cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Temperature mapping of frozen tissue using eddy current compensated half excitation RF pulses

Cryosurgery has been shown to be an effective therapy for prostate cancer. Temperature monitoring throughout the cryosurgical iceball could dramatically improve efficacy, since end temperatures of at least –40°C are required. The results of this study indicate that MR thermometry based on tissue R has the potential to provide this information. Frozen tissue appears as a complete signal void on conventional MRI. Ultrashort echo times (TEs), achievable with half pulse excitation and a short spiral readout, allow frozen tissue to be imaged and MR characteristics to be measured. However, half pulse excitation is highly sensitive to eddy current distortions of the slice-select gradient. In this work, the effects of eddy currents on the half pulse technique are characterized and methods to overcome these effects are developed. The methods include: 1) eddy current compensated slice-select gradients, and 2) a correction for the phase shift between the first and second half excitations at the center of the slice. The effectiveness of these methods is demonstrated in R maps calculated within the frozen region during cryoablation. Magn Reson Med 46:985–992, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Sustainable Course in Research Mentoring

In this report, we describe a six-year experience (2007-2012) in a single CTSA awardee institution on the development, implementation and evaluation of a hybrid online mentoring curriculum that is applicable to CTSA trainees at various levels (graduate, medical students, and junior faculty) of career training. The curriculum offers convenience, engagement, and financial sustainability. Overall, we found high levels of satisfaction with the curriculum and mentoring experience among both proteges and mentors. Qualitative data showed remarkable consensus of 14 of the 15 domains of mentoring that form the framework of the mentoring curriculum: (1) accessibility, (2) selectivity, (3) engagement/support, (4) teaching/training, (5) clarity of performance/expectations, (6) sponsorship/sharing power judiciously, (7) demystifying the system (academia), (8) challenging/encouraging risk taking, (9) affirming, (10) providing exposure/visibility, (11) being an intentional role model, (12) protecting, (13) providing feedback, (14) self-disclosure, and lastly (15) counseling, with the fifteenth domain "counseling" being the most controversial. Quantitative survey data of both mentors and proteges indicated a high degree of overall satisfaction in their mentor-protege dyad with 86% (59) of proteges and 86% (55) of mentors responding good or excellent to the "quality of time spent." Mentors and proteges were most satisfied in the area of research, with 93% (62) of proteges and 96% (57) of mentors finding discussions in research very to somewhat useful for their own career advancement. Along with wide acceptability, this format is a useful option for institutions where face-to-face time is limited and education budgets are lean.
Evaluation of repetitive extragenic palindromic-polymerase chain reaction and denatured gradient gel electrophoresis in identifying Salmonella serotypes isolated from processed turkeys

ABSTRACT The current study was conducted to determine the usefulness of 2 molecular techniques, automated repetitive extragenic palindromic-PCR (REP- PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), to identify Salmonella serotypes of poultry origin. Salmonella continues to be a foodborne pathogen of principal concern in the United States. The interspersed conserved repetitive sequence of the bacterial genome and the 16-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region were amplified for REP-PCR and DGGE, respectively. Fifty-four Salmonella isolates from 2 turkey processing plants (A and B) were used for this comparison. Serotypes consisted of Brandenburg, Derby, Hadar, and Typhimurium, with n = 6, 21, 12, and 15, respectively. The REP-PCR was fully automated, whereas DGGE was run on an acrylamide gel and the image was captured digitally. Both dendrograms were created using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average. There were more variations in percentage similarity in DGGE when compared with REP-PCR. The banding patterns were more distinct and uniform in the REP-PCR group than with DGGE. The results from the REP-PCR were generated within 1 h, whereas the DGGE required approximately 1 d to run. These data suggest that DGGE and REP-PCR are useful tools for identifying Salmonella serotypes isolated from poultry production or processing environments. In addition, REP-PCR is more rapid, may have a higher discriminatory power, but may be less cost-effective than DGGE. However, more research may be needed to validate this argument. Both DGGE and REP-PCR displayed high sensitivity in discriminating among Salmonella serotypes and either method could be considered as an alternative to more expensive and time-consuming conventional antibody-based serotyping methodologies.
Angiotensin II–Nitric Oxide Interaction on Sympathetic Outflow in Conscious Rabbits

Abstract—Increasing evidence suggests that endogenous NO inhibits sympathetic outflow in anesthetized animals. However, in a recent study from this laboratory, we were unable to find any evidence of increased renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in response to blockade of NO synthesis in conscious rabbits. Because angiotensin II (Ang II) increases sympathetic outflow, one factor for this discrepancy may be the difference in the resting level of Ang II, which may be lower in well-trained conscious animals. In the present study, the effects of blockade of NO synthesis with Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 30 mg/kg IV) on resting RSNA with and without a background intravenous infusion of Ang II (10 ng · kg−1 · min−1) was investigated in conscious rabbits. Intravenous administration of L-NAME (30 mg/kg) caused an increase in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP, from 80.4±2.9 to 92.8±2.5; P=.0001) and a decrease in RSNA (from 100±0% to 53.4±8.6%, P=.0016). When the elevated blood pressure was returne...
Open-Loop Control of a Multifin Biorobotic Rigid Underwater Vehicle

