cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of three-component microemulsions in the critical region determined by small-angle neutron scattering

The intensity distribution of the critical scattering from sodium di-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate $\mathrm{AOT}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{D}}_{2}\mathrm{O}\ensuremath{-}n$-alkane water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsions has been measured over an extensive range of droplet volume fractions (3-30 vol%) and temperatures (22 to 43\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C) in the critical region. The water/surfactant molar ratio of the microemulsion was kept at a constant value of 40.8, for which previous experiments on the temperature variation have been well documented. A structural model of W/O microemulsions based on well-defined surfactant-coated water droplets is firmly established up to a volume fraction of about 20 vol% for all temperatures studied. Data analysis assumes that the cloud points and subsequent phase separation are caused by concentration fluctuations of polydisperse droplets. The major conclusions drawn from the analysis are as follows. (1) The order parameter of the critical phenomenon can be taken to be the volume fraction of the dispersed droplets. (2) The size and polydispersity of the droplets remain essentially constant in the vicinity of the critical point (for a fixed water/surfactant ratio). (3) The critical phenomenon is driven by an increased attraction between the droplets as the critical point is approached. (4) The critical point can be approached by either raising the temperature at fixed volume fraction or by varying the carbon number of the oil solvent at fixed volume fraction and temperature. (5) The nature of the droplets does not change upon a phase separation into two coexisting microemulsions. The data also gives some evidence that the droplet picture of the microemulsion breaks down at sufficiently high concentrations of water and surfactant.
Mechanical property changes and degradation during accelerated weathering of polyester-urethane coatings

Chemical changes, measured using spectrocopy, and crosslink density, measured by mechanical thermal analysis, were determined during accelerated weathering on a model polyester-urethane coating of known composition. The tensile modulus, measured above the glass transition temperature, and thus the crosslink density, decreased with exposure, as expected from the chemical changes. However, the tensile modulus, measured at room temperature, increased with exposure. Physical aging of the polymer network was found to occur concurrently with photodegradation and accounts for much of the increase in room temperature modulus. Increased hydrogen bonding in the increasingly oxidized polyester-urethane may also contribute to the increase in modulus at room temperature. Both physical and chemical changes must be determined if changes, and rates of change, in performance due to weathering are to be understood.
Why They Don't Hate Us: Emotion, Agency, and the Politics of 'Anti-Americanism'

This article reconceptualises the emotions associated with ‘anti-Americanism’ and sketches an alternative account of impassioned protest in the Middle East and South Asia. I identify two overlapping discursive images that mistake what emotions are and how they fuel political resistance: ‘Islamic anger’, which delegitimises emotional expression as a form of political agency, and ‘anti-American hatred’, which assumes that popular emotions in these regions are tied to a clear and distinct object — America. Drawing on two recent cases widely discussed in the American media, I show how the emotional quality of political resistance is used to undermine its legitimacy. Using ethnographic sources, I then offer a preliminary sketch of the normative, historical and interactive contexts of those protests. The article encourages international relations scholars to view grassroots actors as neither impulsive insurgents nor aggregations of survey data but instead complex moral agents embedded in local struggles.
Examining the Binge Eating Scale in Screening for Binge Eating Disorder in Bariatric Surgery Candidates

Background This study assessed the utility of the Binge Eating Scale (BES) as a measure of binge eating disorder (BED) in a bariatric surgery-seeking population by (a) determining the optimal BES cut score for predicting BED, (b) calculating concordance statistics, and (c) determining the predictive value of each BES item.
Modeling the Effects of Fire on the Long‐Term Dynamics and Restoration of Yellow Pine and Oak Forests in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

We used LANDIS, a model of forest disturbance and succession, to simulate successional dynamics of forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The simulated environments are based on the Great Smoky Mountains landscapes studied by Whittaker. We focused on the consequences of two contrasting disturbance regimes—fire exclusion versus frequent burning—for the Yellow pine (Pinus L., subgenus Diploxylon Koehne) and oak (Quercus L.) forests that occupy dry mountain slopes and ridgetops. These ecosystems are a conservation priority, and declines in their abundance have stimulated considerable interest in the use of fire for ecosystem restoration. Under fire exclusion, the abundance of Yellow pines is projected to decrease, even on the driest sites (ridgetops, south- and west-facing slopes). Hardwoods and White pine (P. strobus L.) replace the Yellow pines. In contrast, frequent burning promotes high levels of Table Mountain pine (P. pungens Lamb.) and Pitch pine (P. rigida Mill.) on the driest sites and reduces the abundance of less fire-tolerant species. Our simulations also imply that fire maintains open woodland conditions, rather than closed-canopy forest. For oaks, fire exclusion is beneficial on the driest sites because it permits oaks to replace the pines. On moister sites (north- and east-facing slopes), however, fire exclusion leads to a diverse mix of oaks and other species, whereas frequent burning favors Chestnut oak (Q. montana Willd.) and White oak (Q. alba L.) dominance. Our results suggest that reintroducing fire may help restore decadent pine and oak stands in the southern Appalachian Mountains.
Weather data dissemination to aircraft

