cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 3562: Protein palmitoylation in breast cancer: DHHC5 palmitoyltransferase as a potential therapeutic target

Protein S-palmitoylation is a widespread and dynamic post-translational modification that regulates protein-membrane interactions, protein-protein interactions, and protein stability. S-palmitoylation is catalyzed by members of a family of 23 palmitoyl acyl transferases, termed the DHHC family due to the presence of a common catalytic motif. The role of protein palmitoylation in cancer is largely unexplored. In our previous study, we have shown that DHHC5 palmitoyltransferase supports the growth of non-small cell lung cancer. To further investigate the role of DHHC5 in cancer, we expanded our study to include breast cancer cell lines. Stable knockdowns of DHHC5 were undertaken in 8 breast cancer cell lines (including 4 “triple-negative” breast cancer lines) as well as in two normal human mammary epithelial cell lines (HMECs) using lentiviral shRNAs. The protein levels of DHHC5 were analyzed by immunoblotting, which all showed efficient knockdown. Cell proliferation and anchorage-dependent/ independent colony formation assays indicated that DHHC5 knockdown led to cell growth arrest and decreased cell clonogenicity in most of the tested breast cancer cell lines in vitro, but not in the HMECs. BT-549, SkBr3 and T-47D cell lines were particularly dependent on DHHC5 expression, and rescue experiments involving ectopic plasmid-driven DHHC5 and its catalytic mutant DHHS expression are in progress. In vivo tumor formation assays will be carried out by injecting MCF-7 and T-47D control cells and DHHC5 stable knockdown cells as well as rescued cells subcutaneously into NOD/SCID mice. Tumor xenograft formation will be measured. As DHHC5 function is needed for optimal breast cancer cell growth, it will be important to identify physiologically relevant substrates in order to develop inhibitors of DHHC5 function. Future plans include microarray and protein kinase array analysis to identify possible signaling pathways in which DHHC5 may be involved, as well as palmitoyl-protein profiling of control and knockdown DHHC5 cell lines by mass spectrometry. Citation Format: Hui Tian, Xiaoxia Qi, Kenneth Huffman, John Minna, Sandra L. Hofmann. Protein palmitoylation in breast cancer: DHHC5 palmitoyltransferase as a potential therapeutic target. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3562. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3562
A Systematic Literature Review of Changes in Roles/Skills in Component Content Management Environments and Implications for Education

ABSTRACTComponent content management (CCM) enables organizations to create, manage, and deliver content as small components rather than entire documents. As CCM methodologies, processes, and technologies are increasingly adopted, CCM is reshaping technical communication (TC), the roles of technical communicators, and the skills they need for career success. This article reviews scholarly and trade publications that describe changes in roles and needed skills in CCM environments and identifies implications of these changes for TC education.
A dual polarization massive MIMO panel array antenna at Ka-band with beamforming capability

In this paper, we are presenting a dual polarization massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) panel array antenna with beam steering capability. This design includes a Ka band (31.8 GHz to 33.46 GHz) 4×8 microstrip patch planar array with good isolation between the polarizations which is a desired parameter for a massive MIMO antenna systems. We are controlling input excitations and phases of the individual radiating elements in an array to generate adaptive beamforming characteristics which includes variable gain radiation patterns and beam steering performance. This can be implemented using digital beam forming (DBF) or software defined radio (SDR) technique.
Viabilidade econômica do cultivo do robalo-flecha em empreendimentos de carcinicultura no nordeste do Brasil

This research purpose was to evaluate the economic viability of snook culture in shrimp farms at Northeastern Brazil. For evaluate the cost of production, were considered the effective operational cost (EOC), total cost operational (TCO) and the total cost of production (TCP). The indexes for the evaluation of the profitability were the Internal Return Rate (IRR), PayBack Periodo (PP) and Net Present Value (NPV). Investment analyses were realized through cash flow and determination of economic viability indicators. The cash flow was determined through planeloads of investment elaborations, annual inputs and outputs for a period of ten years. The decrease of the price of sale and increase of the price of commercial diet and snook juveniles has a hard impact in economic viability. The snook culture is presented economically viable, when market price is higher at R$ 20.00 kg-1.
French Ethnic Landscapes in America

This chapter focuses upon two main areas—those lands of Louisiana and isolated settlements in the Lower Mississippi River Valley settled by the French in the 18th Century and those lands tied to the earlier French settlement in Quebec, which sent fur traders and trappers throughout the Great Lakes region. Contemporary distribution of French ancestry populations are strongly related to colonial settlements and subsequent population movements. French urban and rural settlement patterns, land tenure, and architecture in Quebec are described, providing context to understand the patterns on the French landscape within the American interior and the subsequent French-Canadians settlement into the northern portion of New England. French ethnic landscapes in Louisiana are strongly linked to earlier French settlements in both Acadia, from which the Cajuns evolved, and from St. Dominique, which shaped the development of a French Creole culture in New Orleans. Both Cajun and Creole ethnic landscapes are defined by distinctive structures.
Uncertainty analysis of the large zone economic module of the simple, efficient, elegant, and effective model (SE3M) of land use and transportation

