cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Overview of Admission Processes for Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Programs

Advisors commonly meet with students interested in pursuing a career in a health profession. This paper addresses the admission processes used by medical, dental, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician assistant programs. Advice on helping students gather information about the professions, seek health-related experience, and prepare academically competitive portfolios is presented. Admission procedures across the health professions are discussed, including the application timelines, as well as institutional use of standardized tests, interviews, and letters of evaluation to make selection decisions. By being better informed about the admissions process in the health professions, advisors can assist students in planning their undergraduate educational experiences.
Response of Spruce Budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Infected with Nosema fumiferanae (Microsporida) to Bacillus thuringiensis Treatments

Diease in spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens), caused by the microsporidian Nosema fumiferanae (Thomson), increase larval susceptibility to mortality by bacillus thuringlensis (Berliner) treatments compared with larvae free of N. fumiferanae disease. The median lethal concentration (LC50) of B. thuringiensis as determined by the diet incorporation bioassay method, was significantly lower for larvae infected transoverially with N. fumiferanae, but the similar slope obtained for intitially healthy larvae indicated an independent and additive interaction. The median lethal time (LT50) for B. thuringiensis was shortest for the group diseased with N. fumiferanae. Results from seperate and sequential oral treatments (horizontal transmission) of both microorganisms at fixed physiological stages support the finding from the transovarial studies. It also was determined that N. fumiferanae-free larvae surviving B. thuringiensis treatment were more susceptible to mortality from subsequent inoculations with N. fumiferanae than were larvae not previously exposed to B. thuringiensis.
Overtone Spectroscopy of CHD3 in Liquid Argon Solutions

The vibrational overtone spectrum of CHD 3 has been obtained in liquid argon solutions at temperatures around 94 K. The spectra of C-H and C-D overtones below 10 000 cm −1 were obtained with a Fourier transform spectrophotometer operating in the near-infrared region and a low temperature cell. The C-H spectrum around Δv = 5 was recorded using a resonant photoacoustic technique at cryogenic temperatures. The absorption bands were computer deconvoluted to obtain the peak absorption frequency, the band-width, and the area of some important bands. Due to the small frequency shift of the absorption bands in solution with respect to the gas phase frequencies, the assignment of the transitions was made by comparison with experimental and calculated gas phase frequencies. The calculation of gas phase frequencies and vibrational states was made using the pure local mode model for the isolated C-H bond and the Harmonically Coupled Anharmonic Oscillator (HCAO) model for the three equivalent C-D bonds. In order to test the Fermi resonance interaction between C-H stretching and bending vibrations, the absorption bands and relative intensities in solution were used to obtain the parameters of an effective Fermi resonance Hamiltonian. The values of the parameters obtained in solution and gas phase are very close in magnitude. The optimized parameters of the Fermi resonance Hamiltonian give a good description of the frequencies and relative intensities of the C-H absorption bands in solution
Instruction in Estimating Solutions of Whole Number Computations

Teaching of estimation in computation has not become a major part of the mathematics curriculum, despite many advocates (e.g., Dickey, 1934; Faulk, 1962; O'Daffer, 1979; Trafton, 1978; Trimble, 1973). These writers suggest methods and activities for teaching estimation and imply that teaching students to estimate will improve their skills at exact computation and verbal problem solving. In fact, there appears to be very little research to support or refute the validity of these methods and claims. A survey of the literature on estimation yielded these tentative generalizations.
Immune-modulation by polyclonal IgM treatment reduces atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic apoE-/- mice.

Abstract Objective Gamma-globulin treatment reduces experimental atherosclerosis by modulating immune function; however the effect of IgM on atherosclerosis is not known. We investigated the effect of serum-derived, non-immune polyclonal IgM (Poly-IgM) on atherosclerosis in mice with advanced disease and also assessed its immune-modulatory effects. Methods and results Aortic atherosclerosis was assessed in apoE−/− mice fed atherogenic diet starting at 6 weeks of age. In addition, mice were also subjected to perivascular cuff injury to the carotid artery at 25 weeks of age to induce accelerated atherosclerosis. At the time of injury, the mice were treated weekly with a commercially available Poly-IgM (0.4 mg/mouse) or PBS for 4 weeks and euthanized at 29 weeks of age. Poly-IgM reduced aortic atherosclerosis, and reduced lesion size in the aortic sinus and injured carotid artery, without significant changes in serum cholesterol levels. Poly-IgM treatment was associated with increased anti-oxLDL IgG titers and a reduction in the % splenic CD4+ T cells compared to controls. The splenic CD4+ T cell cultured from the Poly-IgM treated mice had reduced proliferation in vitro compared with controls. Conclusion Poly-IgM treatment reduced aortic and accelerated carotid atherosclerosis in apoE−/− mice in association with increased anti-oxLDL IgG titers, and reduced number and proliferative function of splenic CD4+ T cells. Our study identifies a novel athero-protective and immunomodulatory role for non-immune polyclonal IgM.
A pressure tuning spectroscopic study of cis-diammine α-pyridone platinum blue☆