Documentation exists that shows weather to be responsible for approximately 40 percent of all general aviation accidents with fatalities. Weather data products available on the ground are becoming more sophisticated and greater in number. Although many of these data are critical to aircraft safety, they currently must be transmitted verbally to the aircraft. This process is labor intensive and provides a low rate of information transfer. Consequently, the pilot is often forced to make life-critical decisions based on incomplete and outdated information. Automated transmission of weather data from the ground to the aircraft can provide the aircrew with accurate data in near-real time. The current National Airspace System Plan calls for such an uplink capability to be provided by the Mode S Beacon System data link. Although this system has a very advanced data link capability, it will not be capable of providing adequate weather data to all airspace users in its planned configuration. This paper delineates some of the important weather data uplink system requirements, and describes a system which is capable of meeting these requirements. The proposed system utilizes a run-length coding technique for image data compression and a hybrid phase and amplitude modulation technique for the transmission of both voice and weather data on existing aeronautical Very High Frequency (VHF) voice communication channels.
Chromate dissociation from three types of paint particles.

Abstract Chromate-containing primer paints are used to inhibit corrosion on metal surfaces. Though chromate contains hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), a human carcinogen, there is little epidemiological evidence of increased lung cancer among spray painters. One reason may be that the paint matrix hinders the release of Cr6+ from the paint particle during the time that the particle is within the lungs. This study measures the mass of Cr6+ released from particles originating from three types of paint particles: solvent-borne epoxy, water-borne epoxy, and polyurethane. Impingers were used to collect paint particles into water and particles were held in the water at rest for 1 and 24 h residence times. Particles were then separated from the water by centrifugation. The supernatant was tested for dissolved Cr6+, which was compared to the total Cr6+ (dissolved Cr6+ plus Cr6+ in particles). The mean fractions of Cr6+ released into the water after 1 and 24 hours for each primer averaged: 70 and 85 (solvent epoxy), 74 and 84% (water epoxy), and 94 and 95% (polyurethane). Correlations between particle size and the fraction of Cr6+ released indicate that smaller particles ( 5 μm).
Subject-specific EMG pattern classification for effective rehabilitation of stroke survivors

Many stroke survivors experience chronic upper extremity impairment that leads to significant functional limitations. Especially for those with more severe impairment, therapeutic treatment may have limited effect. Thus, the introduction of assistive techniques, such as powered orthoses, may prove more beneficial in improving function. A challenge, however, lies in providing volitional control of the device to the user. Electromyography (EMG) of muscle has been used with stroke survivors to trigger myoelectric prostheses [1], but the number of the targeted motions and their complexity was limited.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Microstructural and DSC studies of Alloy 718™ Plus

Abstract Thermal stability of the microstructure of Alloy 718™ Plus has been investigated using the non-isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques are used for microstructural analysis. Samples are heat treated at different temperatures before performing DSC tests. The DSC curves exhibited endothermic and exothermic peaks reflecting in situ changes in the microstructure. The ratio of endothermic to exothermic peak area increased as the preheating temperature increased.
TOURETTE SYNDROME AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder are neuropsychiatric disorders that have sparked considerable interest over the decades. They are the focus of research for a remarkable diversity of disciplines, ranging from neuroimagers and prenatal epidemiologists to experts in the neural circuits that connect the cortex with the basal ganglia, as well as neuroimmunologists focusing on brain-based autoimmune phenomena. Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the onset and exacerbation of these illnesses. Here we discuss the clinical phenomenology and treatment options that are currently available. New psychopharmacological agents are being used that are based on a greater understanding of the neurobiology and are being used in combination with behavioral interventions. Longitudinal clinical investigations into clinical symptoms and the natural course are providing additional clues on the underlying pathophysiology. Recent advances in research models are also reviewed in an attempt to clarify some of the molecular etiologies that lead to these disorders.
On averaging force curves over heterogeneous surfaces in atomic force microscopy.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to study mechanics at the nanoscale. Biological surfaces and nanocomposites have typically heterogeneous surfaces, both mechanically and chemically. When studying such surfaces with AFM, one needs to collect a large amount of data to make statistically sound conclusions. It is time- and resource-consuming to process each force curve separately. The analysis of an averaged raw force data is a simple and time saving option, which also averages out the noise and measurement artifacts of the force curves being analyzed. Moreover, some biomedical applications require just an average number per biological cell. Here we investigate such averaging, study the possible artifacts due to the averaging, and demonstrate how to minimize or even to avoid them. We analyze two ways of doing the averaging: over the force data for each particular distance (method 1, the most commonly used way), and over the distances for each particular force (method 2). We derive the errors of the methods in finding to the true average rigidity modulus. We show that both methods are accurate (the error is 100×), method 2 underestimates the average rigidity modulus by a factor of 2, whereas the error of method 1 is only 15%. However, when analyzing the different surface chemistry, which reveals itself in the changing long-range forces, the accuracy of the methods behave oppositely: method 1 can produce a noticeable averaging artifact in the deriving of the long-range forces; whereas method 2 can be successfully used to derive the averaged long-range force parameters without artifacts. We exemplify our conclusions by the study of human cervical cancer and normal epithelial cells, which demonstrate different degrees of heterogeneity.
TGFβ1 induces growth arrest and apoptosis but not ciliated cell differentiation in rat tracheal epithelial cell cultures

