cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Boundary-Blending Method for the Parametrization of 2D Surfaces With Highly Irregular Boundaries

In this paper three methods are used to generate boundary-conformed parametrization of 2D surfaces. They include two conventional approaches, the Coons method and the Laplace method, and a new method, called boundary-blending method. In this new method, unidirectional 2D parametrization is achieved based on the geometric information of the given boundary curves. A dual offsetting procedure is adopted. The geometric properties considered for offsettings include position, curvature, and normal of the two facing parent curves. The algorithm contains two adjustable parameters that enable fine-tuning of this parametrization. This unidirectional process can be easily extended to bi-directional parametrization via superposition to include both boundary pairs. Examples show that this algorithm leads to reasonable smooth blending of the boundaries, and the dual process achieves seamless converging at the middle. It is more robust than the Coons method with regard to parametrization anomalies and relieves the relatively large uneven grid distribution problem experienced in the Laplace method. We believe that this method provides a useful alternative for the 2D boundary-conformed parametrization problems.
Lessons for Continuing Medical Education From Simulation Research in Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education: Effectiveness of Continuing Medical Education: American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Educational Guidelines

Background Simulation technology is widely used in undergraduate and graduate medical education as well as for personnel training and evaluation in other healthcare professions. Simulation provides safe and effective opportunities for learners at all levels to practice and acquire clinical skills needed for patient care. A growing body of research evidence documents the utility of simulation technology for educating healthcare professionals. However, simulation has not been widely endorsed or used for continuing medical education (CME). Methods This article reviews and evaluates evidence from studies on simulation technology in undergraduate and graduate medical education and addresses its implications for CME. Results The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence Report suggests that simulation training is effective, especially for psychomotor and communication skills, but that the strength of the evidence is low. In another review, the Best Evidence Medical Education collaboration supported the use of simulation technology, focusing on high-fidelity medical simulations under specific conditions. Other studies enumerate best practices that include mastery learning, deliberate practice, and recognition and attention to cultural barriers within the medical profession that present obstacles to wider use of this technology. Conclusions Simulation technology is a powerful tool for the education of physicians and other healthcare professionals at all levels. Its educational effectiveness depends on informed use for trainees, including providing feedback, engaging learners in deliberate practice, integrating simulation into an overall curriculum, as well as on the instruction and competence of faculty in its use. Medical simulation complements, but does not replace, educational activities based on real patient-care experiences.
Design, Construction, and Test Results for Three Different Fiber Optic Tow Cables

The design, manufacture, and testing of three armored fiber optic tow cables is discussed. The motivation for these developments was the technical need to have low-loss high-bandwidth transmission lines, that function with negligible crosstalk and absence of ground loops, placed within the limited core space of the cable. General guidelines for avoiding serious microbending loss in this type of cable structure are reviewed, and different methods of implementing the design principles are demonstrated by way of discussions specific to the three electrooptic core designs that were manufactured. A discussion is given regarding some of the practical problems associated with manufacturing. For two of the cable designS, measurements of optical attenuation with a Tektronix model 150 optical time-domain reflectometer are presented for several stages of manufacture, and approximate changes in attenuation are given for a tension loading of 33kN.
Exsolution of β‐Ga2O3 Crystalline Solutions in the System MgAl2O3‐Ga2O3

The subsolidus phase equilibrium diagram for the pseudobinary join MgAl2O4-Ga2O3 was determined. The shape of the exsolution boundary was obtained by heat-treating samples pre- equilibrated at 1600°C. Crystalline solubility of Ga2O3 in MgAl2O4 decreased from 73 mole % at 1600°C to 55 mole % at 1200°C. The crystalline solution was formed by the replacement of Mg2+ions by Ga3+ ions to produce a cation defect spinel. The phase precipitated was the mono-clinic δ-Ga2O3 (=δ-Al2O3 structure). Changes in the ratios of relative X-ray diffraction intensities indicated that the crystalline solutions also disorder with temperature.
Clinical Findings, Elimination Pharmacokinetics, and Tissue Drug Concentrations Following a Fatal Amitriptyline Intoxication

(1981). Clinical Findings, Elimination Pharmacokinetics, and Tissue Drug Concentrations Following a Fatal Amitriptyline Intoxication. Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 119-125.
Feedback regulation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene expression by thyroid hormone in the caudal raphe nuclei in rats.

