cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Laser Platform for Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate: Does the Lumenis Pulse 120H Laser Platform Improve Enucleation Efficiency?

Objective To determine whether the recently introduced Lumenis Pulse 120H laser platform, which offers a dual-pedal footswitch and preset energy modes to easily switch among laser settings, facilitates a more efficient process in holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Patients and Methods Patients at a single institution who underwent HoLEP with the new Lumenis Pulse 120H laser platform were matched 1:2 with patients who underwent the procedure with the previously used 100-watt VersaPulse single-pedal laser platform. Matching was performed by using propensity scores calculated by a logistic model that considered preoperative transrectal ultrasound prostate volume and patient age. The primary outcome was enucleation efficiency of each platform, determined by the weight of prostate tissue resected and enucleation time. The McNemar test and a conditional logistic model were used to associate predictors and cases. Results Twenty-nine patients who underwent HoLEP with the Lumenis Pulse 120H platform were matched with 58 patients who underwent the procedure with the 100-watt platform. We observed statistically significant differences in operating room total time, procedure time, and enucleation time. Other perioperative and postoperative outcomes were comparable between the 2 groups. Enucleation efficiency was similar between the 2 laser platforms (0.89 g per minute in the control group vs 0.84 g per minute in the Lumenis Pulse 120H group). Conclusion The efficiency of the new Lumenis Pulse 120H laser platform is comparable to the 100-watt VersaPulse laser platform in HoLEP when comparing g of tissue enucleated per minute.
Stasis Dermatitis: Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management

Stasis dermatitis commonly occurs in older age. It is caused by venous hypertension resulting from retrograde flow due to incompetent venous valves, valve destruction, or obstruction of the venous system. Further tissue changes arise from an inflammatory process mediated by metalloproteinases, which are up-regulated by ferric ion from extravasated red blood cells. Stasis dermatitis presents initially as poorly demarcated erythematous plaques of the lower legs bilaterally, classically involving the medial malleolus. It is one of the spectrum of cutaneous findings that may result from chronic venous insufficiency. Its mimics include cellulitis, contact dermatitis, and pigmented purpuric dermatoses. Duplex ultrasound is useful in demonstrating venous reflux when the clinical diagnosis of stasis dermatitis is inadequate. Conservative treatment involves the use of compression therapy directed at improving ambulatory venous pressure. Interventional therapy currently includes minimally invasive techniques such as endovenous thermal ablation and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, which have supplanted the use of open surgical techniques.
Outcome In Follicular Lymphoma (FL) Patients (pts) Relapsing After Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT): Allografting Vs. Conventional Therapy

Abstract Abstract 3510 Background: The outcome in FL pts relapsing after ASCT has not been well studied. While the use of nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation (NST) has been promising in this setting, one could not underestimate the results of selective inclusion criteria. Methods: All patients with FL who experienced a relapse after ASCT at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1997 (the initiation of the rituximab and NST era) and 2007, were analyzed. Results: Fifty pts were identified. Fifteen (30%) pts underwent NST after ASCT relapse (Group A); 25 (50%) pts (Group B) met the eligibility criteria for NST but were not allotransplanted due to either physician/pt preference (n=14), lack of suitable donors (n=5), insurance requirements (n= 3), other causes (n=3). Ten (20%) pts (Group C) were not eligible for NST due to refractory disease or co-morbidities. At the time of progression after ASCT, the comparison of pts who were considered for NST showed that Group A pts and Group B pts had a comparable age [median 57 years(range, 45–64) vs 58 years (range, 40–70), p=0.7, respectively], serum LDH level (p=0.1), # of extranodal sites of disease (p=0.4), marrow involvement (p=0.1), and stage III/IV (p=0.2). The histology subtypes were also equally distributed in both groups (FL grades 1, 2, and 3 were found in 27%, 40% and 30% of Group A pts, respectively, and in 16%, 44% and 40% of Group B pts, respectively). The majority of pts in Groups A and B had a good ECOG PS of 0–1 (100% vs 96%, respectively). The median time from ASCT to progression was 16 months (range, 4–42) in Group A, and 19 months (range, 3–99) in Group B. Group A pts underwent their NST at a median of 8 months after their ASCT relapse. At their progression post ASCT, pts in Group B were treated with either rituximab as a single agent (n=12, 48%), or combination chemo-antibodies (n=7, 28%); the therapy received in the remaining 6 (24%) pts was unknown. With a median follow-up time of 49 months (range 23–113 months) for Group A, and 37 months (range, 17–130 months) for Group B, the actuarial survival rates at 4-year were 73%(%95 CI, 42–89) and 71% (%95 CI, 46–86), respectively, (Figure, p = 0.9). The causes of death in Group A were related to infection (1), organ failure (1), progression (2), and unknown (1). Five pts in Group B died of progression and one died of secondary leukemia. Pts in Group C had a median survival time of 7 months; only 2 pts of this group were still alive at the time of this analysis was made. Download : Download high-res image (100KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: Single institution results show that 30% of pts with FL relapsing after ASCT undertook an allotransplant. While allogeneic NST is an effective therapy for these pts, a significant proportion of pts can be observed for several years before an allotransplant should be considered. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Location Discovery in Presence of Insufficient Number of Measurements