We are studying the regulation of ciliated cell differentiation using an in vitro model of tracheal regeneration. Previously, we reported that removal of growth stimulating compounds such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and cholera toxin reduced DNA synthesis and cell number while increasing ciliated cell differentiation (Clark et al., 1995). This result suggested that the induction of growth arrest may stimulate terminal differentiation of airway epithelial cells into ciliated cells. Transforming growth factor βs (TGFβs) inhibit epithelial cell proliferation and have also been shown to stimulate epithelial cell differentiation. In this study, the effect of TGFβ1 on growth and ciliated cell differentiation of rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells was examined. TGFβ1 inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation by RTE cells in a dose-dependent manner. A 40% inhibition was observed after a 24-h incubation with 10 pM TGFβ1. Continuous treatment with TGFβ1 (1–50 pM) also reduced cell number during the time when ciliogenesis occurs. This reduction resulted in part from a loss of cells through exfoliation, in addition to the inhibition of proliferation. The exfoliated cells exhibited several morphological features characteristic of apoptosis, including shrunken cells, condensed and fragmented nuclei, and intact organelles. In addition, electrophoretic analysis of genomic DNA analysis isolated from exfoliated cells demonstrated the presence of a nucleosomal ladder. However, in contrast to the removal of EGF, treatment with TGFβ1 for 7 d did not increase ciliated cell differentiation. TGFβ1 is, therefore, capable of inhibiting proliferation and increasing apoptosis in RTE cells without stimulating ciliated cell differentiation.
RATES OF RECENT SEDIMENTATION IN LAKE PEPIN

: Sedimentation rates since 1954 in Lake Pepin, as determined from the content of fallout cesium-137 in the sediment profile, have exceeded 2.5 cm/yr in the upper part of the lake. These rates, although somewhat less than those of the previous half century (1895–1954), are sufficiently large that the upstream portion of Lake Pepin is threatened with conversion to a marsh within a century. The density of the sediments measured increased with depth in the sampled profile from 1.1 to 1.2 g/ml at the sediment surface to 1.4 to 1.5 g/ml at 2- or 3-m depth. There was little or no change in the patterns of textural composition or density of the sediment profile with depth and age over the past 80 to 150 years.
Learning from Alma Ata: The Medical Home and Comprehensive Primary Health Care

The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recently has received much attention in health systems literature. The PCMH holds considerable promise for improving health outcomes and re-establishing a role for family medicine in a fragmented health care system. Despite its philosophical approach to comprehensive health care reform, the PCMH fails to offer concrete recommendations to address the social determinants of health, which include health and social policy. Political engagement to promote health is part of both primary health care and specifically family medicine's history; the absence of practical, adaptable ways to implement this engagement may undermine the PCMH's ultimate goals of improving individual and population health.
The hit-and-run sampler: a globally reaching Markov chain sampler for generating arbitrary multivariate distributions

The problem of efficiently generating general multivariate densities via a Monte Carlo procedure has experienced dramatic progress in recent years through the device of a Markov chain sampler. This procedure produces a sequence of random deviates corresponding to a random walk over the support of the target distribution. Under certain regularity conditions, the corresponding Markov chain converges in distribution to the target distribution. Thus the sample of points so generated can serve as a statistical sample of points drawn from the target distribution. A random walk that can globally reach across the support of the distribution in one step is called a Hit-and-Run sampler. Hit-and-Run Markov chain samplers offer the promise of faster convergence to the target distribution than conventional small step random walks. Applications to optimization are considered.
STRA6-Catalyzed Vitamin A Influx, Efflux, and Exchange