This paper presents an open-loop control system for a new experimental vehicle, named the biorobotic autonomous underwater vehicle (BAUV). The rigid cylindrical hull of the vehicle is attached with six strategically located fins to produce forces and moments in all orthogonal directions and axes with minimal redundancy. The fins are penguin-wing inspired and they implement the unsteady high-lift principle found widely in swimming and flying animals. The goal has been to design an underwater vehicle that is highly maneuverable by taking the inspiration from nature where unsteady hydrodynamic principles of lift generation and the phase synchronization of fins are common. We use cycle-averaged experimental data to analyze the hydrodynamic forces and moments produced by a single foil as a function of its kinematic motion parameters. Given this analysis, we describe a method for synthesizing and coordinating the sinusoidal motion of all six foils to produce any desired resultant mean force and moment vectors on the vehicle. The mathematics behind the resulting algorithm is elegant and effective, yielding compact and efficient implementation code. The solution method also considers and accommodates the inherent physical constraints of the foil actuators. We present laboratory experimental results that demonstrate the solution method and the vehicle's resulting high maneuverability.
Coping with Family Conflict: What’s Helpful and What’s Not for Low-income Adolescents

Family conflict is exacerbated by poverty-related stress and is detrimental to adolescent mental health. Adolescent coping with family conflict has the potential to buffer or exacerbate the negative effects of family conflict on internalizing symptoms. We examined coping with family conflict among 82 low-income adolescents (53.7% female, mean age = 13.5 years at Time 1, SD = 1.98; range 11–18), and their primary caregivers (95% female, mean age = 34.9 years, SD = 7.45). Adolescents were 25.9% Caucasian, 28.4% African American, 38.3% Hispanic, and 7.4% Other (Multi-racial, Native American, or Asian). Results show that family conflict is more strongly associated with internalizing symptoms for adolescents under high levels of poverty-related stress. Regression analyses indicate that secondary control coping moderates the effects of family conflict on internalizing symptoms. In addition, analyses reveal that disengagement coping exacerbates symptoms across time for both adolescent girls and boys. Regression analyses also suggest that primary control coping is helpful for coping with family conflict, but only for girls. Results highlight the importance of examining coping concurrently and across time as well as including moderating effects of gender. Intervention efforts targeting low-income adolescents should incorporate the instruction of secondary control strategies for coping with family conflict.
Alterations in hepatocytes after manipulation of the diet: copper, zinc and cadmium interactions.

Morphometric analyses of liver parenchymal cells were performed on male albino rats fed a semipurified diet supplemented with two levels of copper and zinc. These metals were administered in demineralized drinking water to four groups of animals at two levels. (1) 0.25 μgm Cu/ml, 2.5 μgm Zn/ml, and (2) 1.0 μgm Cu/ml, 10 μgm Zn/ml. Cadmium, also administered in the drinking water daily to rats at 17.2 μgm cadmium/ml, was given to one group of animals on each of the two semipurified diets. Two groups of rats were given laboratory chow plus 17.2 μgm Cd/ml for 71 days and for 280 days. Volume densities of all organelles diminished significantly when levels of copper and zinc were lowest. Surface densities of rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum were significantly decreased. Higher levels of copper and zinc produced morphologic and morphometric parameters which fell just below those obtained for rats fed chow. Glycogen accumulation was highest when the levels of metal were low. Lipid inclusions were more frequent with semipurified diets than with chow. Hepatocytes from rats fed the semipurified diet with low copper and zinc plus cadmium demonstrated a significant increase in smooth endoplasmic reticulum compared to animals fed the semipurified diet alone. The smooth endoplasmic reticulum changed little when cadmium was given to rats receiving adequate copper and zinc. Smooth endoplasmic reticulum increased when diets included chow and cadmium whereas rough endoplasmic reticulum decreased. Cup-shaped and elongated mitochondria with longitudinal cristae appeared in hepatocytes from animals fed chow with cadmium. These were not seen with semipurified diets and cadmium.
Positive feedback and momentum growth during debris-flow entrainment of wet bed sediment

