +/- 11 vs 19 +/- 8, P less than .02; and 106 +/- 45 vs 23 +/- 12, P less than .1). Seventy-five percent of the analyzed experiments provided evidence for heightened cardiovascular and sympathoadrenal responsivity in Type A subjects. NE and E appear to be hormonal intermediates which play a lethal role in ischemic heart disease. Neutralization of neural tone may be an important goal in the therapy of hypertensives with Type A behavior pattern.
The prevalence and validity of high, biologically implausible values of weight, height, and BMI among 8.8 million children

Objective This study assessed the prevalence and consistency of high values of weight, height, and BMI considered to be biologically implausible (BIV) using cut points proposed by WHO among 8.8 million low-income children (13.7 million observations). Methods Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were performed among 2- to 4-year-olds who were examined from 2008 through 2011. Results Overall, 2.7% of the body size measurements were classified as BIVs; 95% of these BIVs were very high. Among the subset of children (3.6 million) examined more than once, most of those who initially had a high weight or BMI BIV also had a high BIV at the second examination; odds ratios were >250. Based on several alternative classifications of BIVs, the current cut points likely underestimate the prevalence of obesity by about 1%. Conclusions Many of the extremely high values of body size currently flagged as BIVs are unlikely to be errors. Increasing the z-score cut points or using a percentage of the maximum values in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, could improve the balance between removing probable errors and retaining those that are likely correct.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus in a Community Population: Circulation of Subgroups A and B since 1965

Respiratory syncytial viruses were isolated from residents of Tecumseh, MI, with illnesses of all severities during the periods 1965-1971 and 1976-1981. These isolates were grouped using one monoclonal antibody specific for each subgroup. All were identified as either subgroup A or B. Subgroup A predominated in most years. No differences in age distribution or illness characteristics could be found between the subgroups. This study demonstrated that the currently recognized subgroups have been present in a single community since 1965, and their behavior in the past is similar to that currently described.
Low-temperature ageing map for 3mol% Y2O3-ZrO2

The ageing behaviour of 3mol% Y2O3-ZrO2 at 100–500° C in a water-containing atmosphere was studied. A critical grain size of ∼ 0.37 μm and a lower temperature limit of ∼80°C for retaining the tetragonal symmetry were deduced from the kinetic study. An “ageing map” constructed on the grain size (G) against ageing temperature (T) plot is proposed to describe the low-temperature ageing behaviour of 3mol% Y2O3-ZrO2.
Minimal C-terminal modification boosts peptide self-assembling ability for necroptosis of cancer cells.

Here we reported the first case in which enhancing self-assembling ability boosts anti-cancer efficacy through a simple and minimal modification of the C-terminus of a D-tripeptide. By only a 2% change of the molecular weight, this facile approach increases the inhibitory activity by over an order of magnitude (IC50 from 431 to 23 μM) towards an osteosarcoma cell line.
What to do when foreign bodies are inhaled or ingested.

Nearly 2000 persons in the United States die each year after ingesting or inhaling a foreign body. If a physician suspects a foreign body in a child's air passages, he should turn the child upside down, gently slap his back, clean his mouth of foreign material, and keep him breathing. Cricothyrotomy is an extreme emergency measure.
Single-Molecule Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

The advent of total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy has permitted visualization of biological events on an unprecedented scale: the single-molecule level. Using TIRF, it is now possible to view complex biological interactions such as cargo transport by a single molecular motor or DNA replication in real time. TIRF allows for visualization of single molecules by eliminating out-of-focus fluorescence and enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio. TIRF has been instrumental for studying in vitro interactions and has also been successfully implemented in live-cell imaging. Visualization of cytoskeletal structures and dynamics at the plasma membrane, such as endocytosis, exocytosis, and adhesion, has become much clearer using TIRF microscopy. Thanks to recent advances in optics and commercial availability, TIRF microscopy is becoming an increasingly popular and user-friendly technique. In this introduction, we describe the fundamental properties of TIRF microscopy and the advantages of using TIRF for single-molecule investigation.
Survey of hygienic condition of cooked meat products in Zhongshan City and measures