Vitamin A has diverse biological functions and is essential for human survival. STRA6 is the high-affinity membrane receptor for plasma retinol binding protein (RBP), the principle and specific carrier of vitamin A (retinol) in the blood. It was previously shown that STRA6 couples to lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) and cellular retinol binding protein I (CRBP-I), but poorly to CRBP-II, for retinol uptake from holo-RBP. STRA6 catalyzes both retinol release from holo-RBP, which is responsible for its retinol uptake activity, and the loading of free retinol into apo-RBP, which can cause retinol efflux. Although STRA6-catalyzed retinol efflux into apo-RBP can theoretically deplete cells of retinoid, it is unclear to what extent this efflux happens and in what context. We show here that STRA6 can couple strongly to both CRBP-I and CRBP-II for retinol efflux to apo-RBP. Strikingly, pure apo-RBP can cause almost complete depletion of retinol taken up by CRBP-I in a STRA6-dependent manner. However, if STRA6 encounters both holo-RBP and apo-RBP (as in blood), holo-RBP blocks STRA6-mediated retinol efflux by competing with apo-RBP’s binding to STRA6 and by counteracting retinol efflux with influx. We also found that STRA6 catalyzes efficient retinol exchange between intracellular CRBP-I and extracellular RBP, even in the presence of holo-RBP. STRA6’s retinol exchange activity may serve to refresh the intracellular retinoid pool. This exchange is also a previously unknown function of CRBP-I and distinguishes CRBP-I from LRAT.
Improved Surgical Success of Combined Glaucoma Tube Shunt and Retisert® Implantation in Uveitic Eyes: A Retrospective Study

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the outcomes following placement of a fluocinolone acetonide implant (Retisert®; Bausch & Lomb, Inc.) combined with an Ahmed™ glaucoma valve (New World Medical, Inc.) in eyes with uveitic glaucoma (UG Retisert) were different when compared to an Ahmed valve alone in eyes with uveitic glaucoma or primary open angle glaucoma (UG non-Retisert and POAG, respectively). Retrospective, interventional study of consecutive uveitic and OAG eyes undergoing Ahmed valve (AV) implantation with or without combined Retisert insertion at a single academic center between 2009 and 2012. Surgical success was defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) between 5 and 18 mmHg and greater than 20% reduction of IOP at two consecutive visits without need for additional IOP-lowering medications or surgical procedures. Secondary outcome measures included IOP and number of glaucoma medications. Sixty eyes of 60 patients (22 UG Retisert, 16 UG non-Retisert, 22 POAG) were included. Mean ± standard deviation surgical success duration was significantly greater in UG Retisert eyes, 629 ± 53 days, compared to those with UG non-Retisert, 361 ± 37 days, and POAG, 472 ± 65 days (P = 0.034). At 24 months, the mean IOP was 11.7, 12.1, and 15.0 mmHg and the average patient was on 1.45, 0.71, and 2.00 medications in the UG Retisert, UG non-Retisert, and POAG valve groups, respectively. Retisert implants when combined with AV in uveitic glaucoma had a longer duration of surgical success than uveitic or POAG treated with AV insertion alone.
The Virion Host Shutoff Protein of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Blocks the Replication-Independent Activation of NF-κB in Dendritic Cells in the Absence of Type I Interferon Signaling

Immune evasion is a defining feature of the virus-host relationship. During infection, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) utilizes multiple proteins to manipulate the host immune response. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism by which the virion host shutoff (vhs) protein blocks the activation of dendritic cells (DCs). Previously, we found that coinfection of wild-type HSV-1 with a panel of RNA viruses resulted in a block to DC activation that was attributable to vhs. These observations led us to hypothesize that the vhs-mediated inhibition was dependent on signaling through the RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) signaling pathway. By examining DCs generated from MAVS (IPS-1) knockout (KO) mice, we determined that RLR/MAVS signaling is not essential for the DC response to HSV-1. We also evaluated the requirement for the type I interferon (IFN) signaling pathway in DC activation following infection with HSV-1 and found that stimulation of DCs with wild-type HSV-1 required intact type I IFN signaling for the production of cytokines, whereas the vhs deletion (vhs−) mutant virus activated DCs without the need for exogenous IFN signaling. Comparisons of transcription factor activation in DCs infected with wild-type HSV and the vhs− mutant virus revealed that NF-κB activation was inhibited by vhs in the early phase of the infection. In contrast, IRF3 activation was not influenced by vhs. In these studies, measurement of proinflammatory cytokines and type I IFN release from the infected DCs reflected the activation status of these transcription factors. Taken together, the work presented here (i) describes a novel role for the vhs protein as an inhibitor of the early activation of NF-κB during HSV-1 infection of DCs and (ii) offers a mechanistic explanation of how this protein interferes with DC activation.
Catalytically Dead αCaMKII K42M Mutant Acts as a Dominant Negative in the Control of Synaptic Strength