Debris flows typically occur when intense rainfall or snowmelt triggers landslides or extensive erosion on steep, debris-mantled slopes. The flows can then grow dramatically in size and speed as they entrain material from their beds and banks, but the mechanism of this growth is unclear. Indeed, momentum conservation implies that entrainment of static material should retard the motion of the flows if friction remains unchanged. Here we use data from large-scale experiments to assess the entrainment of bed material by debris flows. We find that entrainment is accompanied by increased flow momentum and speed only if large positive pore pressures develop in wet bed sediments as the sediments are overridden by debris flows. The increased pore pressure facilitates progressive scour of the bed, reduces basal friction and instigates positive feedback that causes flow speed, mass and momentum to increase. If dryer bed sediment is entrained, however, the feedback becomes negative and flow momentum declines. We infer that analogous feedbacks could operate in other types of gravity-driven mass flow that interact with erodible beds. The mechanisms by which debris flows acquire mass and momentum as they entrain material are unclear. Large-scale experiments suggest that the pore pressure of wet bed sediment increases as the flow moves over the bed, leading to reduced friction and progressive scouring of the base.
The Emergence and Exploration of Vibrational Optical Activity

Vibrational optical activity is a new field of molecular spectroscopy which combines the methods of circular differential polarization measurement with the infrared and Raman forms of vibrational spectroscopy. These new spectroscopies, known as infrared vibrational circular dichroism and Raman optical activity, have evolved over the past decade and are presently beginning to make meaningful contributions to the understanding of vibrational force fields and the redistribution of electronic charge in vibrating chiral molecules. In this article some of the early events which led to the author to pursue the development of vibrational optical activity will be described followed by a sampling of recent results of the measurement and calculation of vibrational circular dichroism intensities.
Review Essay: Affecting Performance: Meaning, Movement, and Experience in Okiek Women's Initiation

Affecting Performance: Meaning, Movement, and Experience in Okiek Women's Initiation. Corinne A. Kratz. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994. 469 pp. $69.00 (cloth), $24.95 (paper).
A remark on the regularity of solutions of Maxwell's equations on Lipschitz domains

Let ~ u be a vector field on a bounded Lipschitz domain in R 3 , and let ~ u together with its divergence and curl be square integrable. If
Modeling of multiple-optical-axis pattern-integrated interference lithography systems

The image quality and collimation in a multiple-optical-axis pattern-integrated interference lithography system are evaluated for an elementary optical system composed of single-element lenses. Image quality and collimation are individually and jointly optimized for these lenses. Example images for a jointly optimized system are simulated using a combination of ray tracing and Fourier analysis. Even with these nonoptimized components, reasonable fidelity is shown to be possible.
Localization of the Domains of the Haemophilus ducreyi Trimeric Autotransporter DsrA Involved in Serum Resistance and Binding to the Extracellular Matrix Proteins Fibronectin and Vitronectin

Resisting the bactericidal activity of naturally occurring antibodies and complement of normal human serum is an important element in the evasion of innate immunity by bacteria. In the gram-negative mucosal pathogen Haemophilus ducreyi, serum resistance is mediated primarily by the trimeric autotransporter DsrA. DsrA also functions as an adhesin for the extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin and vitronectin and mediates attachment of H. ducreyi to keratinocytes. We sought to determine the domain(s) of the 236-residue DsrA protein required for serum resistance and extracellular matrix protein binding. A 140-amino-acid truncated protein containing only the C-terminal portion of the passenger domain and the entire translocator domain of DsrA exhibited binding to fibronectin and vitronectin and conferred serum resistance to an H. ducreyi serum-sensitive strain. A shorter DsrA construct consisting of only 128 amino acids was unable to bind to extracellular matrix proteins but was serum resistant. We concluded that neither fibronectin binding nor vitronectin binding is required for high-level serum resistance in H. ducreyi.
Density perturbations in cosmological models

An explicitly coordinate-independent method, based on previous work by Hawking, is used to study linearized density perturbations of $k=0$ Friedmann cosmological models.
Lessons about Cash and Manager Priorities.

Experienced managers know that cash affects virtually every aspect of a company’s strategy and operations. Business students and new managers, however, sometimes lose sight of the importance of cash amidst the details of accrual-based accounting courses, formula-based finance courses, and production-based management courses. We therefore use recent international research to reinforce practical lessons about cash and manager priorities. In particular, we examine why managers must focus on cash, how managers must balance cash with accruals in maximizing returns to investors, and how managers must cope with differing accounting priorities in obtaining needed information about cash.
A Gene Involved in Postmating Flight Muscle Degeneration in Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Queens

A novel protein in the hemolymph of newly collected mated red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), queens was identified using SDS gel electrophoresis and silver staining. The protein was observed 24 h postmating and was not present in the hemolymph of either virgin queens or in queens 2–14 d postmating. Using a reverse genetics approach, we isolated a 252-bp DNA fragment corresponding to this protein that has homology with the cysteine protease inhibitor (CPI) in plants. We suggest that this putative fire ant queen CPI is involved in flight muscle histolysis. The expression of the putative CPI was monitored at the transcriptional level to establish its role in flight muscle histolysis. A significant increase in the expression of putative CPI transcript was observed in mated queens compared with alate virgin queens. Enhancement in the expression of the putative CPI started from day 0 postmating and continued to increase for another 3 d. On day 7, the expression almost vanished. We discuss the possibility that the CPI protein inhibits proteasomal degradation in the flight muscle cells, rendering them subject to apoptosis.
Management practices associated with presence of Staphylococcus aureus in bulk tank milk from Ohio dairy herds