Medullary TRH regulates autonomic activity, and altered thyroid status is associated with autonomic disorders. We investigated whether thyroid hormone exerts a negative feedback regulation on TRH gene expression in the medullary caudal raphe nuclei. Medullary pro-TRH messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were mainly located in the raphe pallidus and raphe obscurus neurons as shown by in situ hybridization and were significantly increased by 70% and 160–230% by Northern blot analyses in 24 h fasted rats at 1 and 3–5 weeks after thyroidectomy, respectively, when serum T4 levels were reduced by 75–87%. The increased pro-TRH mRNA on the 30th day after thyroidectomy was reversed to euthyroid levels by T4 replacement (2 or 4 μg/100 g·day). T4 injections (10 or 100 μg/100 g·day for 30 days) did not significantly influence medullary pro-TRH mRNA levels in sham-operated rats. Thyroidectomized rats fed normally showed a 500% increase in pro-TRH mRNA levels 30 days after the surgery, while those fasted for 24 h showed only a 180% ...
Traditional Chinese medicine in the management of osteoarthritis

‘…some modalities of Traditional Chinese medicine are effective and should be included as part of a multidisciplinary integrative approach to management of patients with OA.’ Current recommendations for the management of patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) emphasize a multidisciplinary approach focused on the reduction of pain, functional limitation and disability [1–4]. This approach incorporates the use of nonpharmacologic modalities, including patient education, occupational and physical therapy, aerobic exercise, social support and weight loss, as well as pharmacologic therapies, including simple and opioid analgesics, NSAIDs including COX-2-selective inhibitors, and injectable agents including glucocorticoids and hyaluronan preparations. In patients whose symptoms are not adequately controlled with this approach, or who prefer not to take prescription medications because of fear of side effects, the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been recommended as part of an integrated approach to care [5]. TCM can be defined as a range of traditional practices that originated in China and developed over a period of several thousand years [101]. Several treatment methods are considered to be part of TCM; these include herbal medicine, acupuncture (with or without moxibustion or electrical stimulation), food therapy, massage therapy, physical exercise such as T’ai Chi, mental exercise such as Feng Shui, and breathing and meditation exercise such as Qi Gong. This editorial will review the published evidence that supports the use of some TCM modalities as part of an integrative approach to the holistic management of patients with symptomatic OA. Herbal compounds
Room in the Kitchen for the Melting Pot: Immigration and Rental Prices

This paper studies the response of housing markets to immigration shocks. Following Card (1990), I examine the changes in rental prices in Miami and three comparison groups after the Mariel boatlift. This exogenous immigration shock added an extra 9% to Miami's renter population in 1980. I find that rents increased from 8% to 11% more in Miami than in the comparison groups between 1979 and 1981. By 1983 the rent differential was still 7%. Rental units of higher quality were not affected by the immigration shock. Units occupied by low-income Hispanic residents in 1979 experienced an extra 8% differential hike with respect to other low-income units. Relative housing prices moved in the opposite direction from rents in the short run.
A Simulation Template for a New Simulation Program

Abstract The creation and use of a streamlined, individualized simulation template affords new simulation programs the ability to ensure their simulations include key elements and are implemented consistently. This article describes the development of a simulation template for a university in Oman, a country in the Middle East. The template described builds upon elements present in the existing Nursing National League for Nursing's (NLN) Simulation Design Template© in order to provide a complete tool that can be used by simulationists, technicians, course faculty, and participants involved in a simulation. Expanded elements in the template include a student instruction/preparation sheet, a detailed rotation schedule for all-day simulation activities, evaluation forms, an observer guide, a structured debriefing guide, a self-reflection guide, a detailed simulation algorithm, and a detailed scenario progression outline that includes scripting for those running the simulation.
Software development governor: Automating governance in software development environments

IBM Software Development Governor is a novel tool that supports specification and enactment of governance in software development environments. It enables specifying key decision points and policies throughout the lifecycle of development artifacts and automating these specifications in Rational Team Concert-a collaborative software development and delivery environment. In this paper we describe the concepts on which Software Development Governor is built and present the tool and its architecture.
A manufacturable complementary GaAs process

A self-aligned complementary GaAs heterostructure FET process has been established for low power, high-speed digital circuits. The devices are fabricated on four-inch MBE epitaxial wafers consisting of AlGaAs/InGaAs epilayers grown on LEC GaAs substrates. The process uses twelve lithographic steps including two levels of interconnect metal. Typical transconductances of 250 mS/mm and 60 mS/mm are achieved on 1/spl times/10 /spl mu/m N-channel and P-channel devices, respectively. Twenty-three stage unloaded complementary ring oscillators consisting of 1/spl times/10 /spl mu/m N- and P-FETs show propagation delay of 190 ps and speed-power product of 7.5 fJ or 0.35 /spl mu/W/MHz. >
Cine PACS: preprint.

