cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Noninvasive Monitoring of Somatostatin Receptor Type 2 Chimeric Gene Transfer

Noninvasive monitoring of gene transfer will benefit basic research and patient care. Most gene-transfer imaging systems do not directly detect the gene of interest, and most do not exploit radiopharmaceuticals that have Food and Drug Administration approval for total-body use. 111In-Octreotide is used clinically to locate tumors overexpressing primarily somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2). We report the in vitro and in vivo detection of SSTR2 chimeric gene transfer with this radiopharmaceutical. Methods: Full-length SSTR2A was ligated into a vector downstream of a 5′ Igκ leader sequence and the hemagglutinin A (HA) sequence. The vector plus insert was then introduced into HT1080 cells. Igκ and HA domain functions were confirmed by immunologic methods. Receptor binding was studied in transfected cells incubated with 111In-octreotide with and without somatostatin-28. Mice bearing tumors produced by transfected cells were injected with 111In-octreotide for biodistribution and imaging studies. Results: Cell-membrane localization by the amino-terminal Igκ domain was confirmed by immunofluorescence. The HA domain was identified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting analysis with anti-HA antibodies. 111In-Octreotide detected the SSTR2 portion of the fusion protein in vitro (receptor-binding assay) and in vivo (biodistribution studies and gamma-camera imaging). In addition, in vitro studies using either the anti-HA antibody or 111In-octreotide correlated with biodistribution and imaging studies when cell clones expressing different levels of the fusion protein were tested. This approach may be feasible clinically because we were able to discern chimeric gene transfer in tumor-bearing animals with 111In-octreotide at doses similar to those already used in humans. Conclusion: With this method it may be possible to monitor transfer of a gene of interest directly and noninvasively.
Detection of viruses in used ventilation filters from two large public buildings

Background Viral and bacterial pathogens may be present in the air after being released from infected individuals and animals. Filters are installed in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems of buildings to protect ventilation equipment and maintain healthy indoor air quality. These filters process enormous volumes of air. This study was undertaken to determine the utility of sampling used ventilation filters to assess the types and concentrations of virus aerosols present in buildings. Methods The HVAC filters from 2 large public buildings in Minneapolis and Seattle were sampled to determine the presence of human respiratory viruses and viruses with bioterrorism potential. Four air-handling units were selected from each building, and a total of 64 prefilters and final filters were tested for the presence of influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial, corona, parainfluenza 1-3, adeno, orthopox, entero, Ebola, Marburg, Lassa fever, Machupo, eastern equine encephalitis, western equine encephalitis, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses. Representative pieces of each filter were cut and eluted with a buffer solution. Results Attempts were made to detect viruses by inoculation of these eluates in cell cultures (Vero, MDCK, and RK-13) and specific pathogen-free embryonated chicken eggs. Two passages of eluates in cell cultures or these eggs did not reveal the presence of any live virus. The eluates were also examined by polymerase chain reaction or reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of viral DNA or RNA, respectively. Nine of the 64 filters tested were positive for influenza A virus, 2 filters were positive for influenza B virus, and 1 filter was positive for parainfluenza virus 1. Conclusion These findings indicate that existing building HVAC filters may be used as a method of detection for airborne viruses. As integrated long-term bioaerosol sampling devices, they may yield valuable information on the epidemiology and aerobiology of viruses in air that can inform the development of methods to prevent airborne transmission of viruses and possible deterrents against the spread of bioterrorism agents.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized granulocyte concentrate transfusions

Granulocyte transfusion therapy has been used infrequently in the last 10 to 15 years, in large part because its efficacy in the treatment of infected neutropenic patients has not been impressive. This perceived lack of efficacy has been attributed primarily to the fact that the dose of granulocytes obtainable with standard leukapheresis techniques has been inadequate. With the availability of recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to stimulate neutrophilia in normal donors and increase the number of granulocytes that can be collected, there is now renewed interest in this form of transfusion therapy. Recent studies have shown that stimulation with G-CSF, with or without corticosteroids, is well tolerated by normal donors and that granulocyte yields are increased three- to four-fold. Blood neutrophil counts in patients receiving these large cell doses rise substantially, often to normal or near normal levels, and commonly remain elevated for 24 hours or more. In vitro and in vivo measurements have shown that the functional capabilities of granulocytes collected from G-CSF stimulated donors appear to be normal. Although early reports have been encouraging, the clinical efficacy of this new level of granulocyte transfusion therapy has been yet to be determined.
A light-weight static approach to analyzing UML behavioral properties

Identifying and resolving design problems in the early design phase can help ensure software quality and save costs. There are currently few tools for analyzing designs expressed using the Unified Modeling Language (UML). Tools such as OCLE and USE support analysis of static structural properties. These tools provide mechanisms for checking instance models against invariant properties expressed using the object constraint language (OCL). In this paper we propose an approach to analyzing behavioral properties of UML models that can utilize static analysis tools. The approach includes a technique for generating a class model of behavior from operation specifications expressed in a restricted form of OCL Behavioral properties are expressed as invariants defined in the class model of behavior. Static analysis tools such as USE and OCLE can be used to check object models describing series of snapshots. Most of the analysis can be automated. We illustrate our approach by analyzing static separation of duty and dynamic separation of duty properties of a hierarchical role-based access control model (HRBAC).
Cooperation between hepatic cholesteryl ester hydrolase and scavenger receptor BI for hydrolysis of HDL-CE.

