cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aprotinin preserves myocardial biochemical function during cold storage through suppression of tumor necrosis factor.

Abstract Objective: Inflammatory cytokines, particularly tumor necrosis factor, contribute to myocardial dysfunction after ischemia-reperfusion injury. Aprotinin may improve outcomes in cardiac surgery through suppression of inflammatory mediators. We hypothesized that aprotinin may exert its beneficial effects through suppression of tumor necrosis factor α. Methods: Adult rat hearts were precision cut into slices with a thickness of 200 μm and stored in crystalloid cardioplegic solution alone or with one of the following additions: aprotinin or tumor necrosis factor α, aprotinin plus tumor necrosis factor α, a monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor α, or a polyclonal antibody to the tumor necrosis factor α receptor. Myocardial biochemical function was assessed by adenosine triphosphate content and capacity for protein synthesis immediately after slicing (0 hours) and after 2, 4, and 6 hours of storage at 4°C. The content of tumor necrosis factor α was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Six slices were assayed at each time point for each solution. The data were analyzed by analysis of variance and are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. Results: When stored in cardioplegic solution containing aprotinin, the heart slices demonstrated (1) an increase in adenosine triphosphate content and protein synthesis ( P P ≤ .0311), and (3) a decrease in uptake of tumor necrosis factor α into the myocardium ( P ≤ .002) compared with storage in cardioplegic solution alone. The presence of an antibody to tumor necrosis factor α or an antibody to the tumor necrosis factor α receptor in cardioplegic solution increased intramyocardial adenosine triphosphate content and protein synthesis ( P Conclusions: Aprotinin preserves myocardial biochemical function during cold storage. This preservation of biochemical function is mediated through suppression of the release, uptake, and activity of tumor necrosis factor α. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119:242-50)
A hundred-year-old question: is the moss calyptra covered by a cuticle? A case study of Funaria hygrometrica

†Background and Aims The maternal gametophytic calyptra is critical for moss sporophyte development and ultimately sporogenesis. The calyptra has been predicted to protect the sporophyte apex, including the undifferentiated sporogenous region and seta meristem, from desiccation. We investigate the hypothesis that this waterproofing ability is due to a waxy cuticle. The idea that moss calyptrae are covered by a cuticle has been present in the literature for over a century, but, until now, neither the presence nor the absence of a cuticle has been documented for any calyptra. †Methods The epidermis of the calyptra, leafy gametophyte and sporophyte sporangia of the moss Funaria hygrometrica were examined using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Thicknesses of individual cuticle layers were quantified and compared statistically. The immunochemistry antibody (LM19) specific for pectins was used to locate cell wall material within the cuticle. †Key Results A multi-layered cuticle is present on the calyptra of F. hygrometrica, including layers analogous to the cuticular layer, cell wall projections, electron-lucent and electron-dense cuticle proper observed in vascular plants. The calyptra rostrum has a cuticle that is significantly thicker than the other tissues examined and differs by specialized thickenings of the cuticular layer (cuticular pegs) at the regions of the anticlinal cell walls. This is the first documentation of cuticular pegs in a moss. †Conclusions The calyptra and its associated cuticle represent a unique form of maternal care in embryophytes. This organ has the potential to play a critical role in preventing desiccation of immature sporophytes and thereby may have been essential for the evolution of the moss sporophyte.
Public Engagement for Informing Science and Technology Policy: What Do We Know, What Do We Need to Know, and How Will We Get There?

This article examines social science relevant to public engagements and identifies the chal lenges to the goal of meaningful public input into science and technology policy. Specifi cally, when considering “which forms, features, and conditions of public engagement are optimal for what purposes, and why?” we find social science has not clarified matters. We offer a model to guide systematic research that defines and empirically connects variations in features and types of public engagement activities to specifically defined variations in effective processes and outcomes. The specification of models, as we have done, will guide policy makers, practitioners, and the public in determining what kinds of engagement techniques are optimal for what kinds of purposes. Our model is presented to start conversations and inspire research that in the future should help to ensure meaningful public participation that meets the promise of contributing thoughtful societal values and perspectives into governmental policies impacting science and technology research.
Correlation functions for diffusion-limited annihilation, A+A-->0.