There are several reasons why offline models are important. First, they enable us to learn about the properties of the error distribution functions, which can be used for faster and less expensive online model development. Second, in many actual cases when we have beacons, whose exact locations are provided by GPS devices, the distances between the beacons can be measured. Consequently, we can easily construct an online model based on the measurements among beacons using the same approaches. Finally, we show how one can iteratively deduce error models by interleaving Location Discovery and error modeling. We quantitatively compare the impact of location accuracy based on offline and online error models.
Detuning of harmonic resonant modes in accordance with IEEE 519 standard in an exemplary north american distribution system with PV and wind

The increase in penetration levels of distributed generators like PV and Wind in a distribution system makes the IEEE 519 standard to be a vital aspect towards power quality. The network resonance has been described by IEEE 519 as a major contributor towards the harmonic distortion. Non-linear loads such as transformers, machines, silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs), solid state devices, power transistors, microprocessors and computers also contribute towards the injection of harmonics into a distribution system. The interaction between all kinds of elements of distribution systems and inverter based distributed generators like PV and Wind impacts the resonance modes to a definite extent. Based on the harmonic levels from the components in the system, the paper brings out a contribution in the form of a detuning methodology applied to a practical system to eliminate the harmonics. This would further serve as a recommendation for all the utility personnel and researchers. An exemplary North American system has been considered for the study towards detuning process. The phenomenon of resonance and harmonic issues has been inspired from a real situation due to capacitor switching towards power factor correction associated with an induction motor operating as an industrial load. Normally detuning is done on the capacitor banks when non-linear loads are active contributors to harmonics. Nowadays with more renewable penetration, this paper explores the observation during the interaction of renewables with the rest of the elements and an effective solution in the form of detuning to eliminate it is presented.
Heterodyne transverse velocimetry for pressure-shear plate impact experiments

Pressure-shear plate impact experiments have traditionally relied on free space beam interferometers to measure transverse and normal particle velocities at the rear surface of the target plate. Here, we present two different interferometry schemes that leverage heterodyne techniques, which enable the simultaneous measurement of normal and transverse velocities using short-time Fourier transforms. Both techniques rely on diffracted 1st order beams that are generated by a specular, metallic grating deposited on the rear surface of the target plate. The diffracted beam photonic Doppler velocimetry technique interferes each 1st order beam with a reference of slightly higher wavelength to create a constant carrier frequency at zero particle velocity. The second technique interferes the 1st order beams with each other and employs an acousto-optic frequency shifter on the +1st order beam to create a heterodyne transverse velocimeter. For both interferometer techniques, the 0th order beam is interfered in a heterodyne photonic Doppler velocimetry arrangement to obtain a measurement of the normal particle velocity. An overview of both configurations is presented along with a derivation of the interferometer sensitivities to transverse and normal particle velocities as well as design guidelines for the optical system. Results from normal impact experiments conducted on Y-cut quartz are presented as the experimental validation of the two proposed techniques.
Association between life-course socio-economic status and prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk ractors in five middle-income countries.

Background The burden of non-communicable diseases has increased rapidly in low- and middle-income countries. Past studies have reported an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and cardio-metabolic risk factors, but most have focused on upper income countries. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between SES over the life-course and the burden of cardio-metabolic risk factors in middle-income countries. Methods A total of 38 297 adults from China, Mexico, India, South Africa and Russia were included in this cross-sectional study. Life-course SES was defined based on maternal and participant education, and data on blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), self-reported diabetes and hypertension were obtained by trained interviewers. Descriptive, age standardized and multivariable adjusted analyses were conducted using survey weighted statistical procedures in SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). Results Although 14% of men and 12% of women had current hypertension based on blood pressure measurements, only 2% of men and 4% of women were aware of their hypertensive status. Men with stable high life-course SES had higher odds of being overweight/obese (odds ratio OR = 2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.30-3.10), diabetic (OR = 4.82, 95% CI = 2.07-11.2) and hypertensive based on self-report (OR = 3.42, 95% CI = 1.85-6.32) compared to men of low life-course SES. Among women, the odds of being overweight/obese were significantly higher among women with high life-course SES (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.08-2.08). Conclusions Higher life-course SES for both men and women was associated with increased odds of overweight/ obesity, and additionally diabetes and hypertension for men in middle income countries.
D L P Nucleus Model