Abstract The effect of pressure on the σ→σ* (ν 0 =14.7 × 10 3 cm −1 ) and π→σ* (ν 0 =20.8 × 10 3 cm −1 ) metal-metal charge transfer bands in the visible spectrum of [Pt 2 (NH 3 ) 4 (C 5 H 5 NO) 2 ] 2 (NO 3 ) 5 dispersed in a polystyrenesulfonic acid medium has been measured up to 134 kbar. The substantial blue-shifts of both transitions with increasing pressure corroborates an electronic model recently proposed by Lippard and co-workers. Furthermore, a significant decrease in the area of the 14.7×10 3 cm −1 (680 nm) band and a concomitant increase of the 20.8×10 3 cm −1 (480 nm) band with increasing pressure in this polymeric medium is consistent with the known disproportionation of this Pt tetramer in aqueous solution.
Finite element, large-deflection random response of thermally buckled beams

The effects of temperature and acoustic loading are included in a theoretical finite element, large-deflection formulation for the random response of thin, isotropic beams. Thermal loads are applied as steady state temperature distributions, and acoustic loads are taken to be ergodic and gaussian with zero mean and uniform magnitude and phase along the length of the beam.
Pharmacokinetic evaluation of prasugrel for the treatment of myocardial infarction.

Introduction: Prasugrel is a novel P2Y12 inhibitor approved for treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Areas covered: This article focuses on the pharmacokinetics of prasugrel and recently published pharmacodynamic and clinical studies. The authors searched PubMed and Ovid databases for English language pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and clinical studies which described the use of prasugrel in human subjects and patients, published through October 2013. The keyword ‘prasugrel’ was used. Expert opinion: Prasugrel exhibits favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties compared to clopidogrel. These effects have translated to significant clinical benefits, despite the increased bleeding risk, in the context of ACS with primary PCI. Recent clinical trial evidence does not support the use of prasugrel in other ACS settings at this time, including medical management of non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction and routine ...
School-Based Intervention: Relaxation and Guided Imagery for Students With Asthma and Anxiety Disorder

This school-based study analyzed the impact of RGI on lung functioning (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1] and forced expiratory flow 25-75 [FEF25-75]) and by employing a multiple baseline design across 3 high school students with asthma and clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders. The RGI intervention took place for a 20-min period, an average of three times per week, over a 4-week period. At the onset of the intervention, it was found that lung functioning, particularly FEV1 increased in all 3 participants, with effect sizes ranging from —.32 to —2.48. FEF25-75 improved in one of the participants. In addition, a positive impact was also seen in the lowering of anxiety scores across all 3 participants, with effect sizes ranging from .12 to 1.69.
Paired-associate learning as a function of the strength of links in the associative chain

Summary This study was designed to replicate and extend the findings and model reported by Jarret and Scheibe to account for the learning of paired-associates in which the associative strength between the stimulus and response or the associative strength of some mediating word between the stimulus and response is known. Three groups of fifth-grade children learned different lists of paired-associates. List A–B was composed of stimuli and responses with high or low associative strength, List A–C was composed of the same stimuli and responses which were not associated with them directly but only through mediated associations of either high or low strength, while List A–X was composed of the same stimuli with responses which were not associated with the stimuli. Associative strength in all cases was based upon word-association norms for fifth grade children. The results strongly supported the model proposed by Jarrett and Scheibe. Mean number of errors varied inversely with the associative strength of the pairs regardless of whether the strength was taken directly from the normative data or was computed by multiplicatively combining the associative strengths of the mediating links forming the chain from the stimulus to the response. Suggestions were made for extensions of the model used and variables which might affect such extensions.
On the antioxidant effects of ascorbic acid and glutathione.

