cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A pilot study to investigate the treatment of cervical human papillomavirus infection with zinc-citrate compound (CIZAR®).

Abstract Objective In the present study the potential therapeutic effects of zinc-citrate compound (CIZAR®) in women infected with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) was investigated. Methods A total of 194 women diagnosed with HR-HPV infection using the Hybrid capture (HC) II assay with no evidence of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) or worse by Pap smear and colposcopy were enrolled. Among them, 76 women were treated by twice weekly self administered intra-vaginal infusion of 0.5mM zinc citrate solution containing CIZAR® for 12weeks and were evaluated for clearance of the HR-HPV infection compared to 118 women without treatment (Control group). Results The 12weeks zinc citrate solution treatment resulted in the elimination of HR-HPV in 49/76 (64.47%) patients compared to the spontaneous clearance of 15.25% (18/118) in the control group ( p =0.000). By logistic regression analysis, the 12week zinc citrate solution treatment reduced the risk of persistent HR-HPV infection significantly (OR 0.079; 95% CI 0.039-0.165; p =0.000). Conclusion The results of this study showed for the first time that treatment with intra-vaginal infusion of a zinc-citrate compound (CIZAR®) can result in elimination of HR-HPV infection from the uterine cervix.
Reconstituting Cultural Memory through Image and Text in Leïla Sebbar's Le Chinois vert d'Afrique:

Despite the impact of the Algerian War on Franco-Algerian relations, the war's atrocities have all but vanished from French collective memory — until relatively recently. Legislative debates in the French National Assembly regarding the revision of textbooks attest to this: does France have the right to teach future generations about colonialism's positive effects? This article examines how Leila Sebbar comes to terms with post-war trauma through a combination of text and image. Should one then read Sebbar's novel, Le Chinois vert d'Afrique, as a piece of ecphrastic writing? And more importantly, does Sebbar's use of photography function effectively as a vector of memorial transmission?
The basis of bee‐ing different: the role of gene silencing in plasticity

Developmental plasticity can generate, from one genotype, diverse alternative phenotypes appropriate to local environmental conditions (West-Eberhard 2003). However, our understanding of the developmental-genetic mechanisms that underlie plastic responses remains incomplete. Recent research suggests that DNA methylation, a system of gene silencing heritable across cell divisions, may serve as a mechanism underlying the evolution of plasticity. In particular, several recent studies in Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies) highlight the potential importance of methylation for understanding plasticity (Wang et al. 2006; Kronforst et al. 2008; Kucharski et al. 2008).
α3β1 integrin induced suppression of the Caco-2 epithelial cell IL-1 signaling pathway leading to NF-κB activation

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) produce several potent cytokines in response to interleukin-1 (IL-1) and may play a role in the inflammatory response. Previously, we determined that treatment of the Caco-2 cells with a cross-linking anti-alpha3 integrin antibody resulted in a suppression of IL-1 induced cytokine secretion and mRNA levels, suggesting that the alpha3beta1 integrin may play a role in the regulation of IEC cytokine responses to IL-1. In this report, treatment of the Caco-2 cells with the anti-alpha3 integrin antibody resulted in a suppression of IL-1 induced levels of NF-kappaB binding activity in nuclear extracts, as determined by EMSA, as well as phosphorylation and degradation of the inhibitor, I(kappa)B(alpha). The anti-integrin antibody treatment was also found to suppress I(kappa)B kinase (IKK) activity and IKK(beta) phosphorylation. Culture of the Caco-2 cells on purified laminin-5, the ligand for the alpha3beta1 integrin, also resulted in suppression of IL-1 induced phosphorylation of I(kappa)B(alpha) and IKK(beta). Together with our previous findings, these results suggest that alpha3beta1 integrin binding results in a suppression of the IL-1 signaling pathway leading to the activation of NF-(kappa)B and ultimately IEC cytokine responses. These studies define a novel regulatory mechanism which may be important in the control of IEC cytokine responses during inflammation.
Pressure Transducers for Prosthetics

Two types of thin pressure transducers have been designed and fabricated for prosthetic application. Using a transducer less than 0.015 inch thick, it is felt that the pressure distribution between the stump of a leg amputee and the socket of the prosthesis will not be altered significantly.
Effect of Microstructure on the Minimum Critical Radius and Critical Number of Gas Atoms for Swelling

It has been shown theoretically that bias-driven cavity swelling can only occur after either a critical cavity radius has been achieved or a critical number of gas atoms has been accumulated in a cavity. These possibilities merge into each other, as increasing the contained gas lowers the critical radius until at the critical number of gas atoms the minimum critical radius is achieved. With the addition of any more gas, the critical radius disappears and cavity swelling is insured. It is found that these critical quantities are highly sensitive to irradiation conditions and material parameters. Under fixed irradiation conditions, the critical quantities are remarkably strong functions of dislocation density and bias. These results are described and their implications for the design of swelling resistant materials are discussed.
Joint genotyping on the fly: Identifying variation among a sequenced panel of inbred lines