Objective To survey the hygienic status of cooked meat products for sale in Zhongshan City and provide scientific basis and feasible countermeasure for hygienic monitoring and management.Methods Samples of ooked meat products were ran- domly collected from shops,tested and analyzed.Results Totally 569 cooked meat products selling shops(200 from urban area and 369 from rural area)were surveyed and 488 of them had valid permit,with qualified rate of 85.8%.609 employees were sur- veyed and 502 were with valid health certificates(82.4%).Fly-proof and dust-proof facilities were installed in 502 shops(88. 8%).The qualification rate of 426 dish-washing rooms was 75.3%.215 shops were sterilized with ultraviolet light(38.1%).The qualification rate of 235 working clothing rooms was 41.5%.The qualification rate of 234 air-conditioned rooms was 44.6%.The qualification rate of 534 fixed containers storing rooms was 95.0%.A total of 320 samples cooked meat products(160 from urban area,160 from rural areas in four seasons)were randomly checked and 130 was qualified(40.6%).Pathogenic microorganisms were detected in a 33 samples with a positive rate of 10.3%.Conclusion There are hygienic problems in shops selling cooked meat products.Thus effective measures including improving facilities,strengthening monitoring and hygienic management and sterilization, etc.be taken so as to prevent the occurrence of food poisoning.
Trends in insulating varnish today

One of the newest, most rapidly advancing developments in the coatings field is the ultraviolet (UV) light cure of selected coating materials. This technique offers the potential for rapid and essentially non-polluting curing of the coatings.1 Studies of UV initiated vinyl polymerizations can be traced back nearly fifty years; however, curing of commercial coatings by UV was developed only in the late 1960's. Commercial UV cure applications in the United States have grown from two systems in 1971 to over thirty in 1972.2 By the end of 1974, more than ninety systems are expected to be in operation.3 Present commercial systems are primarily used in the furniture industry to cure fillers and topcoats on particle boards. Some plastic and metal substrates are also coated. Potential uses include cures of protective and decorate coatings on metal, plastics, wires, laminates, etc. The new technique has been recently reviewed.4'5 Unsaturated polyesters, usually diluted with styrene, are the most widely used resins for UV cured coatings. Since large quantities of polyesters are used in the electrical industry, we have examined and compared the electrical properties of UV cured polyesters with those obtained from conventional thermally cured systems in order to establish the feasibility for use of the UV technique in the production of electrical insulations.
Optimization of Neonatal Brain MR Imaging with Knee Phased-array Coil

Objective To investigate the optimization of neonatal brain MR imaging with knee phased-array coil. Methods Forty-five newborns participated in the study and were scanned with a knee phased-array coil. Imaging techniques, including T1-weighted imaging, T2-weighted imaging, T2 FLAIR imaging, and diffusion weighted imaging at the axial orientation, and T1-weighted imaging at the sagittal orientation, were respectively conducted. Twenty newborns were scanned with the conventional imaging parameters, and the other twenty-three were scanned with the optimized imaging parameters. Signal-to noise ratio(SNR) and image quality for clinical diagnosis were compared between paired scans. Results All data was successfully acquired. No statistically significant difference of SNR was observed between the conventional and the optimized imaging parameters(P-value 0.05). In addition, a Chi-square test suggested no significant difference of image quality for clinical diagnosis between the two sets of imaging parameters(P-value 0.05). The time scanned with the optimized imaging parameters was less than that scanned with the conventional imaging parameters. Conclusion With the advantages of halving scan time and specific absorption rate, the optimized neonatal brain MR imaging parameters were superior to the conventional ones, and were more suitable for neonatal brain MR examination with knee phased-array coil.
Effect of inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis on vasopressin secretion in conscious rabbits.

NO synthase is present in magnocellular neurons of supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei as well as in the posterior pituitary gland and may participate in control of vasopressin secretion. To test this possibility, experiments were performed in conscious, chronically prepared rabbits to determine the effect of NO synthesis inhibition with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) on basal vasopressin secretion and vasopressin responses to increased plasma osmolality (hypertonic saline infusion; P osm) and decreased blood pressure (nitroprusside infusion). L-NAME infusion (0.5 mg.kg-1 x min-1 i.v.) increased mean arterial pressure [MAP; 82.6 +/- 3.4 to 93.0 +/- 3.0 mmHg (P < 0.02)], decreased heart rate [HR; 242 +/- 12 to 209 +/- 9 beats/min (P < 0.02)], decreased plasma renin activity [PRA; 3.1 +/- 0.6 to 2.0 +/- 0.6 ng.ml-.2 h-1 (P < 0.001)], and increased plasma vasopressin concentration [P AVP; 2.2 +/- 0.3 to 4.5 +/- 1.0 pg/ml (P < 0.05)]. P(osm) did not change. Hypertonic saline infusion did not change MAP or HR but decreased PRA [4.3 +/- 0.8 to 0.9 +/- 0.2 ng.ml-1 x 2 h-1 (P < 0.01)], increased P(osm) [284 +/- 1 to 305 +/- 2 mosmol/kg H2O (P < 0.001)], and increased PAVP [2.8 +/- 0.3 to 12.7 +/- 2.7 pg/ml (P < 0.01)].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
NIMG-47PATHOLOGICALLY CONFIRMED VIABLE TUMOR SURROUNDS REGIONS OF PROGRESSIVELY EXPANDING DIFFUSION-RESTRICTED NECROSIS FOLLOWING BEVACIZUMAB TREATMENT