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common contagious mastitis pathogen affecting cows worldwide. Practices to control this organism have been advocated for decades, and identification of risk factors in individual herds is crucial in prevention and control of Staph. aureus. The objectives of this paper were to estimate prevalence of Staph. aureus in Ohio dairies and to determine a potential association of herd characteristics and management practices with isolation of Staph. aureus in bulk tank milk. A questionnaire about herd characteristics, milking procedures, udder health, mastitis control, and biosecurity practices was mailed to 780 dairy producers; the response rate for the survey was 49%. Staphylococcus aureus prevalence was 48, 64, and 69% when 1, 2, or 3 samples of bulk tank milk from each herd were considered, respectively. Herds practicing prestrip, pre- and postmilking teat dip, and using a single towel per cow as part of the milking routine as well as herds where owners were involved in milking were at significantly reduced odds for detection of Staph. aureus in their bulk tank milk.
How Many Collisions to Slow Down a Neutron

The process of neutron slowing down in a nonabsorbing medium is reviewed, and the distinction between average energy or lethargy after n collisions and the average number of collisions to reach a g...
The Effect of Technical Efficiency on Optimum Size

F ARM and enterprise average cost curves are often interpreted as indicating that optimum size under "present technologies" is similar for most farms. However, wide farm-to-farm variations in size are observed; though the causes of these size differences have not been well explained. Reasons often given for size variation include differences in goals, capital limitations, differences in risk preference, and institutional restrictions. These factors are hypothesized to cause some managers to operate at sizes different than the static optimum. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that there may be an extremely wide range in the economic optimum size of farm or enterprise because of the wide technical-efficiency variation between farms. Technical efficiency is defined here as the ability to extract output from given resources. It may be the result of such factors as timeliness of milking, timeliness of feeding, methods of milking, etc. The following example is based on a study of the dairy enterprise,3 however, other current Purdue studies of the hog4 and poultry enterprises5 indicate similar technical efficiency differences and cost curve shapes and, therefore, similar conclusions.
Comparative study of mammalian phototransduction in vivo: a prelude to preclinical treatment trials in retinal degenerations

Vertebrate vision originates from the hyperpolarization of photoreceptors when photons are absorbed by pigments they contain.
Organometallic nickel(III) complexes relevant to cross-coupling and carbon-heteroatom bond formation reactions.

Nickel complexes have been widely employed as catalysts in C–C and C–heteroatom bond formation reactions. In addition to Ni(0) and Ni(II) intermediates, several Ni-catalyzed reactions are proposed to also involve odd-electron Ni(I) and Ni(III) oxidation states. We report herein the isolation, structural and spectroscopic characterization, and organometallic reactivity of Ni(III) complexes containing aryl and alkyl ligands. These Ni(III) species undergo transmetalation and/or reductive elimination reactions to form new C–C or C–heteroatom bonds and are also competent catalysts for Kumada and Negishi cross-coupling reactions. Overall, these results provide strong evidence for the direct involvement of organometallic Ni(III) species in cross-coupling reactions and oxidatively induced C–heteroatom bond formation reactions.
Perceived Leader Behavior as a Function of Personality Characteristics of Supervisors and Subordinates

Subordinate perceptions of supervisory initiation of structure and consideration were studied as a function of locus of control and Machiavellianism. Personality was found to be a major factor in p...
Effects of argon to oxygen ratio and post annealing on R.F. sputtered SnO2 thin film for ethylene gas detection

Optimum processing conditions for fabricating SnO2 thin films were investigated to detect low ppm levels of ethylene gas for future on-field gas sensor applications. Different argon-to-oxygen ratios during R.F. sputtering were attempted to find the optimum gas ratio in depositing SnO2 thin film. Post-annealing was performed at 650°C to investigate the influence of film property change on ethylene sensing property of sensor. As-deposited and post-annealed films prepared under four different argon-to-oxygen ratios were studied by SEM, XRD, and sensitivity measurement. It was found that the stoichiometry and crystallinity of SnO2 films determined by post annealing was more influential than those by the argon to oxygen ratio during R.F sputtering on ethylene gas detection. An ethylene gas-sensing mechanism on R.F. sputtered SnO2 thin films for the design of processing conditions is proposed.
Folding of Thin Composite Structures with a Soft Matrix

The paper presents detailed micromechanical finite element simulations of composite materials with soft materials undergoing large macroscopic bending deformation. The simulations allow the study of fibre microbuckling under bending, including the kinematics of the fibres, as well as the strains in the matrix. These simulations lead to a simple analytical model that allows a quite accurate estimation of the buckling wavelength. It also provides the moment-curvature relationship. Finally, the model is also able to predict the maximum strain in the fibres for a given curvature.
Lipid Transformation in Hydrothermal Processing of Whole Algal Cells