ABSTRACTIntegrated land use and transportation forecasting models are used to assist decision-makers in the policy analysis and infrastructure capital improvement selection process. These models are typically given precise, point-estimate inputs that are mathematically linked, through a series of submodels, to forecasted model outputs. These point-estimate inputs represent an unrealistic level of precision and a growing body of research is focusing on statistical techniques to model uncertainty in model inputs and parameters and tracking the effects of this uncertainty through the various submodels to the model outputs. This paper presents an uncertainty analysis of the Large Zone Economic Module (LZEM) of the Simple, Efficient, Elegant, and Effective Model (SE3M) of land use and transportation. Three case-study implementations of the model are used to obtain a reasonably sound approximation of how uncertainty affects LZEM outputs: Guam, Puerto Rico, and Oahu, Hawaii. These case studies were the subject o...
Summary of ORSphere critical and reactor physics measurements

In the early 1970s Dr. John T. Mihalczo (team leader), J.J. Lynn, and J.R. Taylor performed experiments at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) metal (called Oak Ridge Alloy or ORALLOY) to recreate GODIVA I results with greater accuracy than those performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1950s. The purpose of the Oak Ridge ORALLOY Sphere (ORSphere) experiments was to estimate the unreflected and unmoderated critical mass of an idealized sphere of uranium metal corrected to a density, purity, and enrichment such that it could be compared with the GODIVA I experiments. This critical configuration has been evaluated. Preliminary results were presented at ND2013. Since then, the evaluation was finalized and judged to be an acceptable benchmark experiment for the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiment Project (ICSBEP). Additionally, reactor physics measurements were performed to determine surface button worths, central void worth, delayed neutron fraction, prompt neutron decay constant, fission density and neutron importance. These measurements have been evaluated and found to be acceptable experiments and are discussed in full detail in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments. The purpose of this paper is to summarize all the evaluated critical and reactor physics measurements evaluations.
Tracking visual objects using pyramidal rotation invariant features

Challenges in object tracking such as object deformation, occlusion, and background variations require a robust tracker to ensure accurate object location estimation. To address these issues, we present a Pyramidal Rotation Invariant Features (PRIF) that integrates Gaussian Ringlet Intensity Distribution (GRID) and Fourier Magnitude of Histogram of Oriented Gradients (FMHOG) methods for tracking objects from videos in challenging environments. In this model, we initially partition a reference object region into increasingly ﬁne rectangular grid regions to construct a pyramid. Histograms of local features are then extracted for each level of pyramid. This allows the appearance of a local patch to be captured at multiple levels of detail to make the algorithm insensitive to partial occlusion. Then GRID and magnitude of discrete Fourier transform of the oriented gradient are utilized to achieve a robust rotation invariant feature. The GRID feature creates a weighting scheme to emphasize the object center. In the tracking stage, a Kalman ﬁlter is employed to estimate the center of the object search regions in successive frames. Within the search regions, we use a sliding window technique to extract the PRIF of candidate objects, and then Earth Mover’s Distance (EMD) is used to classify the best matched candidate features with respect to the reference. Our PRIF object tracking algorithm is tested on two challenging Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) datasets, namely Columbus Large Image Format (CLIF) and Large Area Image Recorder (LAIR), to evaluate its robustness. Experimental results show that the proposed PRIF approach yields superior results compared to state-of-the-art feature based object trackers.
Common Diagnostic Discrepancies

This chapter is more an index of entities that feature as diagnostic discrepancies than it is a traditional textbook chapter. References are provided to the chapter in which each entity is discussed.
Age-dependent behaviors, seizure severity and neuronal damage in response to nerve agents or the organophosphate DFP in immature and adult rats