High-throughput sequencing is enabling remarkably deep surveys of genomic variation. It is now possible to completely sequence multiple individuals from a single species, yet the identification of variation among them remains an evolving computational challenge. This challenge is compounded for experimental organisms when strains are studied instead of individuals. In response, we present the Joint Genotyper for Inbred Lines (JGIL) as a method for obtaining genotypes and identifying variation among a large panel of inbred strains or lines. JGIL inputs the sequence reads from each line after their alignment to a common reference. Its probabilistic model includes site-specific parameters common to all lines that describe the frequency of nucleotides segregating in the population from which the inbred panel was derived. The distribution of line genotypes is conditional on these parameters and reflects the experimental design. Site-specific error probabilities, also common to all lines, parameterize the distribution of reads conditional on line genotype and realized coverage. Both sets of parameters are estimated per site from the aggregate read data, and posterior probabilities are calculated to decode the genotype of each line. We present an application of JGIL to 162 inbred Drosophila melanogaster lines from the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel. We explore by simulation the effect of varying coverage, sequencing error, mapping error, and the number of lines. In doing so, we illustrate how JGIL is robust to moderate levels of error. Supported by these analyses, we advocate the importance of modeling the data and the experimental design when possible.
Developmental outcomes of early-identified children who are hard of hearing at 12 to 18 months of age.

Abstract Aims To examine the developmental outcomes of early-identified children who are hard of hearing, at 12 to 18 months of age, compared to those for children of similar age with normal hearing; and to investigate parent and child factors that are associated with these developmental outcomes. Methods As part of a prospective study, 28 children with mild to severe hearing loss between the ages of 12 and 18 months and 42 children with normal hearing of similar age completed a comprehensive assessment battery. All children with hearing loss were identified by newborn hearing screening and amplified, on average, by 5 months of age. Outcome measures included: Mullen Scales of Early Learning; Preschool Language Scale-4th Ed; MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventory; Infant–Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment; Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition; Parenting Stress Index—Short Form; and Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale. Results Children with hearing loss scored comparably to children with normal hearing on select outcome measures, with mean scores for both groups falling within normal limits. Greater maternal self-efficacy was associated with children's better language skills, adaptive behavior, social–emotional competence, and fewer problem behaviors. Conclusion Very young children with mild to severe hearing loss, who are identified early and provided prompt intervention that includes amplification, can demonstrate age appropriate development in multiple domains. Results also underscore the significance of parenting factors, especially perceived maternal self-efficacy, in relation to positive developmental outcomes for these children early in life.
IT-enabled Community Health Interventions: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions

Rising health information technology (HIT) adoption and the increasing interoperability of health data have propelled the role of IT in community-wide health transformations. Disseminating the challenges and opportunities that the early adopters of community-wide HIT interventions have experienced is critical for empowering the growing demand for community-based health systems. This special issue of eGEMs addresses that need. This issue includes a variety of community-based HIT projects covering topics such as governance, informatics, and learning health systems. These projects represent a diverse set of stakeholders, a wide selection of data sources, and multiple information platforms to collate or exchange data. We hope that this special issue of eGEMs will be the first of several future issues dedicated to community-wide HIT transformations.
Exploiting referential context in spoken language interfaces for data-poor domains

This paper describes an implementation of a shell-like programming interface that utilizes referential context (that is, information about the current state of an interfaced application) in order to achieve accurate recognition -- even in user-defined domains with no available domain-specific training corpora. The interface incorporates a knowledge of context into its model of syntax, yielding a referential semantic language model. Interestingly, the referential semantic language model exploits context dynamically, unlike other recent systems, by using incremental processing and the limited stack memory of an HMM-like time series model.
Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics study of the catalytic cycle of water splitting in photosystem II.

This paper investigates the mechanism of water splitting in photosystem II (PSII) as described by chemically sensible models of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in the S0−S4 states. The reaction is the paradigm for engineering direct solar fuel production systems since it is driven by solar light and the catalyst involves inexpensive and abundant metals (calcium and manganese). Molecular models of the OEC Mn3CaO4Mn catalytic cluster are constructed by explicitly considering the perturbational influence of the surrounding protein environment according to state-of-the-art quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) hybrid methods, in conjunction with the X-ray diffraction (XRD) structure of PSII from the cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus. The resulting models are validated through direct comparisons with high-resolution extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic data. Structures of the S3, S4, and S0 states include an additional μ-oxo bridge between Mn(3) and Mn(4), not present in ...
The Efficacy of Computer-Assisted Instruction for Advancing Literacy Skills in Kindergarten Children.