The technology of cardiac image management is increasingly digital. This tutorial introduces some of the basic concepts relevant to the application of this technology in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 47:85–90, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Impact of Argon Shielding Flow Rate on Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) of Ti-6Al-4V

The impact of the surface convection generated by argon shielding gas used during Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) on the deposited part is investigated. LENS generates complex thermal histories in the build that are dependent upon the material, part geometry, laser heat input, mass feed rate, and radiative as well as convective cooling. It has been shown that the deposition track and final part quality are subject to many of these considerations; however, no investigation has been undertaken to understand the impact of surface convection resulting from changing the argon shielding gas flow rate. A thermo-mechanical finite element analysis with measurement-based convection models is used to study the effects from different argon shielding flow rates on the temperature history, distortion, and residual stress of thin wall Ti-6Al-4V structures. The results from three cases show that reducing the shielding flow rate by half increases the temperature by 5% to 13%, while decreasing the deflection and residual stress.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Phase-Locked Loop (PLL)

PLL is the heart of practically all electronic components and or modules where different clock frequencies are required to synchronize the data transmitting and receiving to and from externals respectively. The input clock to the PLL is much lower than the DSP maximum clock frequency. PLL is typically being used as a frequency synthesizer to generate the clock for the DSP core. For example, the input clock to the 1.2GHz DSP [1] is 66MHz.
Meat consumption and rectal cancer risk among African-Americans and Whites

A7 Background: Epidemiologic evidence suggests that meat consumption, particularly red meat and processed meat, increases risk for developing colon and colorectal cancer. Few studies, however, have examined the association between meat intake and rectal cancer alone. Compared to other U.S. ethnicities, African-Americans have the highest incidence of both colon and rectal cancers, yet a large part of this disparity remains unexplained. Aim: The purpose of this report is to examine the association between meat consumption and rectal cancer risk and assess whether this association differs by race (White and African-Americans). Methods: Data are from the North Carolina Colon Cancer Study - Phase 2, a population-based case-control study of rectal cancer cases (n=928) diagnosed with a first primary adenocarcinoma between August 1, 2001 and October 30, 2006 and cancer-free controls (n=945). Participants were 40-79 years of age and resided in one 33 counties in North Carolina. Data were collected in-person by trained nurse interviewers. Diet was assessed using the National Cancer Institute’s Diet History Questionnaire, and the referent period was one year prior to diagnosis (cases) or interview date (controls). Information on participant characteristics, e.g., demographic, lifestyle, and behavioral factors, were also collected to evaluate potential confounding. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios were estimated using logistic regression models. Results: Cases consumed more red meat and processed meat compared to controls. Whites had greater intakes of red and processed meat, whereas African-Americans consumed more seafood and poultry, and had higher total meat consumption. White controls had higher intakes of seafood and poultry, while African-American cases reported higher total meat intake. Among Whites, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean ratio of red meat-to-seafood/poultry intake between cases and controls (p=0.009). The lower ratio of red meat-to-seafood/poultry in White controls may be due to the displacement of red meat in the diet. The highest consumption of processed meat was associated with elevated risk among Whites (OR=1.24 95%CI=0.81-1.90), but lower risk among African-Americans (OR=0.86 95%CI=0.31-2.37). In African-Americans, there was a statistically non-significant 4-fold increase in rectal cancer risk associated with high poultry intake. Regardless of race and energy-adjustment, the combination of seafood and poultry correlated with an overall reduction in risk with increasing intakes, and this reduction was more pronounced in African-Americans. Conclusion: Results from this study add to the evidence that red meat may increase risk of rectal cancer, whereas seafood and poultry consumption could reduce risk. These findings show that meat consumption patterns and risk estimates differ between Whites and African-Americans, which may explain some of the racial differences in rectal cancer incidence.
In the wor(l)d but not of it : literacy practices of an Amish community in southeast Ohio.

IN THE WOR(L)D BUT NOT OF IT: LITERACY PRACTICES OF AN AMISH COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST OHIO Tabetha Adkins April 6, 2009 Following in the tradition of scholars who treat literacy in context such as Deborah Brandt, Shirley Brice Heath, and David Barton and Mary Hamilton, I conducted my dissertation research not in an academic classroom but in the valleys of Hanley, a (pseudonym for a) town in southern Ohio, where I visited Amish homes, farms, and businesses. Using Brandt's model in Literacy in American Lives, I interviewed 25 Amish men, women, and children to study the uses of literacy in school, church, work, and daily life. I also attended community events such as an auction and a wedding to observe ritualistic literacy practices. Observing community members in their home environments helped me to gain a better understanding of the importance of language and literacy in everyday Amish life. In addition, I read The Budget, the Amish and Mennonite International weekly newspaper, for one year. The result of this research is my dissertation "In The Wor(l)d But Not Of It: Literacy Practices of an Amish Community in Southeast Ohio," in which I argue that the
A grid based surface tracking algorithm for efficiently computing Lagrangian coherent structures in 3D unsteady flows