Exposure to nerve agents (NAs) and other organophosphates (OPs) can initiate seizures that rapidly progress to status epilepticus (SE). While the electrographic and neuropathological sequelae of SE evoked by NAs and OPs have been characterized in adult rodents, they have not been adequately investigated in immature animals. In this study postnatal day (PND) 14, 21 and 28 rat pups, along with PND70 animals as adult controls, were exposed to NAs (sarin, VX) or another OP (diisopropylfluorophosphate, DFP). We then evaluated behavioral and electrographic (EEG) correlates of seizure activity, and performed neuropathology using Fluoro-Jade B. Although all immature rats exhibited behaviors that are often characterized as seizures, the incidence, duration, and severity of the electrographic seizure activity were age-dependent. No (sarin and VX) or brief (DFP) EEG seizure activity was evoked in PND14 rats, while SE progressively increased in severity as a function of age in PND21, 28 and 70 animals. Fluoro-Jade B staining was observed in multiple brain regions of animals that exhibited prolonged seizure activity. Neuronal injury in PND14 animals treated with DFP was lower than in older animals and absent in rats exposed to sarin or VX. In conclusion, we found that NAs and an OP provoked robust SE and neuronal injury similar to adults in PND21 and PND28, but not in PND14, rat pups. Convulsive behaviors were often present independent of EEG seizures and were unaccompanied by neuronal damage. These differential responses should be considered when investigating medical countermeasures for NA and OP exposure in pediatric populations.
Effectiveness and safety of oral olanzapine treatment transitioned from rapid-acting intramuscular olanzapine for agitation associated with schizophrenia.

Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of oral olanzapine treatment transitioned from rapid-acting intramuscular olanzapine (RAIM) in patients with acute agitation associated with schizophrenia in a real-world clinical setting. Methods The postmarketing surveillance study with a 3-day observational period after the last RAIM administration was conducted (original study). Following this, an extended study was added for patients who received oral olanzapine after RAIM administration during the original study period, in order to additionally observe them for 7 days after initial RAIM administration. Effectiveness and safety from initial RAIM administration were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-Excited Component score and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), respectively. Results The effectiveness and safety analysis set included a total of 521 and 522 patients, respectively. A majority of patients received 10 mg of RAIM (475/522 patients, 91.0%). The mean ± SD total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale-Excited Component score was 23.6±6.2 (n=318) at baseline (before initial RAIM administration), 17.4±6.8 (n=280) at 2 hours after initial administration, 16.2±6.8 (n=246) 2 days after final administration, 14.9±6.2 (n=248) 3 days after final administration, 13.8±5.9 (n=242) 4 days after final administration, 13.2±5.8 (n=221) 7 days after initial administration, and 13.4±6.2 (n=351) at final observation (with the last observation carried forward approach), showing that reduction in agitation seen with RAIM was sustained with oral dose of olanzapine. The most common TEAEs were dyslalia and somnolence (each event occurred in four patients), and abnormal hepatic function and constipation (occurred in three patients). One serious adverse event of sudden cardiac death occurred after transitioned to oral olanzapine with many other antipsychotic drugs. Conclusion In the treatment of acute agitation associated with schizophrenia, RAIM could be generally transitioned to oral olanzapine without exacerbating adverse events or losing treatment effect.
Remarks on Chebyshev polynomials, Fibonacci polynomials and Kauffman bracket skein modules

The Chebyshev polynomials appear somewhat mysteriously in the theory of the skein modules. A generalization of the Chebyshev polynomials is proposed so that it includes both Chebyshev and Fibonacci...
Association of orthostatic hypotension with incident dementia, stroke, and cognitive decline.

Objective To examine associations of orthostatic hypotension (OH) with dementia and long-term cognitive decline and to update previously published results in the same cohort for stroke with an additional 16 years of follow-up. Methods We analyzed data from 11,709 participants without a history of coronary heart disease or stroke who attended the baseline examination (1987–1989) of the prospective Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. OH was defined as a drop in systolic blood pressure (BP) of at least 20 mm Hg or a drop in diastolic BP of at least 10 mm Hg on standing. Dementia was ascertained via examination, contact with participants or their proxy, or medical record surveillance. Ischemic stroke was ascertained via cohort surveillance of hospitalizations, cohort follow-up, and linkage with registries. Both outcomes were adjudicated. Cognitive function was ascertained via 3 neuropsychological tests administered in 1990 to 1992 and 1996 to 1998 and a full battery of tests in 2011 to 2013. Scores were summarized and reported as SDs. We used adjusted Cox regression and linear mixed models. Results Over ≈25 years, 1,068 participants developed dementia and 842 had an ischemic stroke. Compared to persons without OH at baseline, those with OH had a higher risk of dementia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20–1.97) and ischemic stroke (HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.65–2.62). Persons with OH had greater, although nonsignificant, cognitive decline over 20 years (SD 0.09, 95% CI −0.02 to 0.21). Conclusions OH assessed in midlife was independently associated with incident dementia and ischemic stroke. Additional studies are needed to elucidate potential mechanisms for these associations and possible applications for prevention.
Essential Elements for Effective Safety and Health Education in Postsecondary Construction Career Technical Education

Because Career Technical Education (CTE) programs at the community/technical college level are among the few places new construction workers receive training or preparation, they are an important v...
Private Colleges' Endowment Investment Returns and Spending Rates: A Simulation Analysis of Prospective Declines in Endowments' Purchasing Power and Operating Support