We now describe the D L P approach to modeling a resource decision problem. We will discuss various aspects of model creation and clarify the discussion with the examples of Chapter 1. Our primary goal is to describe the basic structure of the D L P nucleus, i.e., the gist of the D L P approach to conceptualizing and representing a general resource decision problem in the form of a set of decision alternatives with associated constraints and objectives. The modeling enterprise itself, which seeks to create a D L P model for a particular resource and to assert its validity, is treated much more briefly here. It will be discussed in more detail in Part II of this book within the context of a variety of practical applications.
Preterm Birth in the United States: A Sociocultural Approach

Book Review: Bronstein, Janet M. 2016. Springer International Publishing. Switzerland. $179.00 (Hardcover).
Human Conversation Analysis Using Attentive Multimodal Networks with Hierarchical Encoder-Decoder

Human conversation analysis is challenging because the meaning can be expressed through words, intonation, or even body language and facial expression. We introduce a hierarchical encoder-decoder structure with attention mechanism for conversation analysis. The hierarchical encoder learns word-level features from video, audio, and text data that are then formulated into conversation-level features. The corresponding hierarchical decoder is able to predict different attributes at given time instances. To integrate multiple sensory inputs, we introduce a novel fusion strategy with modality attention. We evaluated our system on published emotion recognition, sentiment analysis, and speaker trait analysis datasets. Our system outperformed previous state-of-the-art approaches in both classification and regressions tasks on three datasets. We also outperformed previous approaches in generalization tests on two commonly used datasets. We achieved comparable performance in predicting co-existing labels using the proposed model instead of multiple individual models. In addition, the easily-visualized modality and temporal attention demonstrated that the proposed attention mechanism helps feature selection and improves model interpretability.
Molecular and Physiological Evaluation of Pancreatic Cancer-Induced Cachexia.

Cachexia, a complex metabolic syndrome, is characterized by involuntary weight loss along with muscle wasting and fat depletion leading to poor quality of life of patients. About 80% of pancreatic cancer patients exhibit cachectic phenotype at the time of diagnosis. Here, we present the several molecular and physiological parameters, which we utilize to study the pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia in in vitro models and preclinical mice models of pancreatic cancer. We have described myotube and adipocyte-based in vitro models of muscle and fat wasting, including methods of cell culture, differentiation, and treatment with cancer cell-conditioned medium. Furthermore, we have explained the methods of evaluation of key cachectic markers for muscles. Next, we have detailed the orthotopic implantation mouse models of pancreatic cancer and evaluation of different physiological parameters, including body weight, food intake, body composition analysis, glucose tolerance test, insulin resistance test, grip strength measurement, and rotarod performance test. We have also explained morphological parameters and molecular markers to evaluate the muscle wasting in pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia.
Disorders of the Colon and Rectum

The specific aim of this chapter is to explore the various viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal organisms that can lead to colorectal disease processes in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). Many of these diseases are fairly uncommon in the immunocompetent population but start to show their force in those who cannot mount a robust immune response. We will explore the mechanisms of these infections with specific focus on clinical methods of diagnosis, endoscopic findings, and the specific treatment regimens available to curtail the state of illness. One of the predominant presenting symptoms with all of these organisms is diarrhea, and thus, prior to elaborating on these organisms, we must first understand the approach necessary to take when assessing a patient with this complaint.
Sacroiliac Joint Fusion

The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is anatomically and biomechanically unique and serves as a principal weight-bearing joint. Characterized as both diarthrotic and amphiarthrotic, its articular surfaces interlock to comprise a self-bracing joint that provides stability for the axial skeleton. The SIJ is innervated by the lateral branches of S1, S2, and S3 and more infrequently by L5 and S4. Etiology of SIJ pain includes trauma, structural abnormalities, previous lumbosacral fusion surgery, postpartum mechanical changes, and inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, pain from lumbar and hip pathologies may be difficult to distinguish from SIJ pain. Recent treatment for SIJ pain has expanded from conservative management to include SIJ fusion for intractable pain.
Liver-dominant Breast Cancer Metastasis: A Comparative Outcomes Study of Chemoembolization Versus Radioembolization.

Aim To compare toxicity, response, and survival outcomes of patients with hepatic metastases from breast cancer who underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or radioembolization (TARE). Materials and methods A retrospective review was carried out of all patients who underwent TACE or TARE for liver-dominant breast cancer metastases between January 2006 and March 2016 at an academic medical center in the United States. Results Seventeen patients in the TACE group and 30 patients in the TARE group received 32 TACE and 49 TARE treatments, respectively. Median follow-up was 9 months. Both groups had similar background variables. More all-grade adverse events were seen in the TACE group (71% vs. 44%; p=0.02). Median overall survival in the TACE group was 4.6 months compared to 12.9 months in the TARE group (p=0.2349). Treatment type was not an independent prognostic factor. Conclusion TARE is better tolerated than TACE for the treatment of liver-dominant breast cancer metastasis. There was a trend towards improved survival with TARE; however, it did not approach statistical significance. Larger studies are needed to validate these findings.
A cullin-RING ubiquitin ligase promotes thermotolerance as part of the intracellular pathogen response in Caenorhabditis elegans