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is required in the diets of humans, certain other primates, guinea pigs and several other species [l-5]. These animals, in contrast to most others, do not have the ability to synthesize ascorbic acid from glucose because they lack the enzyme L-gulonolactone oxidase, which is required for the formation of 2-keto-L-gulonolactone; this compound is spontaneously converted to ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid deficiency leads to scurvy, which can be prevented in humans by administration of as little as 10mg of ascorbic acid per day [6]. Many have thought that larger doses of ascorbic acid might be beneficial for health [3,7]. Szent-Gybrgyi, soon after his pioneering research on ascorbic acid, considered the idea that it might have a useful role in the therapy of infections. Ascorbic acid has been claimed to be effective in the prevention and treatment of cancer [7-lo], the common cold [ 11,121, atherosclerosis [3,13,14], cataracts [15] and AIDS [16]. It has been claimed that increased intake of ascorbic acid has favorable effects on the immune system, healing of wounds, various types of stress including those due to physical exertion, cigarette smoking, and extremes of temperature, allergic responses, and mental health problems. These subjects have been reviewed [3,7,15,17,18]. In general, each of these claims has been contradicted, at least to some degree, by subsequent studies and the literature continues to reflect controversy apparently because it has not yet been possible to obtain reproducible objective evidence. A claim that a particular drug or treatment can cure a wide variety of conditions, perhaps everything from housemaid’s knee to tuberculosis, is typically viewed with skepticism. So too might one be justifiably dubious about a theory according to which a wide variety of diseases are produced by oxidative phenomena and free radicals. Nevertheless, if such a theory is even partially valid, beneficial effects might be expected after administration of compounds such as ascorbic acid which has potent reducing properties and which is highly reactive. In contrast to the claims made for large doses of ascorbic acid, there can be no doubt but that very small doses of ascorbic acid are sufficient to prevent scurvy; this has been observed frequently. Perhaps ascorbic acid performs a specific function that
Concise Review: Prospects of Stem Cell Therapy for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Certain regions of the adult brain have the ability for partial self-repair after injury through production of new neurons via activation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs). Nonetheless, there is no evidence yet for pervasive spontaneous replacement of dead neurons by newly formed neurons leading to functional recovery in the injured brain. Consequently, there is enormous interest for stimulating endogenous NSCs in the brain to produce new neurons or for grafting of NSCs isolated and expanded from different brain regions or embryonic stem cells into the injured brain. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), characterized by hyperexcitability in the hippocampus and spontaneous seizures, is a possible clinical target for stem cell-based therapies. This is because these approaches have the potential to curb epileptogenesis and prevent chronic epilepsy development and learning and memory dysfunction after hippocampal damage related to status epilepticus or head injury. Grafting of NSCs may also be useful for restraining seizures during chronic epilepsy. The aim of this review is to evaluate current knowledge and outlook pertaining to stem cell-based therapies for TLE. The first section discusses the behavior of endogenous hippocampal NSCs in human TLE and animal models of TLE and evaluates the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in the pathophysiology and treatment of TLE. The second segment considers the prospects for preventing or suppressing seizures in TLE using exogenously applied stem cells. The final part analyzes problems that remain to be resolved before initiating clinical application of stem cell-based therapies for TLE.
Measurement of soybean fatty acids by near-infrared spectroscopy: Linear and nonlinear calibration methods

A key element of successful development of new soybean cultivars is availability of inexpensive and rapid methods for measurement of FA in seeds. Published research demonstrated applicability of NIR spectroscopy for FA profiling in oilseeds. The objectives of this study were to investigate the applicability of NIR spectroscopy for measurement of FA in whole soybeans and compare performance of calibration methods. Equations were developed using partial least squares (PLS), artificial neural networks (ANN), and support vector machines (SVM) regression methods. Validation results demonstrated that (i) equations for total saturates had the highest predictive ability (r 2=0.91–0.94) and were usable for quality assurance applications, (ii) palmitic acid models (r 2=0.80–0.84) were usable for certain research applications, and (iii) equations for stearic (r 2=0.49–0.68), oleic (r 2=0.76–0.81), linoleic (r 2=0.73–0.76), and linolenic (r 2=0.67–0.74) acids could be used for sample screening. The SVM models produced significantly more accurate predictions than those developed with PLS. ANN calibrations were not different from the other two methods. Reduction in the number of calibration samples reduced predictive ability of all equations. The rate of performance degradation of SVM models with sample reduction was the lowest.
Non-additive benefit or cost? Disentangling the indirect effects that occur when plants bearing extrafloral nectaries and honeydew-producing insects share exotic ant mutualists.

Background and Aims In complex communities, organisms often form mutualisms with multiple different partners simultaneously. Non-additive effects may emerge among species linked by these positive interactions. Ants commonly participate in mutualisms with both honeydew-producing insects (HPI) and their extrafloral nectary (EFN)-bearing host plants. Consequently, HPI and EFN-bearing plants may experience non-additive benefits or costs when these groups co-occur. The outcomes of these interactions are likely to be influenced by variation in preferences among ants for honeydew vs. nectar. In this study, a test was made for non-additive effects on HPI and EFN-bearing plants resulting from sharing exotic ant guards. Preferences of the dominant exotic ant species for nectar vs. honeydew resources were also examined.
Domain-Wall Dynamics in Translationally Nonivariant Nanowires: Theory and Applications

We generalize domain-wall dynamics to the case of translationally noninvariant ferromagnetic nanowires. The obtained equations of motion make the description of the domain-wall propagation more realistic by accounting for the variations along the wire, such as disorder or change in the wire shape. We show that the effective equations of motion are very general and do not depend on the model details. As an example of their use, we consider an hourglass-shaped nanostrip in detail. A transverse domain wall is trapped in the middle and has two stable magnetization directions. We study the switching between the two directions by short current pulses. We obtain the exact time dependence of the current pulses required to switch the magnetization with the minimal Ohmic losses per switching. Furthermore, we find how the Ohmic losses per switching depend on the switching time for the optimal current pulse. As a result, we show that as a magnetic memory device this nanodevice may be ${10}^{5}$ times more energy efficient than the best modern devices.
Major Depressive Disorder in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