High endowment colleges have been criticized for their unduly low endowment spending rates. Such criticism, justified though it may be in many instances, should be understood in the context of the challenge faced by those responsible for endowment spending rate decisions. On one side of that challenge is the responsibility over the long-term to sustain the purchasing power value of the current endowment. On the other side of that challenge is the responsibility to provide the maximum amount of steady, sustainable spending in support of current operations. These responsibilities must be made in the context of a probabilistic environment of investment returns. Simulations quantify the nature of the challenge and, to my mind, present a surprisingly bleak picture of how vulnerable colleges are to long-term decreases in the purchasing power of current endowment and to short-term downturns in current endowment's inflation-corrected support for current operations. This bleakness can, to some extent, be mitigated by constructing an investment portfolio with a higher expected return and/or lower standard deviation, and the improvement is captured in this paper by comparing simulations of a typical endowment portfolio of the year 1997 to Yale University's 2007 target portfolio. Even with the improved, more "efficient" portfolio, vulnerabilities are present. Part of the inherent problem is that the endowment spending rate that would have a 50% probability, no higher, of sustaining current endowment's long-term purchasing power would simultaneously leave a substantial probability of significant declines in such purchasing power. Further, such a spending rate leaves the college vulnerable to a substantial probability of a short-term downturn in endowment's real support for current operations.
Pilot Study on Risk Perceptions and Knowledge of Fentanyl Exposure Among New York State First Responders.

Objectives: The present opioid epidemic and abuse of fentanyl in the United States has led to an increased risk of exposure to first responders. Law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services are receiving misinformation on fentanyl health and safety risks and this has led to miscommunication. Understanding the risk perceptions and knowledge of first responders regarding fentanyl can help identify training gaps. Methods: A 15-item 6-point Likert scale online questionnaire was developed and distributed to firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians, regarding perceptions of fentanyl exposure, and additional questions concerning knowledge. The online questionnaire was sent to 15 associations of national and New York State first responders with 3 associations acknowledging and distributing the survey. Results: Of the 247 participants, 187 served New York State; 92 worked in law enforcement; and the other 95 worked in either fire, emergency medical service, or both. New York State first responders generally agreed with expert risk perceptions and knowledge of fentanyl exposure in the pilot study. Items pertaining to using hand sanitizer, selecting glove type, and dermal exposure to fentanyl had lower agreement with expert beliefs. Conclusions: Risk perceptions and knowledge could be used to evaluate fentanyl response training among first responders.
Lowering Barriers for Accessing Sensor Data in Education: Lessons Learned from Teaching Multimodal Learning Analytics to Educators

In an increasingly data-driven world, large volumes of fine-grained data are infiltrating all aspects of our lives. The world of education is no exception to this phenomenon: in classrooms, we are witnessing an increasing amount of information being collected on learners and teachers. Because educational practitioners have so much contextual and practical knowledge about classroom management, we argue that data-mining workflows should be co-designed with them. This paper describes a class on Multimodal Learning Analytics taught to graduate students in education who used to be (or are planning to become) educators, teachers, school administrators and have little to no technical background. The course was designed to provide novices with career-relevant hands-on activities and facilitate personal engagement with data collection and analysis. We provide examples of student-created data mining workflows and the trajectory they followed to get a foundational understanding of data mining. Finally, we present survey data illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of the assignments and projects used in the class. We conclude with lessons learned and recommendations for implementing such a course at other institutions.
Impact of Depression and Anxiety on Opioid Use in Hospitalized Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients

Background Hematopoietic cell recipients are reported to have a high prevalence of depression and anxiety. The impact of depression and anxiety on opioid use has not been well characterized. This is of significance as the opioid epidemic continues, and over 60% of deaths secondary to drug overdose involve the use of opioids. Objective In this retrospective, single-center study of 275 patients who underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) (allogeneic and autologous) for hematological malignancies, we explore the impact of depression and anxiety on opioid use. Results Patients who were both anxious and depressed at admission for HCT had increased odds of receiving an opioid (odds ratio of 4.50 [95% confidence interval: 1.75, 11.56]) compared with patients who were neither depressed nor anxious. However, patients who were either depressed or anxious did not have different odds of receiving an opioid compared with those who were neither depressed nor anxious. Autologous HCT recipients had reduced odds of receiving an opioid (odds ratio of 0.17 [95% confidence interval: 0.08, 0.38]) compared with patients undergoing allogeneic HCT. Patients with lower Karnofsky performance status ( Conclusion Presence of depression and anxiety impacts opioid use in patients undergoing HCT.
Integrated Extremal Control and Explicit Guidance for Quadcopters