Hydrothermal processing may provide an attractive alternative for producing biofuels with microalgae. Hydrothermal processing can be used with wet feedstocks without needing energy-intensive drying...
Investigation of an Active PDMS Micromixer for Horseradish Peroxidase Detection

Mixing of bio-fluids on the micro-scale is an important issue in biomicroelectro-mechanical systems(BioMEMS) and analytical chemistry,and presently the passive diffusion is the main way in BioMEMS with a low mixing efficiency.An active micromixer based on polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) was porposed in this paper.A control circuit actuated an electromagnetic valve(EMV) to produce a series of compressed air pulses that deflected the PDMS diaphragms of the six air chambers in a sequence,facilitating the mixing and reactions in the mixing chamber.Based on the chemiluminescent mechanism of the luminol-H2O2 system catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase(HRP),the optimal working conditions of the micromixer were studied and the optimal experiment conditions were established with chemiluminescencent analytical method for HRP detection and L25-5-6 orthogonal experiment.HRP detection on the micro scale was conducted at the optimal experimental conditions,results of which show that the linear range and detection limit of HRP are 2.05×10-9 mol/L-2.05×10-8 mol/L and 2.05×10-9 mol/L,respectively,while the total reaction time of chemiluminescence is less than 2 min.Therefore,the proposed micromixer can satisfy the demand for micro scale and quick detection of materials in the field of biomedicine and analytical chemistry.
Innovative millennial snails: the story of Slow Food University of Wisconsin

This is the story of Slow Food University of Wisconsin (SFUW), a student organization that grew from one woman’s idea to a community of over 3200 people dedicated to making sustainable, fairly produced, delicious food accessible in a small city, with a big university, in the heart of the United States. Along the way SFUW has fostered new ideas, developed skills, and built relationships through conscious food procurement, cooking and eating. This essay describes the evolution of the organization and its four projects: Family Dinner Night, South Madison, Outreach and the Cafe. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been delicious.
Gunshot wounds to the extremities in children and adolescents

Thirty-seven patients from 8 months to 17 years of age were evaluated prospectively and retrospectively after sustaining gunshot wounds to the extremities. This review supports the belief that higher velocity weapons and shotgun-wound injuries cause greater morbidity, with increased length of hospital stay and increased cost of care. Late growth abnormalities were related to recognized initial physeal injury and not to unrecognized physeal injury. Immediate neurologic deficits usually resolved partially or fully, without surgical treatment.
Antioxidant Protection of NADPH-Depleted Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells Is Dependent on Supply of Reduced Glutathione

The pentose phosphate pathway is the main source of NADPH, which by reducing oxidized glutathione, contributes to antioxidant defenses. Although oxidative stress plays a major role in white matter injury, significance of NADPH for oligodendrocyte survival has not been yet investigated. It is reported here that the NADPH antimetabolite 6-amino-NADP (6AN) was cytotoxic to cultured adult rat spinal cord oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) as well as OPC-derived oligodendrocytes. The 6AN-induced necrosis was preceded by increased production of superoxide, NADPH depletion, and lower supply of reduced glutathione. Moreover, survival of NADPH-depleted OPCs was improved by the antioxidant drug trolox. Such cells were also protected by physiological concentrations of the neurosteroid dehydroepiandrosterone (10−8 M). The protection by dehydroepiandrosterone was associated with restoration of reduced glutathione, but not NADPH, and was sensitive to inhibition of glutathione synthesis. A similar protective mechani...
Post-Procedure Evaluation of Microwave Ablations of Hepatocellular Carcinomas Using Electrode Displacement Elastography.

Microwave ablation has been used clinically as an alternative to surgical resection. However, lack of real-time imaging to assess treated regions may compromise treatment outcomes. We previously introduced electrode displacement elastography (EDE) for strain imaging and verified its feasibility in vivo on porcine animal models. In this study, we evaluated EDE on 44 patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, treated using microwave ablation. The ablated region was identified on EDE images for 40 of the 44 patients. Ablation areas averaged 13.38 ± 4.99 cm2 on EDE, compared with 7.61 ± 3.21 cm2 on B-mode imaging. Contrast and contrast-to-noise ratios obtained with EDE were 232% and 98%, respectively, significantly higher than values measured on B-mode images (p < 0.001). This study indicates that EDE is feasible in patients and provides improved visualization of the ablation zone compared with B-mode ultrasound.
Dayton Implementation to European Integration

Any systemic look at education in BiH must start with an explanation and analysis of the structure and implementation of the DPA and the eventual transition toward European integration. This evolving political landscape framed the development of education during the 1995–2015 period. The chief challenge facing BiH in the post-war era is that the structure of the DPA has prevented BiH from creating a modern functioning democracy and has slowed progress toward European integration.
Combination Therapy with CC-5013 (Lenalidomide; Revlimid™) Plus Dexamethasone (Rev/Dex) for Newly Diagnosed Myeloma (MM).