We examined the benefits of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) as a supplement to a phonics-based reading curriculum for kindergartners in an urban public school system. The CAI program provides systematic exercises in phonological awareness and letter–sound correspondences. Comparisons were made between children in classes receiving a sufficient amount of CAI support and children in matched classes taught by the same teacher but without CAI. The treatment and control groups did not differ on pretest measures of preliteracy skills. There were, however, significant differences between groups on posttest measures of phonological awareness skills particularly for students with the lowest pretest scores.
DATA‐BASED CHOICE OF THE SMOOTHING PARAMETER FOR A KERNEL DENSITY ESTIMATOR

summary The problem of optimally choosing the smoothing parameter of a Fourier integral density estimator (FIE) is addressed. A new data-based method of so doing is shown to be related to, but an improvement over, the method of Davis (1981). It is shown that Davis' method does not lead to consistent estimation of certain, principally multimodal, densities. In a simulation study involving the bimodal mixture of two normal densities, the new method is seen to represent a substantial improvement.
Self-Consistent Transport-Magnetic Simulation and Benchmarking of Hybrid Spin-Torque Driven Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs)

We investigate electronic transport and magnetization dynamics associated with the current induced spin torque effects in two different classes of magnetic tunnel junctions using Non-Equilibrium Green's Function (NEGF) formalism and Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation. We calibrate our transport simulation framework with a diverse set of tri-layer experiments, before we proceed with dual barrier penta-layer MTJ simulations. We investigate and thereby compare the magnetization switching dynamics of a tri-layer with that of an anti-aligned penta-layer MTJ corresponding to parallel (P) to anti-parallel (AP) switching and vice versa. Higher critical switching current density (JC) and asymmetric switching characteristics have been confirmed for tri-layer structures as opposed to the case of identical anti-aligned penta-layer configurations. Energy efficiency of anti-aligned penta-layer over that of tri-layer MTJ structures during spin torque driven magnetization switching has also been reported quantitatively.
Time-bin encoding for narrow-band single photons

Quantum networks require the reliable encoding of quantum information in narrow-band single photons which couple efficiently to transitions in atomic ensembles. We show time-bin encoding for photons of 10 MHz width via unbalanced Michelson interferometers and show the applicability of our scheme in a quantum key distribution experiment.
Evidence for a Forward Dynamics Model in Human Adaptive Motor Control

Based on computational principles, the concept of an internal model for adaptive control has been divided into a forward and an inverse model. However, there is as yet little evidence that learning control by the CNS is through adaptation of one or the other. Here we examine two adaptive control architectures, one based only on the inverse model and other based on a combination of forward and inverse models. We then show that for reaching movements of the hand in novel force fields, only the learning of the forward model results in key characteristics of performance that match the kinematics of human subjects. In contrast, the adaptive control system that relies only on the inverse model fails to produce the kinematic patterns observed in the subjects, despite the fact that it is more stable. Our results provide evidence that learning control of novel dynamics is via formation of a forward model.
Evidence that molybdenum‐dependent nitrogen fixation is not limited by high sulfate concentrations in marine environments

Nitrogen availability frequently controls phytoplankton growth in marine environments. It would seem that N,-fixing microorganisms would have a selective advantage in these environments, but N, fixation appears to be limited in most marine waters. Previous studies have focused on deficiencies of inorganic nutrients such as P, Fe, and especially MO as constraints on N, fixation. It was proposed that a high SOd2- : MoOd2- ratio interferes with cellular MoOd2- uptake and in turn results in insufficient quantities for incorporation into the N,-reducing enzyme complex nitrogenase. In the present study, in situ bioassays demonstrate that MO is not the limiting nutrient for N2 fixation by marine assemblages. Instead, enrichments of glucose or mannitol were found to initiate or increase NZ fixation in these assemblages. We also show that diazotrophic growth rates of an Azotobacter vinelandii strain containing a single MO-dependent nitrogenase are not inhibited at SOd2-- : MoOd2- ratios up to 8 times higher than those calculated for seawater. From these results we propose that widespread limitation of N, fixation in marine environments is due to deficiencies in organic matter and appropriate microhabitats rather than Mo.
Using nanotechnology and microfluidics in search of cell biomechanical cues for cancer progression.