The research study aims to create a framework for autonomous control technology for unmanned aerial vehicles with real-time target-relative guidance capabilities, which leverages onboard decision-making to provide targeting and re-targeting solutions. Thus, this paper aims to develop extremal control and guidance functions in the context of the optimal control problem and their integration for applications. Solving the optimal control problem leads to a constant motor thrust case and trivial and nontrivial cases for the variable motor thrust case. As illustrative examples, two quadcopter maneuvers use integrated extremal control and explicit guidance. The first maneuver is the quadcopter taking off to the desired altitude using maximum and then intermediate thrust. The second maneuver has the quadcopter traveling to a waypoint over an agricultural field. The DJI Onboard Software Development Kit provides a method to implement the proposed integration of extremal control and explicit guidance onboard a Raspberry Pi connected to the DJI M100 quadcopter. Simulated and experimental flight tests demonstrate that the integration of extremal control and explicit guidance allows the DJI M100 to reach the desired locations and velocities for both maneuvers.
Interventions Made to Preserve Cognitive Function Trial (IMPCT) study protocol: a multi-dialysis center 2x2 factorial randomized controlled trial of intradialytic cognitive and exercise training to preserve cognitive function

Kidney disease and dialysis significantly impact cognitive function across the age spectrum. Cognitive training (CT) and/or exercise training (ET) are promising approaches to preserve cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults, but have not been tested for cognition preservation in hemodialysis patients of all ages. In this manuscript, we summarize the protocol for the Interventions Made to Preserve Cognitive Function Trial (IMPCT). We will perform a 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial (RCT) of eligible adult (≥18 years) hemodialysis initiates (n = 200) to test whether intradialytic CT (brain games on a tablet PC), ET (foot peddlers) and combined CT + ET while undergoing hemodialysis preserves executive function compared to standard of care (SC). Participants will engage in the interventions to which they are randomized for 6 months. The primary objective is to compare, among interventions, the 3-month change in executive function measured using the Trail Making Test A (TMTA) and B (TMTB); specifically, executive function is calculated as TMTB-TMTA to account for psychomotor speed. This primary outcome was selected based on findings from our pilot study. The secondary objectives are to compare the risk of secondary cognitive outcomes, ESKD-specific clinical outcomes, and patient-centered outcomes at 3-months and 6-months. All data collection and interventions are conducted in the dialysis center. We hypothesize that receiving intradialytic CT or ET will better preserve executive function than SC but receiving combined CT + ET, will be the most effective intervention. The current trial will be an important step in understanding how intradialytic interventions might preserve cognitive health. Clinicaltrials.Gov (Date: 8/6/18): # NCT03616535 . Protocol Version: 10 (April 2020). Funding: NIDDK R01DK114074.
Africa’s stalled structural transformation: the end of the flying geese?

Is structural transformation happening in Africa, and can African states count on the neoliberal flying geese paradigm for industrialisation? Using recent data from World Bank and United Nations Co...
Comparing Surgical Treatments for Spondylolysis: Review on Current Research.

Study design Narrative review. Objective To compare the various surgical methods of repairing spondylolysis defects in regard to improving pain, restoration of function, radiographic improvement, and complication rate. Summary of background data Spondylolysis is a defect in the pars interarticularis of the vertebral arch, typically in the lumbar vertebra. Treatment can be nonoperative and/or surgical. There are various types of surgical repair including spinal compression, fusion, and direct pars repair. Methods A comprehensive review of the English literature was performed utilizing Medline, Embase, and Web of Science. Inclusion criteria included papers or abstracts that evaluated the surgical techniques. Exclusion criteria included non-English-language papers or abstracts with inadequate information about outcomes. Results Postoperative pain levels and patient function were consistently improved, regardless of surgical technique chosen. Positive clinical outcomes after surgery were seen more often in patients under age 20 and those who underwent minimally invasive repairs. Positive radiographic improvements were reported broadly, although some reported higher rates of nonunion with spinal compression. Complication rates were low throughout and minimally invasive techniques reported decreased blood loss and shorter hospital stays. Conclusions Present surgical options appear largely comparable in terms of their ability to provide meaningful treatment for spondylolysis where conservative treatments have failed or otherwise remain unattempted.
Control of abdominal wall digestion after ileostomy breakdown--a complication of obesity: report of a case.

Treatment of a severe complication of ileostomy in an obese patient has been presented. Control of the corrosive ileal drainage allowed the ulcerated area to heal by secondary intention. The key role of karaya gum powder is emphasized.
The Hypothalamic Control of Eating and Circadian Rhythms: Opponent Processes and Their Chemical Modulators