A grid based surface tracking algorithm is developed for the efficient computation and extraction of Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) in 3D unsteady flows. To avoid the costs of mesh generation, a grid based “marching cubes” type algorithm is used. Large savings in computational time are achieved by performing computations only near the ridges in the finite time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) field, which identify LCS. This algorithm improves the computational order of the LCS algorithm from O(1/dx 3 ) to O(1/dx 2.2 ) and typical applications may see more than an order of magnitude of speedup.
Michael S Pardo and Dennis Patterson, Minds, Brains, and Law: The Conceptual Foundations of Law and Neuroscience (2013)

What the landscape looks like at the border where the domains of law and science meet depends very much on what side of the fence you stand on. Scientists looking at the law see one vista, seemingl...
Research on Ship Reliability Simulation Model Embedded with Petri-net

Based on the analysis of the application of reliability block diagram and Petri-net model to ship reliability simulation, a reliability block diagram model embedded with Petri-net and its simulation algorithm were proposed. Embedded with the Petri-net used for representing maintenance action, the model would discard the reliability block diagram’s inability in describing ship maintenance action, support resource sharing and conflict. The model is applicable to the reliability simulation and analysis of complex system such as ships.
Age Identification of Rhombomys Opimus

The investigation on Rhomboms opimuts was carried out in Ganjiahu Wilderness H. persicum State Nature Reservation in Jinhe County. From 2002 to 2003. we conducted 9 times wildness fieldwork, 40 plots were set in the way of 100m×100m, traps were distributed according to 5×20, the total number of traps amounted to 3 964. Measures as plots-area with traps were taken to capture Rhomboms opimus, and consequently 173 were captured including 94 males, 79 females. Through the comparisons and analysis of 173 Rhomboms opimus in terms of body weight, body length, body weight excluding viscera,embryos and little sizes, and testicle development, Rhomboms opimu are divided into five age groups mainly based on body weight excluding viscera as the major index. The body of female juvenile group was 30-67g, subadult was 62-85g, adult Ⅰ was 85-113g, adult Ⅱ was 113-147g and senior was 131-173g. The body of male juvenile group was 33-84g. subadult was 61-102g, adult Ⅰ was 102-158g, adult Ⅱ was 113-153g and senior was 131-193g.
KCNKØ: Opening and Closing the 2-P-Domain Potassium Leak Channel Entails “C-Type” Gating of the Outer Pore

Essential to nerve and muscle function, little is known about how potassium leak channels operate. KCNKO opens and closes in a kinase-dependent fashion. Here, the transition is shown to correspond to changes in the outer aspect of the ion conduction pore. Voltage-gated potassium (VGK) channels open and close via an internal gate; however, they also have an outer pore gate that produces "C-type" inactivation. While KCNKO does not inactivate, KCNKO and VGK channels respond in like manner to outer pore blockers, potassium, mutations, and chemical modifiers. Structural relatedness is confirmed: VGK residues that come close during C-type gating predict KCNKO sites that crosslink (after mutation to cysteine) to yield channels controlled by reduction and oxidization. We conclude that similar outer pore gates mediate KCNKO opening and closing and VGK channel C-type inactivation despite their divergent structures and physiological roles.
Sycamore Readers: All Stakeholders Win!

Sycamore Readers is an after school tutoring program that serves struggling elementary students from local schools. It is housed at the local library in their Lifelong Learning Center. The program has positively impacted the library, the community, the parents, the tutors, and the students who are tutored. The biggest impact on students has been an increase in their BRI reading levels and their attitudes toward reading.
A Unified Index for Spatio-Temporal Keyword Queries

From tweets to urban data sets, there has been an explosion in the volume of textual data that is associated with both temporal and spatial components. Efficiently evaluating queries over these data is challenging. Previous approaches have focused on the spatial aspect. Some used separate indices for space and text, thus incurring the overhead of storing separate indices and joining their results. Others proposed a combined index that either inserts terms into a spatial structure or adds a spatial structure to an inverted index. These benefit queries with highly-selective constraints that match the primary index structure but have limited effectiveness and pruning power otherwise. We propose a new indexing strategy that uniformly handles text, space and time in a single structure, and is thus able to efficiently evaluate queries that combine keywords with spatial and temporal constraints. We present a detailed experimental evaluation using real data sets which shows that not only our index attains substantially lower query processing times, but it can also be constructed in a fraction of the time required by state-of-the-art approaches.
“Maybe It’s a Status Problem.” Development of Mathematics Teacher Noticing for Equity

This chapter proposes an aspect of teacher noticing for equity, bringing together ideas from literature related to educational equity and to the social nature of teacher learning. It argues two points and offers methods for empirical study to investigate them. First, it argues for an important direction for the study of teacher noticing that supports equitable instruction: noticing of the social system of the classroom within which power dynamics operate. Second, it argues that the development of this type of noticing for equity can be supported through purposeful, work-embedded interactions. It offers methods for the study of this development, and exemplifies those methods using data from a case study of teacher learning through conversations with an instructional coach, which take place in the context of an equity-focused professional development project.
Quantifying lithium in the solid electrolyte interphase layer and beyond using Lithium- Nuclear Reaction Analysis technique