The full hierarchy of multiple-point correlation functions for diffusion-limited annihilation, $A+\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{A}0,$ is obtained analytically and explicitly, following the method of intervals. In the long-time asymptotic limit, the correlation functions of annihilation are identical to those of coalescence, $A+\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{A}A,$ despite differences between the two models in other statistical measures, such as the interparticle distribution function.
Comments on "Perturbation bounds for root-clustering of linear systems in a specified second order subregion"

This paper comments on the results of the above mentioned paper by Bakker-Luo-Johnson (ibid. vol.40 (1995)). We note that Theorems 3.1 and 4.1 are incorrectly stated, i.e., they are not valid for the non-/spl Omega/-transformable regions. The results cannot cover the ride quality region listed in Table 1 since it is a non-/spl Omega/-transformable region.
Strategies used by physical therapists in the U.S. for treatment and prevention of the female athlete triad

Abstract Objective To describe current methods of treatment and prevention used by physical therapists in the United States (US) for the female athlete triad. Design Descriptive analysis. Setting Physical therapists currently practicing in the U.S. Participants 500 American Physical Therapy Association members. Main outcome measures A survey was used to assess methods of practice for detecting, treating, and preventing the female athlete triad. Descriptive statistics summarized demographics about the survey participants. Likert scales and narrative descriptors determined the likelihood and frequency of employing certain treatment and prevention methods. Results Participants included 205 physical therapists for a 41% (205/500) response rate. Twenty-six percent (54/205) of the respondents used specific treatment methods, including education, for the female athlete triad; 48% of these respondents (26/54) incorporated preventative strategies other than screening; 13/54 (24%) assisted in athletic screening for the triad disorders. Physical therapists are more likely to talk to the athlete, the athlete's parents, and physicians when triad symptoms are suspected. The frequencies in which specific treatment and prevention strategies are utilized have been described. Conclusions Physical therapists must be responsible for recognizing, treating and preventing the female athlete triad. This study emphasizes that there is a greater need for knowledge regarding the triad to be incorporated into physical therapy curriculums, continuing education programs and professional practice.
Interaction and modeling techniques for desktop two-handed input

We describe input devices and two-handed interaction techniques to support map navigation tasks. We discuss several design variations and user testing of two-handed navigation techniques, including puck and stylus input on a Wacom tablet, as well as a novel design incorporating a touchpad (for the nonpreferred hand) and a mouse (for the preferred hand). To support the latter technique, we introduce a new input device, the TouchMouse, which is a standard mouse augmented with a pair of one-bit touch sensors, one for the palm and one for the index finger. Finally, we propose several enhancements to Buxton’s three-state model of graphical input and extend this model to encompass two-handed input transactions as well.
Dynamic power management with power network-on-chip

A critical challenge in multifunctional heterogeneous systems-on-chip is delivering high quality dynamically controlled power to support power efficient and portable systems. Efficiently providing multiple point-of-load on-chip voltages requires fundamental changes to the power delivery and management process. The concept of a power network on-chip (PNoC) is introduced here as a general scalable platform for delivering and managing power. This network provides enhanced power control and real-time management of resource sharing for systematic and scalable management of the power delivery process in heterogeneous integrated circuits. To evaluate the performance of the proposed power delivery and management system, a PNoC with four power routers is investigated which supplies power to four power domains. The behavior of the individual power domains is modeled with IBM power grid benchmarks. The proposed architecture and circuits for sensing, routing, and dynamic control of the on-chip power are described. The built-in modularity of the PNoC is exploited to apply dynamic voltage scaling, illustrating the scalability of the PNoC platform while exhibiting power savings of up to 32%.
Selective and accurate initiation of transcription at the ad2 major late promotor in a soluble system dependent on purified rna polymerase ii and dna

Abstract Transcription of Ad2 DNA templates in the presence of crude cellular extracts supplemented with exogenous (purified) RNA polymerase II is selectively and accurately initiated at the major late viral promoter at map position 16.45. Specific initiation has been demonstrated by a combination of hybridization, nuclease S1 mapping, size and partial sequence (fingerprint) analyses of the transcripts generated with various templates. With intact Ad2 DNA, transcription is terminated well before the end of the 28 kb transcription unit is reached. With truncated templates (which contain intact promoter regions and several hundred base pair segments of the transcribed region) the expected run-off products are observed, along with a low level of prematurely terminated transcripts. The 560 nucleotide run-off product of the Sma I-F template (coordinates 11.6–18.2) was shown to contain all the large RNAase T1 oligonucleotides that are characteristic of the corresponding in vivo transcript from this region; in addition, the 5′ terminal undecanucleotide appears to be both capped and methylated. We have investigated various parameters (salt, metal ion and template concentrations) that affect the level of specific transcription in the crude system and have found that, under optimal conditions, specific transcription of Ad2 DNA continues for several hours. In addition, specific transcription initiation at the late promoter is observed with extracts derived from either virus-infected or uninfected KB cells and with class II RNA polymerases isolated from either human, calf, murine or amphibian cells. RNA polymerase II from wheat germ does not function in this system.
Circulation Research: A New Era