Many types of behavior are difficult to understand due to the complex interplay of external and internal factors in their regulation. For example, eating behavior is modulated by internal homeostatic influences, such as satiety signals, in order to prevent undue gastric distention and metabolic overload from occurring due to unrestricted eating. Eating behavior is also strongly influenced by non-homeostatic influences, such as oropharyngeal factors and reinforcing events, that endow food-predictive cues with their gustatory appeal. A perfect internal homeostatic control would badly serve an animal’s survival if it could not be modulated by external signals of food availability and quality. In a similar fashion, a perfectly clock-like circadian oscillator would be of limited value if it could not be modulated by seasonal changes in the duration of day and night. A nocturnal mammal on a summer night has less time available to carry out vital consummatory activities than it does on a winter night.
Differences between cigarette smoking and biomass smoke exposure: An in silico comparative assessment of particulate deposition in the lungs

Cigarette smoking and biomass smoke are the two main environmental risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worldwide. However, it remains unclear why these exposures result in two different disease phenotypes. In this study, we assessed the lung deposition from biomass and cigarette smoke exposures and examined whether differences due to inherently different particle size distributions and inhalation conditions may contribute to the differences between biomass- and tobacco-related COPD phenotypes. Using high-fidelity three-dimensional computational fluid-particle dynamics in a representative upper airway geometry, coupled to one-dimensional models of the lower airways, we computed total deposited doses and examined regional deposition patterns based on exposure data from a randomized control trial in Peru and from the literature for biomass and mainstream cigarette smoke, respectively. Our results showed that intrathoracic deposition was higher in cigarette smoking, with 36.8% of inhaled biomass smoke particles and 57.7% of cigarette smoke particles depositing in the intrathoracic airways. We observed higher fractions of cigarette smoke particles in the last few airway generations, which could explain why cigarette smoking is associated with more emphysema than biomass smoke exposure. Mean daily deposited dose was two orders of magnitude higher in cigarette smoking. Lobar distributions of the deposited dose also differed, with the left lower and right upper lobes receiving the highest doses of biomass and cigarette smoke particles, respectively. Our findings suggest that the differences between biomass- and tobacco-related COPD could, at least in part, be due to differences in total and regional lung deposition of biomass and cigarette smoke.
Predicting ACL Reinjury from Return to Activity Assessments at 6-months Post-Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Context Return to activity(RTA) assessments are commonly administered following ACL-Reconstruction(ACLR) to manage post-operative progressions back to activity. To date, there is little knowledge on the clinical utility of these assessments to predict patient outcomes such as secondary ACL injury once returned to activity. Objective To identify what measures of patient function at 6-months post-ACLR best predict return to activity and second ACL injury at a minimum of 2-years following ACLR. Design Prospective-cohort Setting: Laboratory Patients: A total of 234 patients with primary, unilateral ACLR completed functional assessments at approximately 6-months post-ACLR. A total of 192(82%) completed follow-up ≥ 2-years post ACLR. Main outcome measures Six-month functional assessments consisted of patient reported outcomes, isokinetic knee flexor and extensor strength, and single-leg hopping. The ability to return to activity and secondary ACL injury were collected at a minimum of two-years following ACLR. Results In patients who did RTA(n=155), a total of 44(28%) individuals had a subsequent ACL injury; graft n=24(15.5%), contralateral ACL n=20(13%). A greater proportion of females had a secondary injury to the contralateral ACL(15/24, 63%) whereas a greater proportion of males reinjured the ipsilateral ACL graft(15/20, 75%, P=.017) Greater knee extension symmetry at 6-months increased the probability of reinjury(B=.016, P=.048). In patients who RTA before 8-months, every 1% increase in quadriceps strength symmetry at 6-months increased the risk of reinjury by 2.1%(B=.021, P=.05). In patients who RTA after 8-months, every month that RTA was delayed reduced the risk of reinjury by 28.4%(B=-284, P=.042). Conclusions Patients with more symmetric quadriceps strength at 6-months post ACLR were more likely to experience another ACL rupture, especially in those who returned to sport earlier than 8-months after the index surgery. Clinicians should be cognizant that returning high functioning patients to activity earlier than 8-months post-ACLR may place them at an increased risk for reinjury.
Comparison of Standard High Humidity Oxygen Delivery Device Versus High Flow Integrated Flow Generated Oxygen Delivery Device in Minimizing Mechanical Ventilator Days Post Tracheostomy