Abstract Accurate knowledge of lithium content within the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer and anode would significantly enhance the current understanding of the lithium ion battery (LIB) degradation mechanisms, enabling knowledge-based improvements in the technology. For the first time, we have demonstrated the capabilities of highly selective Lithium Nuclear Reaction Analysis (Li-NRA) as a non-destructive depth profiling technique for quantifying Li within the SEI and anode without accurate knowledge of the composition, which is unavailable with other depth profiling techniques. The Li-NRA technique detects the gamma radiation resulting from a nuclear reaction at characteristic resonance energy between an incident high-energy proton and Li. The intensity of γ-ray is directly proportional to the Li content, and the energy of the incident proton is increased stepwise to depth profile the sample. We performed Li-NRA on the carbonaceous negative electrodes of commercial LIB coin cells at varying states of charge (SOC) and states of health (SOH) conditions. We used three simple models for the composition of SEI and anode material to show concurrence between theoretical and experimental value for Li content at varying SOC conditions, estimated the average SEI layer thickness, and correlated the residual Li content within the SOH samples with electrochemical data.
Sacral neuromodulation and the low anterior resection syndrome

Abstract More than half of patients undergoing a low anterior resection with coloanal anastomosis will experience subsequent bowel dysfunction including symptoms of fecal incontinence and disordered evacuation. This cluster of symptoms is referred to as the low anterior resection syndrome (LARS). Several case series have demonstrated that sacral neuromodulation (SNM) improves various symptoms in individual with LARS, with the greatest degree of improvement in the symptoms of clustering and urgency. Although the mechanism by which SNM therapy was beneficial in a majority of patients with LARS is not clear, SNM warrants serious consideration in application to patients after anterior resection with bowel dysfunction that negatively affects their quality of life.
Empirically based models of oceanographic and biological influences on Pacific Herring recruitment in Prince William Sound

Abstract Abundances of small pelagic fish can change dramatically over time and are difficult to forecast, partially due to variable numbers of fish that annually mature and recruit to the spawning population. Recruitment strength of age-3 Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) in Prince William Sound, Alaska, is estimated in an age-structured model framework as a function of spawning stock biomass via a Ricker stock-recruitment model, and forecasted using the 10-year median recruitment estimates. However, stock size has little influence on subsequent numbers of recruits. This study evaluated the usefulness of herring recruitment models that incorporate oceanographic and biological variables. Results indicated herring recruitment estimates were significantly improved by modifying the standard Ricker model to include an index of young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleye Pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) abundance. The positive relationship between herring recruits-per-spawner and YOY pollock abundance has persisted through three decades, including the herring stock crash of the early 1990s. Including sea surface temperature, primary productivity, and additional predator or competitor abundances singly or in combination did not improve model performance. We suggest that synchrony of juvenile herring and pollock survival may be caused by increased abundance of their zooplankton prey, or high juvenile pollock abundance may promote prey switching and satiation of predators. Regardless of the mechanism, the relationship has practical application to herring recruitment forecasting, and serves as an example of incorporating ecosystem components into a stock assessment model.
Preliminary Thermal and Structural Studies of Blends Based on a Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Copolyester and Poly(Ethylene) Terephthalate

Due to economic, technological, and regulatory pressures, there has been a gralual narrowing of the chemical variety of polymers being produced1. In order to obtain new materials with unique properties, one of the approaches taken by polymer scientists is to use polymer blends. Some of the reasons as to why these materials are attractive are (i) the ability to obtain higher performance materials economically, (ii) modification of performance as a market develops, (iii) extend the performance of an expensive resin and (iv) re-use of plastics scrap through blending and (v) genetation of a unique material in terms of processability or performance1. The two principal means by which polymer blends can be prepared are mechanical mixing or casting from solution.
Incidence of facial nerve sacrifice in parotidectomy for primary and metastatic malignancies