Circulation Research has undergone significant changes in the past 5 years. These are in large part due to the editorial leadership of Stephen F. Vatner and Associate Editors Bradford C. Berk, Thomas H. Hintze, Leslie A. Leinwand, Peter Libby, Ketty Schwartz, Harold C. Strauss, and Yoshio Yazaki. Circulation Research has emerged as a premiere journal in molecular and cellular cardiology. Under Dr Vatner’s leadership, Circulation Research has made the transition from cardiovascular physiology to include cardiovascular molecular biology. One might add that over the next few years, it may make an additional transition in cardiovascular molecular physiology and become a fully integrated, modern cardiovascular basic research journal. There are several parameters that reflect the success of Circulation Research . As shown in Fig 1⇓, the number of manuscripts received has increased steadily from 600 in 1987 to 1047 in 1996. This reflects a substantial interest worldwide in cardiovascular science. Approximately 50% of these submissions now come from outside of the United States, predominantly Europe and …
Changes in granular endoplasmic reticulum induced in cultured human monocytes by colony stimulating factor

. The supernatant portion of cultured human monocytes produces a biological factor known as colony stimulating factor. The addition of culture fluid containing colony stimulating factor to cultured human monocytes produced morphologic changes in the granular endoplasmic reticulum. Granular endoplasmic reticulum changed its appearance from long slender cisternae to a concentric pattern (whorls) averaging seven rows per structure 120 min following the addition of culture fluids containing colony stimulating factor.
Anti-malignin antibody in serum and other tumor marker determinations in breast cancer

In this study, 154 healthy volunteers and 76 patients were tested using the anti-malignin antibody in serum (AMAS) test. Of the 154 volunteers, three were AMAS positive. After further examination, two were positive for cancer and one had a history of ulcerative colitis. Tumor biopsies of 43 suspicious mammography patients revealed that 32 were cancerous and 11 were benign by pathology. For the cancer patients, 31/32 were positive for the AMAS test, while 4/11 of the pathological benign cases were AMAS positive. In comparison to cancer antigen tests, AMAS was more sensitive (97%) in detecting breast cancer than CEA (0%), CA 15-3 (10%), CA 19-5 (5%) or CA 125 (16%) in the same patients.
Reliability testing of through-silicon vias for high-current 3D applications

A robust through-silicon via technology is necessary for high-power, high-performance 3D-silicon applications. To study through-via interconnection reliability, modules consisting of a test chip, silicon carrier interposer with through-vias, and ceramic substrate were constructed. A socket assembly containing a microchannel water cooler was also constructed to apply pulsed power to via daisy chain test sites. Test results to date indicate that the interconnection reliability is limited by the solder bump portions of the interconnection, not the through-silicon via itself.
Temporal Trends in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention–Associated Acute Cerebrovascular Accident (from the 1998 to 2008 Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database)

Acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome and coronary artery disease is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1998 to 2008 was used to identify 1,552,602 PCIs performed for acute coronary syndrome and coronary artery disease. We assessed temporal trends in the incidence, predictors, and prognostic impact of CVA in a broad range of patients undergoing PCI. The overall incidence of CVA was 0.56% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55 to 0.57). The incidence of CVA remained unchanged over the study period (adjusted p for trend = 0.2271). The overall mortality rate in the CVA group was 10.76% (95% CI 10.1 to 11.4). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of CVA for in-hospital mortality was 7.74 (95% CI 7.00 to 8.57, p
Fusarium oxysporum volatiles enhance plant growth via affecting auxin transport and signaling

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have well-documented roles in plant-plant communication and directing animal behavior. In this study, we examine the less understood roles of VOCs in plant-fungal relationships. Phylogenetically and ecologically diverse strains of Fusarium oxysporum, a fungal species complex that often resides in the rhizosphere of assorted plants, produce volatile compounds that augment shoot and root growth of Arabidopsis thaliana and tobacco. Growth responses of A. thaliana hormone signaling mutants and expression patterns of a GUS reporter gene under the auxin-responsive DR5 promoter supported the involvement of auxin signaling in F. oxysporum volatile-mediated growth enhancement. In addition, 1-naphthylthalamic acid, an inhibitor of auxin efflux, negated F. oxysporum volatile-mediated growth enhancement in both plants. Comparison of the profiles of volatile compounds produced by F. oxysporum strains that differentially affected plant growth suggests that the relative compositions of both growth inhibitory and stimulatory compounds may determine the degree of plant growth enhancement. Volatile-mediated signaling between fungi and plants may represent a potentially conserved, yet mostly overlooked, mechanism underpinning plant-fungus interactions and fungal niche adaption.
Visualization of Health Monitoring Data Acquired from Distributed Sensors for Multiple Patients