Cell biomechanical changes in cancer progression During cancer progression, cells undergo numerous genetic and epigenetic changes that impact various cellular functions such as motility, adhesion, proliferation and signaling. These fundamental changes are accompanied by alterations in the cellular structural cytoskeleton which modulates cell biomechanical properties [1]. The biomechanical changes in cells during cancer progression can potentially enable invasion of metastatic cells into the surrounding tissues to access the circulatory system and establish secondary tumors [2]. This suggests that malignancy and the metastatic potential of cancer cells are correlated with their biomechanical phenotype. Advances in nanotechnology and microfluidics facilitate interrogation of the biomechanical properties of single cells and can be directed toward identification of labelfree cues to predict the risk of cancer invasiveness and metastatic potential in its early stages.
Materialism, Perceived Financial Problems, and Marital Satisfaction

Although scholars and counselors have long acknowledged a link between financial problems and marital outcomes, little research has examined how materialistic attitudes may affect these associations. This article examines a conceptual model linking spousal materialism, perceived financial problems, and marital satisfaction. Group comparison and structural equation modeling analyses were run with a nationally representative sample of 600 married couples. Analyses confirmed that higher levels of spousal materialism are associated with increased perceptions of financial problems, which in turn are negatively associated with levels of marital satisfaction. Analyses also found that materialistic attitudes have a stronger impact on spouses' perceptions of financial problems than do levels of couple income. These findings support the notion that materialism contributes to how couples define and react to financial problems in their relationship and that these factors indirectly and directly affect general levels of marital satisfaction. Implications for research and intervention are discussed.
Nonlinear model predictive control for dosing daily anticancer agents using a novel saturating-rate cell-cycle model

A nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) algorithm was developed to dose the chemotherapeutic agent tamoxifen based on a novel saturating-rate, cell-cycle model (SCM). Using daily tumor measurements, the algorithm decreased tumor volume along a specified reference trajectory in simulated animals over 4 months. In mismatch case studies, controllers based on the Gompertz model (GM) yielded equivalent total drug delivered and elapsed time to t"9"9"% reference step convergence to those obtained using the SCM, though this performance was dependent on the cell-cycle phase of drug effect. Overall, the NMPC algorithm is suitable for dosing chemotherapeutics with regular administration schedules and may be adapted for regularly administered chemotherapeutics other than tamoxifen.
Polarity of A2b adenosine receptor expression determines characteristics of receptor desensitization.

It is not known if, in polarized cells, desensitization events can be influenced by the domain on which the receptor resides. Desensitization was induced by 5′-(N-ethylcarboxamido)adenosine (NECA) ...
Ethics Programs, Board Involvement, and Potential Conflicts of Interest in Corporate Governance

Board composition, insider participation on compensation committees, and director compensation practices can potentially cause conflicts of interest between directors and shareholders. If these corporate governance structures result in situations where actions beneficial to directors do not also benefit shareholders, then shareholders may suffer.
Mitochondrial Calpains: Who, What, Where, When and Why?

Evidence accumulated over the past two decades has clearly demonstrated that one or more calpains are localized to mitochondria. This evidence includes mitochondrial calpain activity, immunoreactivity, purification, and N-terminal sequencing. Supporting data is greatest for CAPN1 and CAPN10, although the support for mitochondrial CAPN2 is also compelling. The mitochondrial localization of calpains may protect them from CAST inhibition, and also expose the proteases to Ca2+ transients during mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation and/or opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. One suggestion is that calpain activation may be required for mitochondrial permeability transition, with much stronger evidence demonstrating calpain activation in the aftermath of permeability transition pore opening. Several putative substrates of mitochondrial calpains have been identified, with the greatest attention paid to apoptosis inducing factor. Although much data are consistent with the involvement of mitochondrial CAPN1 activation in the processing and release of apoptosis inducing factor, there are also contrasting data. All mitochondrial calpains identified to date are also present in the cytosol, making selective mitochondrial inhibition or knockdown difficult and complicating analysis of mitochondrial calpains. Calpains are clearly present in mitochondria, much work remains to identify their substrates and physiological and pathological roles.
Health care reform prescriptions: precautions and side effects.

Determining acceptable levels of access, quality, and cost will require reforming the public's expectation that all aspects of health care can be optimized for everyone at once, while other social goals are ignored.
Cyclic AMP/PKA-promoted apoptosis: insights from studies of S49 lymphoma cells.

Increases in cyclic AMP (cAMP) are pro-apoptotic in numerous cell types, but the mechanisms of cAMP-promoted apoptosis are poorly defined. We have used murine S49 T-lymphoma cells as a model to provide insight into these mechanisms. Increases in cAMP in wild-type (WT) S49 cells were first noted to kill these cells in the 1970 s, but only in recent years, it was shown that this occurs by the intrinsic (mitochondria-dependent) apoptotic pathway. The apoptotic response does not occur in protein kinase A-null (kin-) clonal variants of WT S49 cells and thus is mediated by protein kinase A (PKA). A second S49 clonal variant, cAMP-Deathless (D-), has PKA activity but lacks cAMP-promoted apoptosis. Apoptosis in WT S49 cells occurs many hours after cAMP/PKA-promoted G1 cell cycle arrest and involves increased expression of Bim, a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma-2) family. This increase in Bim expression does not occur in kin- or D- S49 cells and knockdown of Bim blunts cAMP-mediated apoptosis in WT cells. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-2 also appears to contribute to cAMP/PKA-promoted apoptosis of S49 cells. Based on time-dependent differences in gene expression between WT, D- and kin- S49 cells following incubation with 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP, additional genes and proteins are likely involved in this apoptosis. Studies with S49 cells should reveal further insight regarding the mechanisms of cAMP/PKA-promoted cell death, including the identification of proteins that are targets to enhance (e. g., in cancer) or inhibit (e. g., cardiac failure) apoptosis in response to hormones, neurotransmitters, and drugs.
The Retirement Preparedness of the Business Owner