Abstract Introduction The parotid gland may become involved by primary parotid malignancies and secondarily by metastases from other primary sites. Surgical resection of these tumors can be technically challenging due to the intimate relationship of the parotid gland and the facial nerve. The primary aim of this project was to determine the incidence of facial nerve sacrifice in parotidectomy for primary and secondary malignancies of the parotid. Methods A retrospective chart review of was performed. Patients who received parotidectomy with final pathology consistent with a malignant neoplasm were included. The primary outcome studied was necessity for facial nerve sacrifice. Co-variates included preoperative facial nerve function, preoperative pain, superficial versus total parotidectomy and pathologic diagnosis. Univariate analysis was performed using student t-test to determine odds ratios. Results We identified 75 patients who had a parotidectomy for a malignant process in our review. 30 patients had facial nerve sacrifice: 14 total and 16 partial sacrifices. Patients were more likely to require facial nerve sacrifice when they presented with preoperative facial nerve dysfunction [100% vs 19.6%, p = 0.0006, OR 154.3, CI (8.66–2750.9)], pre-op pain [76.5% vs. 29.3%, p = 0.001, OR 7.84, CI (2.23–27.50)], and required excision of both superficial and deep lobes of the parotid gland [64.9% vs 15.8%, p = 0.0001, OR 9.85, CI (3.27–29.66)]. Conclusion Our data illustrates that many patients with normal facial nerve function, even in the setting of malignancy, can have their facial nerve preserved. Pain, deep lobe involvement and preoperative facial nerve dysfunction are associated with an increased risk of needing at least partial facial nerve sacrifice in the setting of parotid gland malignancies.
A First-in-Class TWIST1 Inhibitor with Activity in Oncogene-Driven Lung Cancer

TWIST1, an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor, is critical for oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumorigenesis. Given the potential of TWIST1 as a therapeutic target, a chemical-bioinformatic approach using connectivity mapping (CMAP) analysis was used to identify TWIST1 inhibitors. Characterization of the top ranked candidates from the unbiased screen revealed that harmine, a harmala alkaloid, inhibited multiple TWIST1 functions, including single-cell dissemination, suppression of normal branching in 3D epithelial culture, and proliferation of oncogene driver-defined NSCLC cells. Harmine treatment phenocopied genetic loss of TWIST1 by inducing oncogene-induced senescence or apoptosis. Mechanistic investigation revealed that harmine targeted the TWIST1 pathway through its promotion of TWIST1 protein degradation. As dimerization is critical for TWIST1 function and stability, the effect of harmine on specific TWIST1 dimers was examined. TWIST1 and its dimer partners, the E2A proteins, which were found to be required for TWIST1-mediated functions, regulated the stability of the other heterodimeric partner posttranslationally. Harmine preferentially promoted degradation of the TWIST1-E2A heterodimer compared with the TWIST-TWIST1 homodimer, and targeting the TWIST1-E2A heterodimer was required for harmine cytotoxicity. Finally, harmine had activity in both transgenic and patient-derived xenograft mouse models of KRAS-mutant NSCLC. These studies identified harmine as a first-in-class TWIST1 inhibitor with marked anti-tumor activity in oncogene-driven NSCLC including EGFR mutant, KRAS mutant and MET altered NSCLC.Implications: TWIST1 is required for oncogene-driven NSCLC tumorigenesis and EMT; thus, harmine and its analogues/derivatives represent a novel therapeutic strategy to treat oncogene-driven NSCLC as well as other solid tumor malignancies. Mol Cancer Res; 15(12); 1764-76. ©2017 AACR.
The Complex Molecular Biology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder that causes selective death of motor neurons followed by paralysis and death. A subset of ALS cases is caused by mutations in the gene for Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), which impart a toxic gain of function to this antioxidant enzyme. This neurotoxic property is widely believed to stem from an increased propensity to misfold and aggregate caused by decreased stability of the native homodimer or a tendency to lose stabilizing posttranslational modifications. Study of the molecular mechanisms of SOD1-related ALS has revealed a complex array of interconnected pathological processes, including glutamate excitotoxicity, dysregulation of neurotrophic factors and axon guidance proteins, axonal transport defects, mitochondrial dysfunction, deficient protein quality control, and aberrant RNA processing. Many of these pathologies are directly exacerbated by misfolded and aggregated SOD1 and/or cytosolic calcium overload, suggesting the primacy of these events in disease etiology and their potential as targets for therapeutic intervention.
Increasing the Resolution of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Definition. Lessons from a Cohort with Remote but Extensive Exposure to Secondhand Tobacco Smoke.

Rationale: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria require a ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) (FEV1/FVC) of less than ...
Lesions of Ligamentum Teres: Diagnostic Performance of MRI and MR Arthrography-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic performance of MRI and MR arthrography for depicting ligamentum teres lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A literature search was per...
The Role of Technology-Based Interventions for Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care: A Review of the Literature

The burden of alcohol and drug use disorders (substance use disorders [SUDs]) has intensified efforts to expand access to cost-effective psychosocial interventions and pharmacotherapies. This article provides an overview of technology-based interventions (eg, computer-based and Web-based interventions, text messaging, interactive voice recognition, smartphone apps, and emerging technologies) that are extending the reach of effective addiction treatments both in substance use treatment and primary care settings. It discusses the efficacy of existing technology-based interventions for SUDs, prospects for emerging technologies, and special considerations when integrating technologies in primary care (eg, privacy and regulatory protocols) to enhance the management of SUDs.
The Blind Social Worker and the Client-Worker Relationship.