Background: Increasingly thalidomide (Thal) plus dexamethasone (Dex) is being used as initial therapy for multiple myeloma (MM), but there is a need to minimize non-hematologic toxicity with this regimen. CC-5013 (lenalidomide; Revlimid™) is a more potent analog of thalidomide with significantly fewer non-hematologic toxicities that has shown promising results in relapsed refractory myeloma. We report the initial results of the first phase II trial using the combination of CC-5013 plus Dex (Rev/Dex) as initial therapy for newly diagnosed MM. Methods: The trial is designed to accrue 31 eligible patients; 13 patients (pts) (11 male and 2 female) were analyzed in this interim report. Patients were enrolled between February 2004 and July 2004. CC-5013 was given orally at a dose of 25 mg daily on days 1–21 of a 28-day cycle. Dex was given orally at a dose of 40 mg daily on days 1–4, 9–12, 17–20 of each cycle. Patients also received an aspirin once daily as thrombosis prophylaxis. Response was defined as a decrease in serum monoclonal (M) protein by 50% or higher and a decrease in urine M protein by at least 90% or to a level less than 200 mg/24 hours. Responses were assessed on an intent to treat basis. Results: The median age was 61 years (range, 32–78). 8 patients (62%) had Stage III myeloma. 11 of the 13 patients achieved an objective response yielding a response rate of 85% within 1–2 months of therapy. So far 6 patients have experienced grade 3 adverse events. These include one episode each of CD4-count 3 , anemia, neutropenia, increased liver enzymes, muscle weakness, agitation, hyperglycemia, cardiac arrhythmia, pneumonitis, and colonic perforation (underlying diverticulitis and dexamethasone suspected). No deep vein thrombosis or grade 4 or higher adverse events have been observed so far. Conclusions: Rev/Dex appears active and well tolerated in the treatment of newly diagnosed MM and is a potential alternative to Thal/Dex. However, these results are preliminary and responses are still being evaluated and need to be confirmed in the final analysis of this trial. A large randomized trial using Rev/Dex as initial therapy for MM is expected to be activated by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group later this year.
CONDUCTA OCUPACIONAL SEDENTARIA Y SOLUCIONES PARA AUMENTAR LA TERMOGÉNESIS NO ASOCIADA AL EJERCICIO

Conforme aumenta la prevalencia de la obesidad en todo el mundo, los investigadores buscan explicaciones para este fenomeno, en particular aquellas relevantes al gasto energetico. Se ha identificado que la termogenesis no asociada al ejercicio, abreviada como NEAT (por sus siglas en ingles), es un componente discreto, pero a la vez considerable, del gasto energetico diario total. Las exigencias de algunas ocupaciones limitan la disposicion de tiempo para la actividad fisica planificada y claramente reducen la NEAT, lo cual contribuye a las conductas sedentarias que provocan la adiposidad aumentada. Se ha identificado especificamente al tiempo sentado prolongado durante la jornada laboral como un factor de riesgo para la obesidad y las enfermedades cronicas, independientemente de otros factores de riesgo existentes. Se han puesto en practica algunas estrategias practicas para aumentar la NEAT durante la jornada laboral: existen estaciones de trabajo que requieren mantener el equilibrio mientras se trabaja sentado en una pelota suiza (bola de ejercicio) o trabajar de pie, tambien otras en las que se pedalea sentado o se camina en una banda sin fin incorporada al escritorio, para contrarrestar los periodos prolongados de conducta sedentaria en el trabajo. Aunque hay pocos datos sobre los beneficios cronicos de estas estaciones, aquellas que promueven mas movimiento —las estaciones de pedaleo o de caminata—aumentan los MET y el gasto energetico total mas que las otras alternativas. La desventaja de moverse mas es que podria haber una disminucion en la atencion del trabajo de escritorio y, por lo tanto, una disminucion en el funcionamiento cognitivo; sin embargo, los datos no son consistentes y puede ser que el beneficio para la salud sea igual o mayor que la desventaja de experimentar algunas pequenas distracciones durante las tareas de escritorio.
Why did France intervene in Mali in 2013? Examining the role of Intervention Entrepreneurs

ABSTRACTMilitary interventions are without a doubt the most forceful and most costly foreign policy tool extant. But how do they actually come about? The bulk of the existing literature on military interventions points to the head of state and his/her closest advisers to explain intervention decisions. This article argues instead that Intervention Entrepreneurs play a critical role in the political decision-making process of military interventions. Intervention Entrepreneurs are individuals or groups that promote the launch of a specific military intervention because they anticipate benefitting disproportionately from the intervention decision and/or aftermath. To further their intervention proposal, these entrepreneurs employ very similar techniques which include: (1) the creation of a narrative for intervention; (2) the act of spreading and “selling” this narrative to the media, think tanks and other thought leaders; (3) the act of establishing faits accomplis – actions that can create a slippery slope ...
Abstract 4932: Oxygen sensing by T cells establishes an immunologically favorable metastatic niche