In the United States, there are over 20 million companies (about 90% of small businesses) with less than 20 employees, and the majority are owned by “owner-managers.” More than half of small business owners are over age 50, and so the next 20 years will bring a wave of owners who will age out of business ownership. In surveys, many business owners answer “never” to the question of when they will retire, an honest but worrisome response. Using employee retirement preparation as a benchmark, the author asks: Is retirement preparation different for the self-employed business owner? Intuitively, a different retirement landscape emerges from the issues of exiting the business in order to retire. This likely will cause a business owner’s retirement preparation and timing to differ from that of an employee. The article focuses on the self-employed owners of smaller companies, whose association with the business is about 20 years on average and for whom retirement likely will be their one and only business exit. Most of what is written and discussed about retirement preparation is focused on employees. Using data from the Federal Reserve’s 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances, the author makes comparisons with the generally accepted “three-legged stool” model of U.S. employee retirement preparation, which broadly drives employee retirement age and preparations. It does not, however, account for key differences between the retirement preparation of the employee and the small-business owner. These differences range from the lack of a socially defined retirement age for business owners to the need for disengagement from, and disposition of, the business and a frank assessment of whether or not the business can even be considered an asset for retirement.
Prospect of Nutrition and Healthy Food in New Century

With the development of the reform and opening-up policy,the health food industry has made a rapid progress. In this paper,the understanding of domestic and international health food,affinal drug and diet and novel foods were made a forecast in the new century. At the same time,we show the expectations of the health food industry.
A Regional Backup Protection Algorithm Based on Adaptive Current Protection Co-factor

A regional backup protection algorithm is proposed based on the adaptive current protection co-factor.With adaptive current protection as the basic principle,the algorithm will have more reliable information source,and can be adapted to the system operation mode and fault type changes.The effectiveness degree of adaptive current action for fault line recognition is used as the weight of coordinated protection function and expected coordinated protection function.The fault line can be identified using the adaptive current protection co-factor and the ratio of coordinated protection function to expected coordinated protection function.Meanwhile,in the circumstances of lack of or error in large figure protection action information,the algorithm can still estimate the fault line.Finally,the simulation results obtained from the real-time digital simulator(RTDS)of an IEEE 33-bus system and a distribution network in Tianjing have proved the reliability and effectiveness of the algorithm.
Prediction of discordant twins using ultrasound measurement of biparietal diameter and abdominal perimeter

Prediction of twin birth weight discordancy was tested in 116 gestations using sonographic measurements of biparietal diameter (BPD) and abdominal perimeter. Abdominal perimeter measurement differences of 20 mm or greater were more sensitive and specific than BPD difference in detecting twins with dissimilar birth weights.
The Visual World of Young Learners: Case Studies

AbstractHow can visual literacy be taught to young learners? Can one view children’s visual world through their project production? This article reports on the experiences of two instructors who taught Videology and Internet courses, which were related to visual literacy skills development. Course goals, equipment used, instructional philosophy and methodology, and course projects are described. The Videology section demonstrates how visual literacy can be taught to young learners. The Internet section reveals children’s visual world by presenting colors and images used on their webpages. Course observations are reported.
Terahertz metasurface quantum cascade lasers

We report THz quantum-cascade vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting-lasers (VECSELs) with up to 60 mW of power at 3.3 THz at 77 K. High quality, directive, near-diffraction limited, Gaussian beams are observed.
Congenital Middle Mesocolic Hernia: A Rare Cause of Neonatal Intestinal Obstruction

Congenital mesocolic hernia is an extremely rare, but serious cause of intestinal obstruction in children. Given the rarity of this condition, delays in diagnosis and management can have catastrophic consequences. Congenital mesocolic hernias are usually caused by an abnormal rotation of primitive mid-gut and are divided into left and right congenital mesocolic hernias. We report and discuss the clinical and radiological features and management of a neonate with an extremely rare variant, congenital middle mesocolic hernia along with a literature review of this rare condition.
Reliability of Electron Devices, Interconnects and Circuits

Reliability is a key attribute for successful IC technology development. Maintaining adequate levels of reliability requires a holistic approach, involving careful selection of materials, process, and circuit design guidelines, all of which are driven by an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the physics of failure. In this chapter we briefly review the historical development of our understanding of the reliability of ICs and provide insights into the dominant issues for current and future technologies at the transistor, interconnect and circuit level.
Sex Differences and Bone Metastases of Breast, Lung, and Prostate Cancers: Do Bone Homing Cancers Favor Feminized Bone Marrow?