□ Blindness itself is not a handicap in casework. It becomes a handicap when the social worker is uncomfortable about it and unable to deal with whatever problems, real or felt by clients, it produ...
Hydrostatic pressure, shell compliance and permeability to water vapor in flexible-shelled eggs of the colubrid snake Elaphe obsoleta

Eggshells of the colubrid snake Elaphe obsoleta absorb water vapor and expand reversibly in response to increasing levels of ambient water vapor density. Compliance of the eggshell increases several fold as a function of hydration. Conversely, dehydration of the eggshell causes shrinkage of the shell matrix and reduces its compliance. Pressures inside eggs that are incubated in moist sand average 11.3 kPa just before hatching and increase greatly (>57 kPa) if eggs are exposed to drier conditions. The higher pressures may rupture eggshells at foci of stress where the outer calcareous layer has exfoliated from underlying membranes.
Individual and Environmental Determinants of Provider Continuity Among Urban Older Adults With Heart Failure: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Continuity in patient–provider relationships is important to providing high-quality care for older adults with chronic conditions. We investigated individual and environmental determinan...
Chapter 18 – Organization of Corticostriatal Projection Neuron Types

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the models of neuronal circuitry that have been developed to account for the role of the basal ganglia in motor control–the so-called direct and indirect pathway model of basal ganglia function. This is a breakthrough in the understanding of basal ganglia function, and is effective at globally explaining the motor defects in ballismus, Parkinson's disease (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD), and predicting the palliative effects of internal pallidal segment lesions in PD. The basal ganglia participate in the learning of reward-motivated behavioral routines, and that corticostriatal plasticity in the form of potentiation of some synaptic inputs and inhibition of others underlies this process. The chapter discusses differences between direct and indirect pathway striatal neurons in the types of cortical input they receive are important for understanding how corticostriatal plasticity shapes motor routines. It is found that direct and indirect pathway striatal neurons do appear to differ in the types of cortical input they receive. It reviews the findings on corticostriatal organization, and discusses how they contribute to understanding the role of the basal ganglia in motor learning and movement selection.
Research on Service Model of Protection relay Based on Occurrence Sequence of Petri Net

The whole-services data model of protection relay support the service platform of protection relay, and the service model of protection relay is an important part of the whole-services data model. Object-oriented modeling methods such as UML provide a feasible technical solution for service modeling of protection relay. However, this method lacks strict semantics, and the accuracy of the model is difficult to verify. The model is prone to generate information ecology, and is not comprehensive. Petri net have strict mathematical definitions and the model can be validated by formal verification methods. Based on the service modeling requirements of protection relay, this paper proposes to establish the model with the application of Petri net, transform the Petri net to its corresponding occurrence sequence, formally analyze and semantically verify the occurrence sequence, finds and corrects the branch or process in Petri net that is inconsistent with the actual service, which improves the effectiveness of the service model of protection relay.
Dalbavancin as Secondary Therapy for Serious Staphylococcus aureus Infections in a Vulnerable Patient Population

We retrospectively evaluated off-label use of dalbavancin as secondary therapy in 32 patients with serious Staphylococcus aureus infections (endocarditis, osteomyelitis, septic thrombophlebitis, epidural infection) who were also persons who use drugs. The majority of patients (56%) had a clinical response to treatment. Only 1 patient who completed the intended dalbavancin course experienced a treatment failure.
Controlling chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections by strategically interfering with the sensory function of SagS.

The hybrid sensor SagS plays a central role in the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, by enabling the switch from the planktonic to the biofilm mode of growth and by facilitating the transition of biofilm cells to a highly tolerant state. In this study, we examined the importance of the SagS key amino acid residues associated with biofilm formation (L154) and antibiotic tolerance (D105) in P. aeruginosa virulence. Recombinant P. aeruginosa ΔsagS and ΔsagS chromosomally expressing wild-type sagS, or its two variants D105A and L154A, were tested for their potential to form biofilms and cause virulence in plants and mouse models of acute and chronic pneumonia. Although mutation of sagS did not alter P. aeruginosa virulence during acute infections, a significant difference in pathogenicity of sagS mutants was observed during chronic infections, with the L154A variant showing reduced bacterial loads in the chronic pneumonia model, while interference with the D105 residue enhanced the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa biofilms during tobramycin treatment. Our findings suggest that interference with the biofilm or tolerance regulatory circuits of SagS affects P. aeruginosa pathogenicity in chronic but not acute infections, and reveal SagS to be a promising new target to treat P. aeruginosa biofilm infections.
Impact of a preoperative low-calorie diet on liver histology in patients with fatty liver disease undergoing bariatric surgery