As global healthcare systems transition into the digital era, remote patient health monitoring will be widespread through the use of inexpensive monitoring devices, such as ECG patches, glucose monitors, etc. Once a sensor-concentrator-cloudlet-cloud infrastructure is in place, it is not unrealistic to imagine a scenario where a physician monitors 20-30 patients remotely. Such an infrastructure will revolutionize clinical diagnostics and preventative medicine by allowing the doctors to access long-term and real-time information, which cannot be obtained from short-term in-hospital ECG recordings. While the large amount of sensor data available to a physician is incredibly valuable clinically, it is overwhelming in raw form. In this paper, the data handling aspect of such a long term health monitoring system is studied. Novel ways to record, aggregate, and visualize this flood of sensory data in an intuitive manner are introduced which allow a doctor to review days worth of data in a matter of seconds. This system is one of the first attempts to provide a tool that allows the visualization of long-term monitoring data acquired from multiple sensors.
Language Ideology and Order:Globalization and Multilingual Education in the US and China

What language strategies do the US and China adopt to handle globalization? To address these issues,in this paper,I will propose a conceptual framework with two key notions:bi/multilingualism as an ideology and bi/multilingualism as a linguistic order. In the Marxist tradition,a language ideology is a system of beliefs,assumptions,and so on,while a language order is a reality; the former is a representation of the views of the latter but acts upon the latter in return. The ideology of bi/multilingualism serves to maintain or (re)construct a language order with languages in a certain hierarchy,and functions as the parameter within which we perceive,understand,and handle bi/multilingualism in our societies. Analyzing the American and Chinese cases with this powerful conceptual framework,I will show that globalization provides both challenges and opportunities for linguistic diversity in language education in these two countries because globalization reorganizes language orders and realigns ideological orientations of bi/multilingualism within nation-states and globally.
Memory for contingent versus noncontingent events

OF THE THESIS MEMORY FOR CONTINGENT VERSUS NONCONTINGENT EVENTS by Maricel Cigales Florida International University, 1994 Miami, Florida Professor Lorraine Bahrick, Major Professor Twenty-four 7.5to 8-month old infants were presented with two manipulanda and given either behavior-contingent or noncontingent experience with an object. Infants in the contingent group learned and remembered the controlling action for up to 1 week (L(11)=2.83, p<.05), whereas those in the noncontingent group showed no preference for either action. There was no evidence of memory, however, for the familiar object by either group. This surprising finding may be a result of greater interest in the action than in
Patient advocacy through outcomes management. A cardiac surgery example.

Rapid changes in health care have contributed to the need for developing nursing practices that are outcome-based. Additionally, these changes have resulted in increasing use of nurses as patient advocates. This article describes how these roles can be achieved together. Data is a powerful tool that can educate, validate, and serve as a catalyst for change. A comprehensive outcomes management program is presented for the cardiac surgery population that addresses quality of care through ongoing processes of inquiry. Patient focused practices of early extubation and blood conservation emphasize the role of information management in care delivery that enhances positive clinical and financial outcomes.
Animal Models of Renal Fibrosis

Most of the present knowledge on pathomechanism of renal fibrosis is based on experimental studies with laboratory animals. Today, a variety of genetic and inducible animal models that mimic primary causes of human disease such as diabetes mellitus, glomerulonephritis, or lupus erythematodes are available. However, only few of these models progress consistently to interstitial fibrosis in the kidney involving interestitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and glomerulosclerosis, which are common features of renal fibrogenesis. In this chapter, the mouse models of nephrotoxic serum nephritis, COL4A3-deficiency, and unilateral urethral obstruction, which all result reliably into renal fibrosis, are described.
Treatment and survival outcomes of small cell carcinoma of the esophagus: an analysis of the National Cancer Data Base.