NIMG-47. PATHOLOGICALLY CONFIRMED VIABLE TUMOR SURROUNDS REGIONS OF PROGRESSIVELY EXPANDING DIFFUSION-RESTRICTED NECROSIS FOLLOWING BEVACIZUMAB TREATMENT Peter LaViolette, Nelson Milbach, Jennifer Connelly, Scott Rand, Kathleen Schmainda, and Elizabeth Cochran; Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA INTRODUCTION: In a subset of recurrent glioblastoma patients, bevacizumab has been shown to induce regions of diffusion restriction. Previous conflicting reportshave found that these lesions contain eitherhypercellular tumor or diffusion restricted necrosis. This study uses whole brain samples to determine both the histological characteristics of the diffusion restricted lesions, and the surrounding tissue. METHODS: Seven patients with bevacizumab induced diffusion restricted lesions were recruited for brain donation for this study. The patient’s brains were sectioned in the same axial orientation as their final clinical imaging session using individualized custom 3d-printed slicing jigs. Clinical imagingacquiredprior to death included diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), T1 pre and post gadolinium contrast, and T2 weighted images. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were calculated from the DWI. Diffusion restriction was defined using radiological criteria. All regions were outside of contrast enhancement, yet within T2 hyperintensity. Specimens were acquired from the brain slice and region that co-localized with the diffusion restriction. Samples were then paraffin embedded, H&E stained, and digitized for interpretation. Each sample was the read by our pathologist to differentiate necrotic regions from viable tumor. RESULTS: In six of seven patients, the diffusion-restricted lesions were progressively growingat the time of the patient’s final scan. In all cases, the diffusion restriction was co-localized to necrotic tissue. In the six progressing patients, the diffusionrestricted necrosis was surrounded by viable hypercellular non-enhancing tumor. The patient without progressively growing diffusion restriction had recurrent tumor elsewhere, not directly adjacent to the diffusion restriction. CONCLUSION: We pathologically confirmed that progressively growing diffusion restriction in patients undergoing bevacizumab treatment indicated necrosis surrounded by viable hypercellular tumor. This information should be considered when choosing to continue or withdraw bevacizumab therapy. Neuro-Oncology 17:v153–v171, 2015. doi:10.1093/neuonc/nov225.47 Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology 2015.
Impact of industry sponsorship on research outcomes.

Are research studies sponsored by industry more likely to have favorable results and conclusions than studies without industry sponsorship?
Quantum Evolution of 2-Level Atoms in the Presence of a State Selective Reservoir

Recently, we have shown that the nearly degenerate four-wave mixing (NDFWM) process can provide a direct and simultaneous measurement of the longitudinal (1/T1) and transverse (1/T2) relaxation rates of a resonant two-level atom. Furthermore, we observed that in the presence of buffer gases, the linewidth of the resonance describing the longitudinal relaxation process experiences a significant narrowing, below that of the natural width. Using a theoretical model, the narrowing was accounted for as arising from collisional effects in the ground state population[1] These observations were made for the case where the radiation fields are co-polarized,and we concluded that NDFWM offers a unique technique for the measurement of the ground state velocity changing cross-section[2].
A/an and the: allomorphy or phonology?