Liver is the sole organ responsible for the final elimination of cholesterol from the body either as biliary cholesterol or bile acids. High density lipoprotein (HDL)-derived cholesterol is the major source of biliary sterols and represents a mechanism for the removal of cholesterol from peripheral tissues including artery wall-associated macrophage foam cells. Via selective uptake through scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI), HDL-cholesterol is thought to be directly secreted into bile, and HDL cholesteryl esters (HDL-CEs) enter the hepatic metabolic pool and need to be hydrolyzed prior to conversion to bile acids. However, the identity of hepatic CE hydrolase (CEH) as well as the role of SR-BI in bile acid synthesis remains elusive. In this study we examined the role of human hepatic CEH (CES1) in facilitating hydrolysis of SR-BI-delivered HDL-CEs. Over-expression of CEH led to increased hydrolysis of HDL-[3H]CE in primary hepatocytes and SR-BI expression was required for this process. Intracellular CEH associated with BODIPY-CE delivered by selective uptake via SR-BI. CEH and SR-BI expression enhanced the movement of [3H]label from HDL-[3H]CE to bile acids in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that SR-BI-delivered HDL-CEs are hydrolyzed by hepatic CEH and utilized for bile acid synthesis.
EXTRACELLULAR SIGNAL-REGULATED KINASE PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN HYPERTROPHIC AGONISTS, ENDOTHELIN-1 AND PHENYLEPHRINE-INDUCED CARDIOMYOCYTE HYPERTROPHY

Abstract The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is activated by hypertrophic stimuli in cardiomyocytes. However, whether ERK plays an essential role or is implicated in all major components of cardiac hypertrophy remains controversial. Using a selective MEK inhibitor, U0126, and a selective Raf inhibitor, SB-386023, to block the ERK signaling pathway at two different levels and adenovirus-mediated transfection of dominant-negative Raf, we studied the role of ERK signaling in response of cultured rat cardiomyocytes to hypertrophic agonists, endothelin-1 (ET-1), and phenylephrine (PE). U0126 and SB-386023 blocked ET-1 and PE-induced ERK but not p38 and JNK activation in cardiomyocytes. Both compounds inhibited ET-1 and PE-induced protein synthesis and increased cell size, sarcomeric reorganization, and expression of β-myosin heavy chain in myocytes with IC50 values of 1–2 μm. Furthermore, both inhibitors significantly reduced ET-1- and PE-induced expression of atrial natriuretic factor. In cardiomyocytes transfected with a dominant-negative Raf, ET-1- and PE-induced increase in cell size, sarcomeric reorganization, and atrial natriuretic factor production were remarkably attenuated compared with the cells infected with an adenovirus-expressing green fluorescence protein. Taken together, our data strongly support the notion that the ERK signal pathway plays an essential role in ET-1- and PE-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.
Investigation of Morphology and Interface in Polymer Composite Thin Films

Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) has been applied to examine the filler particles and their distribution in BaTiO3-polymer composite films. We have measured thin-slice images of the composite films at various depths from the film surface and visualized the submicron size particles and the polymer between them nondestructively. We have found that, although BaTiO3 particles appear to be uniformly dispersed in the composite films when observed under conventional microscope, the particles form clusters at low BaTiO3 concentrations. The lower the concentration the larger the cluster size. The particles appear to be better dispersed in the high concentration composites than at low concentrations.
Late Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinctions

This chapter focuses on the accelerated extinction of megafauna that occurred within the late Pleistocene, ca. 50,000 to 10,000 radiocarbon years before present, with some reference to earlier (Pleistocene) and later (Holocene) events. It is important to distinguish between, on the one hand, extinction of a species because of replacement by its evolutionary descendant, or by a less closely related competitor (the normal processes of faunal turnover), and on the other, extinction without ecological replacement. It is the latter that concerns us here.
Garlic intake and cancer risk: an analysis using the Food and Drug Administration's evidence-based review system for the scientific evaluation of health claims