Abstract Given the paucity of esophageal small cell carcinoma (SCC) cases, there are few large studies evaluating this disease. In this study, the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) was utilized to analyze the clinical features, treatment, and survival of patients with esophageal SCC in a large, population-based dataset. We selected patients diagnosed with esophageal SCC from 1998 to 2011. Patients were identified as having no treatment, chemotherapy alone, radiation ± sequential chemotherapy, concurrent chemoradiation, and esophagectomy ± chemotherapy and/or radiation. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with OS. A total of 583 patients were identified. Most patients had stage IV disease (41.7%). Regarding treatment selection, chemoradiation was the most commonly utilized for patients with nonmetasatic disease, whereas chemotherapy alone was most common for metastatic patients. Esophagectomy (median survival 44.9 months with 3 year OS 50.5%) was associated with the best OS for patients with localized (node-negative) disease compared with chemotherapy alone (p < 0.001) or chemoradiation (p = 0.01). For locoregional (node-positive) disease, treatment with chemoradiation resulted in a median survival of 17.8 months and a 3 year OS 31.6%. On multivariate analysis, treatment with chemotherapy alone (p = 0.003) was associated with worse OS while esophagectomy (p = 0.04) was associated with improved OS compared to chemoradiation. Esophageal SCC is an aggressive malignancy with most patients presenting with metastatic disease. Either esophagectomy or chemoradiation as part of multimodality treatment appear to improve OS for selected patients with nonmetastatic disease.
Mechanism of Action of a Small Molecule Inhibitor That Targets Usp9x Deubiquitinase Activity in Multiple Myeloma and Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Abstract 1415 A growing number of compounds with proteasome and E3-ligase inhibitory activity have demonstrated clinical activity against multiple myeloma (MM) and mantle cell lymphoma. Some of these compounds are now part of the therapeutic regimen. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence that specific deubiquitinases (DUBs) are overexpressed in hematologic malignancies and may be appropriate myeloma/lymphoma therapeutic targets. However, only a limited number of compounds have been described with cell-permeant and selective activity for DUBs. We previously reported the DUB inhibitory activity of small molecule WP1130. This compound caused rapid inactivation of Usp9x, a DUB reported to be overexpressed in MM and some lymphoma primary specimens. Usp9x associates with the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1 and protects it from proteasomal destruction by deubiquitination. We have shown that WP1130 inhibits Usp9x activity (and some additional DUBs) and stimulates proteasomal destruction of Mcl-1. However, the mechanism of Usp9x inhibition by WP1130 has not been described. To investigate this, we synthesized a biotinylated derivative of WP1130 that retains cell-penetrant Usp9x DUB inhibitory activity. Using this as a probe, we demonstrate that WP1130 directly and stably interacts with Usp9x in high salt and ionic detergent, suggesting high affinity complex formation. Proteomic assessment revealed that other previously defined cellular targets of WP1130 (Usp5, Usp14, UCH-L5) also formed high affinity complexes with WP1130-biotin. Additional studies suggested that WP1130-biotin covalently modifies Usp9x through a Michael addition reaction with critical Usp9x cysteine residues that result in the inhibition of DUB activity. To further map the sites of the Usp9x-WP1130 interaction, we produced a recombinant catalytic domain of Usp9x (Usp9xCD) and verified that it retained enzymatic activity that could be inhibited by WP1130, albeit at higher concentrations than that required to inhibit the enzyme in intact cells. Mass spectral analysis of Usp9xCD/WP1130 complexes demonstrated formation of covalent WP1130 adducts with a concentration and time dependent stoichiometry. The catalytic domain was also used to determine the affinity and reversibility of WP1130 binding to Usp9x by solution-phase analysis using Bioforte instrumentation. These studies suggested a slow but high-affinity ( Disclosures: Jakubowiak:Ortho Biotech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Onyx Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Exelixis: Consultancy, Honoraria. Talpaz:ARIAD: Research Funding.
An economic analysis of disaggregation of space assets: Application to GPS

Abstract New ideas, technologies and architectural concepts are emerging with the potential to reshape the space enterprise. One of those new architectural concepts is the idea that rather than aggregating payloads onto large very high performance buses, space architectures should be disaggregated with smaller numbers of payloads (as small as one) per bus and the space capabilities spread across a correspondingly larger number of systems. The primary rationale is increased survivability and resilience. The concept of disaggregation is examined from an acquisition cost perspective. A mixed system dynamics and trade space exploration model is developed to look at long-term trends in the space acquisition business. The model is used to examine the question of how different disaggregated GPS architectures compare in cost to the well-known current GPS architecture. A generation-over-generation examination of policy choices is made possible through the application of soft systems modeling of experience and learning effects. The assumptions that are allowed to vary are: design lives, production quantities, non-recurring engineering and time between generations. The model shows that there is always a premium in the first generation to be paid to disaggregate the GPS payloads. However, it is possible to construct survivable architectures where the premium after two generations is relatively low.
Significant enhancement of anti-tumor efficacy of VEGF/PDGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor AG-013736 in combination with docetaxel in chemo-refractory and/or orthotopic xenograft tumor models in mice

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 2032 AG-013736 is a small molecule VEGF/PDGF RTK inhibitor that potently and specifically inhibits VEGF-mediated endothelial cell survival, receptor phosphorylation, downstream signal transduction, angiogenesis and tumor growth in preclinical xenograft models (Hu-Lowe et al, manuscript submitted). The agent is currently being evaluated in phase II cancer patients. Previously, we reported that AG-013736 markedly inhibited the primary tumor growth and metastasis in many preclinical human xenograft and murine syngeneic tumor models including the LLC (murine Lewis lung carcinoma) and M24met (human melanoma). Here we present preclinical in vivo data regarding combinational therapy with AG-013736 and docetaxel. The LLC model is docetaxel-refractory and docetaxel at its MTD (40 mg/kg, iv, weekly) has minimal effect on tumor growth delay (TGD). When docetaxel was administered in combination with AG-013736 (3 - 30 mg/kg, PO, BID), there were significant enhancements to tumor growth delay (TGD) and to survival compared to either agent alone. Compared to the control group, TGD was enhanced by 100% by the high dose combination group (30 mg/kg AG-013736 and 40 mg/kg docetaxel), whereas TGD of AG-013736 alone or docetaxel alone increased by 65% and 9%, respectively. The high dose combination group also prolonged animal survival by 86% and 23% compared to either docetaxel or AG-013736 alone, respectively. In general the animals tolerated the combination treatment well although there was a slight increase in animal body weight loss in the combination groups compared to those treated with AG-013736 alone. AG-013736 in combination with docetaxel also produced marked anti-tumor effect in several other orthotopic and/or metastatic xenograft models, including the human melanoma M24met. The reduction of primary tumor growth and metastasis to the local and distant organs of mice will be discussed in detail. These results suggest that it may be beneficial to combine AG-013736 with docetaxel. This combination is currently being tested in phase II clinical trial of front line breast cancer.
The Finite Province of Religious Meaning: Preliminary Remarks, Tension of Consciousness, and Epoché