AbstractBackground: Controversy continues to exist as to whether Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a psychological/psychiatric disorder. To further understand this condition the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducted a Surveillance Study. The CDC partitioned 565 subjects with fatiguing illnesses into four diagnostic groups, one of which met the 1988 CDC criteria for CFS. The non-CFS groups had either insufficient severity (idiopathic), medical exclusions or prior psychiatric disorders.Objectives: The present study reports on the psychiatric features in that study, estimates the time of onset of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and looks for possible relationships between 1988 CDC criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and psychiatric disorders.Methods: The study design is cross-sectional. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) assessed for four Axis I psychiatric disorders. Time of onset of MDD was estimated from the DIS and validated by an examination of the medical records. Odds ratios and confidence inte...
System testing using use cases for simulation model of an emergency room

Modelling and simulation (M&S) is a useful technique for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) applications because of its non-destructive and non-invasive method of observing a system. Results of simulations are expected to provide reliable information for decision-makers, but potential errors may be introduced during M&S development. This paper identifies the needs of system testing using specifications for M&S applications and provides a novel approach of verification, validation and testing (VV&T) for DHS M&S community. System testing is an effective methodology that can help to ensure the functionality of an M&S applications. Use cases that specify requirements of a simulation system provide information necessary to generate test cases for system testing. System testing allows simulation developers to identify and fix defects much earlier in the lifecycle, which would greatly lower the cost. A case study of a hospital emergency room (ER) simulation model was introduced.
Immune Cells Detection of the In Vivo Rejecting Heart in USPIO-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is useful to study the infiltration of immune cells, in particular macrophages. Contrast agents, for example ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) particles, administered intravenously into the blood stream will be engulfed by macrophages circulating in the circulation system. When a transplanted heart rejects, macrophages and other immune cells will infiltrate the rejecting tissue. Imaged by T2 weighted MRI, USPIO-labeled macrophages will display dark pixel intensities. Detecting the presence of USPIO particles in the images facilitates the study of heart rejection. We cast the problem of detecting the presence of USPIO-labeled myocardium in the framework of spectral graph theory, and treat our decision function as a level set function on the image. The pixels with positive level set values correspond to the presence of immune cells, and negative to the absence. When the image is modeled by a graph, the spectral analysis of the graph Laplacian provides a basis to represent the level set function. We develop from the Cheeger constant of the graph an objective functional of the level set function. The minimization of the objective leads to the optimal level set function. Experimental results suggest the feasibility of our approach in the study of rejecting hearts.
Executive Functions after Age 5: Changes and Correlates

Research and theorizing on executive function (EF) in childhood has been disproportionately focused on preschool age children. This review paper outlines the importance of examining EF throughout childhood, and even across the lifespan. First, examining EF in older children can address the question of whether EF is a unitary construct. The relations among the EF components, particularly as they are recruited for complex tasks, appear to change over the course of development. Second, much of the development of EF, especially working memory, shifting, and planning, occurs after age 5. Third, important applications of EF research concern the role of school-age children’s EF in various aspects of school performance, as well as social functioning and emotional control. Future research needs to examine a more complete developmental span, from early childhood through late adulthood, in order to address developmental issues adequately.
Intraventricular Cryptococcal Cysts

The case of a 55-year-old immunocompetent woman with central nervous system cryptococcosis and multiple intraventricular cysts is presented. The cysts did not enhance on MR and had signal characteristics similar to cerebrospinal fluid on T1- and T2-weighted images; their intensity was lower than cerebrospinal fluid on proton density-weighted images.
Nutrient restriction impairs nephrogenesis in a gender-specific manner in the ovine fetus

Inadequate nutrition compromises fetal development and poses long-term health risks for the offspring, even without decreased birth weight. The present study sought to 1) establish the ontogeny of fetal renal glomerulus number (GN) in sheep and 2) evaluate the effects of 50% global nutrient restriction (NR) during early to midgestation on GN and the renin-angiotensin system in the fetal kidney. GN increased from 78 dG (68,560 ± 3802) to 135 dG (586,118 ± 25,792). NR increased combined kidney weight (29 ± 0.6 g versus 23 ± 1.1 g), whereas decreased GN relative to right kidney weight approached significance in males (26,000 ± 5300 versus 39,000 ± 2800 GN/g) compared with control (C) males and females. NR decreased immunoreactive angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT1) in the NR kidneys at 78 dG and increased renin at 135 dG. Immunoreactive renin decreased from 78 to 135 dG. Female fetuses had more immunoreactive Ang II type 2 receptor (AT2) than male fetuses at 78 dG and males had more AT1 at 135 dG. The present study demonstrates gender-specific differences in fetal growth and development and in fetal kidney development in pregnancies affected by NR.
Addressing the empathy deficit: Beliefs about the malleability of empathy predict effortful responses when empathy is challenging.