Background Numerous animal and in vitro studies provided evidence for a relation between garlic intake and cancer risk reduction. Several studies also reported an inverse association in humans. However, no claims have been made about garlic intake and cancer risk reduction with respect to food labeling. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the scientific evidence for garlic intake with respect to the risk of different types of cancer using the US Food and Drug Administration's evidence-based review system for the scientific evaluation of health claims. Design Literature searches were conducted by using the Medline and EMBASE databases for the period 1955-2007 with search terms Allium sativum, vegetables, diet, and nutrition in combination with cancer, neoplasm, and individual cancers. The search was limited to human studies published in English and Korean. Results With the use of the US Food and Drug Administration's evidence-based review system for the scientific evaluation of health claims, 19 human studies were identified and reviewed to evaluate the strength of the evidence that supports a relation between garlic intake and reduced risk of different cancers with respect to food labeling. Conclusions There was no credible evidence to support a relation between garlic intake and a reduced risk of gastric, breast, lung, or endometrial cancer. Very limited evidence supported a relation between garlic consumption and reduced risk of colon, prostate, esophageal, larynx, oral, ovary, or renal cell cancers.
An analytical learning algorithm for the dendro-dendritic artificial neural network via linear programming

An analytical learning algorithm to find the weight matrix of the dendro-dendritic neural network is presented. This learning algorithm utilizes linear programming to find all (necessarily) non-negative and small weights. A sufficient stability criterion is given, which guarantees all stored patterns to be asymptotically stable. >
Locally Asymptotically Most Stringent Tests for Paired Comparison Experiments

Abstract Following the results of Bhat and Nagnur [2], the locally asymptotically most stringent test of the hypothesis of no preference in paired comparison experiments is derived for the models of Rao and Kupper [9] and Davidson [3]. It is shown that the asymptotic relative efficiency of these tests when compared to the test based on the likelihood ratio statistic is unity.
Comparison of a Rasch Model Scale and the Grade-Equivalent Scale for Vertical Equating of Test Scores

Wright (1977) outlined procedures for equating tests and test scores using the Rasch model. This paper summarizes the results of a study in which those Rasch model procedures are used to calibrate and then to link vertically six levels of the Reading Comprehension Test of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. The derived Rasch ability scale estimates are then compared to norm-referenced, grade-equiva lent scale estimates for scores across the test levels. The results of these comparisons suggest that where discrepancies in the two scales emerge, the more accurate and perhaps more useful measure is provided by the Rasch scale.
Relationship between insulin-mediated turnover of glucosamine-labeled lipids and activity of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase

We studied the effects of insulin on the turnover of glucosamine-labeled lipids in embryonic RAT fibroblasts that overexpressed either normal human insulin receptors or insulin receptors with defective tyrosine kinase domains. Fractionation of organic extracts by thin layer chromatography in chloroform/acetone/methanol/acetic acid/water (50/20/10/10/5, v/v) revealed two insulin-sensitive glucosaminyl lipid fractions, the TLC origin (the Rf 0.0 fraction) and a fraction that migrated with Rf 0.18-0.2 (the Rf 0.2 fraction). The insulin-sensitive molecules in both fractions could also be labeled with D-[6-3H]galactose, but not with myo-[2-3H]inositol. Methanolysis and exposure to methylamine, phospholipase A2, or phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC destroyed the insulin-sensitive lipids in the Rf 0.0 fraction, but had no effect on the Rf 0.2 fraction lipid. The Rf 0.2 fraction lipid was destroyed by endoglycoceraminidase. Insulin caused a rapid loss of label from the Rf 0.0 fraction and an equally rapid increased labeling of the Rf 0.2 fraction, with similar time courses and dependencies on insulin concentration. The turnover of both lipids exhibited the same the insulin dose-response characteristics in cultures which overexpressed insulin receptors with defective tyrosine kinase domains as in cultures that overexpressed normal human insulin receptors. This result supports the conclusions that a number of signaling pathways diverge from the insulin receptor and that not all of those pathways are regulated by the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase.
A review of the foot function index and the foot function index – revised