During long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory synapses, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is activated by Ca2+ influx through NMDA receptors that potentiate AMPA receptor currents by insertion of additional GluR1-containing receptors at the synapse and by increasing AMPA channel conductance, as well as by stimulating structural changes. CaMKII is also involved in the maintenance of LTP and contributes to maintenance of behavioral sensitization by cocaine or amphetamine. Recent studies show that transient expression of catalytically dead αCaMKII K42M mutant after exposure to amphetamine persistently reverses the behavioral effects of the addiction. A suggested interpretation is that this mutant acts as a dominant negative in the control of synaptic strength, but this interpretation has not been physiologically tested. Here we investigate the effect of αCaMKII K42M mutant expressed in single CA1 pyramidal neurons on basal excitatory neurotransmission in cultured rat hippocampal organotypic slices. The mutant caused nearly 50% reduction in the basal CA3–CA1 transmission, while overexpression of the wild-type αCaMKII had no effect. This result is consistent with the dominant negative hypothesis, but there are complexities. We found that the decrease in basal transmission did not occur when activity in the slices was suppressed after transfection by TTX or when NMDA receptors were blocked by APV. Thus, the dominant negative effect requires neural activity for its expression.
N-terminal arm of Mcm1 is required for transcription of a subset of genes involved in maintenance of the cell wall

The yeast Mcm1 protein is a member of the MADS box family of transcription factors that interacts with several cofactors to differentially regulate genes involved in cell-type determination, mating, cell cycle control and arginine metabolism. Residues 18 to 96 of the protein, which form the core DNA-binding domain of Mcm1, are sufficient to carry out many Mcm1-dependent functions. However, deletion of residues 2 to 17, which form the nonessential N-terminal (NT) arm, confers a salt-sensitive phenotype, suggesting that the NT arm is required for the activation of salt response genes. We used a strategy that combined information from the mutational analysis of the Mcm1-binding site with microarray expression data under salt stress conditions to identify a new subset of Mcm1-regulated genes. Northern blot analysis showed that the transcript levels of several genes encoding associated with the cell wall, especially YGP1, decrease significantly upon deletion of the Mcm1 NT arm. Deletion of the Mcm1 NT arm results in a calcofluor white-sensitive phenotype, which is often associated with defects in transcription of cell wall genes. In addition, the deletion makes cells sensitive to CaCl2 and alkaline pH. We found that the defect caused by removal of the NT arm is not due to changes in Mcm1 protein level, stability, DNA-binding affinity, or DNA bending. This suggests that residues 2 to 17 of Mcm1 may be involved in recruiting a cofactor to the promoters of these genes to activate transcription.
Mental Health Stigma and Self-Concealment as Predictors of Help-Seeking Attitudes among Latina/o College Students in the United States

The study examined whether mental health stigma and self-concealment are uniquely related to various dimensions of attitudes toward seeking professional psychological services (i.e., help-seeking attitudes) in Latina/o college students. Data from 129 Latina/o undergraduates (76 % female) were used in the analysis. Results revealed that mental health stigma was a unique predictor of overall help-seeking attitudes. Mental health stigma was also significantly related to recognition of need for psychotherapeutic help, stigma tolerance, and interpersonal openness, but not to confidence in mental health practitioners. Self-concealment was uniquely related to stigma tolerance and interpersonal openness.
Entity-centric operations modeling for business process management — A multidisciplinary review of the state-of-the-art

The entity-based approach for operations modeling was published for the first time three decades ago. Specifically, the notion of entities as the main subjects of processes and entity life-cycle as a technique for dynamic modeling of operations were introduced independently by K. Robinson in 1979, C. Rosenquist in 1982 and M. Jackson in 1983. This modeling work emerged in clear contrast with static entity-relationship modeling found in the data-base tradition. These three pioneer contributions and other substantial research done at the realm of information engineering, structured systems analysis and social sciences in the 80's and 90's have established an important foundation for business process modeling.
SHAPE-BASED RECONSTRUCTION OF SKIN LESION FOR MULTISPECTRAL NEVOSCOPE USING GENETIC ALGORITHM OPTIMIZATION