English a/an presents a well-known paradox: it is restricted to a single morpheme, which suggests that it is a morphological phenomenon, yet it depends crucially on information about the following word, and thus cannot be characterized as a strictly word-internal process. Here I look at a/an alongside a strikingly similar but far less studied alternation: English definite article th/i/ vs. th/ə/. I argue that despite initial appearances, neither a/an nor thi/t hə is determined by syllable well-formedness constraints. I show parallels between the two cases that can be explained under a phonological treatment featuring a vowel-reduction rule, which applies to both thi and the ‘strong’ a/an form /ej/.
Limiting Forms of Iterated Circular Convolutions of Planar Polygons

We consider a complex representation of an arbitrary planar polygon $$\mathcal {P}$$ centered at the origin. Let $$\mathcal {P}^{(1)}$$ be the normalized polygon obtained from $$\mathcal {P}$$ by connecting the midpoints of its sides and normalizing the complex vector of vertex coordinates. We say that $$\mathcal {P}^{(1)}$$ is a normalized average of $$\mathcal {P}$$ . We identify this averaging process with a special case of a circular convolution. We show that if the convolution is repeated many times, then for a large class of polygons the vertices of the limiting polygon lie either on an ellipse or on a star-shaped polygon. We derive a complete and compact analytical description of the limiting elliptical envelope using discrete Fourier transforms and circular convolutions. One of the key insights of this approach is the realization that the repeated circular convolution removes all higher harmonic pairs leaving only the principal harmonic pair from the discrete Fourier transform of the original polygon to dominate the Fourier transform of the repeatedly convolved polygon thereby controlling the limiting behavior.
“Mini Death, and a Rebirth”: Talking the Crossing in Shani Mootoo’s Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab

Through a critical analysis of Shani Mootoo’s Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab (2014), Chatterji focuses on gender crossing as a form of performance studies that inaugurates a paradigmatic shift in the political and linguistic representations of queer desires in Trinidad which need not necessarily be mapped in terms of heterosexuality, homosexuality, transgender, or cross-dresser. While most literary representation in the Caribbean queer hermeneutics have been from male to female, Chatterji analyzes how a female-to-male crossing does not necessarily confirm to a phallic structure. This new form of body—anatomically androgynous but performatively male—becomes an anti-hegemonic form that contextualizes regendering as a strategy to combat the comfort of settling to a Western issue-based identity politics. Drawing closely on race, class, and migration, the chapter addresses the need for Indo-Caribbean feminist intervention to combat the intolerance extended toward bodies that do not fit the norm of a homosexual identity nor have been politicized in regional or global feminist epistemology.
P034 : TOWARDS STANDARDIZATION OF SOLID-PHASE ASSAYS

Aim Standardization of test methods helps provide consistent results with assays that have tech to tech, day to day or other variables that may affect results. Our aim was to validate a plate washer for antibody testing to normalize the washing technique used in our laboratory to determine if day to day and tech to tech variability could be prevented. Method The Biotek ELx50 is an automated plate washer that has the ability to perform washing methods using vacuum filtration. An incubation/washing program was created to provide a routine consistent washing technique to use when performing antibody testing. Results An extensive analytical validation took place by testing samples ( n = 20) that were previously tested by manual washing methods for phenotype beads, class I and class II single antigen beads (SAB) using a program created in the Biotek, Elx50. Using the mean florescence intensity (MFI) values we were able to determine specificity and sensitivity by comparing to the manual wash method by calculating the percent difference between the two methods and factoring in the average deviation of the negative control for both methods. The average specificity for phenotype beads, class I SAB and class II SAB was 99% or greater. The average sensitivity for the phenotype beads and class I SAB was 83% or better and class II SAB was 63%. We also looked at day to day variations and technologist to technologist variations. By comparing runs from two consecutive days of testing for the day to day testing variation, we were able to obtain 100% specificity for phenotype beads, class I SAB and class II SAB. The average sensitivity for the phenotype beads was 80%, class I SAB was 67% and class II SAB was 76%. As for technologist to technologist variation, the overall specificity for phenotype beads, class I SAB and class II SAB was 100%. The average sensitivity for phenotype beads, class I SAB class II SAB was 70% or better. Conclusion As seen by the results for both specificity and sensitivity, the Biotek ELx50 can be used to standardize solid phase assays by eliminating the variation seen with manual washing technique to provide a more consistent MFI value. The plate washer is also beneficial in decreasing hands-on time by 75%; therefore reducing turn-around time.
Incidence of Urethral Stricture in Patients with Adult Acquired Buried Penis.