The Foot Function Index (FFI) is a self-report, foot-specific instrument measuring pain and disability and has been widely used to measure foot health for over twenty years. A revised FFI (FFI-R) was developed in response to criticism of the FFI. The purpose of this review was to assess the uses of FFI and FFI-R as were reported in medical and surgical literature and address the suggestions found in the literature to improve the metrics of FFI-R. A systematic literature search of PubMed/Medline and Embase databases from October 1991 through December 2010 comprised the main sources of literature. To enrich the bibliography, the search was extended to BioMedLib and Scopus search engines and manual search methods. Search terms included FFI, FFI scores, FFI-R. Requirements included abstracts/full length articles, English-language publications, and articles containing the term "foot complaints/problems." Articles selected were scrutinized; EBM abstracted data from literature and collected into tables designed for this review. EBM analyzed tables, KJC, JM, RMS reviewed and confirmed table contents. KJC and JM reanalyzed the original database of FFI-R to improve metrics. Seventy-eight articles qualified for this review, abstracts were compiled into 12 tables. FFI and FFI-R were used in studies of foot and ankle disorders in 4700 people worldwide. FFI Full scale or the Subscales and FFI-R were used as outcome measures in various studies; new instruments were developed based on FFI subscales. FFI Full scale was adapted/translated into other cultures. FFI and FFI-R psychometric properties are reported in this review. Reanalysis of FFI-R subscales' confirmed unidimensionality, and the FFI-R questionnaires' response categories were edited into four responses for ease of use. This review was limited to articles published in English in the past twenty years. FFI is used extensively worldwide; this instrument pioneered a quantifiable measure of foot health, and thus has shifted the paradigm of outcome measure to subjective, patient-centered, valid, reliable and responsive hard data endpoints. Edited FFI-R into four response categories will enhance its user friendliness for measuring foot health.
I Love to Tell the Story: Reshaping the Narrative of Adoption

: This article argues that a Christian theological understanding of adoption can be a helpful corrective to some of the negative interpretations and assumptions around adoption that continue to circulate in secular culture. The article proceeds as follows: First, I argue that the way in which Christians understand and describe the experience of being adopted into God's family counters the idea that one's birth family is one's “real” family. Second, I argue that a Christian understanding of adoption mitigates the tendency to view adoption as a sort of “Plan B.” Finally, I argue that because of the value Christians place on caring for those in need, and the replacement of kin relationships with relationships of love and faith, the metaphor of adoption can and should be used more widely, to create broader networks of family that encompass far more than mere blood ties.
EM Enforcing Information Flow Properties using Compensating Events

Deeply embedded infrastructures are pervasive systems that have significant cyber and physical components, interacting with each other in complex ways. These interactions can violate a system’s security policy leading to unintended information flow. Execution Monitor (EM) enforceability is the concept of monitoring a system during runtime for any security policy violations and terminating the execution if such violations occur. EM enforceable mechanisms require that the properties being enforced be restricted to safety properties. Information flow properties are considered non-EM enforceable because they can not be defined using safety properties. To bridge this gap, prior work has presented a monitor that predicts future possible events, then evaluates these as safety properties. Unfortunately, in a pervasive system, evaluating future possible events results in a physical, observable, change to the system. What is needed is a physical ”undo” operation in which a physical setting can be explored, then undone in a way that no unintended information flow results. This paper presents the concepts of compensating events and a compensating couple which can be used to EM enforce information flow properties in pervasive systems.
Teaching Students to Listen Empathically

During an intensive 5-week period of studying and practicing empathic-listenig skills, senior undergraduates engaged in 14 different learning activities, after which they completed a course assignment designed to assess their empathic-listening skills. The students rated both the learning activities and the empathic-listening assignment very favorably.
A General Circulation Model Study of the Atmospheric Response to Extratropical SST Anomalies Observed in 1950–79

Abstract A 30-year experiment with an atmospheric general simulation model has been performed. The lower boundary condition at all oceanic grid points between 38°S and 60°N has been prescribed to follow the observed month-to-month variation of the sea surface temperature (SST) field during the 1950–79 period. Much of the model diagnosis presented here pertains to the midlatitude atmospheric response to recurrent SST patterns in the North Pacific and North Atlantic in winter. The principal modes of variability of the seasonally averaged 515 mb height and SST fields have been identified using rotated principal component (RPC) analysis. The extrema of the first atmospheric mode reside over the North Atlantic and Eurasia, whereas the second mode is associated with height anomalies in the North Pacific/North American sector. Cross-correlation analysis reveals that these two atmospheric modes am linked to leading patterns of the SST field in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, respectively. It is also demonst...
Testing variations across contexts in high quality information selection practices: a hierarchical linear modeling approach

This work-in-progress project tests the effects of context on the variation in information quality judgments. Particular consideration was given to social Q&A users' high-quality information selection practices in health. A total of 46,815 answers, collected from Yahoo!Answers, were analyzed, adopting the Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling (HGLM) technique to investigate variations in the likelihood of the selection. A preliminary finding is described in this poster.
Economic and Public Health Impacts of Policies Restricting Access to Hepatitis C Treatment for Medicaid Patients