Cancer cells must evade immune responses at distant sites to establish metastases. The lung is a frequent site for metastasis. We hypothesized that lung-specific immunoregulatory mechanisms create an immunologically permissive environment for tumor colonization. We found that T-cell-intrinsic expression of the oxygen-sensing prolyl-hydroxylase (PHD) proteins is required to maintain local tolerance against innocuous antigens in the lung but powerfully licenses colonization by circulating tumor cells. PHD proteins limit pulmonary type helper (Th)-1 responses, promote CD4(+)-regulatory T (Treg) cell induction, and restrain CD8(+) T cell effector function. Tumor colonization is accompanied by PHD-protein-dependent induction of pulmonary Treg cells and suppression of IFN-γ-dependent tumor clearance. T-cell-intrinsic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of PHD proteins limits tumor colonization of the lung and improves the efficacy of adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy. Collectively, PHD proteins function in T cells to coordinate distinct immunoregulatory programs within the lung that are permissive to cancer metastasis. Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: David Clever, Nicholas Restifo. Oxygen sensing by T cells establishes an immunologically favorable metastatic niche [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4932. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4932
Performance testing to identify climate-ready trees

Urban forests produce ecosystem services that can benefit city dwellers, but are especially vulnerable to climate change stressors such as heat, drought, extreme winds and pests. Tree selection is an important decision point for managers wanting to transition to a more stable and resilient urban forest structure. This study describes a five-step process to identify and evaluate the performance of promising but infrequently used tree species. The approach is illustrated for the Central Valley of California, USA and has been implemented in the Inland Empire and Southern Coastal regions of California. Horticultural advisors nominated 134 taxon for consideration. A filtering process eliminated taxon that were relatively abundant in a compilation of 8 municipal tree inventories, then those with low adaptive capacity when scored on habitat suitability, physiology and biological interactions. In 2015, 144 trees were planted, with 2 trees of each of 12 species planted in 4 Sacramento parks and 4 replicates planted in the Davis, California reference site. This approach can serve as an international model for cities interested in climate adaptation through urban forestry.
Clay Faces in an Abolitionist Church: The Wesleyan Methodist Church in Syracuse, New York

For many years, a group of sculpted clay faces, in desperate and immediate need of conservation, tenuously clung to the walls of the dug-out space called a “tunnel” beneath the former Wesleyan Methodist Church, the home of a noted abolitionist and social-reform oriented congregation in downtown Syracuse, New York. Archaeological and historical research indicates a 19th-century origin for the faces. The church openly participated in abolition and the Underground Railroad, and housed a national abolitionist press. However, even in a pro-emancipation community such as Syracuse, the dangers for refugees fleeing bondage were real, and the consequences of capture were life threatening. This was particularly true after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850. This study presents evidence that the clay faces may have been created by African American refugees from slavery. Moreover, it describes a community’s efforts to conserve and protect this resource.
Sysctl: A Distributed System Control Package

The sysctl package is an authenticated client/server system for executing remove commands. It is conceptually similar to rsh, but adds Kerberos authentication, an ACL-based command authorization mechanism, and a programmable Tcl-based command language in its server. The sysctl server component, sysctld, is a daemon that runs on all workstations. The client component lets users send sysctl commands to a sysctld server. If the user is authorized for the requested operation, the server executes it on behalf of the user and sends back the result. The operations sent by the user are processed at the server using a built-in command interpreter and can range from a single sysctl command to a complex sysctl script. The server has a multi-level authorization scheme to guard against unauthorized access to commands. The sysctl server uses the embeddable command language Extended Tcl as the foundation for its built-in interpreter. The server can dynamically link in external shell commands and Tcl procedures to integrate existing management tools or create new global or service-specific commands. Once a command is created inside a server's interpreter, it is accessible to any authorized user from any workstation. Sysctl uses the Kerberos authentication service for reliable third-party authentication, a prerequisite for authorization checking in a distributed computing environment. The server's built-in authorization mechanism provides granularity down to the individual command level.
Hemispheric Specificity and Hypnotizability: An Overview of Ongoing EEG Research in South Australia

At the 1979 I.S.H. Conference in Melbourne, it was reported (MacLeod-Morgan, 1979) that highly hypnotizable subjects show more specific lateralization during right and left hemisphere tasks than do low hypnotizables, using the change in alpha ratio when changing task, as the measure of specificity. The present paper is a resume of subsequent work, and included reports on:- (a) replication of the 1979 study; (b) four experiments showing that the specific lateralization of high hypnotizables does not appear to be disrupted by the presence of conflicting information during task performance; and (c) evidence (also using the hemispheric specificity paradigm) for regarding hypnosis as a right-hemisphere “task”.
Long-term transplant outcomes of donor hearts with left ventricular dysfunction