Abstract Background A low-calorie diet (LCD) before bariatric surgery has been shown to reduce liver volume and facilitate ease of operation. It is estimated that 75%–100% of individuals undergoing bariatric surgery have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Objectives We aimed to investigate how an LCD affects liver histology in the setting of NAFLD. Setting University Hospital, United States. Methods Forty intraoperative liver specimens were analyzed histologically as follows: 20 with and 20 without a preoperative 2-week, 1200 kcal/d LCD. Weight was measured prediet, at surgery, and 6 months after surgery. NAFLD activity score was used to grade liver histology at surgery. The NAFLD activity score scores steatosis, lobular inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, and fibrosis. Results The non-LCD group (n = 20) had mean weight at surgery of 136.1 ± 24.1 kg. The LCD group (n = 20) had initial mean weight of 128.6 ± 25.4 kg, with presurgical weight loss of 3.43 kg (range, 0–9.3 kg), mean change in body mass index 1.24 kg/m2 (2.66% total weight loss) on an LCD. The LCD group had significantly less steatosis (P = .02), fewer foci of lobular inflammation (P = .01), and less hepatocellular ballooning (P = .04) compared with the non-LCD group; with no difference in degree of fibrosis. Fewer patients in the LCD group had nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with ballooning (P = .04). Weight loss on an LCD before bariatric surgery was predictive of weight loss 6 months after surgery (P = .026). Conclusions A 2-week LCD before bariatric surgery is associated with significant improvement in steatosis, inflammation, and hepatocellular ballooning in NAFLD. Among LCD patients, preoperative weight loss was associated with improved 6-month weight loss and liver function.
Perceived overweight/obesity, low resilience, and body size dissatisfaction among adolescents.

Abstract Objective The obesity epidemic has been compounded by the stress of weight stigmatization. Resilience helps adolescents achieve positive outcomes during times of stress. This study aimed to determine relationships between overweight/obesity, perceived overweight/obesity, body size dissatisfaction (BSD), and/or resilience using a novel assessment tool among adolescents, and to determine if a modifiable factor such as resilience holds potential for treatments for BSD. Methods Adolescents, ages 13–21, were recruited from clinics at an academic medical center. Weight, height, demographic characteristics, BSD, and resilience were assessed via questionnaires and health records. A model of predictive variables for BSD was tested, and an adjusted analysis was performed using logistic regression. Results Eighty-five adolescents participated: 48% overweight/obese, 32% BSD, and 53% low resilience (LR). There was no association between actual and perceived overweight/obesity and LR (P = 0.386 and P = 0.123, respectively). Perceived overweight/obesity was five times (AOR 5.3; 95% CI = 1.6–14.5; P = 0.004) and LR was six times (AOR 6.4; 95% CI = 1.9–22.4; P = 0.003) more likely to be associated with BSD. The strongest sub-component of LR associated with BSD, was low confidence (OR 4.7; 95% CI = 1.4–15.2; P = 0.008). Conclusions LR and perceived overweight/obesity are independently associated with BSD. This finding is important because resilience can be improved, thus highlighting a need for future studies involving resilience building interventions to decrease BSD.
Outcomes of Limb-Sparing Surgery for Osteomyelitis in the Diabetic Foot: Importance of the Histopathologic Margin

Background Diabetes mellitus affects up to 14% of Americans. Infection of the diabetic foot is a common complication, which may lead to amputation. If infection extends to involve bone, the risk of amputation is increased 4-fold. Presence of osteomyelitis at the histopathologic margin of resection portends a poor prognosis in osteomyelitis outside the setting of the diabetic foot. We aimed to assess the association of a positive histopathologic margin with the outcome of osteomyelitis in the diabetic foot. Methods Medical records were reviewed for all patients who underwent below-ankle amputation for osteomyelitis of the diabetic foot. Patients who had at least 1 year of follow-up, a histopathologic diagnosis of osteomyelitis, and a comment on whether the margin was involved were included. Results Thirty-nine of 66 (59%) cases had remission of osteomyelitis at 12 months. When comparing cases with remission with those who experienced recurrence in the 12 months of follow-up, there were no statistically significant differences in age, glycosylated hemoglobin, duration of antimicrobial therapy, Infectious Diseases Society of America class, or presence of osteomyelitis at the histopathologic margin. Among cases with a negative histopathologic margin, 29/48 (60.4%) were free of disease at 1 year, compared with 10/18 (55.6%) cases with a positive histopathologic margin (P = .72). Remission was significantly more frequent in cases undergoing amputation at the digit level (66.7%) compared with amputation at the metatarsal level (40.7%) (P = .045). Conclusions Osteomyelitis of the diabetic foot at the histopathologic margin of resection was not associated with increased risk of treatment failure. Resection at the level of the digit was associated with a lower risk of failure than at the metatarsal level.