Abstract Background Interferon-free hepatitis C treatment regimens are effective but very costly. The cost-effectiveness, budget, and public health impacts of current Medicaid treatment policies restricting treatment to patients with advanced disease remain unknown. Objectives To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of current Medicaid policies restricting hepatitis C treatment to patients with advanced disease compared with a strategy providing unrestricted access to hepatitis C treatment, assess the budget and public health impact of each strategy, and estimate the feasibility and long-term effects of increased access to treatment for patients with hepatitis C. Methods Using a Markov model, we compared two strategies for 45- to 55-year-old Medicaid beneficiaries: 1) Current Practice—only advanced disease is treated before Medicare eligibility and 2) Full Access—both early-stage and advanced disease are treated before Medicare eligibility. Patients could develop progressive fibrosis, cirrhosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma, undergo transplantation, or die each year. Morbidity was reduced after successful treatment. We calculated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and compared the costs and public health effects of each strategy from the perspective of Medicare alone as well as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services perspective. We varied model inputs in one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Results Full Access was less costly and more effective than Current Practice for all cohorts and perspectives, with differences in cost ranging from $5,369 to $11,960 and in effectiveness from 0.82 to 3.01 quality-adjusted life-years. In a probabilistic sensitivity analysis, Full Access was cost saving in 93% of model iterations. Compared with Current Practice, Full Access averted 5,994 hepatocellular carcinoma cases and 121 liver transplants per 100,000 patients. Conclusions Current Medicaid policies restricting hepatitis C treatment to patients with advanced disease are more costly and less effective than unrestricted, full-access strategies. Collaboration between state and federal payers may be needed to realize the full public health impact of recent innovations in hepatitis C treatment.
Reduced-Order Sensitivity Analysis of an Ablating Graphite Reentry Body

A reduced-order equilibrium-chemistry ablation model representing a fixed level of epistemic uncertainty is implemented to assess the sensitivity of aero-thermal measures of effectiveness to relevant design variables for a carbon-carbon graphite canonical configuration subject to moderate reentry conditions. The objectives of the assessment are to investigate the suitability of minimum-resource statistical designs for modeling variation in key performance parameters at hypersonic velocities, and to quantify these variations by perturbing freestream conditions and material properties that may be experienced by an ablating reentry body along a nominal trajectory. An uncertainty-based work flow derived from standard systems-engineering best practices is implemented using minimum-resource statisical designs that require a small number of independent simulations. Surrogate models are reported for normal force, stagnation quantities, ablation mass flux, and recession rate that represent baseline and off-design trajectories. Statistical analysis results are presented for these key performance parameters at terminal velocity conditions. Results suggest that perturbations in injection altitude and freestream velocity are drivers of variability in key performance parameters. In general, material design variables do not contribute significantly to variations in key performance parameters. This trend does not hold in the case of stagnation point heat flux, for which the material’s thermal conductivity provides a substantial contribution to the variance budget. This parameter should be considered during an ablating reentry vehicle’s conceptual design phase. We conclude that minimum-resource statistical designs may be used to support hypersonic aerothermal design and developmental testing without investing significantly in high-performance computational resources. These designs perform well for force-oriented measures of effectivness, stagnation temperature, and recession rate, and are able to capture all of the variation predicted by the reduced-order model. Lack of fit metrics less than 1% are computed for these quantities. For ablative mass-flux and heat flux at the stagnation point, these statistical designs are unable to satisfactorily model the variation predicted by ACFD. Lack of fit metrics suggest that 30-50% of the variation predicted by the truth model is not accounted for by the minimum-resource statistical design. In these cases, more complex statistical designs that use more simulation points are required to model the variation present in the problem’s design space.
Triflumuron: Residual Activity and Ovicidal Longevity in the Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel adults were exposed to foliage of rice, Oryza sativa L., sprayed with a triflumuron-water suspension (0.28 kg [AI]/ha) to evaluate the residual control capabilities of foliar residues and to determine the longevity of ovicidal activity. Weevils were placed on treated plants at 1, 3, 5, and 7 d following application in 1985 and at 1, 3, and 5 d following application in 1986. Significant decreases in the number of larvae occurred for day 1 through day 3 in 1985 and for day 1 through day 5 in 1986 when compared with untreated checks. A significant reduction in the eclosion of first instars was observed for up to 4 d after a 24-h adult exposure period. There were no significant differences in the number of unhatched eggs remaining in the rice sheath, but there was a trend for more eggs-27.6-55.6% more than found in the check-to be found in the treated plants. Rice plants containing O-I-d-old eggs laid by unexposed adults were placed in water removed from a field that had been treated with triflumuron. The water was removed 1, 2, and 3 d after application to evaluate the extended control capabilities of residues. Significant reductions in larval numbers occurred for day 1 only.
Households, Crafts, and Feasting in the Ancient Andes: The Village Context of Early Nasca Craft Consumption

Craft consumption in Early Nasca (ca. A.D. 1–450) society is explored by evaluating the use of polychrome pottery within the context of a residential village. Data are presented from the Early Nasca village, Marcaya, where excavations utilizing a household archaeology approach revealed that most polychromes were consumed by households with high and low status alike, while certain vessel shapes were reserved for high-status households. These findings challenge the common assumption that highly valued crafts were monopolized by elites in middle-range societies, and show instead that there is a potential demand for crafts by both elites and commoners. It is argued that polychrome pottery was broadly used in Nasca because it was integral to ritual consumption that first took place in feasting ceremonies at the regional center Cahuachi, while certain vessel types were restricted to high-status households that acted as intermediaries between Cahuachi and the village.
Anesthetic management and human factors in the intraoperative MRI environment.