Schutz’s finite province of religious meaning is distinctive vis-a-vis the other provinces, especially the province of scientific theory; and the religious province can be discussed with reference to the “transcendent” in order to accommodate as best as possible the pluralism of religions in the world. The six features characterizing the province of meaning of everyday life and non-pragmatic provinces of meaning, can be used to describe the religious province. In the religious province of meaning, one experiences a relaxed tension of consciousness in Bergson’s terms. One experiences less tension insofar as the transcendent, occupying an outside perspective on one’s own, accompanies one in one’s responsibility for one’s life and overcomes gaps between oneself and it and insofar as the province itself relies on passive-synthetic, symbolic appresentations through which the transcendent is given. A second feature, beyond the tension of consciousness, is the epoche, a sacred space or time, or liminal ritual, by which one withdraws from immersion in the world to discern more clearly the appresentations of the transcendent within the profane world. This epoche resembles Kierkegaard’s leap out the Hegelian synthesis, although the confinement out of which one leaps in the religious province has to do with imperatives of pragmatic mastery in everyday life.
As Long As You Are Here, Can I Interest in You Some Science? Increasing Student Engagement by Co-opting a Social Networking Site, Facebook for Science Discussions:

We adopted Facebook as part of a large enrollment science discussion class in a bid to exploit students’ time on this social networking site and tested the effectiveness of this “co-option” strateg...
Catching and counting seizures for patients with epilepsy using an automated telemedicine platform - EpxEpilepsy (P1.247)

Objective: We undertook the design and implementation of a proactive telecommunication tool, EpxEpilepsy, to more accurately and frequently track seizures, thereby improving the care of epilepsy patients. Additionally, we present a cost-benefit analysis that demonstrates its capability to enable new revenue generation for providers under recent fee-for-service codes. Background: To fill in the gaps between often long periods between clinic visits, epilepsy management revolves around self-recorded seizure diaries, which can be inaccurate and incomplete. Tracking seizures with high temporal resolution is critical for medication titration, which is key to reducing the time to seizure freedom. Design/Methods: EpxEpilepsy is an automated service that uses text messages and phone communications to ask patients about seizure events. Responses are tracked and summarized for the provider both in text and graphical formats with alerts notifying the provider of high-risk individuals. 9 patients from the Washington University Epilepsy Center with a diagnosis of epilepsy were enrolled. Patients received one text message every week for 12 weeks. After the initial 4 weeks, patients were interviewed to understand their experience using EpxEpilepsy. The goal of the pilot study was to track response rates, message fatigue, the percentage of patients who reported seizure activity, and the number of seizures that could be detected by the system. Results: We achieved a 74.1% response rate (95% confidence interval ±8.38%) and detected 180 seizures, with a third of our patients at a 100% response rate. Conclusions: While the study suffers from a small sample size and a nonrandomized uncontrolled design, our data suggests that EpxEpilepsy provides a promising platform for proactive seizure tracking in epilepsy patients. As such, a randomized control trial is ongoing with a larger sample size examining EpxEpilepsy’s effect on time to seizure freedom. Disclosure: Dr. Zhang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Chen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Javaherian has nothing to disclose. Dr. Groenendyk has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Maccotta has nothing to disclose.
Tabular format: a review of literature

The growing emphasis on the development of research abilities positions the presentation and interpretation of data as activities of increasing importance. Being competent in interpreting data representations is essential to understanding the modern world and to being a scientifically literate citizen. Tables are used daily, but it is not easy to understand the different cognitive processes that tables activate. It is important to know how to read, complete, build, and interpret tables. There is controversy about what to teach first with respect to graphs, but there is no controversy about what to teach regarding tables. Given subjects' difficulties with tables, the research centers on them and contributes to the school science curriculum and to teaching and learning practices. This article presents the state of the art regarding tables from 1977 to 2012. The search and revision of the statistics bibliography referring to tables included scientific articles, books, dissertations, talks in international conferences, and school curricula from some countries. This study shows tables’ apparent simplicity, proposes a generic table structure, and provides arguments and guidelines for tables being explicitly taught, given their broad insertion in our culture.
Effect of Pneumatic Tubing System Transport on Platelet Apheresis Units