Intracellular pathogen infection leads to proteotoxic stress in host organisms. Previously we described a physiological program in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans called the intracellular pathogen response (IPR), which promotes resistance to proteotoxic stress and appears to be distinct from canonical proteostasis pathways. The IPR is controlled by PALS-22 and PALS-25, proteins of unknown biochemical function, which regulate expression of genes induced by natural intracellular pathogens. We previously showed that PALS-22 and PALS-25 regulate the mRNA expression of the predicted ubiquitin ligase component cullin cul-6, which promotes thermotolerance in pals-22 mutants. However, it was unclear whether CUL-6 acted alone, or together with other cullin-ring ubiquitin ligase components, which comprise a greatly expanded gene family in C. elegans. Here we use coimmunoprecipitation studies paired with genetic analysis to define the cullin-RING ligase components that act together with CUL-6 to promote thermotolerance. First, we identify a previously uncharacterized RING domain protein in the TRIM family we named RCS-1, which acts as a core component with CUL-6 to promote thermotolerance. Next, we show that the Skp-related proteins SKR-3, SKR-4, and SKR-5 act redundantly to promote thermotolerance with CUL-6. Finally, we screened F-box proteins that coimmunoprecipitate with CUL-6 and find that FBXA-158 and FBXA-75 promote thermotolerance. In summary, we have defined the three core components and two F-box adaptors of a cullin-RING ligase complex that promotes thermotolerance as part of the IPR in C. elegans, which adds to our understanding of how organisms cope with proteotoxic stress.
Optimizing Signal Timing Control for Large Urban Traffic Networks Using an Adaptive Linear Quadratic Regulator Control Strategy

Traffic signal control is important for intersection safety and efficiency. However, most traffic signal control methods are designed for individual intersections or corridors. Although some adaptive control systems have been developed, the methods used are often proprietary and not published, making it difficult to evaluate their effectiveness. This study proposes an adaptive multi-input and multi-output traffic signal control method that not only can improve network-wide traffic operations in terms of reduced traffic delay and energy consumption, but also is more computationally feasible than existing centralized signal control methods. Considering intersection interactions, a linear dynamic traffic system model was built and adaptively updated to reflect how the signal control input of each intersection affects network-wide vehicle travel delay. Based on the system model, an adaptive linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) was designed to minimize both traffic delay and incremental changes in the control input. The proposed control method was evaluated in a microscopic traffic simulation environment with a 35-intersection network of Bellevue City, Washington. Simulation results show that the proposed method had shorter average traffic delays in the network when compared with the traffic delays controlled by the state-of-the-art max-pressure, self-organizing traffic lights, and independent deep Q network methods.
A Generalized Vectored-Implementation of 2 n -QAM for Software Defined Applications

A generalized vectored-implementation algorithm for 2n-quadradure amplitude modulation (QAM) is proposed and its complexity is discussed. The proposed approach can be used for 2n-QAM with symmetric constellations. The implementation of the proposed approach has been investigated for rectangular, circular and spiral constellation forms. The proposed flexible algorithm has low complexity and occupies small storage memory of the software defined transceiver. The proposed approach uses basic operations and linear transforms such as rotation. An experimental implementation of the modulation on a low power ARM microcontroller and also implementation based on computer simulations are presented.
Summary of Performance Portfolio: Supporting Post-secondary Transition for Students with Learning Disabilities

Students with disabilities, including those with learning disabilities (LD) experience difficulties transitioning to post-school environments. A Summary of Performance (SOP) document, provided to s...
Donor-derived vasculature is required to support neocortical cell grafts after stroke

Neural precursor cells (NPCs) transplanted into the adult neocortex generate neurons that synaptically integrate with host neurons, supporting the possibility of achieving functional tissue repair. However, poor survival of transplanted NPCs greatly limits efficient engraftment. Here, we test the hypothesis that combining blood vessel-forming vascular cells with neuronal precursors improves engraftment. By transplanting mixed embryonic neocortical cells into adult mice with neocortical strokes, we show that transplant-derived neurons synapse with appropriate targets while donor vascular cells form vessels that fuse with the host vasculature to perfuse blood within the graft. Although all grafts became vascularized, larger grafts had greater contributions of donor-derived vessels that increased as a function of their distance from the host-graft border. Moreover, excluding vascular cells from the donor cell population strictly limited graft size. Thus, inclusion of vessel-forming vascular cells with NPCs is required for more efficient engraftment and ultimately for tissue repair.
Association of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status With Outcomes in Patients Surviving Stroke