Sex associated differences in bone metastasis formation from breast, lung and prostate cancer exist in clinical studies, but have not been systematically reviewed. Differences in the bone marrow niche can be attributed to sexual dimorphism, to genetic variations that affect sex hormone levels, or to the direct effects of sex hormones, natural or exogenously delivered. This review describes the present understanding of sex associated and sex hormone level differences in the marrow niche and in formation of bone metastasis during the transition of these three cancers from treatable disease to an often untreatable, lethal metastatic one. Our purpose is to provide insight into some underlying molecular mechanisms for hormonal influence in bone metastasis formation, and to the potential influence of sexual dimorphism, genetic differences affecting sex assignment, and sex hormone level differences on the bone niche and its favorability for metastasis formation. We reviewed publications in PubMed and EMBASE, including full length manuscripts, case reports and clinical studies of relevance to our topic. We focused on bone metastasis formation in breast, lung, and prostate cancer because all three commonly present with bone metastases. Several clear observations emerged. For breast cancer bone metastasis formation, estrogen receptor signaling pathways indicate a role for estrogen receptor beta (ERβ). Estrogen influences the bone microenvironment, creating and conditioning a favorable niche for colonization and breast cancer progression. For lung cancer, studies support the hypothesis that females have a more favorable bone microenvironment for metastasis formation. For prostate cancer, a decrease in the relative androgen to estrogen balance or a “feminization” of bone marrow favors bone metastasis formation, with a potentially important role for ERβ that may be similar to that in breast cancer. Long term estrogen administration or androgen blockade in males may feminize the bone marrow niche to one more favorable for bone metastases in prostate cancer. Administration of androgens in females, especially combined with mastectomy, may reduce risk of developing bone metastatic breast cancer. We conclude that it should be considered that females, those with female-leaning genetic variations, or hormonal states that feminize the bone marrow, may offer favorable sites for bone metastases.
Imaging of Uncommon Causes of Large-Bowel Obstruction

OBJECTIVE. The most common causes of large-bowel obstruction (LBO) are colon carcinoma and volvulus. Nevertheless, the increased frequency of the condition and widespread use of diagnostic imaging have revealed uncommon causes of LBO. We review the imaging features of the unusual causes of LBO on several imaging modalities, with particular emphasis on CT, along with the current literature. CONCLUSION. We propose an algorithmic approach to the radiologic evaluation of the uncommon causes of LBO.
Vitamin D: Should we be checking levels before spine fusion?

Abstract Vitamin D is a prohormone that regulates calcium absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. It plays an important role in calcium homeostasis and calcium has several important roles in transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and proper mineralization of bone. An alarmingly high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency has been described in numerous segments of the U.S. population, with recent studies estimating a prevalence rate of approximately 70%. Several epidemiological studies have reported direct relationships between low vitamin D levels and multiple disease states. Hypovitaminosis D is particularly worrisome in patients undergoing spinal surgery given the high incidence of pseudoarthrosis in this patient cohort. When considering treatment of vitamin D deficiency, it is important to take into account the recommended concentrations and the recommended dietary allowance. Considering the adverse effects of hypovitaminosis D in patients undergoing spine surgery, routine pre-operative screening should be undertaken to identify at-risk patients. In addition, it is important for patients undergoing spinal fusion procedures to maintain a sufficient serum vitamin D concentration (>30 ng/mL).
The Discovery Program: Competition, Innovation, and Risk in Planetary Exploration