Multi-spectral optical nevoscope is aimed at diagnosing malignant melanoma non-invasively by extracting its two key signatures: spatial distributions of melanin and blood. In this paper, we proposed a shape-based multi-constrained reconstruction algorithm. First, the malignant melanoma is broken into melanin and blood parts which are delineated by two cubic tensor-product B-spline surfaces. Second, the parameters are coded into a genetic algorithm in an effort to recover them through global optimization. Third, some reasonable constraints are incorporated into the genetic algorithm to further stabilize the solution. The algorithm is verified by the Monte Carlo simulation and the results suggest that it is a much better approach than the conventional ones which typically are involved in reconstructing voxel by voxel optical properties
Lack of interleukin-10 expression could predict poor outcome in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) may play an important role in controlling tumor growth and metastasis. Some reports have shown that IL-10 can be a potent inhibitor of tumor growth, but others suggest that IL-10 expression by the tumor is an adverse prognostic factor. Because normal bronchial epithelial cells constitutively produce IL-10, we decided to test the prognostic value of IL-10 in a well-defined population of patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated in a single institution. Patients and Methods: Using immunohistochemical analysis, we retrospectively analyzed IL-10 expression in specimens from 138 patients with completely resected clinical/radiographic stage I NSCLC for whom clinical follow-up data were available. Results: IL-10 expression was retained (IL-10 labeling index ≥ 10%) in 94 patients (68.1%) and lost in 44 patients (31.9%). The duration of overall, disease-specific, and disease-free survival in the 44 patients lacking IL-10 expression was worse than in the 94 patients with IL-10 expression ( P = 0.08, 0.02, and 0.05, respectively; Log-rank test). Interestingly, IL-10 expression was observed more frequently in tumors with squamous cell histology than in tumors of other histological subtypes ( P = 0.04; χ 2 test). Multivariate analysis confirmed the independent prognostic value of IL-10 expression for disease-specific survival ( P = 0.04). Conclusion: Lack of IL-10 expression by the tumor was associated with a significantly worse outcome of early stage NSCLC. The mechanisms underlying this clinically and biologically important finding need to be further explored.
Effects of Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles on Ca-PO4 Composite

Nano-particles of dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA) were synthesized for the first time. The objectives of this study were to incorporate DCPA nano-particles into resin for Ca-PO(4) release to combat dental caries, and to investigate the filler level effects. Nano-DCPA and nano-silica-fused silicon nitride whiskers at a 1:1 ratio were used at filler mass fractions of 0-75%. The flexural strengths in MPa (mean +/- SD; n = 6) of DCPA-whisker composites ranged from (106 +/- 39) at 0% fillers to (114 +/- 23) at 75% fillers, similar to (112 +/- 22) of a non-releasing composite (TPH) (p > 0.1). The composite with 75% fillers in a NaCl solution (133 mmol/L, pH = 7.4, 37 degrees C) yielded a Ca concentration of (0.65 +/- 0.02) mmol/L and PO(4) of (2.29 +/- 0.07) mmol/L. Relationships were established between ion-release and DCPA volume fraction V(DCPA): Ca = 4.46 V(DCPA)(1.6,) and = 66.9 V(DCPA)(2.6). Nano-DCPA-whisker PO(4) composites had high strength and released high levels of Ca-PO(4) requisite for remineralization. These new nano-composites could provide the needed combination of stress-bearing and caries-inhibiting capabilities.
Level set segmentation using non-negative matrix factorization of brain MRI images

This paper presents a new level set method for image segmentation by integrating the level set formulation and the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). The proposed model characterizes the histogram of the image by dividing the image into blocks and computing the histograms of the blocks as nonnegative combinations of basic histograms. This is achieved by using the NMF algorithm. The basic histograms form a clustering of the image into distinct regions. Our model also takes into account the intensity inhomogeneity or the bias field that usually corrupts medical images. In a level set formulation, this clustering criterion defines an energy in terms of the level set functions that represent a partition of the image domain. The image segmentation is achieved by minimizing this energy with respect to the level set functions and the bias field. Our method is compared, using synthetic and real images, to other state-of-the-art level set approaches that are based on localized clustering and local Gaussian distribution fitting. It is shown that the proposed approach is more robust to noise in the image and intensity inhomogeneity. These advantages stem from the fact that the proposed model i) depends on the distribution of pixels intensities (the histogram) rather than the direct intensity values and ii) does not introduce additional model parameters to be simultaneously estimated with the bias field and the level set functions.
Health Disparities and Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to disproportionately affect many communities and individuals in the United States and across the world. Disparities occur across the spectrum of TB disease: in odds of exposure, risk of infection, progression to disease, in access to care, and in health care delivery itself. This chapter is structured around three main typologies: TB health disparities by socioeconomic position, such as poverty and income; disparities by population, such as differences in risk across racial and ethnic groups; and disparities by geographic location that might include spatial variation as well as disparity through migratory or urbanization processes. The chapter concludes with current interventions and future directions to reduce these disparities.
Creation of ready-made clothing: the development and future of sizing systems

Abstract: Appropriate sizing systems are a key component in production of the ready-made garments that comprise the majority of the clothing we wear. However, the creation of appropriate sizing systems is a complex task given the challenge of variation in body shape and size, the inadequacy of current size codes for communicating size information, and the variety of clothing styles, of clothing fits and of fit preferences. In this chapter we discuss apparel products and their special relationship to the body, the historical development of sizing systems, current methods of creating sizing systems, and the impact of developing technologies on concepts of sizing.
Patients With End Stage Congestive Heart Failure Have Decreased High Molecular Weight Von Willebrand Factor Multimers and Higher Plasma Levels Of Total TGF-β1: Implantation Of a Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD) Exacerbates Both Abnormalities