Objective To examine associations between neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and 90-day poststroke outcomes. Methods The Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project is a population-based surveillance study in Nueces County, Texas. Patients with strokes were identified between 2010 and 2016 via active and passive surveillance and enrolled in the study. nSES index is a standardized composite of 2010 Census tract–level income, wealth, education, and employment (median −4.56, interquartile range −7.48 to −0.46). The 90-day outcomes were ascertained via interview: functional status measured by the average of 22 activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living (range 1–4), biopsychosocial health by the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scale (range 0–5), and depressive symptoms by the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire (range 0–24). Associations between nSES and outcomes were estimated using confounder-adjusted generalized estimating equations with an nSES × NIH Stroke Scale score interaction term. Results Seven hundred seventy-six survivors made up the analytical sample (52.96% male, 62.24% Mexican American, 52.96% ≥64 years old). Higher compared to lower nSES (mean difference comparing 75th to 25th percentile of nSES) was associated with better function (−0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.49 to −0.05), better biopsychosocial health (0.26, 95% CI 0.06–0.47), and fewer depressive symptoms (−1.77, 95% CI −3.306 to −0.48) among those with moderate to severe strokes. Among those with minor strokes, higher nSES was associated with better function (−0.13, 95% CI −0.24 to −0.02). Conclusions nSES may influence poststroke recovery. Studies should identify neighborhood characteristics that contribute to poststroke outcomes, particularly in moderate to severe stroke survivors.
Accidental Arthrotomy Causing Aseptic Monoarthritis Due to Agave Sap: A Case Report.

Author(s): Ontiveros, Sam T.; Minns, Alicia B. | Abstract: Introduction: Aseptic inflammatory arthritis has been reported from thorns or cactus needles after inadvertent arthrotomy. Agave sap irritants may cause an aseptic inflammatory arthritis mimicking a septic joint.n Case Report: A 27-year-old male presented with left knee pain and swelling two hours after suffering an accidental stab wound to his left lateral knee by an agave plant spine. Synovial fluid white blood cell count was 92,730 mm3 with 75% neutrophils and no crystals. Surgical washout was remarkable for turbid fluid and no foreign body. Synovial fluid and blood cultures remained without growth. At two-week follow-up, the patient had recovered.Conclusion: Penetrating injuries from agave thorns can cause an inflammatory arthritis that mimics septic arthritis.
Learning a new class of multisensory associations: High-density electrophysiological mapping of the temporal course of audio-visual object processing.

Multisensory objects that are frequently encountered in the natural environment lead to strong associations across a distributed sensory cortical network, with the end result experience of a unitary percept. Remarkably little is known, however, about the cortical processes sub-serving multisensory object formation and recognition. To advance our understanding in this important domain, the present study investigated the brain processes involved in learning and identification of novel visual-auditory objects. Specifically, we introduce and test a rudimentary three-stage model of multisensory object-formation and processing. Thirty adults were remotely trained for a week to recognize a novel class of multisensory objects (3D shapes paired to complex sounds), and high-density event related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to the corresponding unisensory (shapes or sounds only) and multisensory (shapes and sounds) stimuli, before and after intensive training. We identified three major stages of multisensory processing: 1) an early, multisensory, automatic effect ( 250 ms) that appears to be involved in both object recognition and possibly memory consolidation. Results from this study provide support for multiple stages of multisensory object learning and recognition that are subserved by an extended network of cortical areas.
Histochemistry with Labeled Antibody

Publisher Summary The use of specific antibody as a histochemical reagent depends on the fact that dye molecules can be chemically linked to antibody molecules without impairing the capacity of the antibody to react specifically with the substance (antigen), which stimulated its synthesis. The specific step in an immune reaction is the deposit from a solution of labeled antibody molecules over those areas of tissues and cells where the antigen is present; unreacted antibody and inert labeled proteins remain in solution and can be washed away leaving on the slide a labeled protein deposit, which can be seen under the microscope. The use of labeled antibody requires a certain familiarity with the methods and tradition of immunology, as well as with the more strictly practical procedures used in the purification of antigens and the production of antisera.
Autocrine signaling by PSA in prostate cancer cells

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 14-18, 2007; Los Angeles, CA 4401 PSA is an important biomarker for diagnosis of and prognosis assessment in prostate cancer. We have previously demonstrated that calcium-independent PLA2 (iPLA2) controls the secretion of PSA and inhibition of iPLA2 causes apoptosis in LNCaP cells. Addition of the PLA2 product arachidonic acid or its eicosanoid derivatives had no discernable effect on iPLA2-mediated apoptosis in LNCaP cells. However, addition of PSA together with iPLA2 inhibitor restored survival and addition of neutralizing antibody to PSA resulted in apoptosis. Addition of neutralizing antibody alone to LNCaP cells is sufficient to cause activation of caspases, indicative of apoptosis. Based on these data, we hypothesized that PSA plays an autocrine role that affects the survival of prostate cancer cells. Since the PI3K/Akt pathway plays a major role in prostate cancer cell survival, we tested whether PSA could activate the PI3K/Akt. Investigation of PSA signaling by western analysis shows that PSA causes the activation of Akt through phosphorylation at both Ser-473 and Thr-308 in LNCaP cells in a dose and time-dependent fashion. Phosphorylation of Akt was initiated within 2 hr by PSA at concentrations between 200 and 700 ng/ml and incubation at 3 hr required 25 to 200 ng/ml PSA. Treatment with PI3K inhibitors LY294002 and wortmannin in combination with PSA completed inhibited Akt activation. These data indicate that PSA participates in autocrine signaling that contributes to the regulation of survival of prostate cancer cells. While PSA is one of the best biomarkers for the early detection of any cancer, its effect on patient survival is under question. A role for PSA in cancer progression could explain its minimal impact on patient survival while acting as an early warning signal for the disease.
From tetracycles to macrocycles: Chemical diversity in the defense secretions of Nasute termites