Platelet apheresis units are transfused into patients to mitigate or prevent bleeding. In a hospital, platelet apheresis units are transported from the transfusion service to the healthcare teams via two methods: a pneumatic tubing system (PTS) or ambulatory transport. Whether PTS transport affects the activity and utility of platelet apheresis units is unclear. We quantified the gravitational forces and transport time associated with PTS and ambulatory transport within our hospital. Washed platelets and supernatants were prepared from platelet apheresis units prior to transport as well as following ambulatory or PTS transport. For each group, we compared resting and agonist-induced platelet activity and platelet aggregate formation on collagen or von Willebrand factor (VWF) under shear, platelet VWF-receptor expression and VWF multimer levels. Subjection of platelet apheresis units to rapid acceleration/deceleration forces during PTS transport did not pre-activate platelets or their ability to activate in response to platelet agonists as compared to ambulatory transport. Platelets within platelet apheresis units transported via PTS retained their ability to adhere to surfaces of VWF and collagen under shear, although platelet aggregation on collagen and VWF was diminished as compared to ambulatory transport. VWF multimer levels and platelet GPIb receptor expression was unaffected by PTS transport as compared to ambulatory transport. Subjection of platelet apheresis units to PTS transport did not significantly affect the baseline or agonist-induced levels of platelet activation as compared to ambulatory transport. Our case study suggests that PTS transport may not significantly affect the hemostatic potential of platelets within platelet apheresis units.
Phonon Scattering Effects on Temperature Dependence of Conductivity in Strained Silicon

Temperature dependence on conductivity in strained silicon is simulated. The mobility of strained silicon is simulated by solving Poisson equation for Fermi energy with the iterative method to determine carrier concentration at a given input of impurity concentration and temperature, which is followed by a calculation of the relaxation-time approximation in Boltzman transport theory, including phonon, ionized impurity and neutral impurity scattering contributions. Changes on mobility by strain are shown to play a significant role in the temperature dependence of piezoresistance effects in silicon. Influence from phonon scattering which is dominant at room temperature is discussed.
Carpet Fiber Recycling Technologies

ABSTRACT Significant progress has been made in waste minimization and pollution prevention in textile manufacturing processes. Because most carpets and textiles are for replacement, recycling post-consumer fibrous waste should be an integral part of sustainability for textile products. Currently in the United States alone, over 2 million tons of post-consumer carpet waste is discarded into landfills each year, and the amount is expected to increase to over 3 million tons by 2012. Very little post-consumer carpet at present is recycled. To establish a sustainable commercial network to recycle fibrous waste, operations based on different technologies must coexist such that different types of materials collected can be recycled to the greatest extent. This paper reviews technologies for carpet waste recycling.
Demonstration of a matrix Laboratory

MATLAB is an interactive computer program that serves as a convenient “laboratory” for computations involving matrices. This paper gives three examples showing how MATLAB can be used in the classroom and in numerical analysis research.
Establishing Sanctioned Safe Consumption Sites in the United States: Five Jurisdictions Moving the Policy Agenda Forward

Objective:Safe consumption sites enable use of preobtained drugs in hygienic settings where trained staff are available to respond to overdoses and connect individuals with health and social servic...
MBE Growth of Nitride-Arsenide Materials for long Wavelength Opto-electronics

Nitride-Arsenide materials were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using a radio frequency (rf) nitrogen plasma. The plasma conditions that maximize the amount of atomic nitrogen versus molecular nitrogen were determined using the emission spectrum of the plasma. Under constant plasma source conditions and varying group III flux, the nitrogen concentration in the film is inversely proportional to the group III flux (i. e. the nitrogen sticking coefficient is unity). The relationship between nitrogen concentration in the film and lattice parameter of the film is not linear for nitrogen concentrations above 2.9 mole % GaN, indicating that some nitrogen is incorporated on other locations than the group V lattice sites. For films with these higher nitrogen concentrations, XPS indicates that the nitrogen exists in two configurations: a Gallium-Nitrogen bond and another type of nitrogen complex in which nitrogen is less strongly bonded to Gallium atoms. Annealing removes this nitrogen complex and allows some of the nitrogen to diffuse out of the film. Annealing also improves the crystal quality of GaAsN quantum wells.
Are multi-contrast magnetic resonance images necessary for segmenting multiple sclerosis brains? A large cohort study based on deep learning.