Background: Many patients experiencing respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) undergo tracheostomy due to difficulty weaning from MV. Varying devices are used to deliver humidified oxygen to these patients. There is currently no accepted standard of practice for which device to use. This medical center sought to compare the impact of use of a standard oxygen delivery High Humidity Trach Collar (HHTC) to a High Flow (HF) Oxygen Integrated Flow Generated delivery device. Methods: This IRB approved cross over study was conducted in the medical and surgical Intensive Care Units (ICU). The primary study aim was to determine if there was a difference in the duration of MV with the use of a HF Integrated Flow Generated Oxygen delivery device rather than a standard HHTC Oxygen delivery device. ICU DAYS were also assessed. The Study was a cross over design. Patients in one ICU began using a standard HHTC while the other unit began with use of a HF integrated flow generator device. After a period of 6 months the device used “crossed over” to the alternate model for each ICU. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the continuous variables of MV and ICU days. Results: 44 patients were placed on either device based on ICU location following placement of new tracheostomy. Mean Apache scores were 15.48 for the HHTC group and 16.09 for the HF group. 21 patients were placed on standard HHTC and 23 on HF type. Findings were: median days for HHTC patients was 15.0 and for HF device 8.95. Median ICU days were 23.0 for HHTC and 18.0 for HF. Mann-Whitney Test η1 = η2 vs η1 ≠ η2 was used for analysis of significance of difference for both MV and ICU days. Patients placed on HF device did show a statistically significant improvement value of .0483 (adjusted for ties) when comparing days of MV. ICU days comparison had a value of .0567 (adjusted for ties) which closely approached statistical significance. Conclusions: The statistically significantly difference in MV hours indicates that use of a HF Integrated Flow Generated Oxygen delivery device may decrease newly tracheostomized patients’ time on MV yielding improved patient safety and decreased cost of care. Decreased ICU Days although not statistically significant may yield the benefit of increased availability of ICU beds.
"Dae Scotsmen Dream o 'lectric Leids?" Robert Crawford's Cyborg Scotland

iv Introduction 1 Some Assembly Required 15 Programming the Scottish Brain 25 The Creature Lives 36 The Makar's Mark 53 Bibliography 59 Vita 65 “DAE SCOTSMEN DREAM O ‘LECTRIC LEIDS?” ROBERT CRAWFORD’S CYBORG SCOTLAND By Alexander Powell Burke, M.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Major Director: Dr. David Latane, Associate Chair, Department of English This thesis applies a Cybernetic interpretation to a selection of poetry by the Scottish Informationist poet Robert Crawford, drawn mostly from two collections: A Scottish Assembly (1990) and Sharawaggi: Poems in Scots (1990). Crawford is contextualized by observing the poetic influences of Robert Burns, John Davidson, and Hugh MacDiarmid, as well as the philosophical influence of George Elder Davie’s The Democratic Intellect. This paper argues that, in response to the Two Cultures hypothesis put forth by C. P. Snow and the widely-held belief that Scotland is irrevocably fractured, the shifting boundaries of the many disparate Scottish cultures are mediated by technologies of communication within A Scottish Assembly, updating both Scotland’s identity and its cultural canon not by merging these cultures into a single Universal Scot, but by holding them in tension—and Sharawaggi is observed as a means of grounding the languages and peoples of Scotland within the landscape. Abstract
Bone Histomorphometry in Hypoparathyroidism

Analysis of the iliac crest bone biopsy by histomorphometric analysis and microcomputed tomography has shed new insight on the cellular and structural skeletal abnormalities in hypoparathyroidism. The disease is characterized by increased bone mass in both cancellous and cortical compartments with increased cortical and trabecular thickness. These changes are accompanied by reduced activation frequency of bone remodeling with a positive bone balance in each remodeling cycle. Treatment with PTH reverses some of these abnormalities, increasing remodeling activation frequency and reducing cortical bone mass by increasing porosity and decreasing trabecular thickness by stimulating intra-trabecular tunneling. Cancellous bone volume remains constant in adults but is further increased by treatment with PTH in adolescents. Mathematical modeling, based on real biopsy samples, suggests that, in addition to reduced remodeling activation frequency, the hypoparathyroid state leads to increased osteocyte mechanosensitivity, which results in a marked increase in bone formation early in the disease process.
Optimal Co-Scheduling to Minimize Makespan on Chip Multiprocessors

On-chip resource sharing among sibling cores causes resource contention on Chip Multiprocessors (CMP), considerably degrading program performance and system fairness. Job co-scheduling attempts to alleviate the problem by assigning jobs to cores intelligently. Despite many heuristics-based empirical explorations, studies on optimal co-scheduling and its inherent complexity start only recently, and all have concentrated on the minimization of total performance degradations. There is another important criterion for scheduling, makespan, which determines the finish time of a job set. Its importance for job co-scheduling on CMP is increasingly recognized, especially with the rise of CMP-based compute cloud, data centers, and server farms. However, optimal co-scheduling for makespan minimization still remains unexplored.
A NATIONAL COLLECTION OF MATERIAL RELATED TO THE HISTORY OF PREMATURE INFANT CARE

An effort is under way to establish a collection of materials which will trace the development of perinatal-care technology in The National Museum of American History at Smithsonian Institution. Readers of Pediatrics are urged to cooperate in this national effort to locate materials of historical interest in back rooms of hospitals and in private collections. The material of interest ranges from incubators (Lion-type used in incubatorbaby exhibits to the present-day models), resuscitation and ventilating devices (delivery-room apparatus, Bloxom Air-Lock, rocking bed, respirators ...), feeding items (gavage equipment, nasal spoons, indwelling tubes ...), photographs, hospital records (statistical reports, examples of patient records ...) and equipment used in landmark investigations (calorimetry, oxygen consumption ...).
Macroinvertebrate community characteristics and related environmental features in prairie pothole wetlands of Iowa