Introduction. Concealed-buried penis is an acquired condition associated with obesity, challenging to both manage and repair. Urethral stricture is a more common disorder with multiple etiologies. Lichen sclerosus is a significant known cause of urethral stricture, implicated in up to 30%. We hypothesize that patients with buried penis have a higher rate of urethral stricture and lichen sclerosus than the general population. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed a single surgeon’s (CM) case logs for patients presenting with a buried penis. All patients were evaluated for urethral stricture with cystoscopy or retrograde urethrogram either prior to or at the time of repair for buried penis. Those that had surgical repair or biopsy were reviewed for presence of lichen sclerosus. Results. 39 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 13 (33%) had associated stricture disease. The location of the strictures was bulbar urethra (38%), penile urethra (15%), and meatus or fossa navicularis (62%). Five patients had lichen sclerosus and urethral stricture disease, while 3 had lichen sclerosus without stricture. 11/13 stricture patients were treated. Six underwent dilation, 3 underwent meatotomy, and 2 underwent urethroplasty. No significant recurrences of stricture were seen. Conclusion. Patients with a concealed penis are more likely than the general population to have a urethral stricture and/or LS. Patients presenting with concealed penis should also be evaluated for a urethral stricture.
Visualizing weak ferromagnetic domains in multiferroic hexagonal ferrite thin film

We report cryogenic magnetic force microscopy (MFM) studies of a 200-nm-thick hexagonal ($h$) ${\mathrm{LuFeO}}_{3}$ film grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on a (111)-oriented yttria-stabilized cubic-zirconia substrate. Labyrinthlike domains $\ensuremath{\sim}1.8\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ in size were observed after zero-field cooling below the N\'eel temperature, ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}\ensuremath{\approx}147$ K, where weak ferromagnetic order ($P{6}_{3}$cm) with a canted moment of ${M}_{\mathrm{S}}\ensuremath{\approx}0.02\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}/\mathrm{f}.\mathrm{u}.$ exists. At 6 K, MFM images of the magnetization reversal process reveal a typical domain behavior of a pinning-dominated hard magnet. The pinning strength is substantially reduced at elevated temperature. The temperature dependence of the domain contrast demonstrates that our MFM is able to detect the domain contrast of magnets with tiny magnetic moments ($\ensuremath{\sim}0.002\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}/\mathrm{f}.\mathrm{u}.$). An upper limit of the linear magnetoelectric coefficient of $h\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{LuFeO}}_{3}$ (${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{zz}l6\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ps}/\mathrm{m}$) is estimated by magnetoelectric force microscopy measurements.
Clinical Utility of Machine Learning and Longitudinal EHR Data

The widespread adoption of electronic health records in large health systems, combined with recent advances in data mining and machine learning methods, creates opportunities for the rapid acquisition and translation of knowledge for use in clinical practice. One area of great potential is in risk prediction of chronic progressive diseases from longitudinal medical records. In this Chapter, we illustrate this potential using a case study involving prediction of heart failure. Throughout, we discuss challenges and areas in need of further development.
Early sonographic detection of a succenturiate placenta after IVF in a 42-year-old woman with multiple comorbidities.

We present a case of a 42-year-old woman with a pregnancy resulting from in vitro fertilisation and a medical history including two spontaneous abortions, hypercoagulable state and other comorbidities. At 13 4/7 weeks’ gestation, during research ultrasonography, the patient was noted to have an anterior succenturiate placental lobe. Following an episode of vaginal bleeding at 21 6/7 weeks, she was diagnosed with a low-lying posterior placental lobe. Velamentous cord insertion, placenta previa and vasa previa were excluded at that time. After elective induction for advanced maternal age at 39 0/7 weeks, arrest of labour and chorioamnionitis resulted in a primary low transverse caesarean section and delivery of a healthy girl at 39 3/7 weeks. Gross examination of the placenta showed an irregular, singleton placenta with an attached succenturiate lobe and a marginally inserting umbilical cord. Both lobes were connected by two vessels.
Attitudes Toward and Uptake of Prenatal Genetic Screening and Testing in Twin Pregnancies