When the Office of Space Science at NASA created the Discovery program in 1993–1994, it was a milestone in lowering the cost of robotic space-science missions. The competitive selection of Principal Investigator–led spacecraft proposals inverted the relationship between NASA centers and mission scientists. The winning Principal Investigator would be completely responsible for delivering the science and the successful mission under a cost cap defined in the program, which was funded as a line in NASA’s budget, rather than one mission at a time. Innovative and risky management approaches were favored. Discovery was the marquee project of Administrator Daniel Goldin’s “faster, better, cheaper” approach. However, after the failures of two Mars spacecraft in 1999 (outside the program) and CONTOUR in 2001 (inside it), that risk-taking approach faltered in the face of political criticism. Overruns and technical crises in Discovery projects (notably MESSENGER, Dawn, and Kepler) further bolstered risk-averse tendencies at NASA, increasing bureaucracy, raising cost, and making flights less frequent. Yet the program has delivered many spectacular successes in solar system exploration on a lean budget (like Mars Pathfinder, Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous, Stardust, and Deep Impact) and has inspired the reform or creation of other programs on the competitive model (like Explorer, New Frontiers, and Mars Scout). It demonstrates that competition can work to reduce cost and increase innovation at NASA. (Michael J. Neufeld)
Flow cytometric false myeloperoxidase-positive childhood B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background Flow cytometric intracellular myeloperoxidase (MPO) staining of leukemic blasts is a useful tool in diagnosis of leukemia subtype. Interpretation of high MPO-positivity can be a diagnostic challenge in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). While very few such cases have been reported, high MPO positive B-ALL cases without additional myeloid antigen positivity are suspect and require further investigation. Methods Three pediatric cases of B-ALL with strong MPO staining (clone 8E6; Invitrogen) at diagnosis and three others with negative MPO staining were studied by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. In-vitro drug cytotoxicity, oxidative stress generation, and immunophenotyping using other MPO clones were performed to further investigate MPO presence. Results Expectedly, normal myeloid cells in all six samples were positive and mature lymphocytes negative for MPO staining. However, MPO monoclonal antibody (mAb) obtained from clones other than Invitrogen and other myeloid-specific mAbs gave negative results suggesting false positivity of the initial MPO staining. Immunohistochemistry for MPO was also negative on all six cases tested. Furthermore, in-vitro vincristine cytotoxicity was greater in leukemic cells from MPO false-positive cases compared with MPO-negative B-ALL samples, demonstrating indirect lack of MPO activity. Moreover, drug treatment did not lead to generation of reactive oxidative species, also reflective of lack of significant MPO presence. Conclusions The cause of false-positive MPO staining remains unknown in these three cases; a cross reactivity could be the culprit. Caution should be given to similar phenomena and detailed investigation may contribute to the understanding of altered protein expression in such outlier cases. © 2017 International Clinical Cytometry Society.
Studies of vortex dynamics in hts and conventional amorphous superconductors using a sapphire ring resonator

Vortex critical dynamics of superconducting amorphous Mo3Si films are investigated at microwave frequencies from 8 to 19 GHz by using a high-Q sapphire ring resonator at the whispering gallery (WG) modes. It is found that the microwave surface resistance R3 in the vortex-state of a-Mo3Si follows the scaling relation R3 e- 611(2-2).R A¢â‚¬A¾(I), where 6 E 11A¢â‚¬â€ (TITm)I, TM (H) is the vortex-glass melting temperature in a constant magnetic field H, R3 is a scaling function, f _---F-_- fb-" , and v P.,- 2/3, z :::.: 3.0 are the static and dynamics exponents associated with the vortex- glass transition1'2. In contrast, the vortex dynamics at microwave frequencies for high-temperature superconductors (HTS) such as Nd1.85Ce0.15Cu0.4 and YBa2Cu307 is associated with vortex depinning and diffusion1'2'3 rather than the critical dynamics of the vortex-glass transition1'2. Physical quantities associated with the viscous motion of vortex-liquid in high-temperature superconductors are derived from the microwave measurements.
A Closer Look at Linear Stability Theory in Modeling Spray Atomization

Abstract The common Lagrangian-Eulerian modeling of liquid sprays is largely based on linear stability theory, where the associated growth rates and most unstable wavelengths are used in prescribing initial Lagrangian droplet characteristics. Using highly-resolved VoF simulations, the present work is aimed at examining the extent to which this linear stability and associated flow characteristics hold in a realistic spray configuration under normal operating conditions using the ECN spray A geometry. This involves a comparison between linear stability wavelength predictions, originating from two-phase Orr-Sommerfeld solutions, and those obtained from the VoF simulations. The results show that within the first 4 diameters beyond the orifice, the non-linear components of the Navier-Stokes have grown to 10% of the corresponding linear part in both the liquid and the gas phase, and continue to grow exponentially. The non-axial and non-fully developed flow profiles are particularly significant even within one diameter but do not develop as strongly as the non-linear components. Linear stability theory is able to adequately capture the initial surface disturbances, and there is reasonable agreement with VoF simulations, despite the fact that the base flow is not exactly the conventional one. A main finding from the work shows that while the most unstable modes are captured in the simulations and agree with theoretical predictions, these modes are not directly responsible for fragmenting the liquid core or causing primary atomization. Their action is limited to breaking up the surface of the jet, while the liquid core of the jet remains intact for another 20 jet diameters downstream.
Isolation for Earthquake Resistance

The idea that a building can be protected from the damaging effects of an earthquake by using some type of support that uncouples it from the ground is an appealing one, and many mechanisms to produce this result have been proposed during the last hundred years. Many of these utilized rollers or layers of sand or similar materials that would allow a building to slide. Some examples of these have been built. A building in Savastopol, Ukraine and a five-storey school in Mexico have been built on rollers and there is at least one building in China with a sand layer between the foundation and the building, specifically intended to let it slide in an earthquake.
Mechanism of protein C-dependent clot lysis: role of plasminogen activator inhibitor