Abstract Background Magnetic resonance images with multiple contrasts or sequences are commonly used for segmenting brain tissues, including lesions, in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, acquisition of images with multiple contrasts increases the scan time and complexity of the analysis, possibly introducing factors that could compromise segmentation quality. Objective To investigate the effect of various combinations of multi-contrast images as input on the segmented volumes of gray (GM) and white matter (WM), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and lesions using a deep neural network. Methods U-net, a fully convolutional neural network was used to automatically segment GM, WM, CSF, and lesions in 1000 MS patients. The input to the network consisted of 15 combinations of FLAIR, T1-, T2-, and proton density-weighted images. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was evaluated to assess the segmentation performance. For lesions, true positive rate (TPR) and false positive rate (FPR) were also evaluated. In addition, the effect of lesion size on lesion segmentation was investigated. Results Highest DSC was observed for all the tissue volumes, including lesions, when the input was combination of all four image contrasts. All other input combinations that included FLAIR also provided high DSC for all tissue classes. However, the quality of lesion segmentation showed strong dependence on the input images. The DSC and TPR values for inputs with the four contrast combination and FLAIR alone were very similar, but FLAIR showed a moderately higher FPR for lesion size Conclusions Best performance for segmented tissue volumes was obtained with all four image contrasts as the input, and comparable performance was attainable with FLAIR only as the input, albeit with a moderate increase in FPR for small lesions. This implies that acquisition of only FLAIR images provides satisfactory tissue segmentation. Lesion segmentation was poor for very small lesions and improved rapidly with lesion size.
Is Automated Journalistic Writing Less Biased? An Experimental Test of Auto-Written and Human-Written News Stories

By administering an online experiment, this study examined how source and journalistic domains affect the perceived objectivity, message credibility, medium credibility, bias, and overall journalis...
Lower SRS Mental Health Scores are Associated With Greater Preoperative Pain in Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Study design Retrospective review of a prospectively collected multicenter database. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with low preoperative SRS pain scores. Summary of background data The prevalence of preoperative pain in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has become increasingly evident and is a primary concern for patients and families. Greater preoperative pain is associated with more postoperative pain; however, less is understood about what contributes to preoperative pain. Methods A prospectively collected, multicenter database was queried for patients with AIS. Patients were divided into 2 cohorts based on preoperative SRS pain scores: ≤ 3 (Pain cohort), 4 to 5 (No Pain cohort). Univariate analysis was performed identifying which factors were associated with a low preoperative SRS score and used for a CART analysis. Results Of 2585 patients total, 2141 (83%) patients had SRS pain scores of 4 to 5 (No Pain) and 444 (17%) had SRS pain scores ≤3 (Pain). Female sex, older age, greater % body mass index, larger lumbar curves, greater T5-12 kyphosis, and lower mental health scores were associated with greater preoperative pain. In multivariate CART analysis, lower mental health SRS scores (P = 0.04) and older age (P = 0.003) remained significant, with mental health scores having the greatest contribution. In subdividing the mental health component questions, anxiety-related questions appeared to have the greatest effect followed by mood/depression (SRS Question 13: OR 2.04; Q16: OR 1.35; Q7: OR 1.31; Q3: OR 1.20). Conclusion Anxiety and mood are potentially modifiable risk factors that have the greatest impact on pre- and postoperative pain. These results can be used to identify higher-risk patients and develop preoperative therapeutic protocols to improve postoperative outcomes. Level of evidence 3.
Correction To: Knowledge of Psychosocial Factors Associated With Low Back Pain Amongst Health Science Students: A Scoping Review

Following publication of the original article [1], we have been notified that one of the author names was incorrect.
Academic Surgery in the Veterans’ Administration Health Care System

The VA is the largest healthcare delivery system in the United States. There is a major emphasis in the VA on maximizing quality and access. Clinical care of veterans can be tremendously rewarding as they represent a challenging patient population with significant needs. There is a research infrastructure that includes access to robust databases with a history of groundbreaking advances supported by research funding through the VA Merit System. The VA represents an excellent place to establish and grow an academic surgical practice.
Reducing the Population Burden of Coronary Heart Disease by Modifying Adiposity: Estimates From the ARIC Study.

Background Excess adiposity, which affects 69% of US adults, increases coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in an association that manifests below conventional obesity cut points. The population‐level...
LensKit for Python: Next-Generation Software for Recommender System Experiments

LensKit is an open-source toolkit for building, researching, and learning about recommender systems. First released in 2010 as a Java framework, it has supported diverse published research, small-scale production deployments, and education in both MOOC and traditional classroom settings. In this paper, I present the next generation of the LensKit project, re-envisioning the original tool's objectives as flexible Python package for supporting recommender systems research and development. LensKit for Python (LKPY) enables researchers and students to build robust, flexible, and reproducible experiments that make use of the large and growing PyData and Scientific Python ecosystem, including scikit-learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch. To that end, it provides classical collaborative filtering implementations, recommender system evaluation metrics, data preparation routines, and tools for efficiently batch running recommendation algorithms, all usable in any combination with each other or with other Python software. This paper describes the design goals, use cases, and capabilities of LKPY, contextualized in a reflection on the successes and failures of the original LensKit for Java software.