The rate of twinning is rising and since the introduction of non-invasive prenatal testing, interest in and uptake of genetic screening and testing in twin pregnancies has not been investigated. This study aimed to explore the attitudes toward and uptake of current prenatal genetic screening and diagnostic testing options for fetal aneuploidy in twin pregnancies. Women being seen for genetic counseling with twin gestations were recruited for participation in a descriptive study with questionnaire (n = 42) and semi-structured phone interview (n = 15). Women were significantly more in favor of screening than diagnostic testing (p = 0.049). Sixty-nine (n = 25) percent elected screening, while one participant had a diagnostic procedure. Women were interested in screening for preparation or reassurance despite having concerns about accuracy and uncertainty. Most women (86%) felt they would make the same decision in a singleton pregnancy. Despite this, 48% cited twin pregnancy as influential to some degree. Information learned from providers, past experiences, and family and friends were also cited as influencing and anchoring factors, suggesting that tailoring prenatal genetic counseling sessions for twins might parallel that of singletons. No significant differences between natural and assisted conception patients were found. Although it did not alter patient decisions, genetic counseling was used as a platform to raise concerns and gather information.
Food or Thought? Assessing Internal and External Factors Affecting Evaluations of Instructor Effectiveness

Within the broader literature concerned with potential bias in student measures of instructor effectiveness, two broad types of bias have been shown to operate in a course: internal and external. M...
Medical Crises and Critical Days in Avicenna and After: Insights from the Commentary Tradition

Conceptualized as a relationship between the patient, his illness, its resolution, the celestial bodies, and the doctor, and expressed through metaphors, such as divine judgment, or effects of the stars, crises and critical days were important elements of Galenic therapy. While the early Arabic physicians maintained Galenic imagery, Ibn Sīnā (d. 1037 CE) and his followers introduced new imagery that omitted supernatural influences, and emphasized physical agents. The crisis was now described as a separation instead of a verdict, and the critical days were caused by the lunar phases alone. The “body politic” metaphor was introduced to describe medical crises. By closely examining the writings of Ibn al-Nafīs (d. 1288 CE) on the Canon of Ibn Sīnā and the Aphorisms of Hippocrates, these shifts in imagery are analysed in detail, and their implications for our understanding of a period that has been dismissed as “post-decline” and devoid of innovation.
Diagnosis and Prognosis

Without a right theory, technology would not help us solve the mysteries of cancer. It would only provide us with more stones to build an oncologic Tower of Babel.
Inverted List Caching for Topical Index Shards

Selective search is a distributed retrieval architecture that intentionally creates skewed postings and access patterns. This work shows that the well-known QtfDf inverted list caching algorithm is as effective with topically-partitioned indexes as it is with randomly-partitioned indexes. It also shows that a mixed global-local strategy reduces total I/O without harming query hit rates.
Toward Understanding Race Difference in Autonomic Reactivity

One of the most consistent findings in the cardiovascular epidemiologic literature is the higher resting blood pressure and greater prevalence of essential hypertension among black compared to white adults (Folkow, 1982, 1987). The higher rate of hypertension among blacks has been documented for males between the aged of 25 and 64 years and for females aged 25 through 74 years (Obrist, 1981). Not surprisingly, given the extraordinarily high rate of hypertension morbidity among blacks, this group also suffers disproportionately higher rates of hypertension-related mortality from heart disease, cerebral vascular disease, and renal disease (Matthews, Weiss, Detre, Dembroski, Falkner, Manuck, & Williams, 1986; Obrist, 1981).
Bubble Worth Variation in Molten Cores from a Hypothetical Core Disruptive Accident

A simple and accurate calculation method is presented for the variation of bubble worth in a molten core. The method depends on previous analysis of reactivity increase due to compaction of unmoderated fissile systems. The average density of the fuel material after it has expanded into the bubble region is the controlling parameter of the proposed method. Comparison with detailed bubble worth calculations due to Nicholson and Goldsmith shows excellent agreement. Given a quality base worth case, the bubble worth variation for the perturbed system (of fuel, either moving into or out of the bubble volume) can be accurately calculated in terms of the base worth value. The proposed method can be used to evaluate the physical reasonableness of complex calculations using transport theory or Monte Carlo for estimates of bubble worth.
Statistical Challenges in BioSurveillance

One goal in biosurveillance is to detect patterns in disease rates, such as temporal and/or geographic clustering. Traditionally, disease rates are available by geographic unit over weekly, monthly, or yearly time bins, and covariates such as age, gender, and socio-economic status can be used to adjust predicted rates prior to testing for clustering. Recently, more timely pre-diagnostic data including emergency department visits have been used in “syndromic surveillance” in order to more rapidly detect either natural or bioterrorist-related outbreaks. Typically, such data are categorized by chief complaint into one of several syndromes such as gastro-intestinal or respiratory.