Empathy is often thought to occur automatically. Yet, empathy frequently breaks down when it is difficult or distressing to relate to people in need, suggesting that empathy is often not felt reflexively. Indeed, the United States as a whole is said to be displaying an empathy deficit. When and why does empathy break down, and what predicts whether people will exert effort to experience empathy in challenging contexts? Across 7 studies, we found that people who held a malleable mindset about empathy (believing empathy can be developed) expended greater empathic effort in challenging contexts than did people who held a fixed theory (believing empathy cannot be developed). Specifically, a malleable theory of empathy--whether measured or experimentally induced--promoted (a) more self-reported effort to feel empathy when it is challenging (Study 1); (b) more empathically effortful responses to a person with conflicting views on personally important sociopolitical issues (Studies 2-4); (c) more time spent listening to the emotional personal story of a racial outgroup member (Study 5); and (d) greater willingness to help cancer patients in effortful, face-to-face ways (Study 6). Study 7 revealed a possible reason for this greater empathic effort in challenging contexts: a stronger interest in improving one's empathy. Together, these data suggest that people's mindsets powerfully affect whether they exert effort to empathize when it is needed most, and these data may represent a point of leverage in increasing empathic behaviors on a broad scale.
Presumed primary intraocular chondrosarcoma in cats

Following unilateral enucleation, 4 Domestic Shorthair cats with an average age of 12.5 years (range: 9-16 years) were histologically diagnosed with a presumed primary intraocular chondrosarcoma at the Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin). Medical records and follow-up were available for 3 of the 4 cats. Clinically, only 1 eye was affected in each cat; a mass lesion was noted in 2 cats, and a neoplasm was suspected in the other 2 cats. Grossly, 3 tumors presented as coalescing, poorly demarcated, white, friable masses filling the vitreous and intraocular chambers; 1 tumor presented as a solitary, well-demarcated, tan mass involving the iris and ciliary body. Histologically, all 4 neoplasms were composed of haphazardly arranged plump neoplastic spindle cells surrounded by irregular islands and thick trabeculae of abundant, variably basophilic, and Alcian blue-positive chondromatous matrix. None of the cats presented histologically or clinically with signs suggestive of feline posttraumatic ocular sarcoma. Two cats are still alive and healthy 6 months and 3 years following enucleation. One cat died 6 months following enucleation; however, this cat suffered from poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, and the cause of death is undetermined. No other tumors or skeletal lesions were identified that could suggest a metastatic tumor to the eye. The origin of primary intraocular chondrosarcoma is unclear, but is presumed to be ocular multipotent mesenchymal stem cells. Four cases of intraocular chondrosarcoma in cats not associated with the posttraumatic sarcoma complex of intraocular tumors are described.
Relationship of body composition to somatotype in college men.

SummaryThis study was designed to determine the relation of somatotype to body composition of college-aged men and to test the assumptions of the Heath and Carter approach to the estimation of second component as lean body mass relative to height. Lean body mass was estimated from whole-body 40K spectrometry and from body density. LBM/height accounted for less than one third of the variation in Health and Carter's second component. When lean body mass and height were used together in multiple regression analysis as separate predictors instead of a ratio, 66 per cent of the variation in the second component was accounted for. The muscle circumferences and height, but not skeletal widths, used in the Heath and Carter method were significant predictors in regression analysis, accounting for 84·5 per cent of the variance in LBM. The use of two skinfolds (upper arm and waist) and body weight represents the most accurate approach for predicting LBM with 96·0 per cent of the variance accounted for. While there w...
The Company We Keep: Why Physicians Should Refuse to See Pharmaceutical Representatives

Whether physicians ought to interact with pharmaceutical sales representatives (reps) is a question worthy of careful ethical analysis. The issue presents a challenge to both professional integrity and time management. Empirical data suggest that interactions with pharmaceutical reps increase the chances that the physician will act contrary to duties owed to the patient. Ideally, a physician might both interact with reps and also do the research necessary to counteract the commercial bias in their messages. But a physician who actually did that research would, in turn, be devoting a good deal of time that might better be spent in other activities. The counterargument, that one is obligated to see representatives to obtain free samples to best serve one’s patients, can be shown in most practice settings not to be compelling. Physicians ought to refuse to visit with representatives as a matter of both professional integrity and sensible time management.
Mining the tissue-tissue gene co-expression network for tumor microenvironment study and biomarker prediction