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have improved survival of patients with end stage congestive heart failure (HF), but patients are at high risk of both hemorrhage and thrombosis. Acquired von Willebrand (vW) disease is observed in most patients after continuous flow LVAD insertion, presumably due to shear-dependent vW factor (vWf) cleavage, which may contribute to hemorrhage, but there are no validated thrombosis biomarkers. Since shear can also activate platelets, and platelets contain high concentration of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), we analyzed plasma TGF-β1 levels in patients before and after LVAD implantation and correlated the data with the loss of high molecular weight (HMW) vWf multimers. Blood samples were collected from 14 HF patients enrolled either as a destination therapy (n=2) or as a bridge to transplantation (n=12) at the Columbia University before and after LVAD implantation. Plasma was prepared by centrifuging blood at 12,000 rpm for 5 min at 4°C within 5 min of blood drawing. Total TGF-β1 levels were measured after acidification of samples using a 2-antibody ELISA (R&D Systems). The platelet α-granule proteins thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) and platelet factor 4 (PF4) were detected by immunoblotting. vWf multimers were analyzed by electrophoresis of plasma after running in 1.2% discontinuous agarose gel followed by in-gel immunoreactivity band quantification using the LI-COR imaging system. HMW-vWf multimers were defined as the percentage of total vWf antigen contributed by multimers above the 11th identifiable band, starting from the cathodal position. Plasma total TGF-s1 levels were higher in HF patients before LVAD implantation than in 16 healthy controls (3.76 ± 1.55 vs. 1.0 ± 0.60 ng/ml; p <0.001). After LVAD insertion, the levels in HF patients increased further to 5.20 ± 2.30 ng/ml (p=0.014). Plasma TGF-s1 levels in HF patients before and after LVAD implantation were positively correlated with TSP-1 levels (r=0.86; p<0.0001), but PF4 was not detectable, suggesting in vivo release of TGF-β1 from platelets. A reduced percentage of HMW-vWf multimers was observed in HF patients before LVAD insertion compared to healthy controls (18.0 ± 10.0 vs. 29.5 ± 2.5 %; p=0.018), and the percentage was further reduced after LVAD implantation (11.0 ± 9.0 %; p=0.027). There was a weak negative correlation between the percentage of HMW-vWf multimers and TGF-s1 after LVAD implantation (r= - 0.40; p=0.05). We conclude that HF itself, even before LVAD insertion, is associated with both loss of HMW-vWf multimers and elevation of plasma TGF-s1 levels and both abnormalities are exacerbated by LVAD implantation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
An Investigation of Service Provider Choice: Ethnic Identity or Better Service?

A survey of Mexican-Americans was conducted to investigate the relationship between variables related to service quality and ethnic identification and the choice of an Hispanic service provider versus a non-Hispanic service provider. -Selection of Mexican-American service providers is found to be based on the respondent’s perception that they provide better and more friendly service, rather than her/his strength of ethnic identification.
How to communicate effect sizes for continuous outcomes: a review of existing options and introducing a new metric.

Abstract Background and Objective Communicating the results of studies is an important problem. For binary outcomes, communication is relatively straightforward and supported by several statistical tools (e.g., the risk ratio and the number needed to treat [NNT]). For continuous outcomes, the situation is much worse. We discuss several alternatives and propose a new metric, NNT threshold , that is analogous to the NNT statistic for binary outcomes and that is useful when a clinically meaningful threshold can be identified. Method We use both statistical theory and a statistical simulation to demonstrate how to compute NNT threshold and to investigate how it behaves. Results NNT threshold appears to function well, though is slightly conservative in our simulation. Conclusion Study authors need to think carefully about how to discuss study results when outcomes are continuously scaled. NNT threshold should be helpful in situations in which a clinically meaningful threshold can be identified.
Can Broad Inferences Be Drawn from Lottery Analyses of School Choice Programs? An Exploration of Appropriate Sensitivity Analyses

ABSTRACTSchool choice programs continue to be controversial, spurring a number of researchers into evaluating them. When possible, researchers evaluate the effect of attending a school of choice using randomized designs to eliminate possible selection bias. Randomized designs are often thought of as the gold standard for research, but many circumstances can limit external validity of inferences from these designs in the context of school choice programs. In this article, we examine whether these limitations are applicable to previous evaluations of voucher, charter schools, magnet, and open-enrollment programs. We devise simple sensitivity analyses that researchers could conduct when analyzing lotteried programs to determine whether there are reasons to be cautious about the breadth of appropriate inferences.
Personalized intelligent prosthesis for tremor suppression

While the prevalence of the Essential Tremor is highly volatile as a result of a conglomeration of factors, it is sometimes reported as almost 20 times more prevalent than Parkinson's disease. A large problem with nailing down the exact proportion is that a tremor could be caused by a menagerie of complicated issues and could present symptoms for an hour or for a full day before dissipating. This makes it frustrating for both patient and doctor to pin down exactly what the origin of the tremor is and how they can function normally throughout an episode. We propose a system that could help stabilize users' tremors so that it is possible to not only quantify the tremor but also intelligently nullify the unintentional movement created by the tremor.
Generators of non-commutative dynamics