Abstract Soldiers of the advanced genera of nasute termites (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutiternitinae) eject an irritating glue-like defensive secretion containing novel polycyclic cembrene-A derived diterpenes in a monoterpenoid solvent. These soldiers have lost their mandibles through evolutionary processe, but they have developed the ability to biosynthesize diterpenes which is unique in insects. Soldiers of some genera of the primitive mandibulate nasutes produce normal alkanes and simple mono- and sesquiterpenes, while others possess a homologous series of extraordinarily large-ringmacrocyclic lactones containing 22 to 36 carbon atoms. Spectral details for the macrocyclic lactones and hydroxylactones are presented in this paper, and the biochemical, ecological and evolutionary significance of these chemicals will be discussed.
Experience with extraperitoneal cesarean section at the University of Iowa Hospitals.

Abstract 1. 1. A review of fifty-six extraperitoneal cesarean sections is presented. 2. 2. There were no maternal deaths. Three children did not survive, an infant mortality of 5.3 per cent. 3. 3. Our results with the supravesical extraperitoneal cesarean section have been sufficiently satisfactory to justify our continued use of the procedure in grossly and potentially infected patients requiring abdominal delivery.
A Probabilistic Multi-scale Model for Contour Completion Based on Image Statistics

We derive a probabilistic multi-scale model for contour completion based on image statistics. The boundaries of human segmented images are used as "ground truth". A probabilistic formulation of contours demands a prior model and a measurement model. From the image statistics of boundary contours, we derive both the prior model of contour shape and the local likelihood model of image measurements. We observe multi-scale phenomena in the data, and accordingly propose a higher-order Markov model over scales for the contour continuity prior. Various image cues derived from orientation energy are evaluated and incorporated into the measurement model. Based on these models, we have designed a multi-scale algorithm for contour completion, which exploits both contour continuity and texture. Experimental results are shown on a wide range of images.
Interstrand duplexes in Friend erythroleukemia nuclear RNA. The interaction of non-polyadenylated nuclear RNA with polyadenylated nuclear RNA and with small nuclear RNAs.

Intermolecular duplexes among large nuclear RNAs, and between small nuclear RNA and heterogeneous nuclear RNA, were studied after isolation by a procedure that yielded protein-free RNA without the use of phenol or high salt. The bulk of the pulse-labeled RNA had a sedimentation coefficient greater than 45 S. After heating in 50% (vv) formamide, it sedimented between the 18 S and 28 S regions of the sucrose gradient. Proof of the existence of interstrand duplexes prior to deproteinization was obtained by the introduction of interstrand cross-links using 4′-aminomethyl-4,5′,8-trimethylpsoralen and u.v. irradiation. Thermal denaturation did not reduce the sedimentation coefficient of pulse-labeled RNA obtained from nuclei treated with this reagent and u.v. irradiated. Interstrand duplexes were observed among the non-polyadenylated RNA species as well as between polyadenylated and non-polyadenylated RNAs. β-Globin mRNA but not β-globin pre-mRNA also contained interstrand duplex regions. In this study, we were able to identify two distinct classes of polyadenylated nuclear RNA, which were differentiated with respect to whether or not they were associated with other RNA molecules. The first class was composed of poly(A)+ molecules that were free of interactions with other RNAs. β-Globin pre-mRNA belongs to this class. The second class included poly(A)+ molecules that contained interstrand duplexes. β-Globin mRNA is involved in this kind of interaction. In addition, hybrids between small nuclear RNAs and heterogeneous nuclear RNA were isolated. These hybrids were formed with all the U-rich species, 4.5 S, 4.5 SI and a novel species designated W. Approximately equal numbers of hybrids were formed by species U1a, U1b, U2, U6 and W; however, species U4 and U5 were significantly under-represented. Most of these hybrids were found to be associated stably with non-polyadenylated RNA. These observations demonstrated for the first time that small nuclear RNA-heterogeneous nuclear RNA hybrids can be isolated without crosslinking, and that proteins are not necessary to stabilize the complexes. However, not all molecules of a given small nuclear RNA species are involved in the formation of these hybrids. The distribution of a given small nuclear RNA species between the free and bound state does not reflect the stability of the complex in vitro but rather the abundance of complementary sequences in the heterogeneous nuclear RNA. The fact that most of the hybrids are detected in non-polyadenylated RNA lends support to the concept that they are necessary for RNA processing and that processing precedes polyadenylation. Finally, the fact that small nuclear RNAs not required for splicing form stable hybrids with heterogeneous nuclear RNA is a further indication of the complexity of functions of these RNA-RNA interactions.
The reliability of fine-needle aspiration biopsy as the initial diagnostic procedure for palpable masses: a 4-year experience of 730 patients from a community hospital-based outpatient aspiration biopsy clinic.