Recent discovery in tumor development indicates that the tumor microenvironment (mostly stroma cells) plays an important role in cancer development. To understand how the tumor microenvironment (TME) interacts with the tumor, we explore the correlation of the gene expressions between tumor and stroma. The tumor and stroma gene expression data are modeled as a weighted bipartite network (tumor-stroma coexpression network) where the weight of an edge indicates the correlation between the expression profiles of the corresponding tumor gene and stroma gene. In order to efficiently mine this weighted bipartite network, we developed the Bipartite subnetwork Component Mining algorithm (BCM), and we show that the BCM algorithm can efficiently mine weighted bipartite networks for dense Bipartite sub-Networks (BiNets) with density guarantees. We applied BCM to the tumor-stroma coexpression network and find 372 BiNets that demonstrate statistical significance in survival tests. A good number of these BiNets demonstrate strong prognosis powers on at least one breast cancer patient cohort, which suggests that these BiNets are potential biomarkers for breast cancer prognosis. Further study on these 372 BiNets by the network merging approach reveals that they form 10 macro bipartite networks which show orchestrated key biological processes in both tumor and stroma. In addition, by further examining the BiNets that are significant in ER-negative breast cancer patient prognosis, we discovered a ubiquitin C (UBC) gene network that demonstrates strong prognosis power in nearly all types of breast cancer subtypes we used in this study. The results support our hypothesis that the UBC gene network plays an important role in breast cancer prognosis and therapy and it is a potential prognostic biomarker for multiple breast cancer subtypes.
Cardiac thromboxane A2 receptor activation does not directly induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy but does cause cell death that is prevented with gentamicin and 2-APB.

Background We have previously shown that the thromboxane (TXA2) receptor agonist, U46619, can directly induce ventricular arrhythmias that were associated with increases in intracellular calcium in cardiomyocytes. Since TXA2 is an inflammatory mediator and induces direct calcium changes in cardiomyocytes, we hypothesized that TXA2 released during ischemia or inflammation could also cause cardiac remodeling.
Thermal stability analysis of thin film Ni–NiOx–Cr tunnel junctions

Abstract This research reports on the thermal stability of Ni–NiOx–Cr based Metal–Insulator–Metal (MIM) junction. Effect of annealing (250 to 400 °C) on the electrical and physical transport properties of this MIM stack was understood to determine the thermal budget allowable when using these diodes. MIM tunnel junctions were fabricated by sputtering and the NiOx was formed through reactive sputtering. The performance of the tunnel junctions after exposure to elevated temperatures was investigated using current–voltage measurements. This was correlated to the structural properties of the interfaces at different temperatures, characterized by Atomic Force Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). MIM tunnel junctions annealed up to 350 °C demonstrated satisfactory current–voltage characteristics and sensitivity. MIM junctions exhibited improved electrical performance as they were heated to 250 °C (sensitivity of 42 V− 1 and a zero-bias resistance of ~300 Ω) due to improved crystallization of the layers within the stack. At temperatures over 350 °C, TEM and Energy Dispersive Spectra confirmed a breakdown of the MIM structure due to interdiffusion.
Ethics and animal issues in US medical education

Summary Increasing public and regulatory agency concern about a variety of animal protection issues that affect the field of medicine have made these issues increasingly relevant to medical school curricula. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability and forms of medical school training relating to ethical, conceptual, and societal concerns in the use of animals within the field of medicine and the perceived need for such training. Questionnaire surveys were mailed to the Deans of the 125 accredited US medical schools, and completed by Deans or their designees within the same medical institution. Questionnaire recipients were informed that results would be compiled in a fashion that did not identify specific individuals or institutions. Survey responses were obtained from 84 medical institutions (67% response). Sixty respondents (71%) indicated that their medical school offered or sponsored some type of activity related to ethical and conceptual concerns in the use of animals in medical research and training. Most schools (43) offered informal discussions/seminars relating to these issues, but nine schools offered full formal courses with up to 15 lectures on these topics. Programme content and perceived need for additional instruction varied greatly amongst respondents. The results suggest a wide diversity amongst US medical schools in the availability and perceived importance of medical school training relating to ethical and conceptual concerns in the uses of animals in medicine. It is proposed that instruction in these areas be pursued with more concerted efforts to address the growing body of knowledge about non-human beings and the ethical implications of such knowledge.
Modeling Soil Moisture Processes and Recharge under a Melting Snowpack

Recharge into bedrock under a melting snowpack is being investigated as part of a study designed to understand hydrologic processes involving snow at Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Snowpack measurements, accompanied by water content and matric potential measurements of the soil under the snowpack, allowed for estimates of infiltration into the soil during snowmelt, and percolation into the bedrock. Infiltration rates into the soil exceeded the permeability of the bedrock and caused ponding to be sustained at the soil-bedrock interface during the snow melt period. During a 7-day period with no measured snowmelt, drainage of the ponded water into the underlying fractured granitic bedrock was estimated to be 16 mm/day. The numerical simulator, TOUGH2, was used to reproduce the field data and evaluate the potential for vertical flow into the fractured bedrock or lateral flow at the bedrock/soil interface. The field data and model results support the notion that although most snowmelt on shallow soils overlying relatively impermeable upland bedrock tends to run off and contribute directly to streamflow, at least some of the snowmelt can infiltrate and potentially provide recharge to local or regional aquifers.
SGK integrates insulin and mineralocorticoid regulation of epithelial sodium transport.

The epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) constitutes the rate-limiting step for Na+ transport across tight epithelia and is the principal target of hormonal regulation, particularly by insulin and mineral...
Spectroscopic Consequences of Exact Duality for Baryons

Those backward meson-baryon scattering and (baryon + antibaryon \ensuremath{\rightarrow} two mesons) processes which are exotic in the direct channel are assumed to be dominated at high energy by the exchange of baryon trajectories whose imaginary parts cancel exactly. A solution to these constraints in accord with the lowest-lying baryon states is obtained; the residue ratios are found to vary along the trajectory. Properties of a ${J}^{P}={\frac{7}{2}}^{+}$ baryon octet in the mass range 1950-2200 MeV, predicted by these constraints, are examined. For example, one expects (a) a ${J}^{P}={\frac{7}{2}}^{+}$ $N(1950)$ with $\ensuremath{\Gamma}(\ensuremath{\pi}N)\ensuremath{\simeq}13$ MeV and $\ensuremath{\Gamma}(\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\Delta})\ensuremath{\simeq}80$ MeV, whose effects might also be visible in $\ensuremath{\pi}N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}K\ensuremath{\Sigma}$, and (b) a ${J}^{P}={\frac{7}{2}}^{+}$ $\ensuremath{\Lambda}(2100)$, with $\ensuremath{\Gamma}(\ensuremath{\Sigma}\ensuremath{\pi})\ensuremath{\simeq}22$ MeV and $\ensuremath{\Gamma}(\ensuremath{\Sigma}(1385)\ensuremath{\pi})\ensuremath{\simeq}60$ MeV, whose $\overline{K}N$ coupling should be very small. A further prediction is that of a ${G}_{39}$ $\ensuremath{\pi}N$ resonance, $\ensuremath{\Delta}(2200)$ (${J}^{P}={\frac{9}{2}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$), whose effects could be visible in backward ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}p$ scattering.
Plant allometry, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry, and interspecific trends in annual growth rates.

• Background Life forms as diverse as unicellular algae, zooplankton, vascular plants, and mammals appear to obey quarter-power scaling rules. Among the most famous of these rules is Kleiber's (i.e. basal metabolic rates scale as the three-quarters power of body mass), which has a botanical analogue (i.e. annual plant growth rates scale as the three-quarters power of total body mass). Numerous theories have tried to explain why these rules exist, but each has been heavily criticized either on conceptual or empirical grounds. • N,P-Stoichiometry Recent models predicting growth rates on the basis of how total cell, tissue, or organism nitrogen and phosphorus are allocated, respectively, to protein and rRNA contents may provide the answer, particularly in light of the observation that annual plant growth rates scale linearly with respect to standing leaf mass and that total leaf mass scales isometrically with respect to nitrogen but as the three-quarters power of leaf phosphorus. For example, when these relationships are juxtaposed with other allometric trends, a simple N,P-stoichiometric model successfully predicts the relative growth rates of 131 diverse C3 and C4 species. • Conclusions The melding of allometric and N,P-stoichiometric theoretical insights provides a robust modelling approach that conceptually links the subcellular ‘machinery’ of protein/ribosomal metabolism to observed growth rates of uni- and multicellular organisms. Because the operation of this ‘machinery’ is basic to the biology of all life forms, its allometry may provide a mechanistic explanation for the apparent ubiquity of quarter-power scaling rules.
The Effect of Differential Follow-Up on Rearrests: A Critique of Quay and Love.

The evaluation of a juvenile diversion program by Quay and Love ( 1977) is criticized for employing follow-up periods of differing durations. This problem is seen to be particularly relevant to community corrections. It is concluded that followup periods must be simultaneous and equal in duration in order to avoid problems in validly interpreting the results. A two-stage analysis procedure containing both in-program and post-program observation is recommended and explained. Keywords: Juvenile justice Language: en
Stabilization of an injection locked harmonically mode-locked laser via polarization spectroscopy for frequency comb generation

Stabilization of an injection locked optical frequency comb is achieved through polarization spectroscopy of an active laser cavity, eliminating optical PM sidebands inherent in previous stabilization methods. Optical SNR of 35 dB is achieved.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (lcis): pathology and treatment