For a fixed C^*-algebra A, we consider all non-commutative dynamical systems that can be generated by A. More precisely, an A-dynamical system is a triple (i,B,\alpha) where \alpha is a *-endomorphism of a C^*-algebra B, and i: A\subseteq B is the inclusion of A as a C^*-subalgebra with the property that B is generated by A\cup\alpha(A)\cup\alpha^2(A)\cup\dotsb. There is a natural hierarchy in the class of A-dynamical systems, and there is a universal one that dominates all others, denoted (i,\mathcal{P}A,\alpha). We establish certain properties of (i,\mathcal{P}A,\alpha) and give applications to some concrete issues of non-commutative dynamics.For example, we show that every contractive completely positive linear map \varphi:A\to A gives rise to a unique A-dynamical system (i,B,\alpha) that is ‘minimal’ with respect to \varphi, and we show that its C^*-algebra B can be embedded in the multiplier algebra of A\otimes\mathcal{K}.
Su1698 Prospective, Randomized, Single-Blinded Controlled Trial of Infinity Cytology BrushTM vs Standard Cytology Brush for Diagnosis of Biliary Stricture: an Interim Analysis

• In our interim analysis, we found fewer insufficient samples and most samples with adequate cellularity with ICB and a trend towards higher diagnostic accuracy with ICB. We plan to enroll 63 patients in each arm based on our power calculation. Conclusions Nirav Thosani, MD, MHA, Subhas Banerjee, MD, Ann M. Chen, MD, Shai Friedland, MD Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Stanford University, Stanford, CA
The Harm in Merely Knowing: Privacy, Complicity, Surveillance, and the Self

Current critiques of governmental surveillance focus on the government’s use of information to discourage and prevent behavior of which it disapproves. We focus on what the government knows, not on how it uses what it knows. We argue that massive governmental knowing puts at risk people’s ability to realize those aspects of themselves with which they identify and which they think of as constituting their identity. This is a current, ongoing harm that most people now suffer. The argument in outline: Adequate self-realization requires adequate privacy in public. Adequate privacy in public requires that people voluntarily limit their knowledge of each other as they interact. That requires constant and complex coordination. Shared informational norms facilitate that coordination. Governmental surveillance can, and does, undermine the norm-based coordination on which privacy in public depends and thereby undermines prospects for self-realization.
A study on statistical methods used in six journals of library and information science

Purpose – Quantitative methods, especially statistical methods, play an increasingly important role in research of library and information science (LIS). For different journals, the uses of statistical methods vary substantially due to different journal scopes and aims. The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of statistical methodology uses in six major scholarly journals in LIS. Design/methodology/approach – Research papers that used statistical methods from the six major journals were selected and investigated. Content analysis method, descriptive statistical analysis method, and temporal analysis method were used to compare and analyze statistical method uses in research papers of the investigated journals. Findings – The findings of this study show that there was a clear growth trend of statistical method uses in five of the investigated journals; statistical methods were used most in The Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology and Information Processing &...
Teaching by Production Rather Than Products

The classroom has potential to be the most common context for the dissemination of method and theory in religious studies. Scholars have the ability to perform scholarly competencies in their teaching venues such as providing evidentiary support, taking stock of methodological concerns, and demonstrating familiarity with current trends in criticism within the field, just to name a few. Those who take seriously critical moves in the field, furthermore, might see the dialogical self-consciousness and an attention to structures to be shared primary interests for critical theory and contemporary pedagogy. All too often, and problematically, the competencies applied in scholarship are separated from teaching. Research is seen as “real work” (e.g., publications and conference papers) and, for many, teaching merely serves those practical ends. With this problematic dichotomy in mind, the publishing of The Norton Anthology of World Religions ( NAWR ) is sadly not surprising in the year 2015. When critical scholarship is withheld from pedagogical tools (like an anthology), the demonstrable lack of scholarly competency and disciplinary aptitude in Jack Miles’ preface and introduction to the NAWR remains unremarkable (particularly since he claims to address religious studies undergraduates and their professors). Miles not only presents the NAWR as a means by which “international world religions should be allowed to speak to you in their own words” (Miles 2015: li) but he also prescribes—as supposedly prior to theoretical commitments—the method of “secular, neutral comparative study of religion” (41) through the “fine art of page flipping” (lvii) as the original and best practice for the study of religion. Miles’ failures as a critic and as a pedagogue merely reflect the presumption that students need only interact with the superstructures of higher education and not be let in on the processes that create scholarship. This essay will outline this problematic vis-a-vis the preface and introduction to the NAWR in order to highlight the role a critical study of religion should play in our teaching.