Purpose of review The use of intraoperative MRI technology during neurosurgery has become increasingly more common over the past several years. These surgical procedures require a specialized operating room designed to accommodate an MRI machine, as well as MRI-compatible anesthesia equipment and monitors. The MRI environment also poses unique risks and challenges to both patients and medical staff. Recent findings General anesthesia in the MRI operating room suite poses several challenges not routinely experienced in a conventional operating room suite, and anesthesia providers delivering care in these suites must complete specialized training and screening. The presence of a magnetic field, as well as reduced access to the patient during the MRI scan, require high levels of vigilance. Summary The use of checklists and teamwork training can maximize both patient and provider safety in the intraoperative MRI environment.
In Our Own Backyard: Why California Should Care About Habeas Corpus

III. CALIFORNIA STATE HABEAS CORPUS 768 A. Generally 768 B. Legal Standard for Relief in California 769 C. Operation of the Writ in California Courts 770 D. Repetitious Claims and Successive Petitions 772 E. Timeliness 773 F. Procedural Default and California’s Fundamental Miscarriage of Justice Exception 774
Inhibition of Leukocyte Migration in Man

For the study of the role of delayed hypersensitivity in a variety of human diseases reliable in vitro assays are of major importance. There are a number of assays which measure the results of lymphocyte activation such as cytotoxicity, proliferation and inhibition of leukocyte migration. We will confine ourselves here to the migration inhibition assays.
A web-based, interactive visualization tool for social environmental survey data

Understanding human motivations and actions related to environmental problems is central to modeling complex, human-natural systems. However, social science survey data on environmental issues are often presented in relatively static reports and figures and are not easily accessible for participatory deliberation. Federal data sharing mandates motivate innovative data visualization and sharing mechanisms. We developed an open-source, web-based Survey Data Viewer as a visual interface to explore quantitative social science survey data. We used the Python Django web framework and the D3.js visualization library to create and deploy the tool. The Viewer was implemented using a water-related survey administered to a large, random sample of Utah adults in public venues. The Viewer allows users to visualize question responses based on demographic variables with percentages and mean response levels. We developed a standardized template for encoding survey data and metadata that permits the generalization of the tool to other similar surveys. We developed a Survey Data Viewer for web-based visualization of social survey data.The Viewer can be implemented for any quantitative survey data.The code is open-source for adoption and further development.The Viewer was used for a survey of water-related questions administered to 6000 adults.The tool is useful for understanding human dimensions of environmental issues.
Supraphysiologic levels of the AML1-ETO isoform AE9a are essential for transformation

Chromosomal translocation 8;21 is found in 40% of the FAB M2 subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The resultant in-frame fusion protein AML1-ETO (AE) acts as an initiating oncogene for leukemia development. AE immortalizes human CD34(+) cord blood cells in long-term culture. We assessed the transforming properties of the alternatively spliced AE isoform AE9a (or alternative splicing at exon 9), which is fully transforming in a murine retroviral model, in human cord blood cells. Full activity was realized only upon increased fusion protein expression. This effect was recapitulated in the AE9a murine AML model. Cotransduction of AE and AE9a resulted in a strong selective pressure for AE-expressing cells. In the context of AE, AE9a did not show selection for increased expression, affirming observations of human t(8;21) patient samples where full-length AE is the dominant protein detected. Mechanistically, AE9a showed defective transcriptional regulation of AE target genes that was partially corrected at high expression. Together, these results bring an additional perspective to our understanding of AE function and highlight the contribution of oncogene expression level in t(8;21) experimental models.
Development of the Sandia Cooler.

This report describes an FY13 effort to develop the latest version of the Sandia Cooler, a breakthrough technology for air-cooled heat exchangers that was developed at Sandia National Laboratories. The project was focused on fabrication, assembly and demonstration of ten prototype systems for the cooling of high power density electronics, specifically high performance desktop computers (CPUs). In addition, computational simulation and experimentation was carried out to fully understand the performance characteristics of each of the key design aspects. This work culminated in a parameter and scaling study that now provides a design framework, including a number of design and analysis tools, for Sandia Cooler development for applications beyond CPU cooling.
Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Is It Time for a New Treatment Paradigm?