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is not only a relative newcomer among breast lesions, but in its short span of 50 years it has gradually evolved from a rare form of breast cancer to being merely a marker of increased risk. This change has not been without controversy which persists to the present day, although there is now general agreement on the natural history of the disease. The present report represents an update on current thinking about LCIS as well as a review of the limited number of studies dealing with the natural history of the lesion when treated by biopsy alone. Invasive cancer will develop in approximately 20-25% of women with LCIS provided there is sufficient follow-up after biopsy. Precise estimates are not possible since LCIS is an asymptomatic lesion that never makes a mass or reveals itself on mammography. It is found only by biopsy and thus the population being followed is a selected one. Every study has shown that when invasive cancer develops, it is just as likely to appear in the contralateral as in the biopsied breast, and invasive ductal cancers are more common than lobular. Clearly, the small round cells with pale cytoplasm that characterize LCIS do not go on to invasion in the usual patient; rather they serve to identify women who are more likely to develop breast cancer. Such patients represent a clearly defined group at increased risk, and for that reason are ideal candidates for chemoprevention. If tamoxifen or some other agent proves to be effective, the remaining arguments favoring mastectomy for LCIS will finally disappear.
Welfare and Poverty: The Elements of Reform

For the last thirty years, there has been widespread agreement that the nation's welfare system should be reformed to make it more consistent with basic public values endorsing the primacy of family and the importance of work. There has been disagreement, however, about specific proposals, and resistance to providing the funds needed for large-scale reform. This Article discusses the three approaches state and federal governments can use to reduce welfare and encourage work: (1) making welfare less attractive; (2) making welfare a reciprocal obligation; and (3) making work more attractive. It concludes that a combined strategy, which links welfare-to-work program mandates with increased rewards for low-wage work, offers promise. As a new Administration committed to change shapes and implements its agenda, the trade-offs and lessons from the past provide guidance on how to translate a vision of reform into a concrete program that will better meet multiple policy objectives and produce institutional change.
Effect of tele-emergency services on recruitment and retention of US rural physicians

Introduction As competition for physicians intensifies in the USA, rural areas are at a disadvantage due to challenges unique to rural medical practice. Telemedicine improves access to care not otherwise available in rural settings. Previous studies have found that telemedicine also has positive effects on the work environment, suggesting that telemedicine may improve rural physician recruitment and retention, although few have specifically examined this. Methods Using a mixed-method approach, clients of a single telemedicine service in the Upper Midwestern USA were surveyed and interviewed about their views of the impact of tele-emergency on physician recruitment and retention and the work environment. Surveys were completed by 292 clinical and administrative staff at 71 hospitals and semi-structured interviews were conducted with clinicians and administrators at 16 hospitals. Results Survey respondents agreed that tele-emergency had a positive effect on physician recruitment and retention and related workplace factors. Interviewees elucidated how the presence of tele-emergency played an important role in enhancing physician confidence, providing educational opportunities, easing burden, and supplementing care, workplace factors that interviewees believed would impact recruitment and retention. However, gains were limited by hospitals' interpretation of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act as requiring on-site physician coverage even if tele-emergency was used. Conclusions Results indicate that, all other factors being equal, tele-emergency increases the likelihood of physicians entering and remaining in rural practice. New regulatory guidance by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services related to on-site physician coverage will likely accelerate implementation of tele-emergency services in rural hospitals. Telemedicine may prove to be an increasingly valuable recruitment and retention tool for rural hospitals as competition for physicians intensifies.
In-vivo stretch of term human fetal membranes.

Abstract Introduction Fetal membranes (FM) usually fail prior to delivery during term labor, but occasionally fail at preterm gestation, precipitating preterm birth. To understand the FM biomechanical properties underlying these events, study of the baseline in - vivo stretch experienced by the FM is required. This study's objective was to utilize high resolution MRI imaging to determine in - vivo FM stretch. Methods Eight pregnant women (38.4 ± 0.4wks) underwent abdominal-pelvic MRI prior to (2.88 ± 0.83d) caesarean delivery. Software was utilized to determine the total FM in - vivo surface area (SA) and that of its components: placental disc and reflected FM. At delivery, the SA of the disc and FM in the relaxed state were measured. In - vivo (stretched) to delivered SA ratios were calculated. FM fragments were then biaxially stretched to determine the force required to re-stretch the FM back to in - vivo SA. Results Total FM SA, in - vivo vs delivered, was 2135.51 ± 108.47 cm 2 vs 842.59 ± 35.86 cm 2 ; reflected FM was 1778.42 ± 107.39 cm 2 vs 545.41 ± 22.90 cm 2 , and disc was 357.10 ± 28.08 cm 2 vs 297.18 ± 22.14 cm 2 . The ratio ( in - vivo to in - vitro SA) of reflected FM was 3.26 ± 0.11 and disc was 1.22 ± 0.10. Reflected FM re-stretched to in - vivo SA generated a tension of 72.26 N/m, corresponding to approximate pressure of 15.4 mmHg. FM rupture occurred at 295.08 ± 31.73 N/m corresponding to approximate pressure of 34 mmHg. Physiological SA was 70% of that at rupture. Discussion FM are significantly distended in - vivo . FM collagen fibers were rapidly recruited once loaded and functioned near the failure state during in - vitro testing, suggesting that, in - vivo , minimal additional (beyond physiological) stretch may facilitate rapid, catastrophic failure.