BACKGROUND Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a reliable, rapid, minimally invasive alternative to surgical biopsy when it is performed by physician specialists for the diagnosis of palpable masses. FNAB may be under-utilized in community hospitals in the U.S. because physicians without specialty training commonly provide the service, resulting in less reliable results. METHODS Records were reviewed retrospectively from 730 consecutive FNAB cases that were performed and interpreted by expert cytopathologists practicing in an outpatient community hospital setting between 2000 and 2004. Data concerning patient demographics, referring physician specialty type, body sites, diagnoses, specimen adequacy, accuracy of diagnosis, and follow-up were examined and analyzed. RESULTS FNAB was diagnostic in 93% of patients and was 95% accurate. There were 5 false-negative results and no false-positive results for the diagnosis of malignancy. The overall sensitivity of FNAB was 93%, and the specificity was 100%. Using either histology or clinical follow-up, the positive predictive value was 100%, and the negative predictive value was 99%. CONCLUSIONS Highly reliable results can be obtained when patients are referred to specialty-trained cytopathologists practicing in the community for FNAB of palpable mass lesions. Clinicians are encouraged to seek out and support specialized FNAB services in their own communities. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Risk Assessment, Risk Management, and Preventive Best Practices for Retailers and Foodservice Establishments

Consumers in the United States purchase the majority of their food from retail and foodservice establishments and expect it to be safe, although they are more confident that food is safe from natural contaminants than from terrorist tampering [1]. Increased consolidation within the retail food industry and globalization of food sources raise vulnerability of intentional contamination. Retail outlets rely on food wholesalers to procure food from food manufacturing plants. Because of recent events, there is an increased awareness of the potential for intentional contamination of the food supply from biological or chemical agents. Retail food outlets and wholesalers need to develop skills in risk assessment and risk management specific to their operations as they pertain to physical and human elements. Preventative best practices are included for managers to be proactive and minimize risk from intentional threats to their food supply. Keywords: risk assessment; risk management; retail food establishments; foodservice establishments; restaurants; grocery stores
Pollution performance of DC station post insulators using a dynamic model

The pollution performance of station post insulators energized with DC voltage has been studied using a dynamic arc model. It has been observed from field experience and laboratory experiments that the shape and core diameter of the station post insulators have a strong effect on the flashover voltage magnitude and, hence, on the specific leakage length required per unit flashover voltage, the mm/kV. It is of practical interest to study this phenomenon and characterize various types of insulators for their performance. A number of station post profiles with varying pitch and projection have been considered for this purpose. The effects of shed profile, core diameter, and nonuniform pollution distribution have been studied. Results in line with the experimental findings of earlier researchers have been obtained. It is expected that the model can be used as an aid in HVDC station design. >
Quad phase minimum average correlation energy filters for reduced memory illumination tolerant face authentication

In this paper we propose reduced memory biometric filters for performing distortion tolerant face authentication. The focus of this research is on implementing authentication algorithms on small factor devices with limited memory and computational resources. We compare the full complexity minimum average correlation energy filters for performing illumination tolerant face authentication with our proposed quad phase minimum average correlation energy filters[1] utilizing a Four-Level correlator. The proposed scheme requires only 2bits/frequency in the frequency domain achieving a compression ratio of up to 32:1 for each biometric filter while still attaining very good verification performance (100% in some cases). The results we show are based on the illumination subsets of the CMU PIE database[2] on 65 people with 21 facial images per person.
Cutting Edge: Induction of IFN-γ Production but Not Cytotoxicity by the Killer Cell Ig-Like Receptor KIR2DL4 (CD158d) in Resting NK Cells

Activated NK cells lyse tumor cells and virus-infected cells and produce IFN-γ upon contact with sensitive target cells. The regulation of these effector responses in resting NK cells is not well understood. We now describe a receptor, KIR2DL4, that has the unique property of inducing IFN-γ production, but not cytotoxicity, by resting NK cells in the absence of cytokines. In contrast, the NK cell-activation receptors CD16 and 2B4 induced cytotoxicity but not IFN-γ production. The induction by KIR2DL4 of IFN-γ production by resting NK cells was blocked by an inhibitor of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, in contrast to the IL-2-induced IFN-γ secretion that was sensitive to inhibition of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. These results reveal a functional dichotomy (cytokine production vs cytotoxicity) in the response of resting NK cells, as dictated by the signals of individual receptors.
Monocoreflections of Completely Regular Frames