Mantle cell lymphoma is a relatively rare subtype of lymphoma with a great deal of heterogeneity, both clinically and biologically. Since its recognition as a separate entity in the early 1990s though, consistent efforts have led to a significant improvement of overall survival, from a median overall survival of 2.5 years initially to 5-7 years currently. This decades-long and stepwise progress, summarized in the article, definitely accelerated recently, shedding light on a changing paradigm.
Thermovoltaic detection: V. An improved apparatus

Abstract An improved apparatus for the technique of thermovoltaic detection (TVD) is described. The apparatus is more convenient to use than previous ones due to the use of disposable metal electrodes and electrode-sample loading. The apparatus was used to study the dehydration reactions of NiSO 4 ·6H 2 O. Slower furnace heating rates greatly improved the curve peak resolution of the TVD curve.
Tests of the Role of Sexual Selection in Genitalic Divergence with Mutiple Hybrid Clines

Abstract Determining whether sexually selected characters affect reproductive isolation is key to understanding the significance of such selectively driven divergence in speciation. Divergence in the shape of male genitalia is ubiquitous in many insect taxa and can have important fitness consequences for males within a species. Yet, it is unclear whether this selectively divergent character affects gene flow among species. We test this hypothesis using explicit predictions about the clinal transition in genitalic shape across a hybrid zone between the grasshopper subspecies Barytettix humphreysii humphreysii and B. h. cochisei. Slight morphological differences in genitalic shape across their ranges raised the possibility that local processes might give misleading interpretations about sexual selection's potential contribution to reproductive isolation. Therefore, we examined multiple transects to explore the effectiveness of genitalic divergence as a barrier to gene flow on a background of potentially dif...
Detangling Resource Management Functions from the TCB in Privacy-Preserving Virtualization

Recent research has developed virtualization architectures to protect the privacy of guest virtual machines. The key technology is to include an access control matrix in the hypervisor. However, existing approaches have either limited functionalities in the hypervisor or a Trusted Computing Base (TCB) which is too large to secure. In this paper, we propose a new architecture, MyCloud SEP, to separate resource allocation and management from the hypervisor in order to reduce the TCB size while supporting privacy protection. In our design, the hypervisor checks all resource accesses against an access control matrix in the hypervisor. While providing flexibility of plugging-in resource management modules, the size of TCB is significantly reduced compared with commercial hypervisors. Using virtual disk manager as an example, we implement a prototype on x86 architecture. The performance evaluation results also show acceptable overheads.
A new role for microbiota? Dulling the thrust of serotonin and 5-HT3 signaling cascade

View this article's corresponding video summary at . the importance of serotonin in gastrointestinal biology is often overlooked given the intense interest of investigators focused on neurotransmitter (mal)functions of the central nervous system. Regardless, the
Estudo da cpue da pesca paulista dirigida ao camarão sete-barbas entre 2000 e 2011

Seabob shrimp ( Xiphopenaeus kroyeri ) fishery is operated all over the coast off Sao Paulo State. For that reason the management and supervision of those catches is necessary in order to assure the maintenance of the stocks and the stability of that activity. This paper aims to contribute to the management of the resource through the analysis of the landing dynamics of the species caught off the coast of S a o Paulo State from 2000 to 2011. The activity is operated by a fleet considered industrial, that comprises 15% of the productivity units and contributes with 47% of the landing production, and by an artisanal fleet that corresponds to 85% of all the productivity units and 53% of the landed shrimp. The CPUE (Catch per Unit Effort) analysis shows stability through the abundance indicator in the last years. The decrease on the number of units from the industrial fleet, probably due to the fisheries low profitability, was the most probable cause for the CPUE stability, or the fishing effort has not exceeded the sustainability limit of the seabob shrimp stock off Sao Paulo State. The observed stability in the abundance indicator is a very promising factor, and it can modify the vision of the status of the resource in different sectors of the fisheries management. It can also influence management measures that must be established with the participation of the artisanal sector, due to the contribution that the artisanal fleet presents in numbers of productivity units and in the percentage of the total of shrimp landing. That participation, although necessary, has not occurred yet.
Estimating Cryptosporidium and Giardia disease burdens for children drinking untreated groundwater in a rural population in India.