The mechanism by which activated protein C stimulates fibrinolysis was studied in a simple radiolabeled clot lysis assay system containing purified tissue-type plasminogen activator, bovine endothelial plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI), plasminogen, 125I-fibrinogen and thrombin. Fibrinolysis was greatly enhanced by the addition of purified bovine activated protein C; however, in the absence of PAI, activated protein C did not stimulate clot lysis, thus implicating this inhibitor in the mechanism. In clot lysis assay systems containing washed human platelets as a source of PAI, bovine-activated protein C-dependent fibrinolysis was associated with a marked decrease in PAI activity as detected using reverse fibrin autography. Bovine-activated protein C also decreased PAI activity of whole blood and of serum. In contrast to the bovine molecule, human-activated protein C was much less profibrinolytic in these clot lysis assay systems and much less potent in causing the neutralization of PAI. This species specificity of activated protein C in clot lysis assays reflect the known in vivo profibrinolytic species specificity. When purified bovine-activated protein C was mixed with purified PAI, complex formation was demonstrated using immunoblotting techniques after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. These observations suggest that a major mechanism for bovine protein C- dependent fibrinolysis in in vitro clot lysis assays involves a direct neutralization of PAI by activated protein C.
Have We Made Progress? Trends in Minority Participation in Postsecondary Aviation Education

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the trends in participation by minorities who completed professional pilot education programs in the United States. Data concerning the number of students who completed degrees at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels was collected via the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). It was found that minorities, including women, now make up 30.0 percent of the professional pilot program student body. These participation rates were found to be higher than those found among the pilot population and in the aviation industry in general. The level of involvement of minorities in aviation higher education has shown consistent improvement over the past decade.
Behavioral Approaches to the Treatment of Failure to Thrive

The purpose of this chapter is three-fold: To differentiate two distinct types of non-organic FTT; to show how behavioral principles are utilized in the diagnosis and treatment of each type; and to propose an interaction model as the appropriate paradigm for assessment and treatment planning.
Prognostic Factors for Survival in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Despite recent advances in treatment, metastatic renal cell carcinoma remains incurable. The poor outlook for these patients coupled with the disease’s variable natural history makes the identification and understanding of the factors that impact outcome an important consideration for patient care, the development of new therapies, and study planning and interpretation, Numerous well designed retrospective studies examining clinical factors have been conducted over the past two decades. Although there is no consensus on which set of factors is best, performance status is perhaps the most important clinical factor identified to date. It is a subjective measure of overall health, yet it has consistently, albeit not universally, been shown to have excellent prognostic value in numerous studies. With the exception of performance status most studies have examined different combination of factors, used varying definitions, and/or treated different patient populations, and therefore, it is difficult to fully assess their value as independent prognostic indicators.
Cholesterol Index of foods. Teaching tool for fat-modified diets.

The author proposes an index that will enable patients to choose foods to meet a daily fat and cholesterol goal.
A direct proof for Lovett's bound on the communication complexity of low rank matrices.

The log-rank conjecture in communication complexity suggests that the deterministic communication complexity of any Boolean rank-r function is bounded by polylog(r). Recently, major progress was made by Lovett who proved that the communication complexity is bounded by O(r^1/2 * log r). Lovett's proof is based on known estimates on the discrepancy of low-rank matrices. We give a simple, direct proof based on a hyperplane rounding argument that in our opinion sheds more light on the reason why a root factor suffices and what is necessary to improve on this factor.
Sperm agglutination: Prevalence and contributory factors

Agglutination is a finding noted in semen analyses (SAs) that often causes confusion as to its significance. While some have attributed agglutination to antisperm antibodies (ASAs), there are other causes as well, such as genital tract infection and ascorbic acid deficiency. Additionally, it is known that patients with ASAs often have risk factors such as a history of scrotal trauma or surgery. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence of agglutination in our patient population and correlate it with these risk factors, regardless of the presence/absence of ASAs. A retrospective study was conducted on the SAs of men seen at a single academic Reproductive Center. Of the 1,095 SAs identified, 133 (12.1%) patients experienced agglutination (61.7% scant, 21.8% moderate and 16.5% excessive). Of patients who underwent multiple SAs, 24 (12.2%) showed variability. Furthermore, patients who underwent scrotal surgery carried 3.4 times the risk of agglutination (X2 p < 0.01) and 5.5 times the risk of variability (X2 p < 0.01) as compared to those patients without a history significant for scrotal surgery. Agglutination is a relatively common finding in men presenting to a reproductive clinic with little intrapatient variability. Scrotal surgery confers a higher risk of agglutination and variability.