Abstract Objective Despite small single-center reports demonstrating acceptable outcomes using donor hearts with left ventricular dysfunction, 19% of potential donor hearts are currently unused exclusively because of left ventricular dysfunction. We investigated modern long-term survival of transplanted donor hearts with left ventricular dysfunction using a large, diverse cohort. Methods Using the United Network for Organ Sharing database, we reviewed all adult heart transplants between January 2000 and March 2016. Baseline and postoperative characteristics and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were compared. A covariates-adjusted Cox regression model was developed to estimate post-transplant mortality. To address observed variation in patient profile across donor ejection fraction, a propensity score was built using Cox predictors as covariates in a generalized multiple linear regression model. All the variables in the original Cox model were included. For each recipient, a predicted donor ejection fraction was generated and exported as a new balancing score that was used in a subsequent Cox model. Cubic spline analysis suggested that at most 3 and perhaps no ejection fraction categories were appropriate. Therefore, in 1 Cox model we added donor ejection fraction as a grouped variable (using the spline-directed categories) and in the other as a continuous variable. Results A total of 31,712 donor hearts were transplanted during the study period. A total of 742 donor hearts were excluded for no recorded left ventricular ejection fraction, and 20 donor hearts were excluded for left ventricular ejection fraction less than 20%. Donor hearts with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction were from younger donors, more commonly male donors, and donors with lower body mass index than normal donor hearts. Recipients of donor hearts with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction were more likely to be on mechanical ventilation. Kaplan–Meier curves revealed no significant differences in recipient survival up to 15 years of follow-up (P = .694 log-rank test). Cox regression analysis showed that after adjustment for propensity variation, transplant year, and region, ejection fraction had no statistically significant impact on mortality when analyzed as a categoric or continuous variable. Left ventricular ejection fraction at approximately 1 year after transplantation was normal for all groups. Conclusions Carefully selected donor hearts with even markedly diminished left ventricular ejection fraction can be transplanted with long-term survival equivalent to normal donor hearts and therefore should not be excluded from consideration on the basis of depressed left ventricular ejection fraction alone. Functional recovery of even the most impaired donor hearts in this study suggests that studies of left ventricular function in the setting of brain death should be interpreted cautiously.
Insurance Status and Survival of Patients with Salivary Gland Cancer

ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of insurance status on survival among patients with major salivary gland cancer.Study DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingSEER program.Subjects and MethodsWe in...
Exploring the validity of time-concentration superposition in glassy colloids: Experiments and simulations

Author(s): Peng, Xiaoguang; Wang, J Galen; Li, Qi; Chen, Dongjie; Zia, Roseanna N; McKenna, Gregory B
The Impact of Linguistic Distance and Financial Reporting Readability on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Stocks

Using a sample of 75 countries, we show that foreigners invest less in U.S. stocks when investors are from countries with greater linguistic distance and when U.S. financial reports are more difficult to read. Our results suggest that linguistic distance and readability difficulty act as information processing frictions for foreign investors, even in the U.S. market where foreign investors should have the greatest ability, resources, and incentives to overcome translation and readability issues. Additionally, we show that foreigners invest more in U.S. Treasuries and consume more when facing greater linguistic distance and readability difficulty. These results are consistent with a “substitution effect” where foreigners increase their consumption and holdings of U.S. Treasuries because these alternatives avoid the linguistic distance and readability frictions associated with analyzing financial statements and investing in U.S. equities.
Optimal thermoacoustic energy extraction via temporal phase control and traveling wave generation

Abstract This work presents a novel class of thermoacoustic devices that comprises a simple resonator geometry and a control transducer to excite hybrid standing-traveling waves, thereby increasing the amount of extractable acoustic power in thermoacoustic energy converters. The onset gas oscillations in compact thermoacoustic resonators are predominantly standing waves, which exhibit a pressure-velocity time-phasing that is detrimental to the acoustic power output of conventional thermoacoustic systems. By employing open and closed-loop feedback control in a thermoacoustic energy converter with dual sensing and actuating piezoelectric transducers located at both ends of the resonator cavity, it is shown that the traveling wave portion of the resultant wave dynamics can be significantly increased at a relatively small cost of power pumped into the system. As a result, the controlled thermoacoustic system outperforms a conventional one of the same size and configuration by virtue of the increased acoustic power output. The new design also drastically improves the power density due to the lack of additional structural components typically needed to sustain traveling waves. Stability criteria are investigated, along with a standing wave ratio ellipsoidal fit analysis that gives both qualitative and quantitative measures of the energy converter’s behavior. The proposed thermoacoustic energy conversion mechanism presents a new methodology for increasing the energy generation capabilities of this class of energy harvesters.