Background In many low-income settings, despite improvements in sanitation and hygiene, groundwater sources used for drinking may be contaminated with enteric pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, which remain important causes of childhood morbidity. In this study, we examined the contribution of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium and Giardia found in groundwater sources used for drinking to the total burden of diarrheal disease among children < 5 in rural India. Methodology/principal findings We studied a population of 3,385 children < 5 years of age in 100 communities of Puri District, Odisha, India. We developed a coupled quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) population model based on observed levels of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in improved groundwater sources used for drinking and compared the QMRA-SIR estimates with independently measured all-cause (i.e., all fecal-oral enteric pathogens and exposure pathways) child diarrhea prevalence rates observed in the study population during two monsoon seasons (2012 and 2013). We used site specific and regional studies to inform assumptions about the human pathogenicity of the Cryptosporidium and Giardia species present in local groundwater. In all three human pathogenicity scenarios evaluated, the mean daily risk of Cryptosporidium or Giardia infection (0.06–1.53%), far exceeded the tolerable daily risk of infection from drinking water in the US (< 0.0001%). Depending on which protozoa species were present, median estimates of daily child diarrhea prevalence due to either Cryptosporidium or Giardia infection from drinking water was as high as 6.5% or as low as < 1% and accounted for at least 2.9% and as much as 65.8% of the all-cause diarrhea disease burden measured in children < 5 during the study period. Cryptosporidium tended to account for a greater share of estimated waterborne protozoa infections causing diarrhea than did Giardia. Diarrhea prevalence estimates for waterborne Cryptosporidium infection appeared to be most sensitive to assumptions about the probability of infection from ingesting a single parasite (i.e. the rate parameter in dose-response model), while Giardia infection was most sensitive to assumptions about the viability of parasites detected in groundwater samples. Conclusions/significance Protozoa in groundwater drinking sources in rural India, even at low concentrations, especially for Cryptosporidium, may account for a significant portion of child diarrhea morbidity in settings were tubewells are used for drinking water and should be more systematically monitored. Preventing diarrheal disease burdens in Puri District and similar settings will benefit from ensuring water is microbiologically safe for consumption and consistent and effective household water treatment is practiced.
Tissue selective estrogen complex (TSEC): a review.

Objective This review describes historical development of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and their combination with estrogens, termed a tissue selective estrogen complex (TSEC), and considers the potential for future TSEC development. Methods This narrative review is based on literature identified on PubMed and the TSEC research and development experience of the authors. Results SERMs have estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects in various tissues; however, no single agent has achieved an optimal balance of agonist and antagonist effects for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Clinically, a number of SERMs protect against osteoporosis and breast cancer but can exacerbate vasomotor symptoms. Estrogens alleviate menopausal hot flushes and genitourinary symptoms as well as reduce bone loss, but the addition of a progestogen to menopausal hormone therapy to protect against endometrial cancer increases vaginal bleeding risk, breast tenderness, and potentially breast cancer. The search for an effective menopausal therapy with better tolerability led to the investigation of TSECs. Clinical development of a TSEC consisting of conjugated estrogens/bazedoxifene increased understanding of the importance of a careful consideration of the combination's components and their respective doses to balance safety and efficacy. Bazedoxifene is an estrogen receptor agonist in bone but an antagonist/degrader in the endometrium, which has contributed to its success as a TSEC component. Other oral TSEC combinations studied thus far have not demonstrated similar endometrial safety. Conclusions Choice of SERM, selection of doses, and clinical trial data evaluating safety and efficacy are key to ensuring safety and adequate therapeutic effect of TSECs for addressing menopausal symptoms.
Depressive Symptoms and Influencing Factors in Low-Risk Mothers.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Depressive symptoms burden not only postpartum women, but can also compromise partner relationships and mother–infant interactions. With approximately 15% of women affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) each year, maternity care providers must be sensitive to personal characteristics and complaints that influence women's potential to develop postpartum depression (PPD). The purpose of the study was to identify personal characteristics and modifiable factors associated with depressive symptoms in low-risk postpartum women. Methods: A descriptive, correlational design was used to identify predictors of depressive symptoms among mothers who were considered to be at low risk for PPD. Self-report data related to mood, stress, sleep disturbance, and fatigue were collected near the sixth week post-delivery from women (N = 62) in a southern US state. Results: The levels of stress and reports of sleep disturbance approached clinical concern in the low-risk sample (n = 62), i...
The Impact of Insurance Status on the Development of Nonunion following Scaphoid Fracture

Purpose Certain factors have been associated with the development of scaphoid nonunion, including delayed diagnosis, smoking, inadequate initial management, proximal location, and carpal instability. We hypothesized that insurance status would also be a risk factor for the development of scaphoid nonunion. Methods A case–control study was performed on patients who presented to a single surgeon at a tertiary referral center during 2006 to 2015. Cases were patients presenting with nonunions, controls, and patients with acute fractures. Patients were characterized as underinsured if they lacked any type of insurance or if they were on Medicaid. Results Patients (39 nonunions [cases] and 32 primary fractures [controls]) presenting with nonunions were more likely than controls to have had displaced fractures (72 vs. 41%) and fractures located at the proximal aspect of the scaphoid (18 vs. 0%), and to be underinsured (46 vs. 19%). Conclusion Patients presenting with nonunions were more likely to be underinsured than patients presenting with primary fractures. This finding suggests that underinsurance is a risk factor for the development of nonunion. Assuming delay between fracture and intervention is a known risk factor for the development of nonunion, and it is likely that the association between nonunion and underinsurance is mediated through this delay. Level of Evidence Prognostic, level III, case-control study.