Functorial nearness structures and coreflections mesh tightly together. After presenting a new construction closely related to the completion of a nearness frame, this article shows a bijection exists between monocoreflections and strong, locally fine, completion stable, functorial nearness structures. This bijection gives a simple description of the monocoreflective subcategory generated by any class of frames.
Academic graduate work in academic librarianship: Historicizing ACRL's terminal degree statement

Abstract Prior to ACRL's 1975 terminal degree statement, library literature dexterously debated the benefits that graduate study in academic disciplines brought to librarianship. Since the issuance of the statement this debate has faded. This article reassesses six decades of literature to indicate that the statement is historical and unsound.
Dynamic Resource Allocation via Distributed Decisions in Cloud Environment

The adaptation of virtualization technologies and the Cloud Compute model by Web service providers is accelerating. These technologies commonly known as Cloud Compute Model are built upon an efficient and reliable dynamic resource allocation system. Maintaining sufficient resources to meet peak workloads while minimizing cost determines to a large extend the profitability of a Cloud service provider. Traditional centralized approach of resource provisioning with global optimization and statistical strategies can be complex, difficult to scale, computational intensive and often non-traceable which adds to the cost and efficiency of Cloud operation, especially in industrial environments. As we have learned in real life, the most efficient economic system is the one that provides individuals with incentives for their own decisions. It is also true for computing systems. In this paper, we present an architecture for dynamic resource provisioning via distributed decisions. We will illustrate our approach with a Cloud based scenario, in which each physical resource makes its own utilization decision based on its own current system and workload characteristics, and a light-weight provisioning optimizer with a replaceable routing algorithm for resource provisioning and scaling. This approach enables resource provisioning system to be more scalable, reliable, traceable, and simple to manage. In an industrial setting, the importance of these characteristics often exceeds the goal of squeezing the absolute last CPU cycles of the underlying physical resources.
Oxidation enhances myofibrillar protein degradation via calpain and caspase-3.

Oxidative stress has been linked to accelerated rates of proteolysis and muscle fiber atrophy during periods of prolonged skeletal muscle inactivity. However, the mechanism(s) that links oxidative stress to muscle protein degradation remains unclear. A potential connection between oxidants and accelerated proteolysis in muscle fibers is that oxidative modification of myofibrillar proteins may enhance their susceptibility to proteolytic processing. In this regard, it is established that protein oxidation promotes protein recognition and degradation by the 20 S proteasome. However, it is unknown whether oxidation of myofibrillar proteins increases their recognition and degradation by calpains and/or caspase-3. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that oxidative modification of myofibrillar proteins increases their susceptibility to degradation by both calpains and caspase-3. To test this postulate, myofibrillar proteins were isolated from rat skeletal muscle and exposed to in vitro oxidation to produce varying levels of protein modification. Modified proteins were then independently incubated with active calpain I, calpain II, or caspase-3 and the rates of protein degradation were assessed via peptide mapping. Our results reveal that increased protein oxidation results in a stepwise escalation in the degradation of myofibrillar proteins by calpain I, calpain II, and caspase-3. These findings provide a mechanistic link connecting oxidative stress with accelerated myofibrillar proteolysis during disuse muscle atrophy.
Novel route to nanoparticle dispersion using supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract An experimental study was carried out to determine the effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ) on the break up of untreated and treated alumina agglomerates in polystyrene. Alumina nanoparticles were treated with fluoroalkanes to achieve a better affinity with scCO 2 . All agglomerates were found inside pores (cells) that were created by scCO 2 expansion during depressurization, and the observed cell size increased with increasing alumina agglomerate size. When untreated alumina was used, the agglomerates were not affected by scCO 2 expansion. On the other hand, large agglomerates ( L ≥ 15 μm) of the treated alumina showed signs of catastrophic fragmentation, whereas small agglomerates of the treated alumina were intact upon scCO 2 expansion. This was attributed to the amount of scCO 2 saturation around and within small agglomerates, which does not provide enough energy to break up the agglomerate. This conclusion was also supported by the fact that cell sizes were proportional to agglomerate size. Large agglomerates can absorb more scCO 2 than smaller ones, and therefore, have an adequately larger bursting pressure to overcome interactions between individual alumina nanoparticles that make up the agglomerate.
Welfare Reform and Nutrition Programs: Contemporary Budget and Policy Realities

Abstract This paper reviews the impact of the major policy reforms being considered by Congress and the Administration on the food assistance and nutrition programs. Evidence on the nutritional effectiveness of WIC, the Food Stamp Program, and School Meals is summarized; the implications of the current set of block grant proposals on nutrition standards, economic responsiveness of the programs, eligibility and benefits, and funding are reviewed and discussed. The final section discusses policy reforms that have the potential to enhance the cost effectiveness of the major nutrition programs.