Macroinvertebrates of open-water habitat in 17 semipermanent and permanent prairie pothole wetlands of north-central Iowa were quantitatively sampled in June 2007. Several macroinvertebrate community characteristics (i.e., metrics) were quantified, including metrics based on biomass, numerical densities, and taxonomic diversity. Several environmental features of each wetland were also measured. Land cover within a 50-m radius of each wetland was recorded in terms of % agriculture, % grassland, % tree/woodland, % urban, and % water. Physicochemical features measured within wetlands included dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, pH, temperature, and turbidity. Additional biological features that were measured included coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) abundance (i.e., living and nonliving plants) and presence or absence of predaceous fish and salamanders. Multiple regression analyses and nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination were used to examine relationships between macroinvertebrate metrics and environmental features. A total of 44 macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded from wetlands and overall taxa composition was typical of most Midwestern USA and prairie pothole wetlands. Of 52 macroinvertebrate metrics that were measured, 32 were significantly related to one or more environmental features. CPOM abundance and
The potential of U.S. agriculture and forestry to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions: an agricultural sector analysis.

Mathematical programming is used to examine the economic potential of greenhouse gas mitigation strategies in U.S. agriculture and forestry. Mitigation practices are entered into a spatially differentiated sector model and are jointly assessed with conventional agricultural production. Competition among practices is examined under a wide range of hypothetical carbon prices. Simulation results demonstrate a changing portfolio of mitigation strategies across carbon prices. For lower prices, preferred strategies involve soil and livestock options; higher prices, however, promote mainly afforestation and biofuel generation. Results demonstrate the sensitivity of individual strategy potentials to assumptions about alternative opportunities. Assessed impacts also include market shifts, regional strategy diversity, welfare distribution, and environmental co-effects.
Abstract #5676: siRNA screen of the protein kinome identifies therapeutic targets in neuroblastoma

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO Background: High-risk neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer that is often fatal despite intense multimodality therapy associated with significant late effects for those who survive. Therefore, future therapies will benefit from treatment strategies that rationally exploit signaling pathways for which a tumor cell is selectively dependent. In an effort to identify novel therapeutic targets, we performed a comprehensive siRNA knockdown screen of the protein kinome in neuroblastoma cell models. Methods: Using a validated siRNA library, which targets the human protein kinome (547 kinases), we transiently transfected individual kinase siRNAs into four neuroblastoma cell lines (KELLY, NLF, EBC1 and SKNAS) selected to represent clinically relevant aspects of neuroblastoma genomics (e.g. 2 with MYCN amplification). Each kinase was targeted by a pool of 4 siRNAs and each experiment included a non targeting control siRNA (or siGAPDH) and positive control siRNA. Using a real-time quantitative assay to evaluate inhibition of proliferation by siRNA knockdown, we compared the growth kinetic area under the curve (AUC) of the kinase to the AUC of the non-targeting control to obtain the primary outcome value of % relative growth. We then ranked the top 100 most potent kinase siRNAs per cell line and integrated the lists to identify kinases with inhibition in multiple lines. We further determined whether there was a correlation with inhibition by a kinase in a cell line and its gene expression and/or relative genomic copy number. Results: Of the 100 top kinases ranked per cell line, 73 inhibited two lines, 21 inhibited 3 lines and 4 kinases showed significant growth inhibition in all 4 cell lines tested. The kinases that inhibited 3 or more lines were enriched for genes involved in mitoses including CDK2, CDK4, AURKA, PLK1 and CHEK1 . Ten kinases were preferentially inhibited in the MYCN amplified cell lines (i.e. AURKB, ABL1, CHUK ) and 12 in MYCN single copy lines (i.e. ADORA2B, AKT2, CSNK2A2 ). When integrating kinase inhibition and genomic copy number status, several candidate kinases mapped to regions of genomic gain and for 2 kinases ( CSNK1D , 17q25 and CLK2 , 1q21) the presence of genomic gain mirrored growth inhibition. Conclusion: A functional siRNA screen designed to identify therapeutic targets in neuroblastoma has yielded several candidate oncogenes and/or activated pathways. The screen has internal validation as AURKA has been shown to be a molecular target (AACR Abstract 2297, 2008) and a Phase 1 study is ongoing, and several of the other kinases identified are oncogenic in other cancers. Current studies are focused on the preclinical evaluation of selected small molecular inhibitors of these candidate kinases for anti-neuroblastoma activity. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 5676.